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Meet edie's 2019 Sustainable Supply Chain champions: Thai Union and WWF
With entries now open for edie's Sustainability Leaders Awards 2020, this new feature series showcases the achievements of the 2019 winners and reveals their secrets to success. Up next: The winners of our 2019 Sustainable Supply Chains Award, Thai Union and WWF.
Investing in food waste prevention can provide financial boost for restaurants, study finds
Restaurants that actively invest in measures to reduce food waste can unlock new economic revenue streams, as a new report from a coalition of major organisations reveals that for every $1 spent on food loss prevention, restaurants can save $7 in operating costs.
Energy innovation: Delivering the smart grid of the future, today
The mission is clear: we must accelerate the shift to zero-carbon energy systems in order to slash emissions and mitigate global warming. But this mission IS possible: renewable energy costs are tumbling and new approaches to energy management such as battery storage and demand response are offering new ways for organisations to operate more sustainably.
WBA: Companies with embedded sustainability best-placed to weather coronavirus storm
EXCLUSIVE: Reports of business failures to safeguard employee livelihoods or the environment amid the coronavirus pandemic are emerging at a near-hourly basis - and those best-placed to avoid the impending storm from consumers and investors are those that have already taken ambitious action.
Business giants including Tesco urge ministers to end supply chain deforestation by 2030
Tesco, McDonald's and WWF are among the businesses and NGOs urging the UK Government to set a legally binding 2030 target to end deforestation in agriculture and forest product supply chains.
Two weeks left to register: edie's climate-resilient supply chains webinar
edie's latest webinar, taking place on Thursday 16 April, will focus on how businesses can build sustainable, climate-resilient supply chains through engagement methods, carbon reporting and regenerative practices.
UK Government publishes statement to tackle modern slavery across its supply chain
The UK has become the first country to publish a statement outlining how the Government will tackle modern slavery across its supply chain and spending measures.
Mondelēz increases transparency drive to combat supply chain deforestation
Mondelēz International, which owns brands including Cadbury and Dairy Milk, has increased a transparency drive on farms in the world's largest two cocoa-producing countries that are registered under the firm's ethical and sustainable sourcing programme.
Calls for Government to secure biomass pipeline during coronavirus outbreak
Associations from the UK's biomass fuel supply chain have called for the UK Government to ensure the sector can continue to deliver low-carbon heating to households and business facilities that are still open and under increased pressure due to the coronavirus outbreak.
In numbers: Tracking coronavirus' impact on energy and the environment
The economic slowdown borne by the Covid-19 pandemic has altered energy demands, impacted emissions from transport and industry and seen key green policy meetings postponed. Here, edie rounds up 19 key stats and facts about the energy and nature context of the outbreak.
Investors write to businesses calling for action on human rights
Hundreds of investors have written to global companies deemed to be performing poorly on human rights indicators, calling for immediate action to improve standards across operations and value chains.
TODAY AT 1PM: Join edie's webinar on achieving net-zero
Readers have only a few hours left to register for edie's net-zero webinar, which will outline some of the key elements in the field of setting goals for net-zero carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.
Chanel sets 1.5C science-based targets, pledges 100% renewable energy
Luxury fashion and fragrance giant Chanel has committed to halve its carbon emissions by 2030, under a new 1.5C-aligned set of sustainability targets.
O2 gives suppliers offer to purchase renewables at reduced rates
Telecommunications giant O2 will extend a reduced rate that is using to purchase renewable energy to power its operations to suppliers in a bid progress against its recently announced net-zero emissions target.
Built environment: Avison Young and St. Modwen set net-zero carbon targets
Real estate advisor Avison Young and housebuilder St. Modwen have become the latest companies in the built environment sector to pledge to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.
Lidl to use 'ocean-bound' plastics in seafood packaging
Lidl will begin incorporating "ocean-bound" plastics in packaging used to house 13 of its seafood lines next month, in what it claims is a first for a UK supermarket.
