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As increasingly tighter rules aim to address environmental concerns, businesses face mounting pressures to meet these new sustainability targets.
This year’s InCosmetics Global trade show housed a dedicated Sustainability Zone to help beauty and personal care companies navigate the ever-changing rules, as they continue their journey to become more sustainable throughout their supply chains.
According to Dr Barbara Olioso from The Green Chemist Consultancy – who was moderating and overseeing the Sustainability Zone – it’s a challenging topic for businesses and more collaboration could very be helpful.
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JBS has announced the installation of biodigesters to provide a new outlet for the methane gas emitted in its industrial operations – the production of biogas, a renewable and clean energy source.
Environmental Footprint
The first phase of the initiative covers the group's nine Friboi units and reduces the business's scope 1 emissions by 65%, representing a reduction of 24.6% in scope 1 emissions across all JBS activities in Brazil.
With a R$ 54 million (€10.2 million) investment, this is the largest project of its kind in Brazil's protein industry, reducing the environmental footprint of its production process.
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Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Environment Day has become one of the largest global platforms for environmental outreach and is celebrated by millions around the world every June 5th. This year’s World Environment Day 2023 is being hosted by Côte d’Ivoire with the support of the Netherlands, will focus on solutions
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Local environmental groups criticized Mayor Eric Adams for a new rule that will allow New York City landlords to skirt upcoming environmental regulations for buildings by purchasing large quantities of carbon credits.
Last week, the New York City Department of Buildings issued a final version of a long-anticipated carbon credit policy—a key part of the city’s 2019 carbon emissions law for buildings, Local Law 97— that would allow property owners who cannot meet the law’s strict emissions standards through renovations to purchase carbon credits instead. Landlords would be allowed to buy renewable energy credits, or RECs, to offset all pollution generated by a building’s electricity use.
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In the last two decades, many companies have made pledges to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains. Have these pledges been effective? New research published in the scientific journal Environmental Research Letters shows that when it comes to sourcing soy from the Amazon region, zero-deforestation pledges (ZDP)—made in support of Brazil’s Soy Moratorium, which banned sourcing soybeans produced on deforested land after 2006—have been mostly ineffective.
Conducted by researchers from the University of Cambridge, Boston University, ETH Zurich, and New York University, the research found that ZDP pledges were made by at least 94 companies through 2021, and the majority of these were not effectively implemented.
From 2006 to 2015, researchers found that these pledges reduced tree clearance in the Brazilian Amazon by only 1.6 percent—or approximately 2,300 km2, or an area that is smaller than Rhode Island, the smallest US state. After fossil fuels, deforestation is the second largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions.
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Patagonia, Inc. makes outdoor clothing and is committed to the environment. The Ventura, Calif.-based company was founded in 1973 and has operated in at least 10 countries worldwide; it has factories in 16 countries. Since 1985, the company has given 1% of its profits to environmental causes.
The company says its mission is tied to the products it sells: the enterprise profits from marketing outdoor clothing. Patagonia is committed to organic materials and running all its operations using renewable energy. Indeed, the apparel industry is responsible for 6.7% of the globe’s greenhouse gases. It releases as much as 3.29 billion tons of CO2 equivalents annually, according to Quantis.
“We’re already at 100% renewable energy for our owned and operated stores, offices, and distribution centers, but the real challenge comes from materials manufacturing, which accounts for 95% of our emissions,” says Patagonia’s corporate responsibility statement.
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The Impact of Deforestation on Carbon Storage
A one degree change in temperature could have catastrophic consequences.
One of the most notable influences on rising global average temperatures comes from deforestation. In fact, combined emissions from deforestation are higher than the annual emissions of any other country (apart from the U.S. and China) and contribute to roughly 12% of total annual greenhouse gas emissions.
This graphic from The LEAF Coalition takes a closer look at the impact deforestation has on global greenhouse gas emissions through carbon storage.
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BCG recently conducted a global survey of 1,000 leaders in A.I. and climate that tells us more about that potential—as well as the barriers getting in the way. We found that 87% of respondents feel that advanced analytics and A.I., or simply “A.I.,” is a helpful tool in the fight against climate change today, but only 43% say that they have a vision for using A.I. in their own climate change efforts.
They see the greatest business value for AI in the reduction and measurement of emissions. In fact, there are many diverse ways in which global leaders can use A.I. to achieve their goals:
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In its journey towards minimizing waste, is the packaging industry losing sight of the crucial importance of making its energy consumption more sustainable? Robert Lilienfeld, founder and executive director of sustainable packaging think tank SPRING, tells us more.
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“As the first plastic tax to be implemented globally, the UK PPT is a harbinger of the worldwide movement reinforcing the polluter pays principle alongside extended producer responsibility,” said Stephen Jamieson, global head of circular economy solutions at SAP. “By disincentivising the use of unsustainable materials, the government is at the same time incentivising the market value of recyclable plastic, fostering a sustainable circular economy that will have global repercussions.”
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With consumers prioritizing environmental sustainability, Amazon and Target unveiled stores that aim to use less energy than they produce, the retailers announced last week. Target's first net-zero energy store is located in Vista, California, and the new Amazon Fresh store, which is pursuing net-zero carbon certification, is located in Seattle. The new Amazon Fresh Seattle location features a CO2-based refrigeration system, has steel byproducts to reduce embodied carbon and fully sources its electricity from the company's renewable energy projects. Target's store has solar carports, CO2 refrigeration and LED lighting. Drawing from its experience, Target said it plans to add CO2 refrigeration to all of its stores by 2040. Amazon said that some of the upgrades will be used at all of its Amazon Fresh grocery stores going forward, such as the lower-carbon concrete flooring.
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Today, Amazon and Global Optimism announced that more than 300 companies have now signed The Climate Pledge, a nearly 600% growth in signatories over the past year. Among the nearly 100 new signatories joining today are the world’s largest container shipping company, Maersk; the leading enterprise software developer SAP; the North American timberland company Weyerhaeuser; the largest residential solar company in the U.S., Sunrun; and the leading brand in connected car and audio services, HARMAN. Pledge signatories in total generate over $3.5 trillion in global annual revenues and have more than 8 million employees across 51 industries in 29 countries.
Signatories to The Climate Pledge must agree to:
Measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis.
Implement decarbonization strategies in line with the Paris Agreement through real business changes and innovations, including efficiency improvements, renewable energy, materials reductions, and other carbon emission elimination strategies.
Neutralize any remaining emissions with additional, quantifiable, real, permanent, and socially beneficial offsets to achieve net-zero annual carbon emissions by 2040.
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Australian retail chain Cotton On has pledged to strengthen its commitment to sustainability by setting goals for carbon neutrality, sourcing more sustainable raw materials and reducing its use of water and virgin plastic.
In its first 'The Good Report', the company details the steps it is taking to reduce its environmental impact which include a pledge to be carbon neutral and use 100 per cent renewable energy in its own operations by the end of the decade.
The Cotton On Group is also committing to using only raw materials which have sustainable attributes by 2030, and that all of its polyester and other synthetic materials will be 100 per cent recycled by 2025.
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Micronclean’s new "Environmental and Sustainability Strategy" has been published on its website. This document sets Micronclean’s ambition to be ‘the most sustainable specialist textile and cleanroom consumable business on the planet' under the three central pillars: Our Climate, Creating our Circular Economy and Our People and Communities.
Our Climate is focussed on the pathway to net zero through the introduction of renewable technologies and the removal of fossil fuel-based assets.
Creating our circular economy is all about systems, ensuring focus on eliminating waste from processes by ensuring sustainable decision making is applied throughout the life cycle.
Our People and Communities is the heart of the company's plan, and focuses on wellbeing and Micronclean's "Equality, Inclusion and Diversity Strategy" including a passion to improve biodiversity.
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Architecture, engineering and construction employ 1.2 million people in Australia and account for 9% of GDP. But our biggest services sector also produces roughly 40% of landfill waste and accounts for 18.1% of Australia’s carbon footprint. The sector must change its practices fast for Australia to meet its commitments to cut emissions under the Paris Agreement.
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A law passed by the European Parliament requires companies working in cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy and wood to demonstrate their products aren’t sourced to deforested land or land with forest degradation, or else risk heavy fines.
Companies will have to submit “due diligence” reports showing they took proper steps to verify the origins of their products while also complying with countries’ local regulations on human rights and impacts on Indigenous people.
Critics say the legislation may still lack the teeth to prevent deforestation, especially if political pressure from traders forces EU countries to overlook their noncompliance with the new regulations.
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Deutz has adopted a groupwide human rights code. It documents the drive specialist’s zero-tolerance strategy toward the abuse of universal, inalienable, and indivisible human rights.
“We take our responsibility for future generations and the environment very seriously. This also means ensuring that human rights are upheld without exception and at all times. The ongoing war in Ukraine, in particular, has shown that we cannot take this for granted,” says Deutz CEO Sebastian C. Schulte. To underline the importance of this topic, Deutz has summarized the human rights principles that are most relevant in its human rights code. It is based on national and internal laws, on conventions and declarations such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, on the fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization, and on the United Nations Global Compact. “We view compliance with our human rights code as an essential part of our internal and external interactions. That applies equally to our employees and to our business partners,” Schulte adds.
