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A Chance for Change: The Tipping Point for Sustainable Business
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2. Table of Contents
1.
People
New
Generations,
New
Expectations
Sheila McLean
Corporate &
Brand Citizenship
Practice (CBC)
Director,
North America,
MSLGROUP
Global Insights
from our Millennial
Community
Nidhi Chimnani
Director, Research &
Insights, MSLGROUP
Kim Ali'itasi
McGuire
Coral Reef
Advisory Group &
Pacific Voyager
32
New Development Goals and
Climate Agreement offer
Opportunities for Business
Luis Davila
Team Leader, Momentum for Change
Initiative, UN Climate Change secretariat
3 Trends that are Shaping
the Future of Business
Sustainability
Mark Newton
Head of Environmental & Regulatory
Affairs, Samsung Electronics America
37
The Business of Development: Leveraging the UN SDGs for
Business Growth & Global Impact
Nigel Salter, CEO,
Kristina Joss, Senior Sustainability Consultant, Salterbaxter MSLGROUP
Salterbaxter MSLGROUP
20
5452
3.
Opportunities
Priorities
Change,
Values Stay
the Same
David Tulauskas
Sustainability
Director,
General Motors
Re-defining
Success in
Business
Marcello Palazzi
Co-founder, B Lab
Europe
18
I
The Perfect
Storm:
People,
Priorities,
Opportunities
Fear prompts Indian
Millennials to Hope,
& Act
Schubert Fernandes
Lead, Asia, MSLGROUP
SVP, India, and CBC
Engage Chinese
Millennials with
Meaningful Missions
Lusha Niu
China
Director, MSLGROUP
6 Millennial Change-Makers
Boyan Slat
The Ocean
Cleanup
Samantha
Bode
The Longest
Straw
Apurva
Kothari
No Nasties
Lauren Singer
Trash is for
Tossers &
Founder, The
Simply Co.
Ghidaq al-Nizar
@coffeetopia
44
48
2.
Priorities
Special:
Sustainability
in Brazil - A
Competitive
Advantage
MSLGROUP
Andreoli
40
22
28
30
58
3. 3.
Collaborate
across
boundaries
90
4.
Change
behavior
98
1.
Maximize
resources
70
2.
Create
positive
handprints
80
106
5.
Make clean energy
Michael Dickstein
Director,
Global Sustainable
Development,
HEINEKEN
John Friedman
Corporate
Responsibility
Communications
Director,
Sodexo, &
Author of
PR 2.0
Michael Kobori
Vice President
of Sustainability,
Levi Strauss
& Co.
Rosie Pidcock
Senior Business
Development
Manager,
UGE
David Tulauskas
Sustainability
Director,
General Motors
Unlocking the Forces of Business
and Consumer Demand
An interview with Sally Uren, Chief Executive, Forum for the Future
66
64
Table of Contents
II
Our Chance
for Change:
Disruptions in
Action
Five
Disruptions
in Action
Featuring
comments and
case studies from
sustainability leaders
Nidhi Chimnani,
Director Research &
Insights, MSLGROUP
Melanie Joe,
Consultant Research &
Insights, MSLGROUP
Re-negotiating the UNFCCC
Framework
Alice Maréchal, Karen Verlinden, Rémy Ruat,
On behalf of the Sciences Po student team
116
It's Time for Transformation:
Everything Needs to be Questioned
Pascal Beucler, SVP & Global Chief Strategy Officer, MSLGROUP
122
4. 45
78
Simplify, Inspire, Engage
Inspiring campaigns selected by the
Corporate & Brand Citizenship team,
MSLGROUP
Me, My World, The World
Luna Atamian,
Senior Account Executive, Corporate & Brand Citizenship,
North America, MSLGROUP
Engaging Employees around CSR
Kerri Warner
SVP, Employee Practice, North America, MSLGROUP
Humanizing Climate Change
Kristina Joss,
Senior Sustainability Consultant, Salterbaxter MSLGROUP
Michael Dickstein
Director, Global Sustainable
Development, HEINEKEN
Mark Newton
Head of Environmental and
Regulatory Affairs,
Samsung Electronics America
128
136
Expert tips on engaging core audiences
126
132
146
Table of contents
III
Humanizing
Sustainability:
Making
it Matter
5. 150
45
78
3 Tips to Achieve Real Impact with your
Human Rights Initiative
Luna Atamian
Senior Account Executive, Corporate & Brand Citizenship,
North America, MSLGROUP
The Ever-Evolving
Definition of
Human Rights
Melanie Joe
Consultant, Research & Insights,
MSLGROUP
Human Rights is at the Center of
Business Sustainability
Jim Peacock
Director, Consultancy & Communications,
Salterbaxter MSLGROUP
Building the Resilience of People and
Communities
Liping Mian
Human Rights Advocate
152
154
162
158
Table of contents
IV
A Rising
Business
Priority:
Human Rights
Data protection, a
fundamental people
right in Europe
Leonardo Sforza
Managing Director, Brussels,
MSLGROUP
168
7. There has been some progress. Early sustainability
leaders are already testing and implementing new best
practices. Some big businesses have already pivoted to
become more sustainable.
T
his December, the world's eyes will be on Paris as United Nations
delegates, government officials, business leaders and concerned
global citizens come together to tackle climate change and global
warming at the UN's COP21 climate conference.
The ambition to drive change is unprecedented. Hundreds of thousands of
people, experts and leaders have voiced their concern and determination
to find and implement meaningful solutions.
Governments are beginning to come around and make significant
commitments to change. We are seeing headlines about plastic roads, a
solar revolution, sports shoes made of recycled ocean waste, clothes that
are being 'grown' and biofuel for jets. It is increasingly clear – no matter
what deal is agreed upon in Paris, the global movement for sustainable
development can't be stopped. There is much to do, and many businesses
and people who are committed to finding a new way of living and taking
action.
In A Chance for Change: The Tipping Point for Sustainable Business,
we feature the voices of inspiring millennials, sustainability leaders and
industry experts, and highlight the diverse initiatives already in play.
As science fiction writer William Gibson wisely wrote: the future is here,
it's just not evenly distributed.
We hope this report reassures you that change is coming, and inspires you
to be a part of the journey. If you are looking for a partner in developing your
sustainability story, start a conversation with us today.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our contributors for their
valuable input to this report.
Click on the Twitter icons throughout this report to tweet the quotes that are highlighted.
Guillaume Herbette
CEO
MSLGROUP
Foreword 7
8. Sustainability
Meeting the needs of
the present without
compromising the ability
of future generations to
meet their own needs
- United Nations
People
Planet
Profit
9. Sustainable Citizenship:
A corporate citizenship that is solidly
grounded in a consistent and
coherent sustainable business
strategy, and backed by evidence.
9
10. The Road To
& Through Paris
Join an unstoppable movement: A collective
commitment to tackling climate change
The COP21 conference, coming up in Paris this December, will be
the focal point for the world's leaders and leading companies as the
United Nations’ Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon seeks a binding
commitment to tackle global climate change.
The conference is being billed as the most significant attempt to
organize a response to the risks presented by severe climate
change and its impact on the world's economy and populations.
Last year's UN Climate Summit in New York generated huge
interest, massive demonstrations and some striking commitments
from corporations and corporate leaders. It was merely a warm-up
ahead of COP20 in Peru in 2014 and the bigger focal point, COP21
in Paris in a few weeks from now.
Introduction:
Pascal Beucler
SVP & Global Chief Strategy Officer, MSLGROUP
@pbeucler
11. Paris prepares for COP21
As part of renovations to the
Eiffel Tower, UGE was called
in to install two wind turbines
on the second floor of the
iconic monument. The
turbines will produce
10,000kWh of electricity a
year, enough to cover the
energy needs of activity on
the Eiffel Tower's first floor.
The issue of climate change and the conference in Paris will be extremely high profile until the end of
2015. It will be relevant to major corporations, governments, NGOs, industry groups and global bodies.
Businesses, their audiences and all their stakeholders will have to respond to the debates during the
event and then develop initiatives following the outcomes of COP21.
As we get closer to the summit, we are already witnessing a growing interest - and concern - around
the climate issue. It is more than just a technical debate between climate experts. It also goes beyond
the climate change denial controversy.
Image Credit: UGE
Introduction : The Road To & Through Paris 11
12. We are seeing a broad and diverse range of
stakeholders raising their voice
from leaders who are acknowledging climate change to ordinary citizens who are concerned about their
personal and collective future on this planet. They are taking action, or showing the willingness to do so.
It is too early to know how successful the negotiations at COP21 will be. But what is sure is that a
worldwide opinion movement is growing around the climate issue, and that nobody can stop it.
MILLENNIALS
Millennials are frustrated and worried,
see what they are saying at our
platform bethechance.com, and on
page 22. GOVERNMENTS
Government officials in various countries - and not
just the usual suspects like Al Gore or Ministers of
Ecology - are speaking out. Earlier this year, Saudi
Arabia's oil minister Ali Al-Naimi spoke of his
country's investment in solar energy as they
prepare for a near future where fossil fuels are no
longer needed.
RELIGIOUS LEADERS
Pope Francis expressed a very high-level moral
statement on our historical responsibility - and
particularly that of businesses and financial
institutions in his recent encyclical on the environment
and climate change. Leaders of other faiths, such as the
Dalai Lama and Muslim leaders across the globe, are
speaking out as well.
Concerned citizens are making
lifestyle changes to reduce their
own impact on our global
footprint (My Zero Waste).
CITIZENS
BUSINESSES
Business leaders are passionate about driving
change. Earlier this year, 43 “Climate CEOs”
representing companies with operations in 150
countries wrote an open letter voicing their
support to transition into a low-carbon, climate-
resilient economy. This coalition was facilitated by the
World Economic Forum, and includes big
multinationals across FMCG, finance, insurance,
construction and electronics industries.
CELEBRITIES
Pop cultural icons are
leveraging their fame for
change. From Hollywood
actor Leonardo DiCaprio
who was named the UN
Messenger of Peace for
Climate Change last year, to
musician Pharrell Williams
who joined Bionic Yarns - a
company that transforms
plastic waste into fabric.
Spoken word artist
Prince EA has risen to
fame because of his voice
on today's issues - his video
“Dear Future Generations:
Sorry” has amassed over
one million views.
Image Source: youtube.com/watch?v=eRLJscAlk1M
ImageSource:giulionapolitano/Shutterstock.com
ImageSource:360b/Shutterstock.com
ImageSource:twitter.com/PaulPolman
13. Towards new business
models: A growing
intricacy between
business and climate
Beyond this, a key driver is our conscience
- our ambition to build a better world for
our children and to leave behind a
strong positive legacy.