Kellogg's revamps deforestation and palm oil policies after environmental protests
Kellogg's has pledged to source 100% physically deforestation-free certified palm oil by 2025, following campaigns by green groups and schoolchildren.
Sir Robert McAlpine targets net-zero emissions by 2024
Building and civil engineering company Sir Robert McAlpine has announced a new public commitment to implement carbon reduction initiatives to reach net-zero emissions in the next five years.
McDonald's and Starbucks back 'smart' reusable cup trials in California
The cities of San Francisco and Palo Alto are set to trial "smart" reusable cup systems developed with support from McDonald's and Starbucks, in a bid to reduce the amount of single-use coffee cups that are being sent to landfill.
Burberry introduces carbon 'insetting' fund
Luxury fashion firm Burberry will create a "regeneration fund" to support a new portfolio of "carbon insetting projects" that aim to deliver regenerative agriculture practices across its supply chain - a move that will see its Autumn/Winter 2020 runway show at London Fashion Week become carbon-neutral.
Partnerships: Re-dressing the sustainability power balance
Moving to environmental sustainability depends on innovation and concerted action through partnerships. And that always means listening to people - in the supply chain, with charities and NGOs - with very different outlooks, objectives and sense of purpose.
Report: Half of world's largest businesses haven't pledged to end supply chain deforestation
Of the 350 corporates and 150 investor bodies with the world's highest involvement in supply chains with high deforestation risks, around half have not publicly committed to eliminate deforestation from their value chains.
Dissecting the challenge: How Sky is approaching its net-zero target
EXCLUSIVE: Sky is facing the daunting task of engaging with 11,000 companies and 24 million customers as part of its new commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030. The group's head of responsible business Fiona Ball outlines how Sky is "dissecting" this target to manage the transformation.
'A critical decade': Sky commits to net-zero emissions by 2030
Broadcaster Sky has today (4 February) unveiled a new commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 through strategies to make its products more energy efficient, its film and TV more sustainable and by engaging consumers and the value chain to "go zero".
Creating a sustainable food system depends on a shared mentality as well as collaboration
Like most industries, food and drink is grappling with how to create a sustainable and, where possible, circular system. At the heart of that challenge is dealing with the huge and extremely complex global food system, which encompasses the way we grow, make and consume food.
From measurement to action: Five best-practice lessons on going plastic-free
Having taken place on 16 January, edie's Plastic-Free Power Hour webinar included a collection of best-practice examples of sector-leading organisations taking control of their plastics-use - and delivering real organisational change. Here, we reflect on the key takeaways from the session.
Fast food firms failing to face up to climate challenges, investment giants warn
Some of the world's biggest fast food brands including Domino's, Chipotle and Burger King are failing to take "real" action on environmental issues including climate change and water.
Brunel Pension Partnership launches new finance strategy to align with net-zero future
The group overseeing £30bn worth of investments for 10 local government pension scheme funds has pledged to align its management practices with the Paris Agreement.
Fishing for Plastic: Asda helps seafood suppliers collect ocean plastic pollution
Asda has unveiled plans to equip all of its seafood suppliers' boats with equipment that will enable workers to collect plastic pollution while bringing in the catch.
'Transformation through transparency': How Microsoft will collaborate to meet its carbon-negative goals
EXCLUSIVE: As it strives to meet its boldest sustainability target to date - becoming "carbon-negative" by 2030 - Microsoft will need to forge innovative collaborations with businesses across and beyond its supply chain.
Priceless Planet: Investor coalition pledges to plant 100 million trees
A group of global investors, including Mastercard, Citibank and Santander UK, have launched a new coalition focused on making investments that preserve and restore the environment, starting with a pledge to plant 100 million trees in the next five years.
Biggest food brands 'failing goals to banish palm oil deforestation'
Some of the world's biggest brands are failing in their commitments to banish deforestation from their supply chains through their use of palm oil, despite making public claims to environmental sustainability, according to two reports.
'Neutral is not enough': Microsoft pledges to become carbon-negative by 2030
Tech giant Microsoft has today (16 January) unveiled a bold new plan to reduce its carbon impact to below net-zero by 2030, with an additional goal of removing carbon from the atmosphere that the company has emitted since it was founded in 1975.
