A new study released by the Global Impact Invest Network (GIIN) at the opening of its two-day Investor Forum 2016 in Amsterdam this week found that impact investors reported substantial growth over the last three years
The newly released Looking Forward with Ford report finds consumers at a crossroads. People are reassessing how they define 'the Good Life,' value material possessions, and use their time. They are placing greater accountability on brands to be transparent and truthful, and to act in the best interest of both individuals and society overall. The world seems to be in a perpetual state of flux, and companies will need to keep up.
The new Sustainable Development Goals Fund report on Universality and the SDGs is compelling to the private sector for a number of reasons.
This week at COP22, the Global Adaptation & Resilience Investment Working Group (GARI) released its discussion paper, “Bridging the Adaptation Gap,” reporting that 70 percent of private investors surveyed see both risk and investment opportunity from the impact of climate change. According to GARI, 78 percent of 101 surveyed investors and other stakeholders thought evaluating the physical risk from climate change was “very important,” while 70 percent would consider making investments that supported adaptation to climate change or climate change resilience now.
CSR schemes are standard fare these days. They’re essential and expected, but by no means do they guarantee a strong consumer response. The industry — and society as a whole — has evolved to the point to which the possession of a mission statement on its own is no longer sufficient.
Last week saw the second Sustainable Brands conference hosted in Kuala Lumpur, focusing on the theme of Activating Purpose. Purpose – possibly one of the most over-used and broadly defined words out there right now. Yet, it was a great hook on which to peg a conversation about hopes and ambitions for sustainability, as well as the current performance of brands and businesses in Malaysia with sustainability aspirations.
Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN), a project of As You Sow, recently reported which major brands are leading in adequately protecting human rights and informing investors about their conflict minerals risk, and those who are failing to do so. Mining the Disclosures is RSN’s annual analysis of conflict minerals reporting, ranking 200+ individual companies across 25+ industries in risk mitigation, human rights impact, and reporting quality.
“Hidden Connections,” a thought-provoking digital video series premiering today, explores one of the human consequences of climate change — specifically its little-known link to child marriage. TakePart, the digital division of Participant Media, and the Thomson Reuters Foundation teamed up to produce the three-part series, which gives an intimate look at the lives of two young girls living in Bangladesh.
Last week, I had the great pleasure and honour to take part in the second annual edition of Sustainable Brands Bangkok, which was founded by Dr. Sirikul ‘Nui’ Laukaikul, who many of you will have had the good fortune to hear as a speaker at previous Sustainable Brands events.
PepsiCo today announced an ambitious global sustainability agenda designed to foster continued business growth in a way that responds to changing consumer and societal needs. The plan, which focuses on creating a healthier relationship between people and food, includes specific 2025 goals to continue transforming PepsiCo’s food and beverage product portfolio, contribute to a more sustainable global food system and help make local communities more prosperous.
Every business owner and resident in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, felt the impact of the August 2016 storms, whether or not their home or workplace flooded. It’s estimated that three out of every 10 homes in the Baton Rouge area had flood damage. Considering the area is home to more than 820,000 people, it’s clear the recovery will continue for some time.
Companies have begun to recognize that climate change is occurring and that it poses a significant risk to their business. However, new research suggests that they may not be adequately addressing the problem. Consultancy Article 13 found that organizations are falling short when it comes to goal-setting and reporting against planetary boundaries and social thresholds.
On 21 September, Alliance 8.7 was launched during the UN General Assembly to end forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour. The aim is to galvanize political support and strengthen multi-stakeholder action on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8.7. Taco Terheijden, Director of Cocoa Sustainability at Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, reflects on the importance of SDG 8.7 and how the new Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation System within the Cargill Cocoa Promise will strengthen its efforts to tackle child labour and forced labour in the cocoa supply chain.
Today the Global Coffee Platform (GCP), the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and the Sustainable Coffee Challenge have publicly launched the Coffee Sustainability Catalogue 2016.
“Climate change and conservation are inextricably linked,” U.S. President Barack Obama said last week at the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress in Honolulu, Hawaii. “Few people understand the stakes better than our Pacific island leaders because they are seeing already the impact. Rising sea levels and temperatures pose an existential threat to your countries.”
Each year in the U.S. more than 2.3 million people experience homelessness, 7.4 million live “doubled up” with friends or family and scores live on the edge of homelessness. Estimates are a community pays $5,000 for every person who enters a shelter, to say nothing of the social and health problems amongst homeless adults and children.
Just a day after a group of cross-party MPs called on the UK government to ban microbeads, Greenpeace released a report outlining the science on the impact of microplastics, including microbeads, on oceans and seafood.
Two surveys of consumers in the United Kingdom (UK) have highlighted their growing demand for food supply chain ethics. Research from Globescan showed that the vast majority of shoppers believe that food companies and the government are responsible for ensuring long-term food production sustainability. 92 percent of shoppers put the onus on food companies, indicating they should focus their efforts on securing the future sustainability of food, while 85 percent believed the government should be held accountable.
Nelson Switzer, Chief Sustainability Officer for Nestlé Waters North America, has called for ‘aggressive new leadership’ in collective action through partnerships to solve shared water challenges. At an event on August 11, Switzer said all stakeholders – including businesses, industry associations, governments, civic groups and communities – “owe each other more,” and must work together to create shared value.
Panera Bread today issued its Kids Meal Promise to express the company’s long-held beliefs about kids’ meals and commitments relative to its Panera Kids™ menu. The promise is meant to be a challenge to the restaurant industry and to all food manufacturers who offer kids food. Panera is the first national restaurant company with a kids menu that meets all of five tenets of the Kids Meal Promise, including: