Most recent 40 articles: Sustainable Brands
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Balancing Risk and Impact in the Evolving Carbon Market - Sustainable Brands  (Sep 19) |
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Sep 19 · The rapid growth of the voluntary carbon market has resulted in a mismatch between supply of and demand for quality carbon credits. As the voluntary carbon market (VCM) matures, its focus is shifting towards measures of quality and integrity. It’s becoming clear, however, that “quality” and “integrity” mean different things in different contexts, and that standards and frameworks are needed to represent the broad spectrum of what defines a “good carbon credit.” “It used to be that we treated this market like a binary,” explained Spencer Meyer, Chief Ratings Officer at carbon ratings agency BeZero, speaking at a recent Sustainable Brands® (SB) webinar. “You either passed ... Read more ... |
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Study: Decarbonization Efforts Bring Companies $200M in Annual Net Benefits - Sustainable Brands  (Sep 18) |
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Sep 18 · BCG and CO2 AI’s 4th Carbon Emissions Survey highlights the substantial rewards some companies are reaping from decarbonization - including significant financial gains, enhanced reputations and operational efficiencies. Despite the escalating climate crisis and 2023 marking the hottest year on record, corporate progress on decarbonization has slowed around the world. A new study released Tuesday by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and CO2 AI reveals that companies have made minimal progress on climate issues over the past year - yet, those at the forefront report substantial financial benefits from decarbonization. The fourth edition of the companies’ fourth annual Carbon ... Read more ... |
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The Economic (& Environmental & Health) Case for Regenerative Farming & Food - Sustainable Brands  (Sep 13) |
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Sep 13 · Despite their benefits for soil and ecosystem health, regenerative practices are not going to make a positive dent in the food system long term unless there is a true economic case for farmers and others in the value chain. And there is. There is science supporting the environmental principles of regenerative farming – keeping living roots to build soil organic matter, enhance water infiltration, and sequester carbon; fostering biodiversity to create a system that can better sustain itself in times of adversity; integrating animals as walking composters to enhance biology and fertility; etc. But the truth is, regenerative practices are not going to make a positive dent in the ... Read more ... |
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The Frugal Economy, Part 2: 'Scaling Out’ Manufacturing to Maximize Sustainable Local Impact - Sustainable Brands  (Sep 13) |
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Sep 13 · By scaling out their manufacturing with a distributed network of agile micro-factories rooted in local communities, businesses can gain agility and resilience and produce and deliver personalized goods faster, better, cheaper and more sustainably. Europe in the 19th century, the US in the 20th century, and China in recent decades have all experienced exponential economic growth by “scaling up” vertical manufacturing - that is, by centralizing industrial activities in large factories. But this energy-intensive mass production model has depleted natural resources and seriously damaged our environment (the industrial sector accounts today for nearly one-third of US greenhouse gas ... Read more ... |
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Future-Proofing Olive Farming: Balancing Tradition and Modern Practices - Sustainable Brands  (Sep 11) |
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Sep 11 · Balancing productivity with sustainability will be crucial to ensuring the long-term viability of olive farming in Spain amidst changing climate conditions. Olive trees have shown historical resilience to environmental changes and are very well adapted to the Mediterranean climate - which is characterized by prolonged summer drought, irregular rain the rest of the year and fairly mild winters. In Spain, the country with the largest cultivated area under olives (2.7 million hectares), time has molded the so-called traditional olive farm: made up of long-lived, large trees - widely spaced and usually not watered. However, this system’s poor productivity per hectare and the ... Read more ... |
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Breeding New Hope for the Future of Coffee in a Climate-Changing World - Sustainable Brands  (Sep 9) |
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Sep 9 · World Coffee Research and its partner brands are directing vital investment and R&D into this globally popular yet critically underfunded, climate-vulnerable crop. Coffee is more than just a morning ritual for millions worldwide; it's a global industry deeply intertwined with multiple economies, cultures and complicated geopolitical landscapes - and one that’s being reshaped by the dual challenges of escalating demand and climate change. As the climate warms, the ideal conditions for growing Arabica coffee - the dominant varietal, prized for its nuanced flavors and aromas - are shrinking rapidly. Projections indicate that by 2050, suitable land for Arabica cultivation ... Read more ... |
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Climate Uneducation in the US, Part 2: Failing High Schools - Sustainable Brands  (Sep 6) |
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Sep 6 · 1 in 3 US high school students say they feel helpless when it comes to climate change and its effects. Much of this can be attributed to the lack of adequate teaching on the subject, and instruction on how students can feel more empowered. In part one of this four-part series, we discussed the significant gaps in climate change education in United States primary schools. As we saw, 86 percent of K-12 teachers and 84 percent of parents of children under the age of 18 believe climate change should be taught in schools; yet, less than half of K-12 teachers have any formal education in climate science and do not get enough support to teach on the subject. Unfortunately, the ... Read more ... |
