Who’s Putting the ‘S’ in ESG?
Lately, ESG is mostly in the news for the wrong reasons. Reading certain articles, it can seem as though some companies are happy to reap the benefits of seeming good, while shifting expenses (e.g., pollution) onto society. However, a lot of the negative coverage references ESG in its role as a guidance for investors (i.e., ESG for Assurance), despite the fact […]
I’ll Be There For You Even When You’re On The Other Side
I’ll Be There For You Even When You’re On The Other Side Of course, friendship is its own bridge with others, but could one be friends with someone who is your opposite? With whom you disagree on just about everything? With someone on “the other side?” The answer is yes and that’s what this video […]
COP27: A Historic But Insufficient Move Towards Climate Justice
For two weeks in November colleagues from Practical Action have been in Sharm El-Sheikh at the UN climate change conference, COP27. We were there to ensure that the voices of the people we work with in some of the world’s most climate vulnerable places were heard as global leaders took decisions about their futures. For […]
How Businesses Can Make Their Giving Count
Businesses play a big part in philanthropy. Between 2018 and 2019 corporate giving in the United States went up by 13%, hitting just over $21 billion. But do all those dollars lead to impact? Open Road Alliance found that where impact projects encounter roadblocks, a staggering 46% of these obstacles are caused by funders. How can businesses avoid […]
Deeper Collaboration to Cut Value Chain Emissions: Are We Missing a Trick?
Innovative, deeper partnerships between businesses and their suppliers can play a vital role in bringing value chain emissions down faster and more equitably. There is growing focus on value chain (scope 3) emissions[1] as the next frontier in the race to net zero, and businesses increasingly talk of partnerships with suppliers as essential to meeting […]
Farmers Hold the Key to the Climate Crisis – If Only World Leaders at COP27 Would Listen
In many ways, the seaside resort town of Sharm El Sheikh is a compelling backdrop for a global climate change conference. Perched on the south-eastern edge of the Sinai Peninsula, it is bordered by pristine coral reefs on one side and arid desert on the other – a perfect reminder of the delicate equilibrium that […]
It’s Time for Companies to Step Up on Net Zero
As UN Experts Call for an End to Greenwashing, Companies in the richest countries have still not agreed to climate measures that are in line with staying below 1.5 degrees. Danielle Smith and Hilde Stroot welcome new guidance from a UN panel, released at COP27, to push action by firms on corporate net-zero plans – […]
Transitioning to Net Zero in the Middle East and North Africa: Three Focus Points
As Egypt readies itself to host COP27 and the UAE for COP28, Adithya Subramoni argues that the MENA region must recognise the social dimension in action on climate, emphasise affordability and accessibility in the drive towards renewables, and seize the potential for the transition to create a large number of good jobs. Since the COP26 […]
Why Businesses Must Focus on Putting People at the Heart of Climate Action Strategies
We’ve heard many pledges by businesses and governments to go further, create real and lasting change in cocoa supply chains, and ensure a better future for farming communities and our climate. However, turning those promises into action remains a challenge. Across the world, cocoa-growing communities face daily struggles from low prices to climate fluctuations, resulting […]
The Two-Eyed View of Climate Justice: Combine Net Zero and Poverty Zero Goals
The climate challenge is encouraging us to work together in meaningful ways, yet the path to climate justice globally requires us to go one step further, combining net zero and poverty zero goals. Net zero, at the heart of efforts to slow climate change, is the target to balance any CO2 emissions created by human […]
Climate-Smart Supply Chains: Lessons for COP27 from Fairtrade
One year since COP26, and we have seen minimal action from world leaders to support farmers and workers with a just transition or to deliver on the headline $100 billion promise of climate adaptation finance. In contrast, one year since the launch of Fairtrade’s ‘Alliance for Climate-Smart Supply Chains in Africa’ (FACSCA), and we have […]
Innovative Solutions to Tackle Deforestation
Halting deforestation and restoring degraded forests is critical to overcoming the climate emergency and reversing biodiversity loss. Many in the ISEAL community are embracing innovative solutions to contribute towards the sustainable management of forests. This year’s International Day of Forests centred on sustainable production and consumption. This is a critical focus, since forests play a crucial role […]
Honouring Climate Promises: An Open Letter from Fairtrade
In an Open Letter, Fairtrade calls on Member States at COP27 to ‘honor their climate promises’ and ‘act now’ for our planet’s farmers. Dear Government Leaders, Global Dignitaries, and United Nations delegates: We demand action. As representatives of over 1.9 million Fairtrade farmers and the thousands of global businesses sourcing from them, we see first-hand […]
CEOs as Stewards of Future Generations
Across the world, leaders are increasingly taking responsibility for intergenerational fairness. This is true in the public, private and non-profit sectors. The difficult questions of how to make decisions that are fair for our futures have moved up the agenda. The 2022 CEO Purpose Report, a recent study published by Brandpie, surveyed 1000 CEOs across […]
Climate Change Disproportionately Affects Poor People
Global Public Agrees Climate Change Disproportionately Affects Poor People, Rich Countries Must Support Them to Deal with Effects of Climate Change There is overwhelming global agreement that the effects of climate change disproportionately affect the poor and three-quarters of people around the world say that rich countries must support them to deal with the effects […]
The Paradox of ESG
Can for-profit businesses really aid in preserving the environment? The practice of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment has long been plagued by the question. You could have assumed the answer was Yes based on the euphoric increase in everything ESG. According to estimates, a sustainability lens is now being used to oversee more than […]
The Climate Clock is Ticking
Ahead of another UN climate conference, Fairtrade once again urges governments for concrete action… but time is running out. In the 1993 comedy film Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, a misanthropic and cynical Pennsylvania weatherman condemned to reliving February 2nd repeatedly until his ethical compass is fully corrected. The film is a comedy driven by […]
Three Actions for Business in the Face of the Global Polycrisis
If you’re struggling to wrap your head around the multiple crises facing the world right now, the phrase “global polycrisis” may help you get a sense of just how truly awful things are. The term reared its head at the just-completed World Bank Annual Meetings, and is forebodingly described by the Cascade Institute as happening […]
Why is Sustainability a Concept Closer to JUSTICE than to the ENVIRONMENT?
Environmental protection such as packing, renewable energy, climate action, water, and waste management have dominated the sustainability mindset. Today, many people, including experts, thought leaders, and even some sustainability gurus, use the terms “sustainability” and “environmental protection” as synonyms. And they aren’t. Sustainability is a broader concept, and the level of success in achieving it […]
How the Climate Justice Framework Helps put People at the Heart of Net Zero Ambitions
Climate change and inequality are two of the biggest challenges of our time. Tackling one without the other is increasingly seen as not an option, including for business. The Business and Climate Justice Framework helps businesses identify both the opportunities of putting people at the centre of their climate ambitions and the risks of inaction. […]