Report: One in five UK businesses not motivated by environmental impact of plastics
Keep Britain Tidy and Brita UK have called on UK businesses to explore behaviour change and staff engagement initiatives to accelerate action on single-use plastics, after their survey found that 20% of businesses are 'not at all' motivated by the environmental impacts of the plastics they use.
Every business has a critical role to play in reducing single-use plastics
In the two years since Blue Planet II ignited interest in the volume of plastic being used and discarded daily, businesses have made real progress in their efforts to eliminate single-use plastics.
Single-use plastics: Two weeks left to register for free online event
Registration is now open for an afternoon of live, interactive webinar presentations and discussions from companies such as Eurostar, Nestlé and Sky on Thursday 16 January - all dedicated to helping businesses collaborate, innovate and actuate to eliminate single-use plastics.
edie's guides to net-zero carbon continues with construction sector
The fourth report in the series of edie guides on net-zero carbon has launched with a focus on the construction sector.
CDP: Corporates could save a gigaton of emissions by championing renewables in supply chains
If key suppliers to the world's largest corporations used 20% more renewable energy than they do at present, one billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions would be mitigated.
The sustainability of Peak: Top tips for reducing your emissions this Christmas
It comes as no surprise that the Peak season is an all-consuming time of year for businesses - and I don't just mean Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The "peak" shopping period, which runs from October to January every year, is one of the busiest times of year for retailers and logistics providers alike.
M&S launches digital viscose map to boost fashion supply chain transparency
Retail giant Marks & Spencer (M&S) has launched a digital map highlighting all textile suppliers through which it sources man-man cellulosic fibres (MMCF) including viscose.
Hydrogen: a critical piece of the net-zero jigsaw?
Earlier this year the UK Government committed to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 through the amended 2008 Climate Change Act (CCA). Professor Joe Howe, chair of the North West Hydrogen Alliance (NWHA) and executive director of the Thornton Energy Institute, looks at how hydrogen is a vital part of the solution.
Ikea to invest £171m in nature and clean power under 'climate positive' pledge
Ikea has today (27 November) unveiled a new €200m (£171m) investment package aimed at helping the retailer deliver on its commitment to become 'climate-positive' by 2030.
Fashion retailers delivering mixed progress on 'damaging' viscose supply chains
High-street retailers New Look and Morrisons have joined the likes of Inditex, ASOS, H&M and Tesco in signing up to a new sustainability roadmap to ensure they are sourcing sustainable viscose that doesn't contribute to environmental pollution, but luxury fashion brands have been named as laggards.
Gucci boss calls on business leaders to deliver net-zero supply chains
Gucci chief executive Marco Bizzarri has called on business leaders to sign up to a Carbon Neutral Challenge that sees businesses deliver greenhouse gas emissions reductions across their entire value chain in order to achieve net-zero emissions.
Report: Food giants must go beyond plant-based products to climate-proof global systems
While one-half of the world's largest food companies are now working to increase investment in plant-based proteins, meat sales are still increasing and action on climate change remains "fragmented and isolated", Forum for the Future has warned.
Target meets 2020 goal to install 500 rooftop solar arrays ahead of schedule
US-based retail giant Target has met its 2020 goal of installing rooftop solar at 500 locations ahead of schedule, as it strives to source 100% renewable electricity across its global operations by 2030.
CDP: Consumer goods giants won't meet 2020 'net-zero' deforestation targets
Despite work by some leading consumer goods companies to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains, broad failures to deploy ambitious forest and land-use practices mean the sector will not meet its 2020 commitment to 'net-zero' deforestation.
Report: More than half of corporates not meeting 'basic requirements' on human rights
A study of 200 of the world's biggest apparel, food & drink, tech manufacture and material extraction firms have found that less than half are able to show they are meeting the UN's Guiding Principles on Human Rights.
Progress over perfection: Can McDonald's design its way out of single-use plastics?
