A regular blog about (un) sustainable business. A focus on practical stuff, not blue sky pretentious waffle. Around 6000 regular readers, surprisingly.
I’ve posted links and quotes from the excellent Chain Reaction Research newsletter before. Here’s a few choice gems from their post recent missive, looking at a subject not covered that often by anyone: China and palm oil. I’m reproducing quotes from their recent note, below. Sign up for their insights at: http://www.chainreactionresearch.com (China aside, they…
As the palm oil industry in Africa continues its expansion, how can companies operate in ways which both address local realities and ensure companies meet international compliance and ethical standards? Leading palm oil companies are very keen to do the right thing in Africa as elsewhere, in-line with their stated values, operating practices and the…
From Brazil to Indonesia; on issues from food production to mineral extraction, companies constantly wrestle with the challenge of getting things done in complex and difficult situations. The ‘business as normal’ processes of political engagement clearly don’t work, and a new approach is needed: welcome to the world of political economy analysis (PEA), writes Dr…
I’ve seen some campaign group emails that failed to reflect reality before. Equally I’ve seen many that are right on the money, and have helped deliver change. I’m a big fan of campaigning. I’ve been a Greenpeace member for years and I’ve taken part in campaigns myself. However, there are ways of doing things. In…
The Economist cover this week is titled “Deathwatch for the Amazon”. You may imagine what it says. For example: “In the tropics, which contain half of the world’s forest biomass, tree-cover loss has accelerated by two-thirds since 2015; if it were a country, the shrinkage would make the tropical rainforest the world’s third-biggest carbon-dioxide emitter,…
Here’s some recent free analysis, comment and content from Innovation Forum, my company, that you may find useful and interesting: Is sustainability innovation the route to saving capitalism? Who young consumers trust to tell them the truth about brands Bayer on the innovations that drive food sector security Plastics Oceans UK on how to avoid…
I’ve been pondering this post for some months now. As a co-parent of a three year old boy and a nine month old girl, it’s been pretty humbling and demanding last few years. So what can handling pregnancy, (I got the easy side of that) and being a parent teach us about how we work?…
Good morning all. Over the last few years I’ve occasionally posted something on here from my sustainable wine blog, which probably was a bit niche for some of you. It’s been a fun journey learning about how sustainability has changed the wine sector over the last few years and hearing some of the leading winemakers…
The Chain Reaction Research newsletter, published by Climate Advisors, recently highlighted deforestation as a financial risk. Their recent note makes for interesting and useful reading: The Chain: Deforestation as a Climate Risk for Investors Here’s a few choice excerpts which include some helpful framing numbers: “Approximately 70 percent of deforestation is connected to agricultural commodity…
Plastics and their impacts are everywhere in the news these days. Most recently alarming news about rocky coastlines on islands covered in plastic, what’s being called “plasticrust”. Scary stuff. But as we know solving the problem is not all about just business. It’s about much more than that, including infrastructure, incentives, and much much more….
Reuters reports that: “Malaysia, which has become the dumping ground for the world’s plastic waste, will send back non-recyclable plastic scrap to the developed countries that sent it there, its environment minister said on Tuesday.” And also that: “some of the plastic scrap sent to Malaysia was in violation of the Basel Convention, a U.N….
The New York Times reports that: Citrus Farmers Facing Deadly Bacteria Turn to Antibiotics, Alarming Health Officials In its decision to approve two drugs for orange and grapefruit trees, the E.P.A. largely ignored objections from the C.D.C. and the F.D.A., which fear that expanding their use in cash crops could fuel antibiotic resistance in humans….
We’ve shifted over to our new website at Innovation Forum. It’s much easier to find your way around now. Check it out here. Now, you can browse and listen/read by a number of categories. For example: If you want to delve into some business innovation analysis, go here. But if its brand and other expert…
This is a key question for the future of food, some materials and even some fuels. According to at least one academic journal, the term is ill-defined, and lacks accepted guidelines. The recent Sainsbury’s funded report, on the future of food, quoted in the Guardian, claims that: “Jellyfish suppers washed down with algae milk and…
On 18-19 June we are bringing together a group of companies in London, to discuss and debate how to demonstrate purpose – and measure impact, when it comes to sustainability and responsible business. This two-day business conference will explore practical examples of companies demonstrating both purpose and positive impact across key areas of social and environmental…
I'm Toby Webb, founder of Innovation Forum, a sustainability focused research, publishing and events business. I've also been a lecturer on Corporate Responsibility at Kings College London and at Birkbeck, University of London for eight years. I work with large companies all over the world and sit on the sustainability advisory board for Walgreens Boots Alliance. From 2006-9 I lead the development of UK CSR policy, resulting in the Responsibility Deals framework. I can be contacted at Tobias DOT Webb AT innovation-forum.co.uk
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