Sustainability Leaders Forum
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Heathrow court case and Mary Robinson's net-zero speech: The top 10 sustainability stories of February 2020
With spring now on the horizon, we take a look back at a February packed full of sustainability and energy news. This round-up includes all the highlights from edie's Sustainability Leaders Forum and recaps a bumper month for green policy.
From activist to activator: How are sustainability leaders' jobs changing in the era of climate activism?
After years of grappling for boardroom buy-in, sustainability professionals have seen the momentum of the plastics and climate movements place environmental considerations firmly at the feet of C-suite. So, how will this seismic shift in the conversation re-shape the sustainability profession?
Purpose and profit: Unilever on how to drive benefits across the triple bottom line
Last summer, the chief executives of more than 180 corporates signed a declaration stating that the purpose of big businesses is no longer to simply generate profit for shareholders - that action must also taken to address social and environmental issues. But how can businesses without purpose "built-in" begin this transformation?
10 ways business leadership will evolve during a crucial decade for sustainability
Sustainability experts and thought leaders were in attendance at edie's Sustainability Leaders Forum to outline how the role of business in a society battling social and environmental crises like never before will change.
Sustainable Business Covered: Igniting a decade of climate action at the Leaders Forum (Part Two)
The second part of this podcast special is brought to you live from our Sustainability Leaders Forum, where edie asks leading sustainability experts from Mars, British American Tobacco, the Fairtrade Foundation, Futerra and Hilton how will business leadership be redefined during a decade of deliverance?
WATCH: Jonathon Porritt's inspiring Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech
edie's Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Jonathon Porritt, founder-director of Forum for the Future, delivered a rousing call to action to the private sector to "recarbonise" the planet by forging partnerships that pull carbon out of the atmosphere and assist with the ongoing net-zero transition.
edie's Sustainability Leaders Forum: As it happened
This week is one of the biggest of the year in the sustainability and energy calendar, with edie hosting its Sustainability Leaders Forum and Awards, as well as the official launch of the UK-hosted COP26 climate conference. Recap the week through our live blog for all the latest from these events and beyond.
Seven top tips for kick-starting your organisation's net-zero transition
Last year, dozens of 'climate emergency' declarations were made by governments, local authorities, political parties and businesses. But how can sustainability, CSR and energy professionals help their organisations respond to these declarations with ambitious, impactful and long-lasting actions?
edie's publisher Faversham House expands ClimateCare partnership to offset event travel emissions
edie's publishing company Faversham House has announced an expansion to its partnership with ClimateCare to offset all carbon emissions from speaker and delegate travel across all its events throughout 2020.
WATCH: Mary Robinson on net-zero, climate justice and being 'prisoners of hope'
Chair of The Elders and former president of Ireland Mary Robinson delivered an inspiring keynote speech to kickstart edie's Sustainability Leaders Forum, which is available to watch in-full.
Sustainable Business Covered: Igniting a decade of climate action at the Leaders Forum (Part One)
The edie podcast is brought to you live from our Sustainability Leaders Forum, as content editor Matt Mace speaks to leading sustainability experts from Interface, Diageo, WaterAid and WWF to ask, how will business leadership be redefined during a decade of deliverance?
Sustainable Business Leadership in 2020: edie publishes results of flagship annual survey
edie has today published a comprehensive report breaking down exactly what 'business leadership' looks like from the perspective of hundreds of sustainability, CSR and energy professionals from across the country.
Jonathon Porritt announced as Guest of Honour for Sustainability Leaders Awards 2020
edie is delighted to announce that Jonathon Porritt, founder-director of Forum for the Future will appear as the official Guest of Honour at the 2020 Sustainability Leaders Awards in London on Wednesday, 5 February.
Aviva Investors: Better corporate disclosure needed to help sustainable finance go mainstream
EXCLUSIVE: Investment firms are heeding climate warnings and honing their approach to sustainability, but ultimately need more information from the businesses in their portfolios in order to drive transformational change.
Sustainability Leaders Awards 2020: Meet the Finalists
After a record-breaking year of entries, the judges have convened, decisions have been made and edie is proud to unveil the well-deserved finalists for the 2020 Sustainability Leaders Awards. This report outlines the who's who of sustainability excellence.
Available to watch on demand: edie's TCFD webinar with Landsec, Avara Foods and CDSB
Experts from Avara Foods, Landsec and the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) discussed how businesses should interact with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFDs) to improve sustainability, as part of a webinar that is now available to watch on-demand.
