Articles on or after 5/15/2023:
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| Greenbiz,Grist,Sightline,Sustainable Brands,Green Tech Media |
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Greenbiz:
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Battery-swapping is back in business - Greenbiz (May 23) |
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May 23 · Can the next generation of battery-swapping succeed where others failed?
Ample co-founder Khaled Hassounah displays the company's next-generation battery swapping station at an unveiling last week. Ample claims the station can remove a depleted battery and replace it with a fully charged one in five minutes. Photo by AJ Artis/GreenBiz
Battery-swapping is back, but can it work this time? The idea of changing out a vehicle’s battery in five minutes or less, mimicking the speed and convenience of a gas station, has long been the white whale of the electric vehicle industry.
It sounds easy, but there are challenges:
No standardization: Battery packs are not ... | By AJ Artis Read more ...
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Carbon removal startup lands $53 million contract - Greenbiz (May 18) |
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May 18 · Frontier, the carbon removal buyer collaboration, agreed to pay Charm Industrial in one of the largest CO2 removal deals to date, which calls for an elimination of 112,000 metric tons by 2030.
A Charm Industrial pyrolyzer in Kansas (background) with biomass feedstock in the foreground. Courtesy of Charm Industrial
Charm Industrial, a carbon removal startup with customers such as Stripe and Microsoft, Thursday disclosed a $53 million, multi-year contract with Frontier, a Stripe-managed buyers group signing up to support emerging and planned projects.
Under the agreement, the San Francisco-based company will remove 112,000 metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere ... | By Jesse Klein Read more ...
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Climate tech needs a lesson in circularity - Greenbiz (May 17) |
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May 17 · An equitable path to the clean economy will require far more attention to where we "dig up" lithium, cobalt and other critically important minerals.
Apple’s iPhone disassembly robot, Daisy, is one of many innovations advancing progress toward the company’s goal of using only recycled and renewable materials in its products. Courtesy of Apple
Is it me, or are tensions between environmental activists and the climate tech community intensifying?
One question I see polarizing those who long for a fossil fuels-free future: Where on earth are we going to source the minerals and metals to build this stuff, ethically and sustainably? I use the words "on earth" for a ... | By Heather Clancy Read more ...
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Enterprise software heavyweight SAP embeds 'green ledger’ into core apps - Greenbiz (May 18) |
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May 18 · The German software company wants to make its products synonymous with carbon accounting, with a big emphasis on addressing the Scope 3 data challenge.
The SAP headquarters in Walldorf, Germany. Image via Shutterstock/U. J. Alexander
SAP, one of the world’s largest enterprise software companies, is pushing aggressively into carbon accounting and supply chain traceability with new offerings unfurled this week at its annual customer and partner conference.
The German company, which claims more than 280 million users worldwide for its cloud-hosted services, is counting on its deep roots in the back offices of large corporations to help establish a dominant position in ... | By Heather Clancy Read more ...
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ESG bowties: A tool for assessing climate risks - Greenbiz (May 22) |
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May 22 · Sponsored: ESG bowties are an analytical method that can help organizations improve their identification and management of ESG risks and opportunities.
ESG bowties help companies identify and control climate-related impacts on business. Image courtesy of Getty Images.
This article is sponsored by VelocityEHS.
As regulators, shareholders, boards of directors and consumers demand better ESG performance and transparency, the pressure is on for businesses to adapt. But many businesses struggle to develop mature ESG programs because they lack an effective way to engage stakeholders in identifying and controlling their most material ESG risks and opportunities. A risk ... | By Phil Molé Read more ...
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Europe encourages carbon removal with a stick, rather than a carrot - Greenbiz (May 15) |
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May 15 · A new carbon removal framework in the EU could provide the foundation needed to instill trust in a young carbon removal market.
The European Union is encouraging its carbon removal market with regulation rather than financial reinforcement, but experts believe the policy framework will establish trust in a market that could otherwise greenwash climate action.
In November, the EU announced a new regulatory framework for carbon removal companies called the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF). The aim is to provide a trustworthy certification process for all carbon removal technologies and help secure the science behind a growing market.