What's at stake for business? Their ability to
exist in the future. To safeguard communities
and supply of natural resources. To protect
investments. To attract and retain (and satisfy)
talent. To meet the needs and expectations of
customers and investors, who are looking for
businesses to adapt to digital disruptions and
prepare for physical disruptions. A changing
climate is everyone's problem - that is one of
the realities of living in such a globalized,
complex world.
As Barack Obama reminds us, we have
but one planet - earth.
Introduction : The Road To & Through Paris 13
14. As the road to the COP21 becomes
busier, these words of Unilever chief
Paul Polman in Business, society and
the future of capitalism (McKinsey)
have a particular resonance:
In the coming 15 years, we need to align on the new
Millennium Development Goals. We have a unique
opportunity to create a world that can eradicate poverty
in a more sustainable and equitable way. That is very
motivational. Business needs to be part of it. Corporate
social responsibility and philanthropy are very
important, and I certainly don't want to belittle them.
But if you want to exist as a company in the future,
you have to go beyond that. You actually have to
make a positive contribution. Business needs to
step up to the plate.
Although some people might not like business or fail
to understand that it needs to make a profit, they do
understand that it has to play a key role in driving
solutions. In the next ten years, I think you are going
to see many more initiatives undertaken by groups of
businesses to protect their long-term interests and the
long-term interests of society. Governments will join
these initiatives if they see business committed. It is,
however, becoming more difficult for governments to
initiate such projects in the current political
environment as long as we don't adjust our outdated
governance model.
15. Business sustainability: From
convenience to compliance,
now to performance
There is no doubt that sustainability is no longer a compliance - or “just” a
corporate social responsibility - issue. It is now definitely a core business
concern that is fundamental to long-term objectives, long-lasting
performance and creation of beneficial shared value.
Like Coca-Cola Enterprises puts it: “those that seamlessly incorporate
sustainability within their overall strategy not only benefit from improved
cost margins and an enhanced corporate image, but also make valuable
contributions to critical global concerns such as youth unemployment and
resource scarcity.”
At MSLGROUP, we are deeply convinced that there's no better
reputation shield than what actually insulates the organization from
future risks, and fosters robust relationships with customers,
employees and communities. Nothing is more important today than to
collaboratively address, as the Financial Times and Coca-Cola Enterprises
highlighted it, the sustainability challenges, strategies, trends and
perspectives that are shaping all business models: “ensuring that the
next-generation is workplace-ready, tackling resource wastage and climate
change, and enabling leaders to engage with society and prepare their
organizations for future threats and opportunities.”
This calls for new and innovative ways to combine profit and purpose; to
redefine the role of business in society; and to better identify and analyze
what younger generations believe, value and bring to the table. Connecting
purpose, participation and profit is what creates the conditions for what we
tend to call Sustainable Citizenship: a corporate citizenship that is solidly
grounded in a consistent and coherent sustainable business strategy, and
backed by evidence.
Introduction : The Road To & Through Paris 15
16. These elements are what make up a company's
reputation in today's liquid age:
MSLGROUP's approach to the Reputation Complex
Purpose
what you stand for as a company
Citizenship
the way you help solve pressing social issues
Employer Value Proposition
what makes you an employer of choice
Social Openness
your ability to listen and share
17. of their business strategy: (1) a corporate purpose that is grounded in
sustainability and (2) a relevant citizenship approach.
Businesses that are able to really understand millennials' mindsets and their
views, concerns and priorities especially around sustainability and the climate,
will be better able to engage millennials and make them part of their
sustainability story.
Read early insights from our online millennial
community, bethechance.com, at Page 22.
Follow @BetheChance on Twitter for fresh insights
Join us at A Chance for Change, our event in Paris this December to understand where
millennials and business overlap on the topic of climate change.
U.S. millennials alone are
projected to spend $1.4
trillion annually by 2020
(Accenture)
If you're not where Millennials are,
you're nowhere
In many ways, the future of Sustainable Citizenship is now in the hands of two
unexpected partners: businesses and millennials, the most influential
generation the world has ever seen.
Why millennials?
There are nearly 2 billion millennials globally. They will make up the majority of
the global workforce in a few years. Their cumulative spending power is large
and they believe business should be measured by more than just profit
(Deloitte). This surprising couple of business and millennials could very well
change the game as long as major companies put two things at the heart
Introduction : The Road To & Through Paris 17
19. Millennials are driving
the demand for change.
They are upset about
the lack of climate
action, and have big
expectations of business,
and of themselves.
Section I : The Perfect Storm: People, Priorities, Opportunities 19
20. New Generations,
New Expectations
The question is no longer whether a business
should behave in a sustainable manner
Sheila McLean
Corporate & Brand Citizenship
Practice (CBC) Director,
North America, MSLGROUP
Of course, few businesses have ever claimed to act against the interests of
society. But for too long, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been
based largely on the assumption that the business case always aligns with
the societal case as long as enough philanthropy is dispensed.
New generations and new expectations have moved us significantly beyond
this idea. Stakeholders now expect all businesses to take responsibility for
all their impacts and to prevent human rights harms.
In 2014, MSLGROUP surveyed 8,000 millennials in 17 countries on the
topic of sustainability and citizenship. Millennials' views differ starkly from
those of preceding generations. Millennials feel that government can't solve
societal issues by themselves, and are counting on business to be the
solution and to be actively involved.
So the question is no
longer whether a business should behave in a socially responsible
and sustainable manner, but rather: How?
SECTION I : PEOPLE
21. Millennials are a driving force for
business sustainability
Leading businesses know that they are a critical part of the solution. These leaders
go well beyond philanthropy and drive their organizations to make money in more
sustainable and socially responsible ways. Business have to move away from the
short-term focus on shareholders alone to a model of sustainable citizenship that
focuses on all stakeholders. Governments also must act, providing sticks and
carrots to business. Sustainable business practices must be enterprise-wide
endeavors, steeped in purpose.
No matter what words are used, concerns about climate change are real and here to
stay. Just ask the millennials whose buying and voting power will only grow.
Business and government leaders who ignore sustainability do so at their own risk.
There is an urgent need
to move from talk to action.
Millennials - the largest, most diverse and influential generation to date -
are game changers in their expectations of business, with distinct ideas on
how companies should behave. The overwhelming majority believe that
corporations should tackle issues such as the economy, health and
environment. Millennials look to businesses not only to lead, but also to
actively engage them in the process. This opens ups huge opportunities for
businesses worldwide to re-set in the face of declining stakeholder trust.
However, a key point in the study is the degree to which millennials expect
business to be active in addressing sustainability issues. Just complying
with the law and PR will simply not wash. Millennials expect serious and
effective performance in these areas. This can in part be explained by the
recent economic crisis across the globe, which has led to a serious lack of
faith in business and an increased expectation that business needs to work
differently and deliver different outcomes. Link this to the transparency
being driven by social media, and businesses that don’t act will not
succeed.
Section I : People | New Generations, New Expectations 21
22. Global insights from our millennial community
Nidhi Chimnani
Director - Research & Insights,
MSLGROUP, and a Millennial
In the lead up to COP21, we asked our global
community of millennials at BetheChance.com
how they feel about climate change. Over 250
millennials (18-30 year olds) from Canada, China,
Denmark, India, Poland, United States, United
Kingdom and beyond shared a remarkably similar
voice: they are deeply concerned about the
climate, disappointed in our collective past
behavior and desperate for change.
Their responses echoed the findings from
MSLGROUP's 2014 survey of 8,000 millennials
across 17 countries: Millennials hold
businesses responsible for
implementing solutions.
@nidhichimnani
Millennials are worried,
frustrated, and want
climate action, now!
SECTION I : PEOPLE
23. Millennials want brands to partner with…
Governments
169
Better Suppliers
129
Organizations
(like the United Nations)
125
People like Me
Charities
Religious
Organizations
86
22
73
Over the last few weeks, millennials shared that they demand BIG
actions from business – they want to hear more about greener and
cleaner products and want businesses to take a greener approach in their
operations, innovations, packaging and investments.
Most of all, millennials want businesses to partner with governments to
address climate change. With regional and global media shining the
spotlight on individual countries’ climate change commitments and world
leaders’ stance on this issue, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that
millennials want to see collaboration amongst these two important
stakeholders of business and government.
Globally, governments emerged as the “most responsible” for
implementing solutions to climate change. This sentiment was especially
true amongst millennials in the west - Canada, United States, Denmark
and United Kingdom, and in China, indicating a possible fatigue at all the
hype and lack of action. Millennials from India and Poland said that the
change starts with them, followed by governments, people in general,
businesses and non-profits.
As one young Polish millennial put it - it's not just big businesses
that have an impact, every single person does.
(Data based on 239 responses)
Survey Question:
How do you want your favorite
brands to address climate change?
Section I : People | Millennials are worried, frustrated, and want climate action, now! 23
24. Millennials are AFRAID: they are
worried, nervous and uncertain
about the future.
Climate-anxiety appears to be
very real among this group, with several
millennials sharing that they feel panic,
nervousness and angst when they think
about the climate. On the other end of the
spectrum, several millennials expressed
confusion and uncertainty.
When it comes to climate change, there are broadly 5 types of
millennials. Here’s how businesses can engage with them.
When we asked our community of millennials what emotion they feel when thinking of climate change, they shared a diverse
range of answers. Across the seventy-five shades of emotion they shared, five clear themes (and takeaways) emerged.
Millennials feel FRUSTRATED:
they are angry and annoyed at
perceived inaction.
Their frustration stems from a perceived
lack of action – especially in countries
where solutions are within reach. As Sara,
24, from Denmark remarks: “It's so easy to
do something - so why on earth do
politicians and companies have
to make it so hard?”
Millennials feel RESPONSIBLE:
they are sad and disappointed,
but also ashamed and guilty.
They feel responsible for the current state
of our planet. In fact, half of the
millennials we heard from believe that
change starts with them personally and
they seem ready to act with their wallets.
1 2 3
Take-away for businesses:
Simplify communications
around this complex issue, and
engage millennials around the
potential to make a positive
change, together.
Take-away for businesses:
There’s an appetite for more
information on climate action.
Now is clearly a good time to
start talking about your initiatives
and contributions to solutions.
Take-away for businesses:
Millennials are thinking more and
more about the implications of
their everyday habits. They want
to hear about businesses’ greener
and cleaner products and they
want business to innovate and
change the way they operate to
deliver on this.