'To truly embed sustainability, businesses must redefine value itself'
EXCLUSIVE: As ever more companies strive for sustainability which stretches beyond the confines of a separate CSR department, they will need to explore ways to define success beyond monetary value.
TerraCycle: The global refill revolution is here to stay
EXCLUSIVE: With consumer concerns around plastics and climate change skyrocketing, brands are increasingly betting on reuse and refill models to minimise both carbon and waste, TerraCycle's chief executive officer Tom Szaky has revealed.
UK airline industry calls on Government to spur sector to net-zero
The industry body for UK airlines believes that a renewed partnership with the Government can help the sector achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, as long as investment opportunities into green technologies are created.
Volvo Cars to become carbon-neutral by 2040
Volvo Cars has announced plans to become a carbon-neutral company by 2040, with short-term targets in place to slash emissions by 40% and generate 50% of its global sales from electric vehicles (EVs).
Pret-A-Manger: We can't greenwash our way out of the war on plastics
EXCLUSIVE: As consumers continue to push hard for food-to-go brands like Pret-A-Manger to ditch plastic packaging altogether, the firm's global director of strategy & sustainability has urged the sector to avoid "over-simplified" announcements or token phase-outs.
Igniting a decade of business transformation: Sustainability Leaders Forum 2020 line-up revealed
Experts, disruptors and innovators from companies including Unilever, LEGO and Firmenich have been confirmed for the star-studded line up of edie's Sustainability Leaders Forum - the UK's only dedicated sustainability event that combines strategic insight with practical outputs for business.
Last chance to enter: edie's Sustainability Leaders Award deadline today at 5pm
Sustainable businesses looking for the recognition they deserve have until 5pm today (FRIDAY 4 OCTOBER) to get their entries submitted to enter edie's 2020 Sustainability Leaders Awards.
edie's Sustainability Leaders Awards 2020: Deadline extended to Friday 4 October
Businesses looking for the recognition they deserve have been given an extra week to get their entries submitted to enter edie's 2020 Sustainability Leaders Awards, which now closes on FRIDAY 4 OCTOBER.
Co-creating energy solutions: edie to take 'Design Sprint' format for next Club event
Following in the footsteps of a series of sustainability ‘thinkathons’ at recent events, edie will be utilising a ‘Design Sprint’ process to solve business-critical energy challenges at a free event for senior energy managers next month.
edie’s Mission Possible Thinkathon 2019: What it taught me about sustainable business
There is a relatively new process that is shaking up the way organisations create and test new ideas - the design sprint.
edie's Plastics Thinkathon results (Part Two): Solving the behaviour change challenge
With businesses continuing to develop plastic-reduction strategies in the face of ever-growing stakeholder pressure, edie recently hosted the world's first 'Plastics Thinkathon' to co-create scalable solutions to the issue. In the final part of this feature, Sarah George reveals the results to tackling behaviour change.
edie's Plastics Thinkathon results (Part One): The Lazy Lunch and shampoo bars
With businesses continuing to make plastic-reduction pledges in the face of ever-growing stakeholder pressure, edie recently hosted the world's first 'Plastics Thinkathon' to co-create scalable solutions to the issue. In this two-part feature, Sarah George reveals the potentially game-changing results.
How can sustainable businesses prosper post-Brexit?
As the Brexit deadline looms and the UK struggles to place an agreeable deal on the table, leading sustainability and energy experts have called on the nation’s business community to maintain progress towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy without support from Government.
As it happened: edie's Sustainability Leaders Forum & Awards 2019
Relive edie's biggest ever sustainability events - the Sustainability Leaders Forum and Awards - with our live blog, which captured all of the key talking points, quotes and discussions from expert speakers as they happened.
Sustainable Business Leadership in 2019: edie publishes flagship survey results
edie has this week published a comprehensive report breaking down exactly what 'business leadership' looks like from the perspective of hundreds of sustainability, CSR and energy professionals from across the country.
Sustainable Business Covered 'Vodcast': LIVE from the Sustainability Leaders Forum (Part Two)
In the second part of a special 'vodcast' edie's content editor, Matt Mace interviews delegates and speakers from day two of the Sustainability Leaders Forum (SLF), including representatives from E.ON, Siemens and the Woodland Trust to discuss what the new era of leadership will look like.