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New Tool Tracks US Food-Waste Legislation Landscape - Sustainable Brands  (Sep 3) |
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Sep 3 · Divert’s Food Waste Legislative Tracker offers a state-by-state look, as well as numerous touchpoints for anyone interested in food policy to get involved. Massachusetts-based food-waste tech provider Divert has launched a first-of-its-kind policy tracker that documents new and pending food-waste legislation across the US. The Food Waste Legislative Tracker is a comprehensive look at the legislative process across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC and meant to be a first stop for those interested in learning more about national food policy. The living Google Sheet details where waste legislation is moving along and who is responsible for shepherding the bills ... Read more ... |
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New Tool Tracks US Food-Waste Legislation Landscape | Sustainable Brands - Sustainable Brands  (Sep 3) |
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Sep 3 · Geoff Nudelman Published 2 days ago. About a 4 minute read. Image: Divert Divert’s Food Waste Legislative Tracker offers a state-by-state look, as well as numerous touchpoints for anyone interested in food policy to get involved. Massachusetts-based food-waste tech provider Divert has launched a first-of-its-kind policy tracker that documents new and pending food-waste legislation across the US. The Food Waste Legislative Tracker is a comprehensive look at the legislative process across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC and meant to be a first stop for those interested in learning more about national food policy. The living Google Sheet details where ... Read more ... |
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The Frugal Economy, Part 1: Share Everything, Waste Nothing - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 28) |
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Aug 28 · In this first of a four-part series, we look at the three pillars of the frugal economy and their transformative impact on businesses, industries, communities and the environment. Our dysfunctional and wasteful capitalist economy needs a significant overhaul to become socially inclusive and ecologically virtuous. Sadly, most proposed strategies for 'fixing’ capitalism - including a circular economy, stakeholder capitalism, ESG, decarbonization - while well-intended, have limited success in fundamentally shifting the mindset of businesses, reshaping cross-company interactions, and restructuring entire industry value chains. To effectively address the triple urgency - ... Read more ... |
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The Frugal Economy, Part 1: Share Everything, Waste Nothing - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 28) |
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Aug 28 · In this first of a four-part series, we look at the three pillars of the frugal economy and their transformative impact on businesses, industries, communities and the environment. Our dysfunctional and wasteful capitalist economy needs a significant overhaul to become socially inclusive and ecologically virtuous. Sadly, most proposed strategies for 'fixing’ capitalism - including a circular economy, stakeholder capitalism, ESG, decarbonization - while well-intended, have limited success in fundamentally shifting the mindset of businesses, reshaping cross-company interactions, and restructuring entire industry value chains. To effectively address the triple urgency - ... Read more ... |
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Mars Seeks Innovators to Reduce the Footprint of Pet Food - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 27) |
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Aug 27 · The Next-Generation Pet Food Program aims to scale sustainable innovations for the pet food value chain, with a focus on sustainable proteins and fats. Mars Petcare, in partnership with Big Idea Ventures - a global investment leader in the food-tech, agri-tech and materials-science sectors - has launched the Next-Generation Pet Food Program. The pilot initiative - in collaboration with AAK, a multi-oil ingredient house specializing in plant-based oils and fats, and Bühler - a global technology partner for the food, feed and mobility industries - aims to engage with the startup ecosystem to develop more sustainable innovation in pet food, with a focus on startups working ... Read more ... |
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Aspen Vodka Raises Spirits Sustainability to a Whole New Level - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 22) |
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Aug 22 · Aspen Distillers’ new, carbon-negative facility - the world’s first LEED Platinum-certified distillery - includes a parcel dedicated to regenerative agriculture and pioneering water re-entry processes, and is designed for net-positive energy use. There is no shortage of spirits companies touting sustainability initiatives - whether that’s a commitment to renewables or biodiversity conservation, or embracing circularity by upcycling spent ingredients and adopting closed-loop packaging and distribution solutions. But at its core, spirits production is resource-intensive - requiring lots of energy and water to distill the product, along with the required freight to get it ... Read more ... |
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First-of-Their-Kind Metrics Guide Supply Chain Transition to Safer Chemistry - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 22) |
