The Next Economy
The myriad new models and processes aimed at fixing the flaws in capitalism and laying the groundwork for practical, alternative economic frameworks designed to benefit all stakeholders.
Bee Token Harnesses Blockchain to Level the Sharing Economy Playing Field
Decentralized sharing economy platform The Bee Token has debuted a first look at Beenest, a short-term housing marketplace that uses a sophisticated blockchain technology to address the consumer-facing issues with today’s centralized business model.
2018 Circulars Nominate 43 Changemakers Paving the Path to a Circular Future
2017 was a big year for the circular economy, with innovative new products, initiatives and tech tools popping up almost daily, and making it easier than every for corporates and consumers alike to engage in circularity. An initiative of the World Economic Forum and the Forum of Young Global Leaders, The Circulars are awarded to individuals, companies (from startups to multinationals) and public and social organizations in recognition for their contributions to the circular economy. This year, 43 innovators have been nominated for pushing the circular agenda forward and paving the way for others in their field.
As EMF Calls for New Textiles Economy, H&M Clothing Powers Swedish Incinerators
Sweden is a leader in waste-to-energy generation and earlier this year, the country began powering its incineration plants with trash purchased from neighboring countries. With less than one percent of Swedish household waste sent to landfill since 2011, the country needed to look outside its borders to keep its incineration plants going. Now, news has emerged that some of this waste is discarded clothing from fast fashion giant H&M.
Let’s Honour the Late King by Committing to the Sufficiency Economy
Thailand has bid the final farewell to its leader of seven decades, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. People throughout the Kingdom, and around the world, have celebrated and commemorated his life in a variety of ways. Ceremonies that have been practiced until perfect are helping convey the gravity of the moment while helping the nation begin to move forward. But when the ceremonies end, people will look for ways to keep the late King's memory alive, as well as to honour his life's work. A great way to do so might be to commit to continue the Sufficiency Economy work that was initiated by His Majesty Rama IX.
How Technology Is Driving Us Toward Peak Globalization
At some point in the future — and in some ways, we are already seeing this — the amount of physical stuff moving around the world will peak and begin to decline. By “stuff,” I am referring to liquid fuels, coal, containers on ships, food, raw materials, products, etc. New technologies are moving us toward “production-at-the-point-of-consumption” of energy, food and products with reduced reliance on a global supply chain. The trade of physical stuff has been central to globalization as we’ve known it. So, this declining movement of stuff may signal we are approaching “peak globalization.”
SB'17 Copenhagen, Day 2: Circularity, Impact Valuation and Other Ways to Put a ‘Positive’ Spin on Business
How a T-Shirt Is Driving a Circular Economy by Melanie Vella In this main stage session, Forum for the Future CEO Sally Uren returned to interview Jeffrey Hogue, Chief Sustainability Officer at C&A, to delve into the organic fibre that made up Sally’s t-shirt, quite literally.
Large-Scale Rollout of Innovative Business Models Key for Creating Value, Reducing Waste
A new series of case studies highlighting the benefits of adopting innovative business models on a large scale has been published by REBus, an EU LIFE+-funded partnership project.
Sans Soucie: Turning Waste Textiles Into Beautiful Clothes
It’s Waste Reduction Week in Canada, and to celebrate, I spoke to some superstar companies reducing waste through product design that are featured in the National Zero Waste Council’s Design Portfolio. Earlier this week, we highlighted food waste solutions from Abeego and Club Coffee.
Chanje's Revolutionary Electric Truck Aims to Transform Urban Deliveries
Think of all the delivery trucks that roam across cities every day. Whether it’s Amazon, moving furniture, even good old snail mail, most of it comes to our homes via dirty, inefficient, diesel- or gasoline-powered trucks that get barely a few miles to the gallon. Factor in both air and noise pollution from these vehicles and you have a major sustainability challenge that, as delivery services grow, is only getting worse.
CPG Giants Reaffirm Commitment to New Plastics Economy, Pledge $150M for Plastic-Free Oceans
With 8 million tonnes of plastic entering the ocean each year, we urgently need to change the way we make and use plastics, so that they don’t become waste in the first place. A host of announcements from major CPG companies and NGOs today from the Our Ocean 2017 conference in Malta signal the ongoing momentum behind the issue.
'Our Responsibility for the Long Game': An Excerpt from ‘The Clean Money Revolution’
We need a financial plan for achieving a safe world in the next thirty years. This period will be crucial as social and ecological externalities come home to roost. We need a rapid reinvention of capitalism, finance, and wealth management. We need to rethink power and purpose. Otherwise, this revolutionary moment where “the 20 percent could consciously shift trillions of dollars” will be replaced with “global meltdown, all bets are off, retreat to your bunkers, hope the military can protect you.”
Lack of Waste Infrastructure Could Leave UK Open to 'Potential Disaster Scenario' Post-Brexit
The realities of a hard Brexit are beginning to come to fruition. Immigration issues notwithstanding, the UK stands to face significant challenges in meeting its Paris commitments and upholding its pledge to maintain high environmental standards after its separation from the EU.
C2C Products Innovation Institute Now Guiding Designers, Manufacturers on Achieving Certification
The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and MBDC are making it easier than ever for manufacturers and designers to create and certify products according to the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Product Standard with the launch of a new guidance program.
Expedia Combating Poverty, Climate Change with Revenue-Sharing Carbon Offset Program
To help reduce global economic inequality along with greenhouse gas emissions from its corporate travel, travel giant Expedia, Inc. has invested in four community-owned carbon offset projects from the global nonprofit Carbon Offsets to Alleviate Poverty (COTAP).
'The Economy as Servant, Rather Than Master, of Nature': Fritjof Capra on Ecological Economics
In a recent interview with author, educator and activist Fritjof Capra, we discussed the Earth Charter, an ethical framework for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century.
4 Ways Your Brand Can Deliver ‘The Good Life’ to Consumers in 2017
Every business leader wants consumers to think of their company as an essential ingredient in building a better life, yet the very definition of what constitutes the ‘Good Life’ changes over time.
Re-Teck Harnesses C2C Business Model to Revolutionize Tech, Slash E-Waste
As circular business models begin to gain steam, a new strategic service is helping companies in the technology, electronics and telecom sectors uncover new ways to reuse, remanufacture and recover technological devices, while simultaneously turning costs into profits.
Creating the Win-Win: How Startups, NGOs and Global Brands Are Planting Seeds for 'The Good Economy'
It was standing room only on Tuesday at Buenos Aires’ MALBA modern art museum, for the second of two ‘InFocus’ events this year by the Sustainable Brands Buenos Aires team. Last month’s event at MALBA presented “Good to the Core” as a collective construction that can be achieved when all of society’s stakeholders work together to achieve it.
‘The More You Sell, the Better You Make the World’: How Brands Can Create ‘The Good Economy’
Translated from Spanish — view original interview here. As more and more companies around the world realize the myriad benefits of “doing good” – to their reputations as well as to their bottom line, we’ve seen a surge of feel-good campaigns and initiatives aimed at engaging conscientious consumers. But are brands going far enough?
AVs, Shared Mobility, IoT to Shape Future Urban Mobility, Says New McKinsey Report
Urban mobility is undergoing a dramatic transformation with the emergence of new technology and transportation services. The pace and extent of this transformation will vary from city to city and depends largely on factors such as density, household income, the state of existing infrastructure, pollution and congestion levels, as well as local governance capabilities.