Sustain Academy

A changing climate gives humanity only one chance - to adapt. Each week, host Doug Parsons talks to scientists, activists, politicians and journalists to discuss the complex issues facing the world in the face of climate change.

Consumer demand for cruelty-free cosmetics is growing, and brands are launching new cosmetic products with labels such as "Vegan" or "Cruelty free" 🌿 However, while these labels are often used interchangeably by companies and consumers alike, they do not really mean the same thing 🤔

There are a lot of reasons why sustainable business practices are beneficial for companies, employees, and the environment. Here are top five of them ⤵️

Today's recommendation - listen to the podcast "Sustainability Defined". A podcast that defines sustainability one concept at a time. Hosted by Jay Siegel and Scott Breen. Each episode focuses on a topic that promotes sustainability. Each topic is explained with an experienced professional and episode by episode helps listeners define exactly what sustainability is.

Consumers are paying much more attention to the environmental impact of what they buy, and they’re voting with their wallets ✋ Environmentally-responsible sourcing, manufacturing, and logistics are essential, but increasingly, consumers and governments are focusing on packaging waste 📦📦📦

Now, drawing on the green living lessons gained from 10 years of putting the Cradle to Cradle concept into practice with businesses, governments, and ordinary people, William McDonough and Michael Braungart envision the next step in the solution to our ecological crisis: We don't just use or reuse and recycle resources with greater effectiveness, we actually improve the natural world as we live, create, and build 🌿

Cameron Sinclair, winner of the 2006 TED Prize, is co-founder of the non-profit organisation Architecture for Humanity. The organisation seeks architectural solutions to global crises and acts as a mediator between the design community and the world's humanitarian needs 🙏

“Essentially, we are helping companies to fast track their sustainability game — from providing them with real life case studies, peer to peer assessments, to workshops and mentorship — we give practical tools to participants so that they are able to successfully navigate further once they are back at their organizations” – says Sustain Academy’s co-founder Auste Valikonyte.

Thank you Martita Mestéy for the inspiring conversation! 🌱

Read more:

Social Impact Heroes Helping Our Planet: Why & How Auste Valikonyte Of Sustain Academy Is Helping… An Interview With Martita Mestey

To be Fair Trade certified, a product must be produced by a farmer, cooperative, or workers that meets certain standards set by the Fair Trade labeling body 🤝

Currently, there are over 11 certifiers internationally, each with its own standards. These standards vary slightly but basically require that:

👉 Workers receive a Fair Trade minimum wage;
👉 Environmental sustainability is upheld;
👉 Safe working conditions are provided;
👉 There is no forced or child labor;
👉 Premiums are given to producers based on the product they create;
👉 These premiums go to a communal fund to be used for development projects;
👉 The supply chain is transparent to consumers.

Business labelling and certification helps businesses stand out from other brands, but it's difficult to navigate the variety. Some labels have really small differences, such as RSPO (Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil) Certified and RSPO Mixed. What are the differences between these brands and how do we know which product we are buying? 🤔

In some regions, oil palm cultivation has caused – and continues to cause – deforestation, destroying primary forests, protected species and biodiversity. Despite widespread reports of poor practices in the industry, a growing number of players in the palm oil industry are committing to more sustainable practices. So more and more of the palm oil in our products has been produced and sourced sustainably 🌴

RSPO certification is the customer's assurance that the standard of palm oil production is sustainable. All organisations in the supply chain using RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil products are audited to avoid over-trade and the mixing of palm oil with conventional (or unsustainable) palm oil products.

If a product bears the RSPO 'mixed' version of the RSPO trademark, it means that the product is RSPO certified through a mass balance (MB) supply chain system. In other words, sustainable palm oil from certified sources is tracked administratively in the chain, but mixed with conventional palm oil. It is true that in this case the consumer does not really have a full guarantee that the product physically contains sustainable palm oil.

Climate change is accelerating, but we have the scientific knowledge and technology to mitigate, adapt and even reverse emissions to restore a healthy planet 🌎 Tackling climate change - the greatest challenge of our generation - requires a multi-pronged approach and big, bold ideas.

The latest TED Talks on climate change present bold ideas to tackle the problem ↗

Sustainability managers help organisations effectively navigate between their environmental impact and business objectives 👌 Let us know where your company stands in this rapidly changing business field.