Innovation & Technology

The latest products, services, design approaches and business models that are helping organizations of all sizes deliver on their sustainability ambitions and establish a new business as usual

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
How to Factor in Exponential Technologies and Deep-Future Trends in the Innovation Process
How to Factor in Exponential Technologies and Deep-Future Trends in the Innovation Process
Published on June 8, 2016
About a 3 minute read

Technology is exponentially accelerating, creating a future that is difficult to imagine and one that impacts communities on a systems level. It is Robert Suarez’s job to think way, way outside of the box and design for that exponential future. Whe... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
What Underlies the Success of the World's First Billion-Dollar Sustainable Brands
What Underlies the Success of the World's First Billion-Dollar Sustainable Brands
Published on June 8, 2016
About a 4 minute read

What do Organic Valley, Target, REI and Toyota have in common? They are what Freya WIlliams describes as “Green Giants,” companies that have turned sustainability into billion-dollar businesses, and they are not alone. ... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
The Missing 60%: ExxonMobil, Forceful Stewardship and the 2°C Business Model Imperative
The Missing 60%: ExxonMobil, Forceful Stewardship and the 2°C Business Model Imperative
Published on June 8, 2016
About a 8 minute read

The Spring 2016 proxy votes supporting the 2°C stress test resolutions at last week’s Annual General Meetings of ExxonMobil (38.2%) and Chevron (41%) give cause for both celebration - and concern. These votes suggest that key asset managers are re... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
Lessons Learned from Buddhism, 10 Years of Sustainable Innovation Set Tone for SB'16 San Diego
Lessons Learned from Buddhism, 10 Years of Sustainable Innovation Set Tone for SB'16 San Diego
Published on June 7, 2016
About a 3 minute read

KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, founder and CEO of Sustainable Life Media and Sustainable Brands, kicked off the 10th annual Sustainable Brands conference Monday evening by going back to when she first asked the question, “Why Sustainable Brands?” ... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
Whole Systems Mapping: How to Design for Innovation and Achieve Sustainability Goals
Whole Systems Mapping: How to Design for Innovation and Achieve Sustainability Goals
Published on June 7, 2016
About a 7 minute read

The room was buzzing during design strategist Jeremy Faludi’s Monday afternoon workshop, Whole Systems Mapping: Driving Innovation and Sustainability Through Prioritized Ideation and Value Chain Maps. Despite a sunny waterfront view, participants w... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
Nestlé in the U.S. Continues 'Creating Shared Value' by Improving Product Nutrition, Supplier Standards
Nestlé in the U.S. Continues 'Creating Shared Value' by Improving Product Nutrition, Supplier Standards
Published on June 7, 2016
About a 4 minute read

Nestlé in the United States (which includes Nestle USA’s people food divisions, as well as Nestle’s other Stateside operations, including Nespresso, Purina and Nestlé Professional) today releases its 2015 Creating Shared Value Report, highligh... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
With Help of $10M Series A, Back to the Roots Poised to Truly 'Undo Food'
With Help of $10M Series A, Back to the Roots Poised to Truly 'Undo Food'
Published on June 6, 2016
About a 3 minute read

Back to the Roots, an Oakland, California startup pioneering how families reconnect with food, announced today that it has expanded its January crowdfunding campaign on CircleUp into a $10M Series A. The new investment was led by Acre Venture Partner... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
PrintEco: Partnering with Competitors to Double Down on Sustainable Printing
PrintEco: Partnering with Competitors to Double Down on Sustainable Printing
Published on June 6, 2016
About a 3 minute read

Two years ago a story was penned here on Sustainable Brands about a partnership between my company, PrintEco - a small startup with an app to enable more efficient printing - and Domtar, one of the largest paper & pulp manufacturers in North Amer... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
Supply Chain Visibility Critical for Seeing the True Cost, Sustainability of Our Products
Supply Chain Visibility Critical for Seeing the True Cost, Sustainability of Our Products
Published on June 3, 2016
About a 4 minute read

As Sustainable Brands marks its 10th anniversary, many of us find ourselves in a reflective mood. We can recall the decade’s pivotal milestones like they were yesterday as we also consider the challenges that lie ahead. Despite the countless amazin... View More

Article
Materials & PackagingInnovation & Technology
Audi, DuPont, Novozymes Among 20 Orgs Joining Below50 Coalition to Scale Up Sustainable Fuels
Audi, DuPont, Novozymes Among 20 Orgs Joining Below50 Coalition to Scale Up Sustainable Fuels
Published on June 1, 2016
About a 3 minute read