The framework ... | By Jesse Chase-Lubitz Read more ...
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Geoengineering is gathering momentum - here’s why you should care - Greenbiz (May 24) |
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May 24 · Climate geoengineering proposals are bringing the story of sci-fi novels to the desks of world leaders.
Photo via Pexels/Andrew DeGarde
Have you ever seen the movie "Snowpiercer"? The one starring Hollywood’s second-greatest Chris (Chris Pine will ALWAYS be No. 1)? The general premise of the entire movie - and the graphic novel upon which it was based - is humanity’s attempt to reverse global warming by engineering the atmosphere. Only, they don’t do it correctly and instead the world becomes one great ice cube. Ah, another cautionary tale about our species’ tendency for self-destructive hubris.
The basis of the plot - the dire need to slow and reverse the ... | By Leah Garden Read more ...
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Google extends AI-enabled Flood Hub to 80 countries - Greenbiz (May 23) |
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May 23 · App provides flood data and forecasts up to seven days in advance to regions where more than 460 million people are exposed to severe flood risk.
Google on Tuesday announced the extension of its Flood Hub platform to scores of additional countries, providing early flood warnings to hundreds of millions of people living in some of the regions exposed to the highest levels of flood risk.
The AI-enabled app was first debuted in India in 2018 before being expanded to cover Bangladesh, one of the countries most exposed to worsening levels of flood risk as climate impacts intensify.
Google announced it was extending the service to 80 countries, with the addition of 60 ... | By James Murray Read more ...
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How a global treaty could solve the plastic waste crisis - Greenbiz (May 22) |
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May 22 · Can plastics achieve par with climate and biodiversity as critical issues worthy of a global treaty? We’re about to find out.
Next week in Paris, a United Nations-sponsored gathering of nations, business groups and activists will gather to advance a treaty aimed at curbing plastic pollution worldwide.
If done thoughtfully and comprehensively, the treaty could be a game-changer. But that’s a two-liter-sized "if." The open question is whether the measures being considered are sufficient to stem the still-growing tide - or is it a tsunami now? - of plastic waste, including the empty packaging and other detritus already overwhelming the world’s landscapes and ... | By Joel Makower Read more ...
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How companies become allies for environmental justice - Greenbiz (May 23) |
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May 23 · It is not a big stretch for corporate policy teams already dealing with community relations to keep track of environmental justice battles in the surrounding frontline communities and speak up as an ally.
Environmental justice belongs at the core of our efforts to address climate change. Frontline communities - those most directly and often brutally affected by the effects of climate change - must be central to our efforts to mitigate this crisis. Then why does it seem companies too often give lip service to environmental justice and little more? The corporate sector is falling further out of step with where the climate movement is headed - a direction more closely aligned ... | By Bill Weihl Read more ...
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IEA: Global clean energy investment 'significantly' outpacing fossil fuel spending - Greenbiz (May 26) |
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May 26 · Investment in clean energy is gaining momentum but is still off the pace required to meet the 1.5 Celsius goal, according to a new IEA report.
The IEA highlighted solar as the 'shining example' of the scale and scope of the clean energy transition, with Investment in the technology projected to be about $380 billion. Image via Shutterstock/ABCDstock
Global investment in clean energy technologies - from renewables and electric vehicles (EVs) to nuclear power plants and heat pumps - is "significantly" outpacing spending on fossil fuels, with the energy crisis having accelerated momentum around the global green energy transition, according to the latest update from the ... | By Michael Holder Read more ...
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JPMorgan commits $200 million to carbon removal projects - Greenbiz (May 23) |
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May 23 · The U.S. bank is backing multiple carbon removal projects in a bid to address its own operational emissions.
JPMorgan Chase said Tuesday it will spend $200 million to remove and store a total of 800,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, or the equivalent of 896 billion pounds of coal burned.
Among other things, the company is signing big contracts with two high-profile startups: Climeworks, which operates the largest direct air capture site in the world; and Charm Industrial, which sequesters CO2 by turning biomass into an oil.