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Aug 22 · Replacing hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives across supply chains is one of sustainable business’s biggest challenges. The Safer Chemistry Impact Fund reveals an actionable roadmap to address toxic chemical pollution across consumer product sectors. On Wednesday, The Safer Chemistry Impact (SCI) Fund - an innovative blended-capital initiative with seed funding from Apple and Google - released a first-of-its-kind metrics framework to measure and drive the adoption of safer chemistry across industries. The report, Accelerating the Transition to Safer Chemistry: Establishing a Collective Vision & Impact Metrics, is a multi-stakeholder effort to address the urgent ... Read more ... |
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Are US Students Learning Enough About Climate Change? - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 19) |
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Aug 19 · With its effects now felt the world over, one might assume that education on climate change would be a high priority. But this is not the case - for numerous reasons we will get into, in this first of a four-part series on climate change education in the US. The fact that human industrial activities have been altering our climate system, mainly by heating up the planet, has been publicly known for far longer than many people think. Some of the first documented cases of discussion of human-induced climate change began with the ancient Greeks, who debated whether the draining of swamps and cutting of trees could affect local rain patterns. But it wasn’t until a few ... Read more ... |
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Avoiding Greenwashing Accusations Requires Cross-Functional Collaboration - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 17) |
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Aug 17 · Misleading consumers on sustainability initiatives will not grow a business, and the legal and reputational ramifications only reinforce that the exaggeration of environmental claims will not deliver on ROI. Here are two tips from our sustainability journey in the wellness space. As pressure mounts from investors, regulators and consumers, sustainability has become a priority for businesses - especially within the CPG and wellness industries. As more brands determine their sustainability goals, those efforts should not be siloed to one department or simply summed up in one generalized effort. Sustainability goals that allow for cross-functional collaboration allow ... Read more ... |
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Study: Surf Breaks Key to Health of Climate, Ecosystems, Coastal Communities - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 15) |
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Aug 15 · An Oregon State University study finds surf conservation offers a unique opportunity to strengthen protection of climate-critical carbon stocks while boosting socio-economic health of coastal communities. Safeguarding places to catch waves is an opportunity to simultaneously mitigate climate change, fuel tourism and help surrounding ecosystems - according to new research from Oregon State University (OSU). “There is a growing conservation movement regarding coastal areas that host surf breaks,” said Jacob Bukoski - Assistant Professor at OSU’s College of Forestry, Director of its Forests and Climate Change graduate certificate, and one of the study’s co-authors. “Earlier ... Read more ... |
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Coca-Cola Adds Wastewater-to-Energy Tech to Circular Manufacturing Toolbox - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 13) |
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Aug 13 · Pipeline Organics’ technology will convert sugar-rich wastewater into clean, cost-effective renewable electricity to help power CCEP’s food and drink manufacturing operations. The business innovation arm of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) - the world’s largest Coca-Cola bottler and one of the world's leading consumer goods companies - has invested in a tech startup turning wastewater into clean electricity. CCEP Ventures has led an investment round for Pipeline Organics - a UK-based climate-tech company focused on converting sugar-rich wastewater into “a continuous supply of planet-friendly electricity” to help power CCEP’s food and drink manufacturing ... Read more ... |
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US Invests $2.2B Into Grid Upgrades for Climate Resilience - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 12) |
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Aug 12 · Projects will add nearly 13 GW of energy capacity to support more manufacturing, data centers and renewable power; catalyze nearly $10B in public-private investments and create thousands of jobs. In support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has invested $2.2 billion in the nation’s grid for eight projects across 18 states to protect against growing threats of extreme weather events, lower costs for communities, and catalyze additional grid capacity to meet load growth stemming from an increase in manufacturing and data centers. Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Grid Resilience and Innovation ... Read more ... |
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Nissan’s 'Cool Paint’ Will Cut Car-Interior Heat, Energy Use - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 9) |
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Aug 9 · The paint's cooling performance is most noticeable when a vehicle is parked in the sun for an extended period. Keeping the interior cooler helps reduce load to the A/C - and in electric vehicles, draw on the battery. Nissan has been trialing a next-generation automotive paint aimed at helping lower a vehicle's ambient cabin temperature in summer and reduce the energy usage of the air-conditioning system. Developed in partnership with Radi-Cool, a specialist in radiative cooling products, the paint incorporates metamaterial - synthetic composite materials that exhibit high solar-reflective properties. The project is part of Nissan's pursuit of differentiated ... Read more ... |