McDonald's vice president of global sustainability Keith Kenny has claimed that the consumer-facing business needs to couple lifecycle analysis of its packaging with consumer demands in order to phase-out plastics in a secure way and without impacting customer experience.
Is embedding sustainability in higher education truly sustainable?
Focusing on reducing carbon footprint on your estate and research into future environmental challenges are very much a given now in higher education, argues Professor Jim Longhurst. But pushing the scope of the agenda to account for all students is an entirely different discussion.
Apple almost doubles green bond offers after £1.7bn fund launch
Apple has issued a new £1.7bn ($2.2bn) green bond offering, nearly doubling its total green bond issuance to almost £3.9bn ($5bn).
The collaborative push for net-zero emissions in the built environment
For Net-Zero November, edie sits down with a mainstay sustainability leader, a disruptive new firm and the organisation coordinating an entire sector to see how the built environment can collaboratively transition to a net-zero economy.
CDP: 80% of companies set to miss 2020 palm oil deforestation goals
Of the 96 corporates currently reporting that they produce, source or use products that contain palm oil from Indonesia to CDP, just one-fifth are set to meet their 2020 deforestation targets surrounding the commodity.
Available to watch on demand: edie's net-zero business webinar
edie's most recent webinar outlined how businesses can engage staff, consumers, stakeholders and suppliers to inspire a global movement towards net-zero emissions, featuring experts from the UK Green Building Council, ITV and International Airlines Group (IAG).
Timberland takes first steps towards 'regenerative' leather supply chain
Outdoor clothing brand Timberland has forged a partnership Other Half Processing - an organisation advocating for 'regenerative' animal supply chains - in a bid to bring products incorporating 'net-positive' leather to market during 2020.
O2 recycles three million mobile devices in a decade
Telecoms company O2 has received more than three million devices as part of a trade-in scheme to boost the recyclability of smartphones, a move that has stopped more than 450 tonnes of phone-related waste from going to landfill.
World's largest seafood firms pledge to tackle abandoned plastic fishing gear
A coalition of ten of the world's biggest seafood companies have joined a scheme connecting businesses, non-profits, scientists and public sector bodies in a bid to tackle the 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear abandoned in the world's oceans each year.
Paris is always a good idea: Why modern slavery needs a proper framework and definition
Dr. Joy Murray, Dr. Arunima Malik and Dr. Darian McBain look at the need for modern slavery to be properly defined on a global level and how effective initiatives to combat it can also have an effect on climate change.
Landsec hits science-based targets 11 years early
Commercial real estate firm Landsec has met its verified science-based target 11 years ahead of schedule, with the company's latest quarterly energy data revealing that carbon intensity has fallen by 40%.
Report: 'Sustainable' seafood in UK supermarkets 'wiping out wild fish stocks'
Farmed seafood sold in British supermarkets is regularly being fed with feed produced using methods which are "stripping the oceans bare and damaging marine ecosystems", a new investigative report has claimed.
'We're up for it': Sky exploring its role in net-zero future
Sky's chief executive Jeremy Darroch has claimed that the company is "figuring out" how it can help push the UK to net-zero emissions before the 2050 deadline.
Paper beer bottles: Carlsberg's bio-based packaging to be shared with corporate giants
EXCLUSIVE: Danish brewer Carlsberg has unveiled prototypes of the world's first beer bottles made from recyclable and bio-based materials, with the company's sustainability director claiming that the innovation could have "endless impact" if upscaled collaboratively by corporates including Coca-Cola and L'Oreal.
How closed-loop supply chains are spurring Apple's decarbonisation efforts
EXCLUSIVE: Apple's vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives Lisa Jackson believes that companies should look at the synergies between the circular economy and decarbonisation in order to create resilient supply chains.
Responsible Jewellery Council joins UN Global Compact to act on SDGs
The Responsible Jewellery Council has forged a new partnership with the UN Global Compact which will see members such as Swarovski, Tiffany & Co and the De Beers Group, develop actions that align and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
edie's guides to net-zero carbon continues with manufacturing sector
The second report in the series of edie guides on net-zero carbon has launched with a focus on the manufacturing sector.