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Sustainable or green IT is not new. In fact, it has been a topic of discussion among IT leaders for decades. But the concept of sustainability in general, which the United Nations defines as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” is something people and organizations are prioritizing more than ever — and for good reason.
Concerns about the environment and climate change are front and center among world leaders, environmental advocacy groups, and society at large. Corporate executives and boards want their organizations to do their part — or at least be perceived as doing their part — to help.
The push for better environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives has taken a high priority at many organizations, and this encompasses more efficient uses of technology.
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Sustainability has become a top priority for many consumers, and retailers are responding. A Deloitte report showed that 55% of consumers surveyed recently bought a sustainable product or service. In response to growing demand for eco-friendly products, retailers are trying to reduce their impact on the environment. They’re working to combat the effects of climate change, reduce waste, and eliminate their carbon footprint.
The sustainability trends for 2023 go beyond eco-friendliness, however. They also include measures aimed at improving working conditions and employee well-being.
In order to meet these sweeping goals, companies rely on data and technology.
Sustainability trends 2023 reshaping retail
The United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development defined sustainable development as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
In other words, it’s a way to preserve resources, care about the environment, and build a better, safer reality for all.
Here’s our breakdown of some of the biggest sustainability trends impacting retail in 2023:
1. Greater transparency, increased regulation
2. Focus on improving delivery to reduce the carbon footprint
3. Rise of the circular economy
4. Eco-friendly, fair workplaces
5. Ethical supply chain
6. Growing role of data and AI in sustainability efforts
7. Reliance on cloud technology
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Agtech has a very important role to play in building a more efficient, equitable and sustainable global food system. From digital to biological tools, agtech entrepreneurs are collectively working to help farmers and food manufacturers create more efficient and healthier food products.
But it will require billions from investors in order to turn this potential into scalable products and services that can help feed a growing population while simultaneously reducing environmental degradation.
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Seemingly a little forgotten about in the fight against climate change, methane emissions are an incredibly potent contributor to warming the earth. Aiming to change that, Germany-based startup Orbio Earth has just raised €600k for its methane intelligence solution.
The race to net zero with respect to carbon emissions is firmly on and startups, corporates, governments and individual civilians are all part of it. Fresh innovations, key targets and strict regulations are all helping fuel this forward. However, methane emissions are also a massive contributor to the climate crisis – we just don’t talk about it as much.
It’s reported that over a 20-year period, methane is actually 80% more potent at warming the earth than CO2.
Germany-based startup, Orbio Earth, is on task to accelerate the low-carbon transition with actionable methane intelligence and it’s just raised €600k to do so.
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EU action on tackling deforestation is urgently needed, as rising demand for commodities is exacerbating pressure on land worldwide. To have an impact on deforestation rates, the EU cannot act alone nor focus exclusively on cleaning its own supply chains.
In 2021, the European Commission took the important step of responding to the European Parliament’s call to address EU driven deforestation by adopting a Proposal for a Regulation on deforestation-free supply chains.
Yet if the EU wishes to make a difference in driving global deforestation rates down, it will need to engage with producing countries to address the root causes of deforestation, from forest governance to poverty. Just as importantly, to have meaningful impact on halting deforestation the EU must look beyond the cleaning of its own supply chains and ensure there are accompanying measures in place to maintain positive action in producer countries.
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As investors query the value of ESG, Mandi McReynolds, Head of Global ESG, Workiva, outlines three steps to link sustainability and business value creation
Evidence overwhelmingly suggests that companies, which get their ESG proposition right can create more business value. By paying attention to ESG concerns, companies don’t compromise their returns – rather, the opposite.
But even as the case for a strong ESG proposition becomes more compelling, an understanding of how ESG criteria link to value creation is often less comprehensive. This can lead to investor concerns and mistrust. According to a recent Workiva survey, 52% of UK investors find it difficult to trust a company’s actions and what they say, when it comes to the environment and society.
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) has announced a new partnership with the Thai Union Group, one of the world’s leading seafood producers. “Our partnership with Thai Union continues SFP’s tradition of innovation and creating fisheries improvement at scale and globally by working with major seafood buyers to leverage change in their sourcing and supply chains,” SFP Founder and CEO Jim Cannon said in a press release. “Lasting conservation and environmental improvement can only be achieved with industry leadership by companies like Thai Union, who can advance widespread adoption of best sustainability practices.”
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Only a third of companies have credible carbon emission reduction plans in place - with apparel among the worst offenders, according to the CDP intitiative.
The non-profit, which runs the world's environmental disclosure system, said more than 13,100 companies disclosed their plans to mitigate climate change last year.
However, only 4,002 had developed a low-carbon transition plan and just 135 - fewer than one per cent - reported on all 24 of the CDP's key indicators of a credible plan.
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