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How High-Integrity Credit Projects Deliver Impacts Beyond Carbon - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 6) |
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Aug 6 · How can buyers and sellers of carbon credits ensure the projects they choose will have the desired impacts and climate outcomes? The integrity of the voluntary carbon market (VCM) has been called into question in recent years as awareness has grown of the prevalence of low-quality carbon offsets. And while many companies are uncertain about how to properly vet projects, offsets still play a central role in most corporate sustainability plans. So, how can buyers and sellers of carbon credits ensure the projects they choose will have the desired impacts and climate outcomes? A June 26 webinar hosted by Sustainable Brands® discussed the importance of community ... Read more ... |
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New Tool Identifies Top States, Cities for US Cleantech Manufacturing, Investment - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 6) |
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Aug 6 · RMI’s Clean Growth Tool provides policymakers and investors with a guide to development, manufacturing and job opportunities for a variety of low-carbon and clean-energy solutions and industries in all 50 states. Nonprofit climate and cleantech research institute RMI (founded as Rocky Mountain Institute) has launched the Clean Growth Tool - a new analytical and data platform that identifies the states, cities and regions where clean-energy industries are most likely to thrive in the United States, given their existing workforce strengths and related economic capabilities. For example, RMI data from the Clean Growth Tool reveals that key regions in Arizona, Georgia, ... Read more ... |
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First, Food – Now, Fashion and Furniture: More Innovations in Circular Materials - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 2) |
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Aug 2 · These two women-owned startups are repurposing waste streams from food manufacturing into striking interior finishes and “leather” handbags and accessories. Today, about one-third of all food produced globally is thrown out - even though close to 800 million people throughout the world face hunger (over 122 million more since 2019). Not only is this tragic on a human level - it is also a major environmental issue, due to the enormous amount of land and resources that goes into food production. In fact, food waste accounts for over 30 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. But unsellable food and byproducts from food production and manufacturing need ... Read more ... |
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Sustainable Sailing Puts Its Sail-Recycling Process to Sweet, New Use - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 2) |
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Aug 2 · The UK startup is partnering with the University of Edinburgh to use waste sails in the creation of high-value chemicals used in everyday products - even, potentially, food ingredients. Sails - while manufactured using durable, synthetic textiles such as polyester, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), aramid and even carbon fiber to withstand harsh ocean environments and extreme weather conditions - still tend to need replacing every five years; professional racing teams can go through several sails per event. Roughly 2,000 tonnes of PET sails used by the marine sector worldwide are decommissioned or damaged beyond repair every year, with the majority either remaining in ... Read more ... |
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Fashion Revolution to Brands: 'Put Your Money Where Your Emissions Are’ - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 1) |
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Aug 1 · New Fashion Revolution report calls out the world’s largest fashion brands for not investing in a fair transition away from fossil fuels or in protecting workers from extreme-weather events and other threats to their livelihoods. It would only take an investment of roughly 2 percent of their annual revenue for big fashion brands to drive a just transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy to power their manufacturing sustainably. So says the latest report from Fashion Revolution, the world’s largest fashion activism movement. What Fuels Fashion? - a special edition of the watchdog’s annual Fashion Transparency Index - analyzes and ranks 250 of the world’s ... Read more ... |
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Scientists Discover New Plants That Could Lead to Climate-Proof Chocolate - Sustainable Brands  (Aug 1) |
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Aug 1 · Discovery of three new species in the Western Amazon could pave way for more climate-proof cacao production - and shows how many treasures are still yet to be discovered in Earth's biodiversity. It’s a distressing situation for many serotonin lovers around the world: Two of the world’s most beloved treats - chocolate and coffee - are made from two of our most climate-challenged commodities: Crop yields and prices for both coffee and cacao are becoming increasingly volatile as extreme weather hampers production in the tropical, equatorial regions where both are cultivated. As for chocolate, UK startup WNWN has replaced cacao with climate-friendlier ingredients; and both ... Read more ... |
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Report: Investors Must Shift Priorities to Effectively Tackle Plastic Pollution - Sustainable Brands  (Jul 31) |
