Adam Gerschel-Clarke
Sustainable Extravagance: Kering Calls for Collaboration to Change Paradigm in Luxury Goods
New Metrics / Luxury goods and responsible consumption need not be contradictory terms — that was the core takeaway from a livestream Q & A session held earlier this week by Kering, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of luxury apparel and home to brands such as Gucci, PUMA, Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen. - 6 years ago
Enrich Not Exploit: The Business Case for Bold Commitments
Leadership / On significant birthdays, it is traditional across much of the world to receive gifts, but somewhat characteristically, one of the world’s most altruistic brands is bucking that trend. Last month, on the eve of its 40th anniversary, The Body Shop launched its new CSR strategy, ‘Enrich not Exploit,’ setting out 14 targets for 2020 that assist vulnerable communities around the world, further reduce the environmental impact of the brand, and support The Body Shop in its aim to become the ‘World’s most ethical and sustainable global business.’ - 6 years ago
The Modern Slavery Act: Why Inaction May Be Commercial Suicide
Organizational Change / ‘Forced labour affects roughly 21 million people around the globe, of whom 68% are exploited for private economic gain.’ These chastening figures, produced by the International Labour Organisation, are spurring governments around the world to bring in tough new measures to deal with this $150 billion industry. - 6 years ago
Simplifying Social Impact: Engagement Is the Route to Business Benefits
Supply Chain / ‘Social Impact and profitability are two sides of the same coin’ was one of the core takeaways from the Sedex Supply Chain Sustainability Conference, which took place last week at the iconic Barbican Conference Centre in London. The theme of this year’s conference was ‘simplification’: acknowledging the complexity of progressing environmental and social sustainability in a field that is becoming increasingly multi-faceted and prone to duplication. - 6 years ago
Carlsberg: How Engagement Is Key to the Success of Sustainable Packaging
Chemistry, Materials & Packaging / In one of the highlights of the SB’16 Copenhagen preview event in Denmark last week, Simon Hoffmeyer Boas, Sustainability Director at Carlsberg, introduced the beer giant’s pioneering new packaging solution, The Green Fibre Bottle. Away from the stage, Boas took a moment to discuss the challenges of sustainable packaging and the importance of consumer engagement to the development and success of eco-friendly products. - 6 years ago
'Peak Stuff': Why IKEA Is Shifting Towards New Business Models
Product, Service & Design Innovation / 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 consumer appetite for home furnishings had reached a crucial turning point. - 6 years ago
#BeeSustain: Inspiring Greater Sustainability at Global Conference Events
Organizational Change / The 2016 MPI European Meetings & Events Conference in Copenhagen on Tuesday saw the launch of the #BeeSustain Challenge, an immersive new workshop experience intended to help industry professionals to incorporate sustainability into event planning, share best practice and reduce their financial outlays. - 6 years ago
Religious Fervour, 'Green Giants,' Heartfelt Communication Abound on #SB15London, Day 2
Cleantech / On Tuesday, BBMG co-founder Raphael Bemporad hosted the second morning’s plenaries at SB ’15 London. He began by highlighting the transitionary power of sustainable brands.“As we begin the conversation today, I’d like us to think about the privileged position we occupy as a force for societal and market transformation,” he said. “We are uniquely placed: We can harness the emotional power of brands to convey stories and to channel aspirations, but we also embody sustainability — we’re system thinkers, we’re innovators. When we bring these two things together, we have the power to shape culture and shape the market.” - 6 years ago
What Can the Ethical Fashion Movement Teach Us About Tackling Sustainability In Challenging Industries?
Supply Chain / The sustainability challenges facing the clothing industry today are immense. In 2013 the Danish fashion institute estimated it to be the second-most damaging industry in the world, with 25 percent of the world’s pesticides used to grow cotton alone, and one-fifth of industrial water pollution stemming from the dyeing and treatment of fabric. The U.S. - 6 years ago
Social Auditing: A New Tool for Sustainable Development?
Organizational Change / Can social auditing be repurposed for greater good? That was the question posed during a breakout session of the Sedex Global Responsible Sourcing Conference in London last week. Muriel Johnson, AAG Project Manager at Sedex, asked a panel of leading business representatives if social auditing could be used to advance sustainable development within global enterprise, rather than as a simple mechanism to manage risk in the supply chain. - 7 years ago
The Shared Imperative: How the Humble Pint Is Helping to Advance Sustainability Science
Organizational Change / Last week saw the launch of a new initiative that will offer 15 post-graduate scientists from nations across Africa the opportunity to work with UK academic institutions in subject areas such as water management, sustainable farming, energy and waste.The ‘SABMiller Royal Society Exchange Programme’ is a seemingly unlikely collaboration between one of the UK’s leading science establishments and a multinational brewer. I went along to Wednesday night’s launch event at the Royal Society in London to find out how beer is helping to fund new sustainable technologies. - 7 years ago
#SB14London: How Model Behavior Is Helping Companies Drive Sustainability Innovation
Product, Service & Design Innovation / On Tuesday at SB ’14 London, I was privileged to join Matt Loose and Zoe Arden of SustainAbility at their afternoon breakout workshop. They were presenting their recent publication Model Behavior, exploring the role and practice of business model innovation in the context of sustainability.Model Behavior is the result of extensive research, compiling information from 100 companies and documenting more than 80 examples of business model innovation, to create a framework of 20 potential models from which to consider the journey towards more adaptable, responsible and ethical businesses. - 7 years ago
#SB14London: How Anglian Water Is Guiding Users to 'Keep It Clear'
Behavior Change / After a roundtable discussion hosted by Business in the Community, I sat down with Collette Parker of Anglian Water’s customer engagement program to find out more about the opportunities and challenges facing this UK water utility service. - 7 years ago
#SB14London: The Holy Grail - Building Movements for Behavior Change at Scale
Behavior Change / On Tuesday afternoon, I joined three inspiring speakers at SB ’14 London to learn more on how to create lasting and impactful movements for social good. The session was hosted by Dan Burgess, who runs a wide range of social projects including Good for Nothing, Break the Silence and Project Wild Thing. He was accompanied by Ivo Gormley, founder of GoodGym, and Gail Gallie of Project Everyone. - 7 years ago