25. Take-away for business:
Demonstrate the value that
millennials can deliver, as
customers and as employees,
as individuals and as a whole.
Millennials feel POWERLESS:
in the larger scheme
of things.
While they are ready to be the
chance for change, several
millennials have admitted that they
feel helpless, defeated, resigned and
paralyzed - the impacts of climate
change seem “unstoppable.” It’s no
wonder they have high expectations
of businesses and governments.
Millennials also feel
HOPEFUL.
They believe this is our greatest
opportunity for “innovation,
collaboration and the establishment
of a real global community,” in the
words of one millennial from
Denmark.
Others view it as a last resort. As a
millennial from Malaysia said, “We
cannot live happily when seeing our
own house are being burnt (sic)…
I do not want to feel sick anymore.”
4 5
Take-away for business:
Involve young adults as your
citizen partners, make them a
part of your journey, and provide
ways for them to make a
meaningful difference.
For more insights from MSLGROUP's #BetheChance community, follow
@BetheChance on Twitter, where we will be sharing the voice of
millennials in the run up to and during COP21.
[I’m] shocked that the things most of
us don't even think about can have
such a huge impact half way
round the world!
- Elena, 19, UK
Section I : People | Millennials are worried, frustrated, and want climate action, now! 25
26. The Asia View:
How Millennials
feel about Climate
Change in China
and India
SECTION I : PEOPLE
27. In China and India, 90 young adults, aged 18-30, shared their views. Like their global peers, they are WORRIED,
ANXIOUS and SAD about climate change. This is not surprising, considering that millennials in both these countries
have recently witnessed economic growth driven by aggressive industrial activity.
Millennials in both China and India have seen first hand the impact of human activity on their local environments -
both countries are home to some of the most polluted cities in the world. Chinese and Indian millennials say they
want businesses to deliver cleaner and greener products, and to partner with governments to drive real change.
Both believe that government and business play a key role in addressing climate change. But they are different in
one key way: far more Indian millennials believe that the change starts with them personally.
We asked Schubert Fernandes, our Asia lead for the Corporate and Brand Citizenship (CBC), and Lusha Niu
our China lead for CBC, to shed more light on these insights.
In October 2015, MSLGROUP asked millennials
three questions around climate change:
How does climate change
make you feel?
Who is responsible for
implementing solutions?
How do you want your favorite
brands to address climate change?
Section I : People | Millennials are worried, frustrated, and want climate action, now! 27
28. Schubert Fernandes
Senior Vice President, India,
and, Asia Lead, Corporate &
Brand Citizenship,
MSLGROUP
Climate Change:
Fear prompts Indian
Millennials to Hope,
and Act
A couple of years ago a discussion about climate change in India
would give you a generic approval endorsing the need for
environmental conservation and protection. But today, the same
conversation ignites fear and anxiety in the minds of young India.
This sentiment in many ways assumes the same amount of
seriousness as other matters that keep millennials busy like
education, career, lifestyle or love.
India is currently grappling with yet another drought situation, its
worst since 2009. Erratic monsoons certainly top the list of related
worries, given its effect on the $370 billion agriculture sector, 60% of
which is dependent on rainfall. Global warming is taking its toll right
across and however much is being done in carbon control or clean
energy, it doesn't seem to be enough given the aggressive pace of
growth that all economies are driving.
SECTION I : PEOPLE
29. In this context, Indian millennials are scared. They are worried and
sad by the current state of the planet. They sense there is an urgent
need to act and they have started to act. With the help of social media,
campaigns to drive change or oppose environmental degradation have
seen success.
Pivotal bodies like the government and corporates are also keeping pace.
It’s difficult to ignore the surging urge of the country’s young, now a little
over 30%, to effect change. The Government of India recently submitted to
the UN a detailed climate change plan known as the Intended Nationally
Determined Contribution (INDC). Four Indian corporates, ITC Ltd., Tata
Steel, Tech Mahindra and Wipro Ltd., scored a maximum 100 Carbon
Disclosure Project score to top the Climate Disclosure Leadership Index
(CLDI) for the quality of climate change related information they have
disclosed to investors.
With the cry for support unanimous and emotions ranging from anger to
frustration to guilt and responsibility, millennials in India have shown
interest in getting involved in business and sustainability initiatives.
Businesses are responding by involving young minds in planning and
programs, and by funding innovative projects or just simply encouraging
ideas and actions through high profile engagement initiatives and contests.
We are hoping that the UN will make a powerful point in this direction at the
COP21 summit. In the coming months and years, Indian businesses will
have a huge opportunity to engage with concerned millennials and
involved them as active agents of change, to make the difference that is
so desperately needed.
In the coming months and years,
Indian businesses will have a
huge opportunity to engage with
concerned millennials and
involved them as active agents of
change, to make the difference
that is so desperately needed.
Section I : People | Millennials are worried, frustrated, and want climate action, now! 29
30. Engage Chinese
Millennials with
Meaningful Missions
Lusha Niu
Director,
MSLGROUP China
If there is only one thing that the rest of the world needs to know
about Chinese millennials on climate change is that they are living
through it every day for the first time. None of the parents or the great
parents of this generation of Chinese millennials had breathed the air and
walked through the smog with a clear conscious of it being the pollution up
till now. Let's not forget it was only a few years ago that the government
was in denial of the pollution index published by others. a
What's so great about Chinese millennials is the fact that they are holding
themselves responsible to make the change happen. They largely consider
businesses and the government as the key drivers to take them down a
greener path. A key behavior change we have observed among Chinese
millennials is they no longer taking consumption of eco-friendly products as
a cool and trendy act to follow but they are doing it with a clear conscious of
contributing, little by little, to bring back that blue sky we once lived under.
SECTION I : PEOPLE
31. Chinese companies and some of the very prominent Chinese
entrepreneurs also enacted varied degree of emission controls
voluntarily on their own operations, an act viewed highly by Chinese
youth when they think of a potential employer or a maker of products
destined for them.
1
After all, Chinese millennials equals 415 million customers today and 35%
2
of country's total consumption by year 2020 . It also translates into USD 3
trillion aggregate income growth over the next 10 years. For marketers,
95% of female Chinese millennials owns smartphone devices and 49% of
3
them consume advertisement on their phones .
The secret to success in today's China is for businesses to actively engage
with Chinese millennials on meaningful missions - climate change being
one of the obvious choices. The engagement also needs to be creative and
attractive at the same time in order for it to work well and mark substantial
impact. Urban Chinese millennials are also the generation of one child
policy so they have disposable income of between USD 1,500 to 3,800 per
4
day on a single vacation trip overseas .
So a meaningful and tasteful engagement would go a long way for the
initiators in terms of both impact and influence.
Source:
1 Goldman Sachs research and MSL analysis. | 2 AC Nielson market research and MSL analysis. | 3 emarketer statistics and MSL analysis. | 4 Forbes travel research and MSL analysis.
Section I : People | Millennials are worried, frustrated, and want climate action, now! 31
33. “For thousands of years we have
grown our crops and have enjoyed
the abundance of resources from
our coral reefs. However, in the
past decade we have seen the
rapid decline of our reefs and
crops due to high temperatures
and rising sea levels. We need the
rest of the world to see what we
see, to understand the impacts
that we feel.
My love for my Samoan ancestry
and my Pacific island community
was my motivation to become a
There is no more
time for denial. We need this
time to come up with solutions.
We need to find ways to become
resilient.
The consequences of
climate change are evident
when you live on an island
in the South Pacific. Rising
sea levels are taking our
land and threatening our
way of life.
Kim protects coral reefs in her native
American Samoa, and has sailed across the
Pacific Ocean twice on a traditional
Polynesian va'a (boat) to raise awareness
around climate change. A first hand witness
of the dangers of climate change, Kim
believes the time to act is now.
Image Credit: Natalia Tsoukala
Pacific Voyager. My most recent
voyage was to the 2014 IUCN
World Parks Congress in Sydney.
The leaders of Kiribati, Palau, and
Cook Islands were on board with
us. Now we need the rest of
the world's leaders on board
with us.
I voyage and speak out because
I care about what we are leaving
for our future generations.
I want them to know that I tried
my best to preserve our
paradise for them.”
The Pacific Voyagers journey to
Sydney in 2014
Kim Ali'itasi
Mcguire
Coral Reef Advisory Group &
Pacific Voyager, American Samoa
Coral Reef Technician,
Section I : People | Six Millennial Change-Makers on Sustainability 33
35. I personally cannot
keep turning on my tap,
without knowing where
the water is coming from,
because one day, if that
runs dry, then I'm…
I'm dead.
Samantha Bode
The Longest Straw,
Los Angeles, United States
Director of feature film
In 2014, Samantha successfully
completed the 64 Day, 400 Mile
backpacking journey. By depicting
the epic journey that the city's
water must travel, she and her
crew hope to bring home the
importance of water conservation,
appreciation, and development of
local water sources for the city of
Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Aqueduct, one of
three major water sources in LA,
began operation in November of
1913. Originally, it stretched from
Owens Lake to LA, but as the
City of Angels has grown, greatly
expanding local water needs,
the aqueduct has been twice
extended, now stretching 338
miles and ending north of San
Francisco and east of Yosemite
National Park.
@TheLongestStraw
Nearly two years ago, Samantha and
her producer Angela Jorgensen
developed a deceptively simple
concept: Bode would backpack the full
length of the LA Aqueduct to help the
people of Southern California draw a
connection between the water that
comes out of their taps and the source
of that water, hundreds of miles away.
Trailer: The Longest Straw
Section I : People | Six Millennial Change-Makers on Sustainability 35
36. Anyone truly aware of what
is going on with our cotton
farmers would not continue
to ignore this crisis. If you
had a viable alternative, you
would choose it. No Nasties
hopes to be that alternative
with our 100% organic &
100% fair-trade clothing."
Image Credit: No Nasties
While in the U.S., he had read a lot
about the agrarian crisis faced by
Indian cotton farmers and the high
number of farmer suicides in India.
When Apurva returned to India, he
decided it was time to change
career paths and started No
Nasties.
Apurva structured No Nasties
around a mission to help the cotton
farming community. Every product
from No Nasties is 100% organic
In his research, he found there
had been over 300,000 farmer
suicides in the last 15 years -
that's more than one every 30
minutes!
Apurva was in the United States for over 10
years working in Technology in New York. In
2011, he decided to move back to India and
wanted to get involved with organic
clothing.