The corporate carbon changemakers: Inside BT and Tesco's science-based targets
EXCLUSIVE: Representatives from BT and Tesco have shed new light on how their respective sustainability teams were able to achieve business buy-in for setting verified science-based targets in line with a 1.5C trajectory - a feat which has only been achieved by four firms to date.
Claire Perry: Business collaboration crucial to avoid 'huge drag' of Brexit
EXCLUSIVE: Energy Minister Claire Perry has directly addressed the sustainable business community's concerns about the UK's impending departure from the EU, reaffirming the Government's commitment to collaborate effectively with corporates to deliver a green economy in a post-Brexit world.
Jonathon Porritt: Silence 'no longer an option' for business sustainability
EXCLUSIVE: With the challenge of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5C at hand, corporates wishing to become sustainability leaders must now get vocal about driving the "unprecedented" societal changes outlined in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) landmark report.
Sustainable Business Covered 'Vodcast': LIVE from the Sustainability Leaders Forum (Part One)
In a special, two-part 'vodcast' edie's content editor Matt Mace interviews delegates and speakers from day one of the Sustainability Leaders Forum (SLF), including representatives from Tesco, Interface and Global Action Plan, to discuss what the new era of leadership will look like.
Calls for review of UK's 2050 climate target rejected by Court of Appeals
An appeal to bring forward the UK's current climate commitments to align with scientific research on the necessity to limit average global warming to 1.5C has been rejected by the Court of Appeals.
Why sustainable business leadership must become the new normal post-IPCC
EXCLUSIVE: As businesses strive to bolster their sustainability commitments in the face of ever-growing climate challenges, policymakers must do more to make 1.5C targets the norm rather than the exception.
Embracing the fierce urgency of NOW: One week left until Sustainability Leaders Forum 2019
Plastic thinkathons, SDG Leadership Labs, live vodcast discussions and panel debate featuring the likes of Carlsberg, Interface and Unilever complete an all-star line-up for edie's flagship Sustainability Leaders Forum 2019 - taking place next Tuesday and Wednesday (5-6 February) in London.
Sustainability Leaders Awards 2019: Final line-up confirmed
Environmentalist and television presenter Michaela Strachan, comedian Sara Pascoe and edie's own Guest of Honour Paul Polman will all appear at the revamped Sustainability Leaders Awards in less than two weeks' time.
Thinkathons and Hackathons: How new ways of thinking could solve the plastics problem
With awareness of plastic pollution at an all-time high, the onus is now on corporates to harness young and creative minds in innovative ways to solve the issue. Could 'Hackathons' and 'Thinkathons' hold the key?
When boards approve fake profits, society picks up the tab
To tie in with his appearance at edie's Sustainability Leaders Forum, Earth on Board's Founder and CEO Philippe Joubert discusses why businesses should consider their true profits.
edie opens applications for 'Plastics Thinkathon' at Sustainability Leaders Forum
Sustainability, energy and resource efficiency professionals are being called upon to help businesses collectively solve the problem of plastics pollution by taking part in a unique 'Plastics Thinkathon' on the sidelines of edie's Sustainability Leaders Forum in London next month.
Why Unilever's employees are key for a new era of sustainability leadership
EXCLUSIVE: With environmental goals approaching a 2020 deadline and chief executive and the embodiment of sustainability leadership Paul Polman announcing his departure, Unilever’s decision to ask its 172,000 staff what sustainable business meant to them may well keep the firm in the vanguard of corporate responsibility.
9 ways to raise your company's sustainability ambitions in 2019
During a sustainability leadership webinar hosted by edie last week, representatives from Canary Wharf Group, Ball Corporation and PwC gave their advice for professionals looking to transform their approach to CSR in 2019, increasing actions as well as ambitions. Here, edie rounds up their key takeaways.
Available on demand: edie's 'Preparing to lead' sustainable business power hour webinar
Sustainability professionals seeking advice and insight on how to hit the ground running in 2019 to transform their approach to CSR and increase actions and ambitions can now watch a free edie webinar, featuring speakers from Ball Corporation, Canary Wharf Group and PwC.
How Kellogg Europe is targeting a sector-wide shift to sustainable packaging
EXCLUSIVE: As consumer and investor demand for sustainable packaging rises, companies within the global food and drink sector must co-create solutions to resource efficiency and recycling infrastructure challenges with their competitors, consumers and supply chains.
Paul Polman to step down as Unilever chief executive
Unilever's chief executive Paul Polman, who has been synonymous with corporate sustainability leadership over the last decade, will retire from the consumer goods giant at the end of 2018.