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Jul 31 · The Circulate Initiative’s latest Plastics Circularity Investment Tracker reveals investment amounts not only fall short of financing needs across the plastic lifecycle, too many are focused on reactive - vs proactive - solutions. The Circulate Initiative - a non-profit organization dedicated to solving the ocean plastic pollution challenge in emerging markets - is calling for greater investment into tackling plastic pollution. New data, from the third edition of the Circulate Initiative’s Plastics Circularity Investment Tracker, reveal an average of US$32 billion a year of private investment went to plastics circularity solutions between 2018 and 2023 - far below the ... Read more ... |
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Arbor Day Impact Fund: A New Engine for Innovation in the Climate Fight - Sustainable Brands  (Jul 29) |
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Jul 29 · By fostering connections between startups and established environmental leaders, we can further amplify the effectiveness of each innovation and create waves of impact. Trees are powerful. At the Arbor Day Foundation, we’ve spent more than 50 years trying to plant that power in cities and forests all over the world. They stand up against extreme heat, flooding and air pollution. They make our neighborhoods more livable, and they sustain habitat for wildlife. Trees stand on the front lines of our fight against climate change, absorbing nearly 16 billion metric tons of carbon every year - that’s the equivalent of recycling more than 5 billion tons of waste. Our lives ... Read more ... |
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Americans Back Sustainable Tech Growth and Education, Jobs to Support It - Sustainable Brands  (Jul 25) |
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Jul 25 · While some climate-mitigation efforts can be polarizing, a new survey by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation reveals significant public support for investments in sustainable technologies. Despite recent reports of waning demand for electric vehicles and job cuts in renewable-energy sectors in an increasingly polarized election year, a new survey found a strong demand among US adults for advancements in sustainable technologies and a workforce equipped to implement them. A recent survey conducted by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) shows the public has a clear desire for the adoption of new, clean technologies - as well as business ... Read more ... |
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Antonioli: Carbon Markets Must Center on Long-Term, Sustainable Development Impacts - Sustainable Brands  (Jul 21) |
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Jul 21 · Former Verra CEO David Antonioli believes the carbon market is missing a golden opportunity to design and deploy carbon finance as a powerful transitional tool toward a zero-carbon economy. He outlines his vision in a new, six-part report. The integrity of the voluntary carbon market (VCM) has been called into question in recent years as awareness has grown of the prevalence of low-quality offset projects - which, at best, exaggerate their claims of removing climate-changing emissions; and at worst, can do more harm than good. Companies are becoming rightfully wary of offsetting, and many opponents believe offsets shouldn’t be a part of meaningful carbon-reduction ... Read more ... |
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US’ Outdated Composting Infrastructure Offers Golden Investment Opportunity - Sustainable Brands  (Jul 18) |
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Jul 18 · New report from the Composting Consortium provides landscape analysis of existing compost infrastructure, markets and business models; and blended-finance opportunities to scale organics circularity. As we continue to weather what could be the hottest year on record, enacting immediate, available ways to help mitigate climate change is top of mind for many. Look no farther than food waste: According to WWF, 6-8 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced if we stop wasting food. In the US alone, the production of lost or wasted food generates the equivalent of 32.6 million cars' worth of greenhouse gas emissions. Project Drawdown’s 2020 Review ... Read more ... |
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Report: 6 Strategies for Building Nature-Positive, Circular Economy for Europe - Sustainable Brands  (Jul 16) |
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Jul 16 · The Ellen MacArthur Foundation outlines six circular strategies to transform Europe’s built environment that will boost economic activity, increase climate resilience, and make cities more vibrant places to live and work. A new report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation asserts that transforming how European towns and cities are built could unlock massive economic, environmental and social benefits by 2035. Building Prosperity: Unlocking the potential of a nature-positive, circular economy for Europe calls for the adoption of six circular strategies to transform and optimize Europe’s built environment. This will boost economic activity, increase climate resilience, and ... Read more ... |
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Foodtech Innovators Spill the Beans on Climate-Proofing Coffee - Sustainable Brands  (Jul 15) |
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Jul 15 · These two startups are fundamentally changing how coffee is produced - by eliminating the need for beans altogether, and repurposing food waste along the way. The time has come when we can no longer ignore our unhealthy relationship with one of our favorite beverages: Coffee. According to Oxford University’s Our World in Data, coffee is one of the top-five crops when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. And coffee cultivation requires enormous amounts of land, which contributes to deforestation - approximately one square inch of rainforest is destroyed for every cup of coffee consumed - particularly, in tropical areas where most of the world’s species can be ... Read more ... |
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Purdue Researchers Aim to Prevent Wildfires by 'Studying Every Tree’ - Sustainable Brands  (Jul 10) |