Capgemini turns to AI to fix food supply chain sustainability
Business consulting giant Capgemini has launched a project which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to support farmers in improving environmental practices on their land.
Multiplex Europe raises carbon ambitions with 1.5C science-based target
Multiplex Europe, the construction firm behind huge London developments including 100 Bishopsgate, has announced that it has increased its science-based target to account for the 1.5C ambition of the Paris Agreement.
45-minute masterclass: Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting (SECR) for business
This live, online masterclass helps sustainability and energy professionals get to grips with Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR), which came into force in April 2019 and affects almost 12,000 businesses across the country.
Patagonia Action Works: 'Time up' for CSR departments in the climate activism era
EXCLUSIVE: As outdoor company Patagonia issued the next programme in its 45-year history of activism, the company's director of environmental initiatives has claimed that isolated departments overseeing sustainability have no function as more people demand action on the climate emergency.
Mission Possible: Achieving net-zero carbon in Utilities
Following the UK's world-leading commitment to reach net- zero emissions by 2050, this insight report investigates how the utilities sector can radically reduce carbon whilst enabling and empowering its customers to do the same.
edie launches new guide to sustainable supply chains
Those wishing to help make their organisation's supply chains more sustainable now have access to a new edie guide on the topic, launched in association with pallet manufacturer PALLITE.
Coca-Cola to replace plastic shrink wrap across can multipacks sold in Great Britain
Europe's largest independent Coca-Cola bottler has announced it will end the use of shrink-wrapped plastics across all can multipacks it sells in Great Britain, in a move that will replace plastic used on 30 million packs annually with sustainably sourced cardboard.
Sustainable Supply Chains: 5 key areas for sustainability professionals
This new report, sponsored by alternative pallet company PALLITE, offers sustainability professionals insight into the key areas of sustainable supply chain management.
UK suppliers among recipients of 'world's worst' fashion purchasing practices
UK suppliers experience some of the "worse" purchasing practices of brands and retailers sourcing apparel, footwear and household textiles compared to suppliers from other nations in the world.
Context, community and collaboration: Inside Levi Strauss' updated water action strategy
EXCLUSIVE: In revamping the water strategy for its global supply chain, Levi Strauss hopes to further embed a science-based and community-focused approach to its sustainability work, the firm's vice president for sustainability Michael Kobori has revealed.
Blockchain-enabled supply chain sustainability scheme hailed 'successful' by business giants
A blockchain-based experiment aimed at improving social and environmental practices in tea supply chains has proven successful, according to businesses having taken part, including Unilever and Sainsbury's.
Unilever powered by 100% renewable electricity across five continents
Unilever has revealed that all its buildings across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America are now powered by 100% renewable electricity.
Asda unveils digital seafood supply chain map
Asda has unveiled a digital map which gives consumers access to information regarding all supply chain of the seafood used in its own-brand products.
Why fashion needs to slow down to avoid ‘shutdown’
As Extinction Rebellion (XR) protestors call for events like London Fashion Week (LFW) to be shut down, fashion brands remain worryingly silent about slowing product turnover before resource scarcity leaves them with no alternative, edie's reporter Sarah George argues.
Climate change threatening security of UK's food and medicine supply, MPs warn
The UK's failure to tackle climate challenges in food supply chains overseas is risking national food security and the NHS is "not sufficiently resourced" to deal with global warming, a new report from MPs has warned.
Gucci goes carbon neutral in attempt to tackle climate crisis
As the fashion industry continues to address its role in the climate crisis, Italy's most valuable luxury brand has said it has become an entirely carbon-neutral company.
Report: Deforestation booming due to weak policy and corporate inaction
A lack of policy support or ambitious action from corporates involved in agriculture has led to an area of tree cover the size of the UK being lost globally each year between 2014 and 2018, a new report has concluded.