@nonasties
Apurva Kothari
Mumbai, India
Founder, No Nasties,
and 100% fair-trade. Organic
reduces the input costs for
farmers, while fair trade increases
revenue. No Nasties pays a
fair-trade premium that is used by
the farmers for community
development projects. This
approach helps not just the
individual farmer, but the
entire village.
See the No Nasties
clothing range
37. “Going Zero Waste has been the
absolute the best way to align my
values (hope for a more balanced
environment) with my day to day
lifestyle (not producing any trash
and living sustainably).
I was getting a lot of emails from my
blog readers asking for places that
they could buy products that were
like the ones I was making since
they didn't have time to make them.
I started looking in stores and
realized that while there were beauty
A big part of living a Zero Waste
lifestyle for me has been making
all of my own products from
scratch, everything from
toothpaste to cleaning products.
I have always cared deeply
for the environment.
I studied environmental
science and was always
talking about how we should
do this and that. But I wasn't
actually doing anything to
live that way. So I decided to
make a change and go
Zero Waste.
Lauren Singer
Blogger, Trash is for Tossers and
Founder, The Simply Co.,
New York City, United States
Image Credit: The Simply Co.
product options out there, the same
did not go for cleaning products.
In fact, there is very little regulation in
the cleaning product industry and
what you think you are buying might
not always be what you get.
This upset me. We, as consumers,
have a right to safe, transparent, and
effective cleaning products and it got
me thinking - I had an opportunity to
make these products for others. So I
quit my government job as a
sustainability manager and my
company, The Simply Co., was born.
”
Since launching my company,
I have gained a platform and
ability to share how I live with a
larger audience than I ever
thought possible.
Lauren's Tedx Talk: How I live a
zero waste life
Lauren shares her experience going Zero
Waste on her blog and through speaking
engagements. Inspired by the positive
support she has received from her readers
and viewers, she quit her job and started
her own company, The Simply Co.
@Trashis4Tossers
Section I : People | Six Millennial Change-Makers on Sustainability 37
38. "We live in an era where waste is
one of the biggest human problem.
I use coffee waste - that is coffee
grinds - to make my paintings, it’s
all created from remnant coffee.
The second big issue that we face
is deforestation so I do not use
paper but plates as canvas
because I am aware of how paper
contributes to deforestation.
Zero waste coffee is a way to
express my concern for
environmental sustainability.
For two years, I have been
running my own little green
campaign. I create drawings
and photography using coffee
grinds! I chose #zerowaste
coffee because it's all about
using and re-using the
coffee waste, to make it
more valuable.”
Image Credit: @coffeetopia
Ghidaq al-Nizar
of #zerowastecoffee,
Indonesia
Artist @coffeetopia and founder
I am very grateful because thanks
to my work, I was chosen as one
of the ambassadors of my
country's national organization to
campaign for the conservation of
the Sumatran tiger.
My art is an example that anyone
can show kindness to nature, for
anything. I believe that art should
be used not to escape from reality
but to recreate the reality itself, a
better reality!"
View Ghidaq's
#zerowastecoffee collection on
Instagram and Facebook
Ghidaq's love for coffee and the
planet inspired his #zerowastecoffee
collection of art.
39. The Plastic Bank incentivizes people in disadvantaged communities to
collect plastic and swap it for goods - like access to solar-powered mobile
phone charging stations, and soon, access to 3D printers. The Plastic Bank
then recycles the collected plastic and sells it to brands as “Social Plastic.”
The real opportunity is the continued
demand from consumer. It's the millennials
that are showing there is a market.
The more they demand, the more the
business changes. Right now, the market is
demanding sustainability. We make it easy.
David Katz
Founder and CEO at The Plastic Bank
Watch the story of Social Plastic by The Plastic Bank
@DavidKatzEO
Section I : People | Expert Tip 39
40. Luis Davila
Team Leader, Momentum for
Change Initiative, United Nations
Climate Change secretariat
@davilalu
New Development Goals and Climate Agreement offer
Opportunity for
Business
The new Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and
the Paris Climate Conference
(COP 21) in December 2015 will
drive the world's development
agenda for decades to come.
Businesses will undoubtedly play
an essential role in implementing
these goals and agreements,
especially as it relates to
partnerships, innovation
and investment.
SECTION I : PRIORITIES
41. The new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
and the Paris Climate Conference (COP 21) in
December 2015 will drive the world's development
agenda for decades to come.
Luis Davila, UNFCCC
Image credit:
Delpixel / Shutterstock.com
Section I : Priorities | Opportunity for Business 41
42. This year marks a defining moment in the global quest for a
sustainable future for 7 billion people, rising to over 9 billion by
2050. The SDGs and the Paris climate change agreement
offer no quick fixes, but businesses can and must play an
important role in helping them succeed.
The Lima-Paris Action Agenda aims to accelerate climate actions -
both pre 2020 and afterwards - among governments,
organizations, concerned citizens and businesses.Investors are becoming increasingly aware that climate
change will affect returns on investment by potentially
stranding assets or affecting companies that have not
made their supply chains resilient to climate impacts. This
means that businesses are facing tremendous challenges, but at the
same time have a unique opportunity for internal transformation. Not
just of operational issues, but of their long-term corporate strategy to
match the challenge of implementing the SDGs and addressing the
effects of climate change.
Investment
If the international community is going to have any chance
at meeting the SDGs or implementing a new universal
climate agreement, it will need tap into the ability of
entrepreneurs - and the business community at large - to
be creative, disruptive and innovative. Large-scale
transformation will be necessary to get closer to a highly resilient,
low-carbon economy that promotes growth and prosperity for all.
Luckily, the world has never had better know-how and solutions to
avert crisis and create opportunities for a better life for people all over
the world. From renewables to organic agriculture, solutions span
every sector of the global economy.
Innovation
Public-private sector alliances will be key to achieve the new
SDGs and to dramatically scale up climate solutions.
Whether it is constructing resilient infrastructure for the 21st
century that can withstand the effects of climate change, or
expanding health services to millions of underserved communities
globally, businesses will be called upon to help accelerate poverty
reduction and build a more sustainable world. This provides a unique
opportunity for businesses to expand services and tap into new
markets, but perhaps more importantly it provides a roadmap for
achieving shared value for businesses and served communities.
Partnerships
43. The 17 new Sustainable Development Goals, also
known as The Global Goals, set the agenda for
global leaders and businesses through 2030.
2 ZERO
HUNGER1 NO
POVERTY 3 GOODHEALTH
ANDWELL-BEING 4 QUALITY
EDUCATION 5 GENDER
EQUALITY 6 CLEANWATER
ANDSANITATION
7 AFFORDABLEAND
CLEANENERGY 8 DECENTWORKAND
ECONOMICGROWTH 9 INDUSTRY,INNOVATION
ANDINFRASTRUCTURE 10 REDUCED
INEQUALITIES 11 SUSTAINABLECITIES
ANDCOMMUNITIES 12 RESPONSIBLE
CONSUMPTION
ANDPRODUCTION
13 14 15 16 PEACEANDJUSTICE
STRONG INSTITUTIONS 17 PARTNERSHIPS
FORTHEGOALS
CLIMATEACTION LIFEBELOW
WATER
LIFE
ON LAND
Image Credit: globalgoals.org
Section I : Priorities | Opportunity for Business 43
44. The Business of
Development
Leveraging the UN Sustainable Development Goals
for Business Growth and Global Impact
Nigel Salter
CEO, Salterbaxter MSLGROUP
@nigelsalter2
@kjoss_
Kristina Joss
Senior Sustainability Consultant
Salterbaxter MSLGROUP
A more diverse set of goals: A larger
role for business
Starting January 2016, the UN Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) will replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
in dictating the global development agenda through 2030. The 17
SDGs reach across six broad categories of cooperation, dignity,
justice, people, planet and prosperity, and include targets and
indicators that are global, inclusive and scientifically grounded.
While not legally binding or mandatory, the SDGs will
undoubtedly inform investment plans and international
jurisdictions, set national development budgets and drive
sustainability activity. Perhaps the biggest difference between
the two is the role of the private sector.
SECTION I : PRIORITIES
45. For businesses specifically, it is not only about maximizing
material contribution, but also maximizing value for all their
stakeholders.
The UN has been clear that unlike the MDGs, the SDGs will
require the full engagement and participation of businesses to
make achieving these goals possible. For the last 15 years,
businesses have shown their value in tackling global
challenges through robust sustainability strategies and
community investment programs. From investment in major
infrastructure; protection of human rights and the planet's
ecosystem; improving opportunity, justice and prosperity; and
engaging and educating consumers - business is being seen
as a collaborative partner in building a better world.
This creates an enormous opportunity for businesses to
engage as a strong and positive influence on society and
champion of our planet's stability.
While the MDGs were largely directed at governments, and
thus often brushed off by the business community, the
SDGs are deliberately designed for business and civil
society to bear responsibility for together.
It's important to acknowledge that not everyone thinks the
SDGs are a great new step forward. There remains a
substantial body of opinion suggesting the goals are unlikely to
deliver. Politicians and CEOs alike have criticized the SDGs for
being too lengthy, too complex and downright unrealistic. With
17 goals, 169 targets and more than 300 provisional indicators
it's an understandable criticism to make.
Yet despite the opposition, the SDGs are intended to provide
the widest range of opportunities for governments, businesses,
NGOs and institutions to focus on areas where they can
collaboratively make a positive difference.
From investment in major infrastructure;
protection of human rights and the planet's
ecosystem; improving opportunity, justice and
prosperity; and engaging and educating
consumers - business is being seen as a
collaborative partner in building a better world.
Section I : Priorities | The Business of Development: Leveraging the UN SDGs for Business Growth and Global Impact 45
46. Fortune favors the brave: 5 key insights for taking action
The SDGs could prove to be a guidepost for companies that have strong ambitions and
visions for their business and the value it creates for society. When ascertaining the SDG
opportunity, businesses can focus on five key insights for taking action:
1 2
Sync the strategy
The SDGs arrive at a crucial point in
the sustainability agenda, with many
businesses looking to review their
strategies and 2020 goals. Identifying
opportunities to link existing and new
sustainability strategies to the global
challenges outlined in the SDGs will
enhance a business' ability to reach
sustainable growth.
3
Look across the
value chain
Multinational companies will want to
understand whether their company
operations across different
geographies impede or align to
each country's strategic initiatives
for the SDGs.
4 5
The SDGs arrive at a pinnacle
moment for the sustainability
agenda, with the mobilization of
citizens at the 2014 Climate Week
rally in New York City, a landmark
case on climate change in the Dutch
courts, and the cooperation of
international governments leading
up to COP21.
