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
AkzoNobel Issues $500K in Carbon Credits to Ships Using Emissions-Reducing Coatings
This week, paint and coatings manufacturer AkzoNobel issued 126,785 carbon credits – worth over $500,000 – to 16 ships that reduced their emissions by switching the coating on their hulls. The vessels were ‘rigorously assessed’ by an independ... View More
With 3D Ocean Farming, We Can Eat Sustainably While Restoring Our Oceans
How does one move from a career as a commercial fisherman to becoming the winner of the 2015 Fuller Challenge, one of the most prestigious sustainability prizes? Bren Smith, founder of Thimble Island Ocean Farm and executive director of the non-profi... View More
California’s Drought Added $2B In Energy Costs, Caused 10% More Emissions
California’s drought is contributing to a dangerous cycle: Reduced water flows have reduced hydroelectric power generation, leading to an increased reliance on natural gas for the state to meet its energy needs. Since climate change is worsening Ca... View More
Hilton, Whole Foods Go Head to Head on Energy Efficiency in DOE Reality Series
This week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched the “Better Buildings Challenge SWAP,” a three-episode web-based reality series in which Hilton Worldwide and Whole Foods Market swap energy-management teams at their facilities in San Franc... View More
Trending: Apple Invests $1.5B in Clean Energy; 17 States Won’t ‘Stay’ Clean Power Plan
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision to delay the enforcement of President Obama’s Clean Power Plan was a victory for the coalition of 27 industry opponents and mostly Republican-led states that believe the regulations are a “power grab.” In... View More
Could Growing Food in Gravel Be Pay Dirt for Sustainable Agriculture?
A new age in gardening is dawning: Geological agriculture, aka gravel gardening — a completely soil-less way to grow all kinds of crops in sedimentary rock.Leading the charge is To Soil Less, a family business founded by former management consultan... View More
Campbell Soup Launches $125M Venture Capital Fund for Food Startups
The Campbell Soup Company has announced that it is launching a $125 million venture capital (VC) fund to invest in food startups. The fund, under the banner Acre Venture Partners L.P., will be managed by unidentified outsiders independent of Campbell... View More
Beyond Good Intentions: Tweaking the Buy One, Give One Model
While these models were implemented with the best of intentions, their lack of a holistic approach to the problems they’re aiming to address undermines a key selling point for mission-driven business models: the mutual benefits of improved reputati... View More
'Peak Stuff': Why IKEA Is Shifting Towards New Business Models
Last month, IKEA’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Steve Howard, raised eyebrows at a panel debate by suggesting that in some parts of the world we have reached the point of ‘peak stuff’, a comment that was interpreted by some as a warning that c... View More
Unilever Foundry Seeking 50 New Stellar Marketing Tech Startups
Unilever Foundry — Unilever’s startup technology incubator — has launched a search for the world’s top 50 marketing technology startups to pitch to industry leaders at Lions Innovation in Cannes in June. As part of the Unilever Foundry 50, th... View More
Singapore Strives to Become World’s First ‘Smart Nation’
There’s plenty of talk about “smart cities” as the surest route to building strong and resilient urban environments in the face of mounting climate impacts, but what about a “smart country”? While Singapore technically is a city-state — b... View More
Innovation Inspiration: What Bones Taught Airbus About Optimizing Strength
Airbus Group is taking innovation inspired by nature to the air by using 3D printing to help build a stronger, lighter-weight galley partition that mimics cells structure and bone growth. The design literally lightens each airplane’s load, allowing... View More
The Body Shop Marks 40th Year with Pledge to Be World's Most Ethical, Sustainable Global Company
To mark its 40th anniversary, The Body Shop has unveiled a pioneering global CSR strategy that will underpin all aspects of company operation. The new commitment will reaffirm the global cosmetics brand’s positioning as a leader in ethical business... View More
This Waterless Toilet Is Helping Ghana Turn Poop Into Power, Clean Water
There are still 2.4 billion people without access to toilets, risking their health and safety on a daily basis. Costs, culture, and a lack of awareness of the dangers of unsanitary practices pose substantial challenges and have resulted in an ongoing... View More
Start Now: The Benefits of Annual Impact Reporting from the Beginning
There aren’t many businesses that dedicate a fifth of their team to measuring impact. Luckily at Thread, we recognized early on that if we were going to produce the most responsible fabric in the world with a completely traceable and transparent su... View More
Supreme Court Halts Obama's Clean Power Plan
On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with conservatives seeking to delay the enforcement of President Obama's Clean Power Plan until legal challenges are resolved. The move is a blow to the administration and a victory for the coalition of 27 mos... View More
Mars to Remove All Artificial Colors from Food Portfolio
On Friday, Mars, Incorporated announced that it will remove all artificial colors from its human food products. Over the next 5 years, artificial colors will be phased out of the company's chocolate, gum, confection, food and drink businesses. The co... View More
Mobility as a Service Charting the Course for Customized On-Demand Mobility
To serve people’s urban mobility needs, cities rely on anything from one dominant, mainly private owned means of transport — the personal automobile — to a complex mixture of publicly and privately financed transport means. Users of these mobil... View More
Report: IoT Will Usher in 'Transformational Paradigm of Growth' for Circular Economy
With up to 50 billion connected devices predicted by 2020, a pervasive digital transformation is reshaping the economy. Will this ‘fourth industrial revolution’ lead to an acceleration of the extractive, ‘linear’ economy of today, or will it ... View More
UK Sugar, Carbon Taxes Could Produce £3.6B in Revenue, Reduce Emissions by 19M Tonnes
Could the health and environmental benefits of taxes on sugary drinks and carbon-intensive foods outweigh the out-of-pocket costs? New research from Oxford University and the University of Reading suggests that is indeed the case. A study published i... View More