Canary Wharf Group, Ball and PwC complete speaker line up for edie's sustainability leadership webinar
Sustainability experts from manufacturing firm Ball Beverage Packaging Europe, property giant Canary Wharf Group and professional services firm PwC will appear on a free sustainability leadership webinar, taking place next week.
Interface, Unilever and Coca-Cola among business leaders calling for UK net-zero emissions target
The chief executives of major UK-based companies including Interface, Coca-Cola European Partners and Unilever have called for Prime Minister Theresa May to set legally binding targets that ensure the UK reaches net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest.
Ball and PwC to feature in edie's Sustainability Leadership 'power hour' webinar
Sustainability experts from manufacturing firm Ball Beverage Packaging Europe and professional services firm PwC are set to appear on a free edie webinar to help sustainability professionals hit the ground running in 2019.
Business transparency needed to help consumers overcome the 'plastics fear'
Coca-Cola's new European sustainability director believes that honest and transparent conversations will help businesses change consumer perceptions on the use of plastics, which in turn will catalyse a movement towards a "world without waste".
Sustainability Leaders Awards 2019: Meet the finalists
After a record-breaking year of entries, the judges have convened, decisions have been made and edie is proud to unveil the well-deserved finalists for the 2019 Sustainability Leaders Awards. This report outlines the who's who of sustainability excellence.
Green Tomato Cars becomes official transport partner of edie's Sustainability Leaders Forum and Awards
Business delegates attending the Sustainability Leaders Forum and Awards on 5 and 6 February 2019 will be able to travel to and from the event in ultra-low and zero-emission vehicles, thanks to a new transport partnership forged between edie and Green Tomato Cars.
Abundance Investment targets new shareholders to accelerate green project financing
Peer-to-peer finance platform Abundance Investment looks set to accelerate demand for environmental and social projects across the UK, by increasing its number of small shareholders 10-fold.
Embracing the fierce urgency of NOW: Sustainability Leaders Forum 2019 line-up revealed
Experts and innovators from some of the world's biggest businesses including Unilever, Carlsberg, Kellogg's and Tesco are among the star-studded line-up for edie's flagship Sustainability Leaders Forum, taking place in London next February.
LAST CHANCE to enter the Sustainability Leaders Awards 2019
Its Deadline day for the revamped Sustainability Leaders Awards, meaning that if you want your green business project, strategy or team to get the recognition it deserves, entries must be submitted by 5pm TODAY.
Sustainability Leaders Awards 2019: Entry deadline EXTENDED to Friday 21 September
Due to popular demand, the entry deadline for the revamped Sustainability Leaders Awards has been extended by one week to Friday, 21 September 2018. So, if you want your green business project, strategy or team to get the recognition it deserves, you now have an extra week left to enter.
The 'resource currency': Pushing sustainability higher up the corporate agenda
Recently, I was lucky enough to be invited to speak at the edie Sustainability Leaders Forum. Everyone I spoke to was passionate about pushing sustainability up the agenda in their respective boardrooms so for me, this was an ideal opportunity to engage with businesses which have already bought into the sustainability concept, but who feel they can make an even greater difference in the way their businesses think and operate.
Achieving a sustainable future is Mission Possible
What does the sustainable business of 2030 look like? This is the question asked to 18 sustainability business leaders in a two-day workshop as part of the edie Sustainability Leaders Forum, sponsored by Cranfield University and facilitated by Organisations that Flow; where it is a Mission Possible to achieve a sustainable future.
Sustainable Business Covered podcast: Day Two at the Sustainability Leaders Forum
Following on from yesterday's podcast covering day one of the Sustainability Leaders Forum, edie's senior reporter Matt Mace brings listeners a range of interviews from the likes of O2 and ING.
Sustainable Business Covered podcast: We're back and at the Sustainability Leaders Forum (Part One)
After a short winter break, edie's Sustainable Business Covered podcast returns to bring you a two-part episode featuring a range of interviews from speakers and delegates and the Sustainability Leaders Forum.
The sky is the limit: Five inspiring messages from the 2018 edie Sustainability Leaders Forum
After a fascinating two days of inspiration, insight and expertise, edie looks back at some of the most inspirational messages taken away from the 2018 edie Sustainability Leaders Forum.
From environmental expert to CEO: E.ON boss Michael Lewis reflects on his remarkable sustainability journey
EXCLUSIVE: Michael Lewis explains how his rise to the top at E.ON has intertwined with the company's transition from a fossil fuel-based power generator to a provider of sustainable energy solutions.