As a result, the business community
faces a unique opportunity to
explore - in collaboration with the
rest of the global community - the
potential for a problem solving
agenda to the world's biggest
challenges. To learn more about the
business opportunity and to get in
touch with Salterbaxter MSLGROUP,
visit http://sdg.salterbaxter.com/
Collaborate to innovate
Big impacts will require multiple layers to deliver. The SDGs will be a catalyst
for innovative cross-sector, cross-issue and cross-geography collaborations
that leverage respective strengths, assets and expertise all aimed to scale.
Businesses should seek partnerships that are built on need and focus on
innovative approaches to the indicators, as they will be the most impactful.
Communicate more
meaningfully
Communicating sustainability remains
a tremendous challenge for even the
most advanced companies and today’s
consumers are demanding business
play an active role in addressing social
and environmental challenges. The
arrival of the SDGs will only intensify
the need to communicate better to an
increasingly educated consumer base
and will provide the language to do so.
Report with purpose
With GRI and the UN Global Compact
& WBCSD's implementation guide
Compass, businesses should consider
how to incorporate the SDGs into their
reporting activity. This means a more
proactive approach to demonstrating
where and how the business is
delivering material impacts against the
global challenges outlined by the
SDGs. In fact, the SDGs should
provide the context, relevancy and
value that are often lacking in
sustainability reports.
47. The business community faces a unique
opportunity to explore, in collaboration with
the rest of the global community, the
potential for a problem solving agenda to the
world's biggest challenges.
Nigel Salter, Salterbaxter MSLGROUP
Section I : Priorities | The Business of Development: Leveraging the UN SDGs for Business Growth and Global Impact 47
48. Trends that are Shaping the
Future of Business
Sustainability
We asked CSR veteran Mark Newton what the future of business sustainability will hold for
sustainability leaders. He shared three trends to watch out for.
1 All things digital.
Massive amounts of disaggregated data coupled with the rapid expansion of global
digital connectivity presents an almost irresistible opportunity for tailoring messaging to
individuals, micro-segments and interest groups. The challenge here is to move away
from the “yuck factor” (i.e. - yuck! How did you know that about me??)
On the flipside, the advent of social media and broadband enables widely dispersed and
seemingly disparate groups of individuals to rally, breaking down physical barriers
plaguing conventional grassroots efforts. Campaigns are moving from expensive and
physical to inexpensive and virtual.
Despite fatigue from relatively clumsy early efforts to punish
bad behavior, the potential to significantly reward brands by using social media as an
organizing and collaboration tool is still relatively unexplored.
NGOs, consumers and special interest groups
can now mobilize quickly, in greater numbers and without geographic or
socioeconomic constraint.
@newton_csr
Mark Newton
Head of Environmental and
Regulatory Affairs,
Samsung Electronics America
3
SECTION I : PRIORITIES
49. 2 Responsibility recoil.
Educated consumers that vote responsibly with their wallet are whom we strive to reach. But despite best
efforts apathy still reigns. Corporate green washing, messaging overload and confusion about what matters
has heads spinning. Data over the last 40 years shows that CSR sensibility resonates cyclically
- it peaked in the early seventies, again around mid-2000 but has since trended downward with respect to
other issues more front of mind among the public. This trend is likely to continue for the next several years
as geopolitical and socioeconomic factors remain volatile making CSR communications all the more
challenging. We must acknowledge the public distrust and cynicism that occurs in destabilized times.
Despite all the good work by the socially responsibility investment (SRI) community to focus on building the
business case, there is still little evidence that mainstream investors are tuned in. This work is still in its
infancy and there is huge opportunity here. Successful efforts will position CSR as a contributing factor
toward alleviating socioeconomic and geopolitical instability rather than as a competing priority.
Section I : Priorities | 3 Trends that are Shaping the Future of Business Sustainability 49
50. 3
(More from Mark Newton at page 144)
Flattening Earth.
Global emerging “frontier” markets like MIST (Mexico,
Indonesia, South Korea and Turkey), MINT (Mexico, Indonesia,
Nigeria and Turkey) and CIVETS (Colombia, Indonesia,
Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa) are forecast by some
to surpass BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and even
approach western economic output by mid-century. A huge
emerging global middle class comes along with that and with it
the prospect of unbridled consumerism.
What these countries have also in common are emerging and
stressed social and environmental infrastructures that provide
both CSR opportunity and risk. As the global economy taps into
markets and production capabilities here, we will
see an increasingly global and interconnected
supply chain racing to lowest cost
providers and an influx of new product
categories.
In the current paradigm, lowest cost is
synonymous with insufficient lifecycle
considerations, an inadequate safety net for
workers and lax protections for natural resources
and the environment.
The market potential here is tremendous -
as is the opportunity to educate consumers
and to produce responsibly.
51. For many years, science has been lurking in the
background of the sustainability debate; biding
its time, waiting for its moment to shine. It seems
as if this time is now coming.
The latest issue of Directions, Salterbaxter
MSLGROUP's guide to trends and issues in
sustainability communications, explores the
exciting interplay between science, sustainability
and strategy.
Download the report at
http://www.salterbaxter.com/directions-report-2015/
Previous issues of Directions
Section I : Priorities | 3 Trends that are Shaping the Future of Business Sustainability 51
52. At General Motors, our approach to
sustainability is strengthening our
company and providing customer
benefits while building stronger
communities and a better world
through improved mobility.
We will increase the fuel efficiency and
reduce our vehicles' environmental
impact beyond anything anyone
imagined even a few years ago. But we
know our customers care about more
than the cars. They care about how
we build them, and how we engage
with the world around us.
David Tulauskas
Sustainability Director,
General Motors
@davidtulauskas
Priorities
Change,
Values Stay the Same
SECTION I : OPPORTUNITIES
53. We will continue to see
millennials looking to
companies to take a stand on
environmental issues.
It's a huge opportunity to create
lifelong loyalty if you have products
that millennials want with a
company purpose and brand
promise that resonates with their
values.
If you get that mix right, you'll have
them for life. Priorities change, but
values stay the same. Conscious
consumers will want sustainable
and environmentally responsible
products at every stage of their life,
whether they are single or married
or if they become parents.
Authentically communicating a
company's purpose and
sustainability commitment can pay
dividends and increase customer
loyalty for the long term.
For example, we operate 122
landfill-free facilities and aspire to
be a completely zero-waste
manufacturer. Last year, we ended
use of coal as an energy source in
our North America plants and
continue to invest in renewable
energy around the world.
We believe we're part of the
solution to climate change, and
we're the only automaker to sign
the Ceres BICEP Climate
Declaration stating that addressing
climate change creates economic
opportunity.
(More from David Tulauskas at page 114)
Section I : Opportunities | Priorities Change, Values Stay the Same 53
54. People's Insights: Tell us about the mission of B Lab.
Marcello:
PI: What has drawn so many business owners to this
movement?
Marcello:
B Lab is a global organization dedicated to raising the standards of
business and encouraging a new generation of “best for the world” companies
across industries, at a time when entrepreneurship has become the de facto
engine for well-being. There are huge opportunities - and some societal and
planetary pressures - to turn enterprise into a greater force for good. Given the
intense economic activity of our global world of 7.3 billion people, there is also
huge opportunity to further tweak the balance of negative and positive
externalities and impacts of business.
(which measures
and compares performance),
Our B Impact Assessment tool is the first step in the certification
process. The tool analyzes business models, governance, social and
environmental performance and looks at 200 separate issues.
In addition,
3,000 businesses have registered as Benefit Corporations (legal entities)
in the United States and Canada.
It starts with leaders who are defining who they are and who they
want to be. The world is led by many entrepreneurs who want to help shape a
good life for many others and to create a legacy for themselves, beyond just
making money. They try to do the best for themselves and for the world, and
they introduce this culture within their businesses. For these leaders, B Corp
certification is a natural next step.
We do this by offering businesses B Corp certification
as well as advocacy, learning and education
initiatives.
B Lab has certified over 1,500 B Corporations in 43 countries.
An interview with Marcello Palazzi
Re-defining
Success in Business
Marcello is Co-Founder of B Lab Europe
(B for Benefit) and is on a mission to turn
B Corp into a global movement of “best
for the world” corporations. A
philanthropreneur and Co-Founder and
President of Progressio Foundation,
Marcello has led over 300 innovative
ventures, projects and events in 30
countries, across the 4 P's: public,
private, philanthropy, and people.
@mpalazzi
SECTION I : OPPORTUNITIES
55. PI: What is your vision for 2020?
Marcello: We are creating a whole new class of companies that embody the
“best for the world” spirit. This growing community could be supported by new
entities such as, perhaps, a new chamber of commerce, a bank for B Corporations,
B Corp programs with business schools and partnerships with municipalities.
Together, B Corporations are showing the world that there is a more evolved way to
do business; that it is very possible to stay true to yourself, and society, in business
and to do so in an ethical manner.
There are also multiple concrete benefits to being a B Corp, in terms of identity,
branding, reputation, ability to attract impact investors and other general benefits of
being part of a global network that provides knowledge sharing and group
rates for service providers.
So the driving factor is to be successful
without causing direct or indirect harm to people and planet.
Section I : Opportunities | Re-defining Success in Business 55
56. For example, we have partnered with the Mayor of New York and the
New York City Economic Development Corporation to host the first
“best for” program Best for NYC. It is a pilot project in which we are
inviting New York City businesses to assess their performance and
benchmark it against 20,000 peers. We are excited to offer similar
programs to further expand the movement.
Businesses that complete the Best for NYC Challenge and
commit to seeking ways to improve can access business
support tools and services and may be recognized as
“Competing to be Best for NYC.”
http://bestfor.nyc/
The full B Impact Assessment tool measures a
company's performance against 200 criteria, and
enables the company to benchmark their
performance against other businesses. 20,000
companies have taken the shorter quick impact
assessment.
Image credit: sample B Impact report
57. We are creating a whole new class of
companies that embody the “best for
the world” spirit.
Marcello Palazzi, B Lab Europe
Section I : Opportunities | Re-defining Success in Business 57
58. Experts from MSLGROUP Andreoli in Brazil point out that
sustainability can be a competitive advantage for companies,
with examples of Brazilian businesses that are leading in
sustainability. With its continental size, abundant natural
resources and a civil society aware of global social and
environmental challenges, Brazil can play an important
role in developing innovative solutions that create value
for people and companies.