From investors to growers, producers, blenders and consumers, the below50 initiative, launched today, expects to attract every industry sector involved in the pipeline of sustainable fuels. Any company who produces, uses and/or invests in fuels that ... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
Schneider Electric Helping MBTA Drive Energy Savings
Schneider Electric Helping MBTA Drive Energy Savings
Published on May 31, 2016
About a 3 minute read

Schneider Electric, global specialist in energy management and automation, today announced it’s working with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA — aka “the T”) to cut utility bills and carbon emissions tied to public transpor... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
The Journey to Creating a Scalable Social Enterprise
The Journey to Creating a Scalable Social Enterprise
Published on May 31, 2016
About a 3 minute read

In today's startup world, high burn rates and the need to raise multiple rounds of funding have become the norm. It's believed that this is the only path to "scalability" — a word that has lost its meaning through a decade of abuse. Befor... View More

Article
Organizational GovernanceInnovation & Technology
London, NYC Ranked Most Global Cities; SF, Boston Among Most Innovative
London, NYC Ranked Most Global Cities; SF, Boston Among Most Innovative
Published on May 31, 2016
About a 4 minute read

The 2016 Index and Outlook evaluated 125 of the world’s largest and most influential cities and those primed to make an impact in the future. ... View More

Article
Innovation & Technology
Smarter Soap, Soccer Balls, Seats and Supply Chains: The 2016 SBIO Semi-Finalists, Part 2
Smarter Soap, Soccer Balls, Seats and Supply Chains: The 2016 SBIO Semi-Finalists, Part 2
Published on May 28, 2016
About a 5 minute read

Sustainable Brands ’16 San Diego is coming up June 6-9, and part of the fun includes this year’s competition for game-changing, purpose-driven startups — the SB Innovation Open, hosted by Target. In part two of our two-part introduction to our ... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
Can Danish Enzyme Technology Help Alleviate Asia’s Waste Problems?
Can Danish Enzyme Technology Help Alleviate Asia’s Waste Problems?
Published on May 28, 2016
About a 3 minute read

Today, large quantities of CO2 are emitted when we extract raw materials for the production of consumer goods. After use, most of these products end up in landfills as wasted resources. Among other drawbacks, this linear, take-make-waste system harms... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
The Body Shop to Regenerate Over 18K Acres of Forest, Help Monkeys Find Love
The Body Shop to Regenerate Over 18K Acres of Forest, Help Monkeys Find Love
Published on May 26, 2016
About a 4 minute read

Deforested and degraded lands inhibit the ability of endangered plants and animals to grow and thrive again. Restored wildlife corridors such as “bio-bridges” within damaged landscapes can help re-establish plant populations and reconnect endange... View More

Article
Innovation & Technology
Revolutionizing Food, Beer and … Tampons! The 2016 SBIO Semi-Finalists, Part 1
Revolutionizing Food, Beer and … Tampons! The 2016 SBIO Semi-Finalists, Part 1
Published on May 26, 2016
About a 5 minute read

Our 2016 SB Innovation Open, hosted by Target is approaching fast, and our latest crop of disruptive, purpose-driven startups are among our most exciting yet. From edible beer to sustainable farming solutions, here’s a closer look at who will be jo... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
How Cisco Is Using Its Unique Capabilities to Drive Breakthroughs in Supply Chain Sustainability
How Cisco Is Using Its Unique Capabilities to Drive Breakthroughs in Supply Chain Sustainability
Published on May 26, 2016
About a 7 minute read

As the world’s largest designer, manufacturer and seller of networking equipment, Cisco Systems faces many supply chain sustainability issues, including energy, waste and climate change impacts, among others. To address these challenges, Cisco has ... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
Janine Benyus: What Businesses Can Learn from the 'Optimization Engine of Evolution'
Janine Benyus: What Businesses Can Learn from the 'Optimization Engine of Evolution'
Published on May 25, 2016
About a 12 minute read

I recently spoke with the biomimicry pioneer about some of her favorite biomimetic innovations, about asking more from our design interventions, and some of the yet untapped areas in which Nature’s genius could help solve our most intractable probl... View More

Article
Innovation & TechnologyInnovation & Technology
Forget Incremental Improvements: 40 Companies, Cities Working to Activate New Plastics Economy
Forget Incremental Improvements: 40 Companies, Cities Working to Activate New Plastics Economy
Published on May 25, 2016
About a 3 minute read

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative kicks off today with an inaugural workshop that brings together more than 40 leading companies including Amcor, Coca-Cola, The Dow Chemical Company, DuPont, Indorama Ventures, Marks &... View More

Upcoming Events

June 8-10, 2026
SB'26 San Diego
US Event
February 18-19, 2026
SB'26 Tokyo
US Event
See All Events >