The time for a Chief Sustainability Officer is now | theHRD

The time for a Chief Sustainability Officer is now | theHRD

ByThe Circular Economy Team

ONE OF THE BIGGEST TRENDS IN THE FINANCIAL WORLD IS THE RAPID ASCENT OF ESG ISSUES UP THE CORPORATE AGENDA. INCREASING PRESSURE FROM CONSUMERS AND GOVERNMENTS ALIKE IS PUSHING THE INDUSTRY TO ACT, WITH MAJOR INVESTORS LIKE BLACKROCK PRESSING COMPANIES ON A HOST OF ESG ISSUES, FROM HUMAN RIGHTS TO BIODIVERSITY AND DEFORESTATION. SIMULTANEOUSLY, VCS ACROSS EUROPE ARE NOW ROUTINELY ADDING ‘SUSTAINABILITY’ CLAUSES TO THEIR DEALS WITH STARTS-UPS THAT DEMAND A COMMITMENT TO A GREENER, CLEANER WORLD. These incentives – as well as legislation such as SFDR from the EU which imposes sustainability disclosure requirements on financial firms – means that, in order to attract investment, SMEs will soon need to present a clear and persuasive narrative around their sustainability bona fides and, crucially, have the data to back up such claims. Gathering, interpreting, and presenting all this information is a huge task, never mind identifying and leading sustainability initiatives to reduce a business’ environmental impact. As a result, many companies are finding they need to add a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) to their senior leadership team far earlier than anticipated.

Only 17% of e-waste formally recycled in 2019 – WHO – Telecompaper

Only 17% of e-waste formally recycled in 2019 – WHO – Telecompaper

ByThe Circular Economy Team

E-waste, and namely the informal processing of discarded electrical and electronic devices, is affecting the health of children, young people and expectant mothers worldwide, according to the ‘Children and Digital Dumpsites’ report from the World Health Organization. “In the same way the world has rallied to protect the seas and their ecosystems from plastic and microplastic pollution, we need to rally to protect our most valuable resource -the health of our children- from the growing threat of e-waste.” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Top 10 Sustainable Supply Chain Initiatives

Top 10 Sustainable Supply Chain Initiatives

ByThe Circular Economy Team

Consumers are calling for greater sustainability in every area of their purchasing, even those non-customer facing elements such as supply chain. In a 2020 survey, 70% of consumers said they thought it was important that the brands they buy from are sustainable. Here we consider the top 10 supply chain initiatives that are taking a stand to put sustainability first and promote eco-friendly as the new normal. 

Franchisor Tips: Five Reasons to Make Your Franchise a More Sustainable Business

Franchisor Tips: Five Reasons to Make Your Franchise a More Sustainable Business

ByThe Circular Economy Team

Sustainability is a hot topic right now, and after a period of pandemic-induced reflection, more people are investing in protecting the environment and safeguarding the future of the planet than ever. But what does it take to build a sustainable business, and from a financial standpoint, why is it worth doing? If you’re willing to research, learn, improve and act, you can create a sustainable business. And if you can create a sustainable business, you can create a future-proof source of profit for yourself. Many franchise operations already prioritise environmental compliance from the get-go, like commercial cleaning franchise Green Machine, and you could do the same. What is a sustainable business? So, what is a sustainable business? What does that actually mean? In short, a sustainable business is a business that attempts, however it can, to minimise its negative impact on the planet, or on society. For sustainable businesses, avoiding environmental degradation and not contributing to systems of inequality are the top priorities.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving: Thailand’s Scaly Quest for Food Security and Sustainable Livelihood

The Gift that Keeps on Giving: Thailand’s Scaly Quest for Food Security and Sustainable Livelihood

ByThe Circular Economy Team

“There is rice in the fields and fish in the water,” is an old saying that speaks to the natural abundance of Thailand as the land of milk and honey with fresh, affordable food aplenty. Most Thais are experts when it comes to naming freshwater fish, which is an easily accessible source of quality protein. There is, however, one particular fish that has become a common household name but its exact origin is unknown to the younger Thais. The mouthbrooder — a name it received from cradling its hatchlings in its mouth until the younglings come of age — is also known to scientists as Oreochromis niloticus or Tilapia nilotica, a cichlid fish native to the northern half of Africa and some parts of the Middle East. Colloquially named Nile tilapia in English from its natural habitat and pla nil in Thai from an abbreviation of its scientific name, this hardy fish whose versatility as a herbivore with omnivorous tendencies and trimester hatching cycles is ideally suited for any freshwater source. The story of this fish began in earnest with a school of 50 mouthbrooders raised in a palace pond whose offspring would one day go on to feed millions of people.

LeoLabs Selects the Azores as Site for its Next Space Radar; Accelerates Presence in Europe for LEO Services and Infrastructure – Parabolic Arc

LeoLabs Selects the Azores as Site for its Next Space Radar; Accelerates Presence in Europe for LEO Services and Infrastructure – Parabolic Arc

ByThe Circular Economy Team

LeoLabs, Inc., the world’s leading commercial provider of low Earth orbit (LEO) mapping and Space Situational Awareness (SSA) services, today announced the Azores as the site for its next space radar. As a strategic addition to LeoLabs expanding global constellation of LEO sensors, the Azores Space Radar will go operational in the first half of 2022. “We are very excited about our decision to locate in the Azores,” said Dan Ceperley, CEO and LeoLabs co-Founder. “This is a multi-decade investment on the part of LeoLabs, and a great opportunity for us to support the space sustainability goals of Portugal as they grow their presence in the global space community. It also signals LeoLabs commitment to a long-term presence in Europe.” “The mission of LeoLabs remains clear: serve the growth of the LEO economy, and ensure the long-term survivability of LEO for future generations. Today we are the only end-to-end supplier of radar infrastructure and services that can execute on this mission,” continued Ceperley.

Sustainable return of the experience industry the time is now | MCI United Kingdom | EN

Sustainable return of the experience industry the time is now | MCI United Kingdom | EN

ByThe Circular Economy Team

As we gradually step back into an in-person economy set for growth, we need to reassess how sustainability is factored into our dynamic industry’s return. Though we saw the largest absolute drop in emissions ever recorded during lockdown, amounting to 7% globally, we are set for a rebound in emissions as these restrictions are lifted based on data from the aftermath of previous global crises. There is also the looming deadline for delivering the net-zero United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, leaving businesses with only a few years to take decisive action on sustainability and commit to reaching these UN targets. The way countries stimulate their economies after the Covid-19 lockdowns will have a major impact on future emissions, and our industry will have a key role to positively influence this.