Acknowledging an "insufficient supply of high-quality credits and low trust in many of the credits that have been ... | By Leah Garden Read more ...
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Less waste, more value for food - Greenbiz (May 25) |
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May 25 · Two models for reducing waste at scale in food and beverage supply chains.
A startup, True Essence, is figuring out how to keep flavor and reduce waste. Image courtesy of True Essence.
We all should channel our inner improv comic to invest in the power of "yes and" to solve the array of challenges in the food system. One of the more egregious challenges we face is the issue of food loss and waste.
In case you need a reminder:
OK, that last one uses some shabby statistical reasoning, showcasing why I stopped pursuing a Ph.D. in economics. The point remains that wasting the emissions and resources used to produce and transport food that ultimately ends up in ... | By Seth Olson Read more ...
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LinkedIn’s head of sustainability on unlocking its 'superpowers’ - Greenbiz (May 19) |
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May 19 · Peggy Brannigan discusses her plans to leverage the LinkedIn platform’s "superpowers" to help protect the planet and support green economic growth.
As director of global environmental sustainability at LinkedIn, Peggy Brannigan has an ambitious remit: to help protect the planet and support green economic growth. Having previously worked with the likes of Google, Apple and even the U.S. Department of State on their sustainability strategies, Brannigan knows more than most about how to put an ambition like that into action.
Shannon Houde: What does a global head of environmental sustainability do every day in a tech company?
Peggy Brannigan: In the simplest terms, I ... | By Shannon Houde Read more ...
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Navigating food waste regulations: A guide for businesses - Greenbiz (May 16) |
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May 16 · Sponsored: Exploring food waste regulations, sustainable practices and the importance of education and leadership for successful food scrap diversion programs.
Food waste rotting on a bio farm. Image courtesy of Janosch Kunze / Shutterstock.
This article is sponsored by Rubicon.
Food waste regulations are a crucial issue for businesses across the United States, particularly for those with multiple locations.
As more states, counties and cities implement food waste regulations, companies must ensure they remain in compliance and reduce their environmental impact. In recent years, notable food waste regulations have been implemented across the country, ... | By Jordan Pilsch Read more ...
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Pricing nature: Can 'biodiversity credits’ propel global conservation? - Greenbiz (May 23) |
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May 23 · Backed by the UN, an alliance of conservationists and policymakers is devising new ways to finance the preservation of biodiversity by placing economic values on ecosystems. Some analysts say such schemes have the potential to boost conservation, but others are skeptical.
In 2009, as global financial markets shuddered, David Dorr became interested in the possibility of putting a price on nature. Dorr is a Cayman Islands-based global macro trader, attuned to what he calls the "butterfly effect" of geopolitics and other international forces on financial markets. The economic crisis, Dorr had realized, paled beside the looming environmental one. "Nature, holy [cow], is in severe ... | By Zach St. George Read more ...
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Science-based targets for nature come for businesses - Greenbiz (May 24) |
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May 24 · LVMH, Nestle, and 15 other companies to test new science-based criteria for freshwater, land, and biodiversity.
The nonprofit has expanded guidance to help companies set targets for nature. Image by Jesse Klein/GreenBiz.
The Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) today published the first formal framework meant to help companies set goals for preserving nature and biodiversity.
The new guidelines build on the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), started in 2015, to help companies set goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with keeping global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming. More than 2,000 companies have already set ... | By Jesse Klein Read more ...
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Small business is a big deal for climate action - Greenbiz (May 17) |
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May 17 · While much of the focus is on big companies for climate action, small and family-owned businesses have a pivotal part to play.
A creative window display at a coffee shop in Bournemouth, Dorset, United Kingdom. Image via Shutterstock/Roman Riviera
[GreenBiz publishes a range of perspectives on the transition to a clean economy. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the position of GreenBiz.]
All sectors need to take rapid action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius - the limit for avoiding the worst impacts of the climate crisis. But it’s not just big businesses ... | By John Edelman Read more ...