Unilever turns to interactive mapping to boost tea supply chain transparency
Unilever has publicly published a full list of its global tea suppliers for the first time, along with a new interactive map to help customers understand its supply chain processes.
Nestlé sets net-zero climate goal for 2050
Nestlé has today (12 September) unveiled wide-sweeping plans to enhance carbon sequestration, procure 100% renewable electricity and launch more food and drink products that have improved environmental footprints, as part of an overall goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Consumer goods giants team up in bid to lower environmental impacts
Clorox, Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Henkel are among a group of consumer goods businesses selling cleaning products to have co-launched a campaign aimed at driving the sector towards "net-positive" environmental and social impact.
Exclusive: PwC to hit Mission Possible pledge target
Accountancy firm PwC has revealed to edie that it is only 1% off its Mission Possible target following extensive work on sustainable, healthy food options within its staff restaurant facilities.
H&M Group pauses Brazilian leather sourcing as forest fires continue
H&M Group has today (6 September) announced that it will suspend the purchase of all leather originating in Brazil, amid a huge increase in the number of forest fires in Amazonia.
Report: Food giants 'sourcing from suppliers flouting climate commitments'
Companies supplying meat and dairy to some of the world's biggest food firms, including Nestle, McDonalds and Walmart, are failing to act in line with their key clients' environmental ambitions.
VF Corp suspends sourcing of Brazilian leather due to Amazon fires concerns
VF Corporation, the owner of brands such as The North Face, Timberland and Vans, has announced that it will stop sourcing leather from Brazil, highlighting concerns over the environmental impact of cattle ranchers that have caused the vast majority of fires plaguing the Amazon rainforest.
Equator Principles: Global banks failing to uphold environmental and social risk agreements
An investor coalition representing more than $2.9trn has urged global banks to strengthen efforts that protect the rights of indigenous people and the environment that they rely on.
Meet edie's 30 Under 30 class of 2019: Olivia Murphy, Whitbread
This new series profiles the members of edie's 30 Under 30 - a nomination-based community of 30 hugely talented young sustainability and energy professionals who have already achieved great things or are showing fantastic promise. Next up: Olivia Murphy, sustainability manager at hospitality giant Whitbread.
Boots purchases electric vans for prescription deliveries
Boots has announced it has purchased its first electric vans and will trial them in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire as part of its prescription delivery service.
Primark to enrol 160,000 farmers under its sustainable cotton initiative
Retailer Primark has expanded its Sustainable Cotton Programme into China, assisting with overall plans to train more than 160,000 independent cotton farmers in sustainable farming methods across key sourcing countries by 2022.
EU paper recyclers 'in crisis' as China waste import ban bites
China's ban on waste imports has thrown Europe's paper recycling sector "in a crisis situation," leading to a chronic oversupply of recovered paper that sent prices plummeting by 300% over the past two years, according to trade group EuRIC.
Amazon rainforest fires: We must rise above the egos and insults threatening climate change policy
As the 'lungs of the Earth' continue to burn, discussions at international summits have devolved into a circus of egos and insults that suggest that future collaborative efforts to combat climate change will revolve around petty but powerful people who can't see the wood for the burning rainforest.
Sky Mobile to offer 'ethical and modular' Fairphone in UK
Sky Mobile has announced that it will offer the Fairphone, a modular and repairable smartphone consisting of recycled materials, in the UK.
Levi Strauss takes fresh steps to eliminate gender-based violence, water misuse, in supply chains
Fashion giant Levi Strauss Co. has launched two new supply chain initiatives - one focused on protecting female supply chain workers, and the other centred around water stewardship - after an investigation uncovered systemic gender-based harassment at supplier facilities.
UK supermarkets accused of over-producing low-quality meat
Anti-hunger charity Feedback is calling for big-name UK supermarkets such as Iceland, Lidl and Asda to offer "less and better" meat, in order to minimise their climate impacts.
Seven steps to solution-focused sustainability
Sustainability has rarely offered such a dynamic and inspiring opportunity for organisations to build competitive advantage, differentiate their brand and engage their people.