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Jul 10 · Purdue University’s Institute for Digital Forestry is developing a variety of remote-sensing solutions that can enhance the ability to determine the probability and magnitude of wildfires at a given location. Wildfires are now an inescapable part of our climate-changing reality: According to the National Interagency Fire Center, since January 1, 2024, 23,405 wildfires have burned 2,817,728 acres across the United States alone; as of July 9, 69 large, active wildfires - which have so far burned 612,376 acres - are currently being managed nationwide. Land managers and governments worldwide are fighting against decades-long wildfire increases with every tool they’ve got - ... Read more ... |
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Companies Mitigating Climate Change Reduce Their Cost of Capital - Sustainable Brands  (Jul 9) |
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Jul 9 · The climate crisis is now being felt worldwide through more frequent and powerful extreme-weather events. Companies, particularly those in high-emission industries, are major contributors to global carbon emissions - making them key players in the fight against climate change. A new study shows that businesses that recognize this responsibility and take proactive measures to reduce their carbon footprint, by reducing carbon emissions and transparently sharing their environmental strategies and data, benefit from lower capital costs. The Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) offers companies a framework to share climate-related financial information, ... Read more ... |
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When We Look at the Future of Our Industry, We All Lost in Cannes - Sustainable Brands  (Jul 8) |
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Jul 8 · If we are to safeguard advertising’s legitimacy, we must address our image problem. It’s time we apply our collective creativity to solve our (industry’s) biggest challenges. Cannes Lions is without doubt the most important meeting place and a powerful force for change in the advertising industry. How we use this opportunity matters. It’s the Davos of advertising; so how do we want to show up in the world? What can we achieve if we act together? If we dare to dream big? If we apply that creative force we love to celebrate? What world could we envision our children to live in? Two weeks before Cannes, UN Secretary General António Guterres warned that we are “on a ... Read more ... |
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Is the US Energy Sector Prepared for Increasingly Powerful Tropical Storms? - Sustainable Brands  (Jul 5) |
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Jul 5 · Not only do renewable-energy systems reduce air pollution and carbon emissions - their decentralized nature offers an additional, fail-safe advantage over our conventional power systems. When Hurricane Ian slammed into parts of Cuba and the west coast of Florida in late September 2022, it left a record-breaking trail of destruction across much of the state; it then regained energy in the Atlantic Ocean and wreaked additional havoc in more the Southeastern US and beyond. The category 5 super storm was the costliest in Florida history - racking up a bill of over $109 billion - and among the most powerful hurricanes to hit the United States. Unfortunately, both Ian’s ... Read more ... |
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Olive Oil’s Packaging Puzzle: Glass or Plastic? - Sustainable Brands  (Jul 1) |
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Jul 1 · Long shipping routes, rising fuel and transportation costs, and concerns about the carbon footprint of food supply chains have driven many companies to reconsider their packaging options for greater efficiency. Thanks to their rich farming history and cultural preference for this healthy ingredient, North African and South European regions are responsible for about 80 percent of the world's olive oil production. Spain, Italy, Greece, Tunisia, Portugal and Morocco are among the largest producers and distributors of this well-known oil that is appreciated globally and is central to the Mediterranean diet - which comprises over 20 diverse national and regional ... Read more ... |
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How Innovations in Materials Science Are Improving Office Spaces - Sustainable Brands  (Jun 28) |
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Jun 28 · Although some return-to-office policies might still be met with resistance, employees and employers can feel better about returning when buildings are safer and more sustainable - thanks to advancements in materials science. As the push for return to office continues, corporate tenants are evaluating their real estate options and “increasingly seeking spaces that align with their own ESG goals,” according to global commercial real estate firm JLL. What does this mean, exactly? In addition to meeting building codes and standards, many tenants are looking for low-carbon properties that are also water and energy efficient. For example, when compared to traditional ... Read more ... |
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This Company Upcycles Waste Wood Into a Better Building Material - Sustainable Brands  (Jun 28) |
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Jun 28 · Cambium’s thermally modified wood transforms wood waste into a valuable resource - reducing carbon emissions in the built environment, promoting local job training and supporting urban-reforestation initiatives. Wood is an essential global resource. Used for construction, fuel, paper, furniture, textiles and more, it is renewable, versatile, strong and biodegradable. These benefits lead to the ever-growing demand for it - the UN Food and Agriculture Organization predicts there will be a 37 percent rise in consumption of primary processed-wood products by 2050. However, utilizing wood at such a scale comes with consequences - including increased deforestation, loss of ... Read more ... |
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