Mission Possible: 8 charts that show how business leaders are building a sustainable future
Hundreds of sustainability professionals gathered in London for edie's Sustainability Leaders Forum this week. Throughout the two-day event, delegates were asked to reflect on their thoughts on key drivers, and the results show that a sustainable future is possible.
What does the future role look like for the sustainability manager?
Sustainability leaders from AkzoNobel, Asda, Rolls Royce and Taylor Wimpey gave their thoughts on the future role of the sustainability manager during an action-packed first morning of the edie Sustainability Leaders Forum.
edie partners with the McCartneys' Meat Free Monday campaign for Sustainability Leaders Forum
edie has partnered with Meat Free Monday - the awareness-raising campaign group founded by Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney - for this week's Sustainability Leaders Forum, which is only serving meat-free meals to delegates.
Sustainability leaders: hurry up!
Still time to book for the Sustainability Leaders Forum.
VF Corporation exploring servitisation to champion circular economy
EXCLUSIVE: Global clothing giant VF Corporation is exploring rental and service-based business models to promote the circular economy to its consumers, as the company pushes ahead with a new corporate strategy that commits to science-based targets and 100% renewable electricity.
Heroes of change: How Innocent Drinks is empowering its staff to drive sustainability
EXCLUSIVE: Innocent Drinks is on a mission to build a workforce of sustainability superheroes. Here, edie explores the innovative approaches the smoothie and fruit juice manufacturer is taking to put people at the heart of its new CSR strategy.
Circular and digital transformations 'key' to enabling business growth
A growth in circular innovation and digital transformation are the "keys to a more sustainable future" that is currently being hindered by businesses that still view sustainability as an "add on" that requires additional resources and finances.
Starbucks targets a plastics circular economy to drive waste management
EXCLUSIVE: There is no "competitive leverage" to be gained by failing to work with rival brands to tackle ongoing waste issues regarding paper coffee cups and the wider use of plastics, Starbuck's vice president of corporate affairs Simon Redfern has claimed.
Moving the sustainability agenda forward: 5 key steps for business
In January, I will be sharing the stage with a number of other sustainability professionals at edie's 2018 Sustainability Leaders Forum. The event comes at a pivotal time for our business as, this month, together with The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC), we launched our first ever joint Sustainability Action Plan for Western Europe; This Is Forward.
ING’s commitment to 'Let’s Talk Water'
The vibe at Amsterdam International Water Week (AIWW) is very unique! You have this larger than life technology exhibition where engineers have "Pipe tapping competitions" (quite thrilling actually!), tons of stands with cool gadgets and solutions to be water-wise, and people of about 160 different nationalities walking around in cool national outfits, murmuring to their translators.
Ikea UK's resource-efficiency drive blossoms as revenues surge
Ikea UK has made strides to become a "truly circular retailer", with the company's annual report highlighting resource-efficiency progress and a second consecutive year of zero waste sent to landfill during a period of economic growth.
Accelerating change: Stellar line-up confirmed for edie's Sustainability Leaders Forum 2018
Senior representatives from the likes of Ikea, L'Oréal and Starbucks are among the confirmed speakers for edie's flagship Sustainability Leaders Forum, which is dedicated to accelerating the green business revolution.
Will the role of a sustainability professional ever become obsolete?
As sustainability becomes more embedded in core business operations, will the role of a sustainability professional ever become obsolete? Not in the eyes of Asda's sustainable business director Chris Brown, who believes an ever-changing CSR agenda makes the role more important than ever.
How to communicate effectively for sustainable behaviour change
Debbie Griffiths is a business writer who specialises in CSR and sustainability communications. In this 5-minute blog she shares some hints and tips on communication for behaviour change.
Sustainability Leaders Awards 2018 shortlist revealed!
After a record-breaking number of entries, the judging panel has met, the decisions have been made and edie is proud to reveal the finalists for the 2018 Sustainability Leaders Awards.
Sustainability Leaders Awards 2018: Meet the finalists
After a record-breaking number of entries, the judging panel has met, the decisions have been made and edie is proud to reveal the finalists for the 2018 Sustainability Leaders Awards.
Sustainability Leaders Awards 2018: FINAL deadline TODAY!
The extended Sustainability Leaders Awards 2018 entry deadline ends today! It means if you want your project, initiative, strategy or people to get the recognition they deserve, you have until midnight tonight to get your entries in.
