Supply Chain
How organizations are working to address the myriad social, environmental and operational issues that can arise in complex supply chains
WBCSD Threatens to Expel APRIL Unless It Proves It Has Ended Deforestation Practices
APRIL, the second largest pulp and paper company in Indonesia, has today been threatened with expulsion from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), a coalition of some 200 international companies committed to sustainability, ... View More
Nomadista's Design-Cause-Effect Model Making Shopping More Meaningful
What started as a conversation amongst three friends in 2012 soon evolved into a new online retail concept founded on a shared passion to make a difference.Nomadista, a term coined by co-founders Irina Bezsonoff, Marisol Gomez and Luisa Echeverry mea... View More
New Partnership Streamlines Environmental Reporting in Sea Freight Supply Chain
Sustainable supply-chain management company EcoVadis and BSR’s Clean Cargo Working Group (CCWG) have announced a partnership aimed at standardizing sustainability reporting requests for the sea freight supply chain.Under this partnership EcoVadis w... View More
McDonald's Beginning Journey to 100% 'Verified Sustainable Beef' — But Is That an Oxymoron?
McDonald’s announced this week that, by 2016, it will begin sourcing “verified sustainable beef.” The pledge is an effort to reduce the environmental impact of the fast-food chain’s meat production, as well as to be kinder to the animals on w... View More
Intel CEO Challenges Entire Electronics Industry to Become 'Conflict-Free'
In his pre-show keynote at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas yesterday, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich outlined a range of the company’s new products, initiatives and strategic relationships aimed at accelerating innovat... View More
Disruptive Conservation: A New Thread to Connect Multi-Sector Values
A Minnesota watershed project is using an ecocommerce framework, a fundamentally different approach to bringing shared value to natural resource management. ... View More
Listen to Your Critics: They Could Be Your Biggest Allies
It was every retailer’s worst nightmare: Days after the Rana Plaza factory collapsed in one of the worst industrial disasters in recorded history, activists began plastering the Internet with pictures of clothing labels uncovered amongst the rubble... View More
Purchasing & Procurement
Evolving government policies, technical possibilities, market conditions and stakeholder relationships are all constantly influencing – directly or indirectly – buyers and sellers alike. This channel zooms in on sustainable purchasing and procure... View More
Top 10 Ways Brands Used Their Power to Create a More Sustainable World in 2013
2013 was a banner year for companies using their muscle to drive transformative change, both internally and globally. Without further ado, here is just a taste of some of the progress we found most inspiring. ... View More
Stopping Global Deforestation: How to Turn Around a Giant (Part 2 of 2)
This is the fourth in a series of excerpts from Engaging Outraged Stakeholders: A How-To Guide for Uniting the Left, Right, Capitalists and Activists (Affinity Press, 2013), the new book from Future 500. Earlier this month, we posted the beginning of... View More
Brands, Palm Oil and the Ugly Face of Beauty
After the recent piece regarding palm oil and the depredations its industrial cultivation rains on the heads of one of our most wonderful simian cousins, if there is anyone in the beauty industry or from one of its agencies that read it and didn’t ... View More
Hershey Ups Palm Oil Sustainability Goals, But NGOs Push for More
In addition to achieving its commitment to source 100 percent mass-balanced RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil)-certified palm oil more than a year ahead of its original 2015 commitment, The Hershey Company announced last week it will also work... View More
Woody Harrelson Using Equity Crowdfunding to Scale Straw Paper Enterprise
Last week, institutional crowdfunding marketplace Optimize Capital Markets released a call for accredited investors looking to profit by disrupting an environmentally destructive industry while solving a massive waste problem: Optimize’s client, Pr... View More
Insights from COP19: Women Play a Critical Role in Global Climate Crisis
The Rainforest Alliance’s climate team reports back from COP19, highlighting the increasingly crucial role of women in helping communities to mitigate and adapt to climate change.You’ve undoubtedly heard the old saying: “Behind every great man ... View More
After Years of Pressure, Wilmar International Commits to Ending Deforestation Practices
Wilmar International, the world's largest palm oil trader, today announced a No Deforestation Policy in response to pressure from Greenpeace, NGOs and consumers around the world. ... View More
Nike, Inc. Unveils ColorDry Technology and Facility That Eliminate Water, Chemicals In Dyeing
Nike, Inc. today celebrated the opening of a water-free dyeing facility featuring high-tech equipment that will eliminate the use of water and process chemicals from fabric dyeing at its Taiwanese contract manufacturer, Far Eastern New Century Corp (... View More
UN Global Compact Launches Business Guide Highlighting Rights of Indigenous Peoples
The UN Global Compact (UNGC) on Monday released a new guide aimed at helping businesses understand the rights of indigenous peoples, and recommends practical actions to respect and support these rights. ... View More
CDP: Many Businesses Still Unaware of Supply Chain Risks Due to Deforestation
In a year of extreme weather events, commodity price spikes and supply chain disasters, the latest data from CDP’s forests program reveals that the business community remains largely unaware of the deforestation risks in their own supply chains, th... View More
H&M Plans to Pay All Textile Workers ‘Living Wage’ by 2018
H&M, the world's second-largest clothing retailer, established a roadmap this week to pay a fair “living wage” to 850,000 textile workers by 2018, citing that governments were not acting fast enough. But some are arguing that H&M should m... View More
Peruvian Stevia Farm Becomes World's First to Achieve Rainforest Alliance Certification
The Stevia One Perú SAC farm in northern Peru has earned Rainforest Alliance certification, becoming the world’s first stevia farm to earn the distinction, according to an announcement today by Rainforest Alliance. The farm met the rigorous standa... View More