3 Sustainability initiatives
that work
In the corporate field, Brazilian institutions have benefited from
being open and innovative in sustainability. Here are three
examples of Brazilian companies that are seeing benefits to
reputation, growth and competitive advantage.
Special:
Sustainability
in Brazil
A Competitive Advantage
SECTION I : OPPORTUNITIES
59. Braskem's sourced from sugar
cane ethanol
development of a green plastic,
instead of the traditional fossil fuel petroleum, has paid
off in many ways.
Braskem is the leading producer of thermoplastic resins in the
Americas and was recognized as one of world's most innovative
companies by the U.S. magazine Fast Company in 2014. It is listed in
the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and ISE, the sustainability index of
the Brazilian stock exchange BM&FBovespa and is a signatory of the
UN Global Compact since 2007.
This innovative biopolymer uses mostly
renewable energy in its production process and captures CO2
from the atmosphere.
A world leader in green plastic
1
Section I : Opportunities | Sustainability in Brazil: A Competitive Advantage 59
60. Brazil's largest bank is the only Latin
American bank that participates in the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index since its creation and for 16
consecutive years. It has also been listed in the ISE
index for 9 years, named the sustainable bank of
the year in the Americas (Financial Times, 2012)
and recognized as Brazil's most valuable brand for
more than 10 consecutive years (Interbrand).
Itaú Unibanco
As a consequence, the bank's reputation has
strengthened, accelerating business and
financial performance.
Fibria is the world's largest producer of
eucalyptus pulp, with its operations based
entirely on renewable plantations. In addition to
its pulp business, it invests in renewable fuels
derived from wood and biomass.
This innovation has allowed Fibria to develop
operational partnerships with leading
companies abroad, expanding and
multiplying business opportunities.
Growth fuelled by
renewable plantations
2
The reputation-case for
business sustainability3
61. The power of incentives and recognition
Incentives for corporate sustainability practices also include the recognition of
outstanding companies, both domestic and multinational, that operate in Brazil.
The ECO prize, promoted by the Amcham chamber of commerce, the Exame
sustainability guide published by the business magazine Exame and the
Sustainable Leadership Platform promoted by the consultancy Idéia
Sustentável are among initiatives that recognize and encourage sustainability
on the Brazilian market.
Companies such as Itaú, Fibria, Natura, Promon, AES Brasil and Embrapa,
among others, stand out in their market and have become benchmarks in
innovative sustainable performance initiatives.
Strong
governance can
boost credibility
in sustainability
Nevertheless, there is still a lot
to be accomplished
environmentally and socially,
and Brazil's greatest challenge
in sustainability probably lays
in one of its fundamental
aspects: governance.
Governance is essential to
establishing credibility and
trust among the company's
strategic stakeholders,
affecting its brand, reputation
and economic results.
Brazil is in the midst of a
period that is putting
governance to the test.
In recent years, and
particularly in 2015, major
corporate groups operating
in the petrochemical,
infrastructure and
construction industries,
among others, have become
targets of investigations into
involvement in illegal
dealings. The impact on the
reputation, brand and
economic value of these
organizations has been visible
and should have long-lasting
negative effects.
61Section I : Opportunities | Sustainability in Brazil: A Competitive Advantage
62. Sustainability is no longer an option
Aware of this challenge, the business community has often scheduled the issue on the
agendas of strategic discussion. But developing a sustainability strategy is not the same as
developing a sustainable business.
In a period of economic challenges such as that Brazil is going through, developing a
sustainable business strategy becomes an important competitive advantage for businesses,
strengthening not only economic performance but also the brand and reputation.
To simultaneously enhance financial performance
and sustainability, it is necessary to constantly innovate in products, processes and
the company's business model.
The focus on sustainable innovation is no longer optional and has become a strategic
priority for all the companies, whatever the size, and for all the sectors.
For more insights on Brazil, contact our team at MSLGROUP Andreoli at
mslgroup.andreoli@mslgroup.com
63. The focus on sustainable innovation is no longer optional
and has become a strategic priority for all the companies,
whatever the size, and for all the sectors.
63Section I : Opportunities | Sustainability in Brazil: A Competitive Advantage
65. People swam in the
Charles River. For Fun.
Boston Globe
Fast forward to today. Local agencies have made huge progress in cleaning
up the river. The Charles is now considered swimmable many days of the year,
and the Charles River Conservancy (CRC) is hoping to restore its potential for
swimming on a permanent basis.
The restoration of the Charles River demonstrates that real change is possible.
The Charles River flows between
Boston and Cambridge in the
United States, and was notorious
for being dirty.
The river was so polluted that
swimming in the Charles has
been banned since the 1950s.
Real Change
is Possible
Aaron Bourque, Charles River Conservancy
Section II : Our Chance for Change: Disruptions in Action 65
66. Unlocking the forces
of business and consumer demand
An interview with Sally Uren
Sally is Chief Executive at the Forum
for the Future with overall responsibility
for delivering the Forum's mission to
create a sustainable future. She works
with leading global businesses,
both in one to one partnerships, and
also as part of multi-stakeholder
collaborations designed to address
system-wide challenges.
@sallyuren
People’s Insights: What do you see as the top 3 priorities for
businesses in the next few years?
Sally:
PI: We hear a lot about sustainability in the West. What is the
potential in other regions?
Sally:
Here's what I'd like to see as their priorities. First, I'd love to see
businesses creating innovative business models that can help them deliver
more fully on their purpose. A company's purpose isn't selling stuff, it's about
providing access to the things we need, nutrition, warmth, and even delight.
In order to deliver on purpose, we're going to need to see some new
business models.
Second, I'd love to see businesses better understand how to do their bit to bring
down CO2 emissions, because climate change is quite possibly the biggest
threat we have right now. Third, I'd like to see businesses unlock their potential
as a force for societal good.
There are thousands and thousands of businesses listed on stock markets
outside of the U.S. and Europe. The problem is they have not yet woken up to
the potential that sustainability represents. In the work we do in Asia-Pacific,
we partner with large organizations and conglomerates. Their potential to
create massive change is enormous and they are really interested in
sustainability. So that's the story of optimism. That's where the energy
is going.
67. PI:
bringing about change?
Sally:
PI: What about millennials - what role might they play?
Sally:
What role can the end-consumer play in
Consumers are one of the market levers that you need to pull to
create change at scale. They’re not the only one and we can’t expect
whole-scale behavior change to deliver the solutions that we need.
But it’s really important. So, what we have to do is unlock the potential
of brands to create the desire for more sustainable products.
This can help unlock consumer demand which in turn will help brands
accelerate their progress in delivering more sustainable
products and services.
The reality is that the shift we need to see will come from government,
business, and civil society working together - that’s system
innovation. It’s not going to come from any of those three
working in isolation.
Businesses tend to fall into two camps when it comes to millennials.
There’s a camp that doesn’t understand this whole notion of millennials and
is just not interested. Then, you have businesses that think more long term
and more creatively, and understand that millennials can be the big
unlock for driving demand for sustainability. There’s often nowhere
between those two views.
But we’re probably placing too much hope on millennials. It’s quite
easy to say oh let’s wait for millennials to unlock demand. That might
actually be too late. Millennials aren’t the Trojan horse, they’re not the
silver bullet - because there is no silver bullet. Whilst it’s easier to talk to
millennials in many respects about this agenda, we should equally be
focusing on unlocking demand from older generations, like baby boomers.
We just can’t rely on millennials, that’s a high-risk strategy. It has to be
everyone.
: Probably solar. I’m inspired by the huge number of markets
where solar has now reached grid-parity. And, well, the sun is
there - let’s harness it!
PI: Last question, which single green technology are you
most excited by?
Sally
Section II : Unlocking the forces of business and consumer demand 67
68. Five Disruptions
in Action
Nidhi Chimnani
Director, Research & Insights,
MSLGROUP
@nidhichimnani
Melanie Joe
Consultant, Research & Insights,
MSLGROUP
@melanie_joe
In this section, our insights team highlights five broad trends that
point to a real chance for change. We feature examples of initiatives
led by businesses, organizations and people, and shine the spotlight
on five inspiring businesses at the forefront of sustainability.
69. The future is here, it's just not
evenly distributed.
William Gibson
Section II : Five Disruptions in Action 69
70. MAXIMIZE RESOURCES
Circular Economy
Sharing Culture
Upcycling
TM
Spotlight: Levi’s Water<Less
1
From startups to well-established brands,
businesses are constantly finding new ways to
reduce their footprint and maximize their use of
existing resources. Not only is this good for the
planet, it is also good for businesses.
Efficient use of existing materials keeps costs
down. Re-use and recycling of materials helps
reduce footprint and ensures a sound supply of
materials in a resource-constrained world.
Governments and people are waking up to the
potential as well. Governments are encouraging
sustainable development and people are self-
organizing to maximize their own use of products.
Overall, there's an increasing recognition that
there's wealth in waste.
Sustainable development is also good for
reputation and engagement of all
stakeholders.
71. $500
MILLION
Value of the
7.5 million tons of
extractable plastic in
the oceans
The Ocean Cleanup
$750
BILLION
Cost of producing
the 1.3 billion tons
of food that we waste
globally every year
United Nations
700,000
TONS
Amount of waste
that Sweden imports,
to provide heat and
electricity locally
sweden.se
The Mad Crab art
installation at Fort Kochi,
India, created with waste
plastics that threaten the
marine ecosystem.
Elena Mirage / Shutterstock.com
Section II : Five Disruptions in Action | Maximize Resources 71
72. One of the ways we can maximize resources is by developing
circular economies, in which products and by-products are
systematically re-used, recycled or re-manufactured.
This approach can boost economic growth and job creation,
and is supported by organizations like the Ellen MacArthur
Foundation and the World Economic Forum (WEF), large
businesses including Cisco and Kingfisher, and
increasingly, governments.
MAXIMIZE
RESOURCES
100,000
NEW JOBS
That could be created
within the next five
years, if companies
adopt circular
supply chains
WEF, the Ellen
MacArthur Foundation
and McKinsey
$1
TRILLION
Annual benefits that
could be generated by
2025 for the global
economy, if companies
adopt circular
supply chains
WEF, the Ellen
MacArthur Foundation
and McKinsey
1
Our mission is to reveal
the value in plastic
waste. Pound for pound,
plastic is worth more
than steel.
- David Katz,
Founder and CEO
The Plastic Bank
”
Circular economy
Bringing resources
back into the system
73. A preview of Project Ara, a
modular smart phone by
Google, inspired by Phonebloks
Yerdle: How Many Items in the
Average Home? 300,000!