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Startup Corner: April Roundup - Greenbiz (May 16) |
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May 16 · A summary of each startup featured in Climate Tech Rundown in April.
Image by Sophia Davirro/GreenBiz
Faster and fatter algae, you say? By Jake Mitchell
The heavy transport sector consumes more than one-third of all liquid fossil fuels used today. And airlines make up most of that demand, adding 2.5 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, with experts estimating that more than 20 percent of the planet’s CO2 emissions will come from airplanes by 2050. In their quest for environmental solutions, airlines have been aggressively searching for a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to reduce their carbon footprint.
Enter Viridos, a startup that bioengineers ... | By Leah Garden & Sherrie Totoki & Jake Mitchell Read more ...
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Teetering on the traceability tipping point - Greenbiz (May 18) |
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May 18 · Everything you need to know to be prepared for the traceability revolution that is sweeping across the European Union and United States.
Traceability is key for food and agriculture companies. Image via Shutterstock/JNT Visual.
Food and agriculture companies are experiencing an uptick in interest in how they engage their supply chains to future-proof their business and protect nature. This scrutiny is forcing companies to address their negative impacts and transform into regenerative and just models
In order to better understand how this changing landscape is driving supply chain traceability at food and agriculture companies, I spoke to Montana Stevenson, a ... | By Seth Olson Read more ...
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The fight to define clean hydrogen - Greenbiz (May 18) |
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May 18 · What counts as green hydrogen is a $100 billion dollar question.
Last year’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) highlighted clean hydrogen’s important role in addressing climate change by offering generous incentives for the burgeoning technology.
Now, the U.S. Treasury has to define what "clean hydrogen" actually means, and with $100 billion in hydrogen tax credits on the table, organizations are keen to have a say. The Treasury has already received over 200 comments, on which it intends to issue guidance by the summer.
In a nutshell, the debate is raging internally within the energy industry, with different players advocating for varying degrees of the cheapest, ... | By Sarah Golden Read more ...
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These organizations are working to bring diverse perspectives to climate solutions - Greenbiz (May 15) |
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May 15 · Diversity has proven to be more than just a marketing calling card - it has also shown to increase profits.
There is an inextricable link between frontline communities and the effects of climate change. Yet there is a mismatch between those most in need and the people building solutions. Only 2.6 percent of venture capital (VC) funding went to Black and Latinx founders in 2022, and companies with only female founders received just 2.1 percent. While these numbers are relevant to all of VC, we can ascertain the same would apply for climate tech funding.
But diverse perspectives make good business sense. In a 2020 study by Kauffman Fellows and MaC Venture Capital, teams ... | By Sherrie Totoki Read more ...
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U.S. power plants may start to cap emissions. Here's why (and how) - Greenbiz (May 18) |
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May 18 · The EPA is promoting carbon capture and storage tech to cap emissions from fossil fuel-powered utilities.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently released a new proposal to cut emissions from existing power plants, aptly titled the Greenhouse Gas Standards and Guidelines for Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants. The EPA’s third attempt to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants will affect a select set of new and existing fossil fuel-fired turbines, including natural gas-powered plants, with its new standards and emissions guidelines. To successfully fall within these new parameters, the proposal recommends the use of "proven, cost-effective control ... | By Leah Garden Read more ...
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Why CDP introduced plastic reporting - Greenbiz (May 16) |
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May 16 · CDP expands disclosure platform to include plastic reporting, setting up the plastic credit market for more legitimacy.
Plastic is a big ocean problem and CDP will include it in the water report. Image via Shutterstock/ Patdanai.
Tracking and measuring has become the new norm in business in everything from clicks to emissions. In April, CDP announced that it will open its disclosure system to plastic usage reporting for the first time this year. Companies can start reporting for the 2023 year.
The plastics questionnaire will include questions on mapping plastics around a company’s value chain, direct operations, supply chain and the transportation of goods and ... | By Jesse Klein Read more ...