For some businesses, circular
economy goals can be achieved by
re-designing products and services.
For example, Philips started selling
lighting as-a-service to cities and large
corporate customers to manage their
energy use and to boost end-of-life
collection rates.
Google is currently developing ProjectAra -
a modular smart phone that enables people
to replace individual modules to upgrade or
repair their phones, rather than replace the
entire device. Dell is experimenting with
the use of bamboo, mushrooms and
wheat straw to create green packaging
that is renewable and biodegradable.
Levi Strauss minimizes the number
of materials used in its Dockers
Wellthread products to enable
easier recycling.
In addition to saving on material
costs, recycle programs can also
unearth new streams of savings
or revenue.
For example, telecom provider Sprint
avoided $1 billion in costs by using
remanufactured phones as replacement
devices in its handset insurance
program. Electronics retailer Best Buy
has collected 1 billion pounds of
electronics and appliances for recycling
at its stores, on behalf of electronics
manufacturers and recyclers.
The circular economy calls for new
thinking and significant change. For
businesses, this might mean
creating infrastructure to enable
more recycling.
For example, aluminum producer
Novelis promotes consumer recycling
of aluminum cans to help ensure a
sound supply of used aluminum -
crucial for the company to meet its
goal of using 80% recycled aluminum
inputs by 2020.
Coffee capsule producer Nespresso
has introduced 14,000 collection points
in 34 countries and doorstep collection
in 15 countries to collect capsules for
recycling.
Cosmetics maker LUSH is piloting the
use of Social Plastic for packaging -
plastic that has been recycled by
The Plastic Bank and sourced from
pickers in disadvantaged communities.
Businesses are also investing in
local municipal projects to keep
recyclables out of landfills and
return them to the economy
Examples of initiatives include Closed
Loop Fund and Marks & Spencer's
investment in Somerset County.
End-consumers too are becoming
more conscious about the waste
they produce. The popularity of
peer-to-peer platforms and social
media projects is helping fuel a
slow shift away from today's
use-and-throw culture.
Platforms like eBay (and its local
variants), Yerdle (funded in part by
Patagonia) and Stuffstr (recipient of the
Target Award at Sustainable Brands
'15) encourage people to repair, re-use,
resell, recycle or donate their stuff.
Social media projects promote zero
waste lifestyles (Tedx: Why I Live a
Zero Waste Life) and minimalist
fashion (Project 333).
In addition, communities like iFixit
support people who want to repair their
stuff with free how-to-guides.
A CULTURE OF MAKING
STUFF LAST LONGER
NEW INFRASTRUCTURE, DESIGNS AND MODELS
The Novelis evercan™ uses
90% of recycled aluminum and
is the world's first certified high
recycled content aluminum
can sheet
Section II : Five Disruptions in Action | Maximize Resources 73
74. Sharing culture
Shifting from ownership
to access
People's relationship with things have changed in recent years
as a result of, among other things, the smart phone boom, the
recession and concerns about the climate.
This exchange works for both sides - owners can monetize their
idle assets and renters get access to goods at potentially lower
rates. It's good for the environment too, as renters can avoid the
environmental footprint of owning their own separate products.
It is now possible,
acceptable and even practical for people to forgo
ownership in exchange for access to other people's things
(through rentals, swaps or donations).
113
MILLION
The number of sharers
in Canada, the United
Kingdom and the United
States - about 40% of the
adult population
Vision Critical and
Crowd Companies
MAXIMIZE
RESOURCES1
75. LE TOTE - Always have
something new to wear
Businesses are responding to
people’s willingness to “share” or
“access” by offering new, flexible
formats of consumption. This is
especially evident in the travel and
fashion industries.
In fashion, online websites offer
rentals to individual clothing items
and accessories, and even monthly
subscriptions to entire catalogs.
In travel, businesses, and even cities,
offer subscriptions to car-sharing
(Zipcar in North America and Europe)
and bike-sharing services (Vélib'
in Paris).
For example, LE TOTE sends
subscribers a ‘tote’ full of clothing to
wear for a few days - people can buy
clothes that they want to keep and
return the rest to receive a
new collection.
In the physical world, a store in Athens
called Skoros allows people to give or
take used or unused clothes and
goods, to promote a spirit of
anti-consumerism.
NEW MODELS OF
CONSUMPTION
The popularity of peer-to-peer
marketplaces is inspiring similar
online marketplaces for
B2B exchanges.
For example, Floow2 enables sharing
of business equipment (such as
construction machinery and mobile
MRIs) and services.
Some businesses are also creating
their own networks - the newly
established Materials Marketplace
enables 20 businesses in the United
States to exchange and re-use
industrial by-products.
BUSINESS TO BUSINESS
MARKETPLACES
The sharing economy builds on the
concept that our unused stuff is
potentially valuable to others.
Over the last few years, people have
rented out everything from their spare
bedrooms (Airbnb) and spare seats in
their car (BlaBlaCar) to idle sporting
goods (StokeShare).
The chase to identify and monetize
more “idle assets” has led some
people to their rooftops. Rather
than letting their roofs 'stay idle,'
people can use them to generate
solar energy.
This energy can power their houses
and lower electricity bills, or be sold to
solar grids, to generate income. To
promote more people to switch to
solar, some companies (like SolarCity)
offer to front the cost of installing the
solar panels.
RECOGNIZING THE VALUE
OF “IDLE ASSETS”
Airbnb - the largest marketplace
for accommodation, with 1.5
million listings in over 190
countries
Section II : Five Disruptions in Action | Maximize Resources 75
76. Upcycling
Enhancing the value of
existing products
The upcycling movement acknowledges that some value is lost
during recycling - for example, the energy, water, coloring or
labor used in creating the product. The upcycling approach
is to retain the current value of the product, and to enrich it to
give it greater value.
This is a nascent concept - but given its potential to create great
stories, it could become a popular one.
MAXIMIZE
RESOURCES1
Recycling… I call it down-
cycling. They smash
bricks, they smash
everything. What we need
is up-cycling, where old
products are given more
value, not less.
Reiner Pilz
77. Project LUV Seat: Southwest
Airlines upcycled old leather
seats and added value to
communities in Nairobi, Kenya,
Malawi and the United States
Some designers have also built
businesses that specialize in selling
products made from extra materials
“rescued” from factories and
manufacturers (like Looptworks).
Artists are the natural champions of
the upcycling movement, finding
used or vintage products and
re-working them to create pieces
of art.
Communities like Remade in Britain
and, to some degree, Etsy offer a wide
variety of upcycled ware - ranging from
clothing and accessories to furniture
and 'unique gifts.’
PRE-LOVED, SALVAGED, REFURBISHED, UPCYCLED! CREATING NEW PRODUCTS
AND SOCIAL GOOD
Southwest Airlines demonstrated the
potential of upcycling to create more
than just new products, with project
LUV Seat. The airlines spent a year
determining the best use of its stock of
43 acres of old leather seats, and
finally decided to use it for social good.
Some of the leather was donated to
workshops in Africa, where
disadvantaged people were taught
how to convert it into footballs, shoes,
bags and wallets.
These in turn were donated to local
non-profits. Some of the leather was
also given to Looptworks, to create
premium duffel bags, tote bags and
backpacks.
Section II : Five Disruptions in Action | Maximize Resources 77
78. Levi's Water<Less™
(More from Michael Kobori at page 96)
In conjunction with that announcement, we
launched a consumer education campaign
to help consumers understand the
environmental impact of their washing habits.
By taking the
quiz, consumers were able to find
out how much water and energy they used
compared with average consumers in the
U.S., the U.K., France and China.
Between World Water Day and Earth Day,
consumers were encouraged to take action
and make a pledge to wash their jeans less
often. More than 25,000 individuals took the
quiz and pledged to wash their jeans
less often.
“Are You Ready to Come
Clean?”
In 2015, Levi Strauss & Co. continued to
reinforce its water stewardship through the
release of our new Lifecycle Assessment
(LCA) and the milestone announcement
that
The LCA announcement examined the
environmental impact of LS&Co. products,
probing into the environmental impacts of
cotton in key growing regions, apparel
production and distribution in a range of
locations, and consumer washing and
drying habits in key markets.
we had saved more than 1 billion
liters of water through Levi's®
Water<Less™ process and other water
savings efforts.
MAXIMIZE
RESOURCES1
Michael Kobori,
Levi Strauss & Co.
Vice President of Sustainability,
@KoboriGrillsCSR
79. ARE YOU READY
TO COME CLEAN?
TAKE THE QUIZ
& PLEDGE TO WASH LESS.
START
Section II : Five Disruptions in Action | Maximize Resources
The Levi Strauss & Co. quiz
enables consumers to find out
how much water and energy
they used, compared with
average consumers in the U.S.,
the U.K., France and China.
79
80. Purpose
Create shared value
Net positive
Spotlight: Sodexo's
Better Tomorrow Plan
Traditionally, organizations have created positive
impact through CSR programs that promote local
communities in which they operate, or through
employee engagement activities that encourage
community or environmental actions.
- their purpose and
especially their core business.
In addition,
choosing 'better'
suppliers, creating shared value, leveraging new
social trends (like peer-to-peer lending), and
adjusting business models so that every consumer
purchase leads to a 'good' outcome. Some
businesses are also aspiring to achieve a net
positive effect, where they contribute more to the
environment and society than they take out of it.
CSR
program continue to be important, and are
increasingly becoming more aligned to the
organization's raison d'etre
businesses are exploring new ways
to create positive handprints:
CREATE POSITIVE
HANDPRINTS
2
81. 83%
MILLENNIALS
from around the world
who want business to
get more involved in
solving social issues
MSLGROUP's
The Future of Business
Citizenship study
45
MILLION
Pairs of shoes donated
by TOMS since 2006
as part of its one for
one model
TOMS
Section II : Five Disruptions in Action | Create Positive Handprints 81
82. Purpose
Aligning people and business
An important first step for a business or organization is to find a
purpose - one that is closely aligned with its core business and
its people. This common purpose can help align the
organization's activities and CSR efforts, and act as a rallying
force for stakeholders. Millennials in particular expect
purpose-driven activities from brands and are keen to
participate as 'citizen partners'.
69%
MILLENNIALS
Want business to
make it easier
for consumers
to get involved in
societal change
The Future of Business
Citizenship study
CREATE
POSITIVE
HANDPRINTS
2
When you have a
purpose, inconsistencies
start showing up
- Eileen Boone on CVS's
decision to remove all
tobacco products
CVS
”
83. PURPOSE, PEOPLE AND
BUSINESS
THE BUY AND GIVE MODEL
A clear purpose can provide a
strong narrative to a brand's story
and can act as a compass for its
vision and future goals.