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Sightline:
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We’re Stuck on a Wildfire Treadmill - Sightline (May 24) |
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May 24 · More low-intensity fires could have prevented the megafires that turned 700,000 acres of forest into a “moonscape” and incinerated more than one billion board feet of timber. That is what the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation claim in their lawsuit against the US government. There is good evidence backing them up.
Even with more flexible policy and some redistribution in funding, federal and state wildfire response still does not follow science-based recommendations to allow wildfires to burn when conditions are low-risk and to use intentional controlled fires to restore forest health and climate resiliency.
Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all solution ... Read more ...
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Sustainable Brands:
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3 Easy Steps to Transitioning Your Business to Solar Energy - Sustainable Brands (May 18) |
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May 18 · The benefits of going solar come from a combination of reduced costs, tax incentives and how much sunlight your panels collect. So, no matter where you are, the benefits are easy to see.
It’s a startling fact: For as high as inflation is throughout the US economy, electricity prices have risen at an even quicker pace. In fact, the price of power surged 14.3 percent in 2022 – double the year-over-year rate of inflation.
According to the World Economic Forum, such significant increases are due in large part to the war in Ukraine; and of course, climate change continues to negatively impact worldwide energy security.
Even a cursory look at such economic pressures ... Read more ...
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First Closed-Loop Metal-Recycling Technology Offers Sustainable Future for a Battery-Powered World - Sustainable Brands (May 19) |
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May 19 · Aqua Metals’ closed-loop metal-recycling process is revolutionizing metal sourcing and disposal - and eliminating the negative side effects of EV battery production.
As the world looks to decarbonize, many eyes are on electric vehicles (EV) and renewable-energy infrastructures to pave the way. Over the next 20 years, the EV market is set to grow substantially - by 2050, a projected 300 million EVs on the road by 2050, accounting for 60 percent of new car sales. The world will also become more reliant on renewable sources - by 2050, 90 percent of the world's energy will be derived from renewables.
Batteries may be electrifying our future, but their production remains ... Read more ...
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Nurturing Mental Health in a Climate-Changing World: Another Critical Challenge to Face Together - Sustainable Brands (May 18) |
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May 18 · As with other forms of anxiety, climate anxiety must be navigated with great care; and it is essential that the younger generation have allies around them when facing such an enormous challenge as climate change.
This week we are marking Mental-Health Awareness Week, the theme of which is anxiety - which has become prevalent across society, particularly for young people.
Some have described the UK as an “anxious nation.” Studies suggest that more than 8 million people in the UK are experiencing anxiety at any given time. It affects many children and young people. The last few years have seen anxiety and other mental-health conditions escalate in children and young ... Read more ...
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Responding to Cultural Tipping Points: Co-Creating a Brand Culture for Good - Sustainable Brands (May 24) |
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May 24 · Keynotes from day 2 of Brand-Led Culture Change shed light on collaborative behavior-change and stakeholder-engagement approaches that are changing the way brands are creating products, stories and strategies.
Solitaire Townsend
“Humanity does not change in a linear way; we change in an exponential way,” Futerra co-founder Solitaire Townsend told hundreds of eager changemakers on day 2 of Brand-Led Culture Change.
Townsend’s new book, The Solutionists: How Businesses Can Fix the Future, sets out what it takes to join a new generation of entrepreneurs, CEOs and leaders transforming business to create a more sustainable society. History has shown that culture change ... Read more ...
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The Greenwash Era Is Over, But Are Our Communicators Ready to Step Up? - Sustainable Brands (May 17) |
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May 17 · As advertising regulators, consumer watchdogs and even governments take a tougher stance, the risks of getting it wrong grow significantly; and the pressure is on communicators to up their game and back up their claims.
It’s officially, and legally, getting harder for brands to greenwash. In Europe, the EU Parliament has just voted to ramp up regulation to deter companies from making 'carbon-neutral’ claims that can so easily mislead consumers into believing the products they are buying are good for the environment. Proposed new anti-greenwashing rules – said to represent a “significant victory for consumers and the environment” – were voted by an overwhelming majority of 544 ... Read more ...
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