U.S. retail pharmacy CVS is a great
example. The company recently
demonstrated its commitment to the
healthcare business by changing its
name from CVS Caremark to CVS
Health, and by removing all tobacco
products from its shelves. CVS invited
smokers to quit with them and
mobilized thousands to try out smoking
cessation products and counselling.
Three months after it stopped selling
tobacco, CVS posted a 13% revenue
growth (for Q42014).
Similarly, food chain Panera Bread’s
commitment to good food has led it to
publish a No-No List of ingredients it
intends to phase out.
For some organizations, the original
Buy 1, Give 1 model might actually
be appropriate - at least for now.
For example, social enterprise
Mealshare donates a meal for every
qualifying dish bought at participating
restaurants. Student-lending
marketplace Common Bonds funds the
education of a child in a developing
nation for every degree funded on
its platform.
Shoe-brand TOMS launched a
movement in 2006 with its Buy 1, Give 1
model - for every shoe it sold, TOMS
committed to giving a pair to someone
in need.
TOMS expanded this model to its
subsequent businesses, and other
companies like Skechers followed suit.
The model has been tremendously
popular amongst consumers - it
guarantees that every purchase is
linked to an act of social good. But the
scale of success - millions of shoes
donated - raised a serious concern.
Flooding disadvantaged markets with
free shoes would harm local shoe-
businesses, and doesn't address the
core issues driving poverty in
those markets.
The model has thus evolved to Buy and
Give - with donations varying to meet
different needs. For example, TOMS'
eye-wear business now gives sight by
covering the cost of glasses, sight-
restoring surgery or medical treatment,
and its coffee business gives safe water
to people in need.
A year after it stopped selling
tobacco in stores, CVS
conducted a study to determine
the impact of their decision on
sales of cigarette packages and
nicotine patch packages across
U.S. retailers
Similarly, eye-wear seller Warby
Parker supports NGOs that provide
training in eye-care and affordable
glasses. Waterless car wash Wype
donates $1 to Charity:Water for
every transaction.
Section II : Five Disruptions in Action | Create Positive Handprints
People can play a key role in
helping a brand fulfill its purpose.
For example, Starbuck’s community of
employees and customers help it meet
its ambitious goal of 1 million hours of
community service per year.
Ikea is realizing its sustainability goals
by providing people with access to
affordable energy-saving LED lighting
products - in fact, Ikea just completed
its switch to LED-only lighting
inventory. https://www.cvshealth.com/impact
-of-tobacco-removal/
83
84. The concept of Create Shared Value (CSV) was introduced in 2006 and
offers a holistic vision for the role of business in society: development of
communities is good for business. CSV promotes fair wages, skill training,
sustainable environmental practices, investment in health, education,
infrastructure and so on. These elements can help boost the long term
sustainability of the business by increasing reliability of material resources,
increasing operational efficiency and safeguarding human resources.
Several large brands have embraced the concept of shared value and are
driving large-scale social development, often in collaboration with
international and local organizations.
Create shared value
Investing
in the future
$3-4
The value that Levi
Strauss earns on every
dollar invested in
improving lives of
factory workers
Levi Strauss & Co.
CSV focuses on how we can mobilize capitalism for social
change… It is not about balancing stakeholders or
behaving ethically, but rather seeing social problems as
representations of business opportunities yet to be met
- Michael Porter
”
Professor, Harvard Business School
and Co-Founder, FSG
CREATE
POSITIVE
HANDPRINTS
2
85. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT:
AN INVESTMENT
New technologies can help
accelerate the speed and scale of
social development.
For example, mobile banking service
M-PESA, developed by Vodafone,
makes financial services more accessible
especially in rural areas. M-PESA has
been most successful in Kenya, where
20 million people use it to send and
receive money and to pay bills.
TECHNOLOGY: A CATALYST
Last year, the HP Company
Foundation launched a five-year
partnership with Kiva to encourage HP
employees to get involved. The
foundation provides $25 credits to
HP's employees to lend to borrowers.
150,000 HP employees have
participated and have lent a total of
$9.7 million. (Via: Sustainable Brands'
The New Financial Metrics)
An overview of HP's Matter to a
Million program, it's partnership
with Kiva that encourages HP
employees to make microloans
to entrepreneurs
CSV programs are often designed
for long-term benefit.
Another example is Cisco whose
Networking Academy program trains
1 million people every year in ICT
skills, to help meet the demand for
ICT professionals. Cisco provides
course curriculum and learning
tools to educational institutions
in 170 countries and has reached
5 million students since the
academy's inception.
Shared value programs can be
extensive and cover vast operations
and geographies.
Nestle has developed 38 CSV
commitments, accompanied by
policies, standards and auditing to
ensure compliance.
Technology has also enabled large
scale peer-to-peer lending
across geographies.
Since 2005, Kiva has enabled 1.3
million lenders to make micro-loans to
1.7 million borrowers in 83 countries.
Section II : Five Disruptions in Action | Create Positive Handprints 85
86. The Net Positive approach lies at the forefront of sustainability
and points to a future where business makes an overall
positive impact on environment and society. A bold approach,
Net Positive has already attracted several big businesses as
early adopters. Organizations like the Forum for the Future,
WWF UK and The Climate Group have created working groups
around this concept to develop supporting principles, strategies
and measurement.
Net positive
Amplifying the positive
impact of business
10x
The net benefit that Dell
intends to generate from
IT by 2020
Dell
Inspire and enable
millions of customers to
live a more sustainable
life at home
Ikea
CREATE
POSITIVE
HANDPRINTS
2
”
87. Dell technology enables the
design and production of
sustainable products, like Green
Toys, which has recycled 24
million plastic milk containers to
create sustainable toys
Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability
Officer at IKEAGroup discusses
the goal of becoming Forest
Positive by 2020.
IN PURSUIT OF
POSITIVE IMPACT
TRANSFORMING
“OUR” FOOTPRINT
Dell embarked on its Net Positive
journey with research studies to
evaluate the potential of technology,
and guide its own - and its clients' -
investments in infrastructure and IT.
For its first study, Dell partnered with
the Arizona State University to
understand the social, economic and
environmental benefits of online
learning, in terms of the graduate's
future earning potential, decreased
dependency on state welfare, and
footprint savings on travel and
university infrastructure.
Dell is now studying the benefits of its
own flexible work policies, and will
soon expand its methodology to
healthcare, logistics and
municipal operations.
Section II : Five Disruptions in Action | Create Positive Handprints
In its commitment to be People and
Planet Positive, Ikea considers the
footprint of its products all the way
from forests and fields, to its own
operations and the homes of
its customers.
With goals to be resource and energy
independent by 2020, Ikea is investing
heavily in renewable energy,
purchasing and managing its own
forests, and sourcing raw materials
from more sustainable sources. Ikea is
also introducing products that are
more energy and water efficient,
and products that help reduce or
sort waste.
87
88. Sodexo's Better
Tomorrow Plan
CREATE
POSITIVE
HANDPRINTS
2
John Friedman
Communications Director,
Sodexo, and author of
PR 2.0: How Digital Media
Can Help You Build A
Sustainable Brand
Corporate Responsibility
@JohnFriedman
The strength of Sodexo's corporate
responsibility effort arises from our mission.
The Better Tomorrow Plan defines the
strategy Sodexo is pursuing as a
responsible company. The plan revolves
around three pillars that provide a
consistent and structured approach for all
of our corporate responsibility efforts.
The pillars are:
- Our fundamental vision,
mission and values
- Our commitments and initiatives
- Dialogue and joint
collective actions with multiple
stakeholders
At Sodexo, we know that the only way to
optimize and achieve our corporate
responsibility commitments is to engage
with key stakeholders, so Sodexo
maintains an ongoing dialogue with our
stakeholder groups.
+
+ We Do
+ We Engage
We Are
+
+ clients
+
customers
+ suppliers
First, our 422,000 who are the
'face' of Sodexo with clients and consumers
and within their local communities. We know
that success
of our efforts depends heavily on our ability
to engage with them.
Second, our - by supporting their
sustainability strategies and contributing to
strengthening their efforts and reputations
- we are reaching beyond our own
'footprint' to make a real difference.
Likewise, as a company that touches the
lives of 75 million people every day,
we embrace the tremendous opportunity
we have to help our to
adopt more sustainable lifestyles.
Sodexo's collaboration with our
and throughout our value chain was cited
by RobecoSAM (in its 2013 Sustainability
Yearbook) as one of the hallmarks of our
continued sustainability leadership.
employees
89. Sodexo WasteLESS Week
Reductions in waste that are
observable over a five day period
inspire continued actions and so
WasteLESS Week actually
encourages efforts all year long,
which is our ultimate goal.
John Friedman, Sodexo
Section II : Five Disruptions in Action | Create Positive Handprints
Sodexo runs this five-day campaign for our clients (and our own
sites) around the world each October. It empowers consumers,
clients and Sodexo employees to reduce waste by celebrating the
benefits of wasting less food, water, energy, paper and raw
materials - including cleaner air more natural spaces and helping
share our planet's natural resources.
Through on-site materials such as posters, videos and
activities, we showcase the tangible benefits people
experience when they waste less. Using local information and
data, the materials can be customized to show people how
their actions have local as well as global benefits.
89
90. As businesses and organizations dive deeper
into sustainability, it's quickly apparent that
no one entity can solve today's pressing
problems alone.
After all, no business is an island.
Businesses are striking partnerships with a range
of organizations, competitors, governments,
startups and individuals to achieve their
sustainability plans. Some businesses, like Tesla,
are embracing open source philosophy and are
forgoing patents to encourage adoption and
development of cleaner technologies.
It's an exciting time for sustainability,
we have many rules to re-write, together.
Partnerships are key to
inventing solutions, maintaining costs, driving
scale and meeting common sustainability
goals.
COLLABORATE
ACROSS BOUNDARIES
3
Open Innovation
Partnerships
Spotlight: Levi's: The Race to the Top
91. If you want to go fast, go
alone. If you want to go
far, go together.
African Proverb
100
MILLION
The number of new
vehicles produced
annually and globally,
much higher than
Tesla's capacity of
35,000 cars per year
Elon Musk, CEO, Tesla
Image Credit: Tesla Motors
Image Credit: Tesla Motors
Section II : Five Disruptions in Action | Collaborate Across Boundaries 91