NEW METRICS -
With 65% of the Caribbean’s reefs generating tourism dollars, the study reveals
an opportunity for tourism-associated businesses — such as cruise lines,
airlines and hotels — to work together to protect the region’s environmental health.
CORPORATE MEMBER UPDATE -
It was recently reported that a dead whale was found washed up on a beach in the Philippines with a total of 88 pounds of plastic products inside its body. While this is a record, it is unfortunately not surprising given that another whale was found dead in Spain in February filled with 64 pounds of trash, and last November another was found in Indonesia with 13 pounds of plastic in its body.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
The vast majority of consumers across 22 countries would like to see sustainability information for seafood products in stores and on packaging.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
During this season of giving, many of today’s more discerning consumers won’t be joining the masses scrambling to answer the siren call to stock up on discounted “stuff” — they’ll be remembering the values meant to be at the heart of this season, by taking REI’s advice to #OptOutside to enjoy nature and giving back by cleaning up; and when they do shop, they’re increasingly basing their loyalty and purchasing decisions on companies’ reputations rather than just product features and price.
COLLABORATION -
A solid argument can be made that corporate America has made significant progress in the sustainability arena.
COLLABORATION -
UK grocery giant Tesco and WWF have announced a groundbreaking, four-year partnership aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the average UK shopping cart by 50 percent, improving the sustainability of food while ensuring it remains affordable for all.
COLLABORATION -
Our oceans have never been more threatened. The great challenges of overfishing, climate change, pollution and habitat loss have taken a terrible toll, jeopardising vital fish stocks and the lives and livelihoods of the hundreds of millions who depend on them.
But there’s another problem that’s seldom mentioned: Apathy. Unlike many of the issues facing the ocean, it’s one that should be easy to put right. And ironically, it’s one that nobody is really talking about.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
With the Our Ocean conference taking place in Bali, Indonesia, this week, ocean sustainability has been a hot topic: The event burst with sweeping commitments from the public and private sector alike aimed at cleaning up and protecting this precious resource. One such commitment came from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which launched a £1 million Ocean Stewardship Fund.
PRESS RELEASE -
Plastic waste and pollution have captured the attention of the public, governments, and businesses around the world. The search for solutions has started, and there is growing recognition that quick-fixes that address the symptoms is not enough. To effectively switch off the tap on the plastic problem, a systemic shift to tackle the root causes is needed.
To further accelerate the sense of urgency and momentum gaining around marine plastic litter, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation has launched the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
This week, building on news that HP, Inc and IKEA joined a global consortium working to develop the first global network of ocean-bound plastics supply chains, the public and private sector made further strides on creating a circular economy for packaging around the world.
COLLABORATION -
The only positive side of the marine plastic problem is the growing tide of actions from the global business community to try and solve it — in the past year alone, the issue has spawned campaigns, documentaries, cross-industry collaborations, scientific breakthroughs,
NEW METRICS -
Oceans cover more than 70 percent of our planet’s surface and are home to 80 percent of life on earth. Fish, which provide 20 percent of daily protein intake to about 3.1 billion people, is among the most widely traded food commodities — at a value of US$145 billion annually.
PRESS RELEASE -
Employees, families, friends and customers of The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) are collaborating with local organizations across the world and Ocean Conservancy to take part in beach and waterway cleanups at more than 50 locations across the globe to bring attention to the issue of ocean plastic pollution.
PRESS RELEASE -
Brazilian chemicals company Braskem, producers of I’m green™ – a bio-based polyethylene made from sugarcane – has had its negative carbon footprint credentials strengthened thanks to an independent review by the Carbon Trust.
In a new report comparing I’m green™ with fossil-based equivalents, the Carbon Trust has endorsed the methodology used by Braskem to support claims that for every tonne of I’m green™ produced, the equivalent of around 3 tonnes of CO2 are locked away by the sugarcane, which provides the main raw material for its manufacture. This means Braskem’s bio-based plastic is effectively carbon-negative.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
Hospitality giants Sandals Resorts International (SRI) and Caesars Entertainment have joined the growing, cross-sector fight against single-use plastics with ambitious phase-out plans for plastic straws and stirrers.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Circulate Capital, the impact-focused investment management firm dedicated to financing companies, projects and infrastructure that prevent ocean plastic; and SecondMuse, a global business accelerator that works with local stakeholders, leading corporations and government agencies to build resilient economies, today announced the launch of The Incubator Network by Circulate Capital and SecondMuse, a new initiative to accelerate solutions to ocean plastic waste by partnering with existing incubators t
LEADERSHIP -
We live in the Fourth Industrial Revolution – an era with unprecedented technological advancement. This revolution has also come at a time with serious global ecological and social challenges. Thankfully, companies around the world are committing themselves to finding innovative, profitable solutions to these problems.
WASTE NOT -
The Ocean Cleanup, the Dutch non-profit organization that made waves in 2015 with its grand plans and new approach to ridding the oceans of plastic, last weekend launched the world’s first ocean cleanup system from the San Francisco Bay. “System 001” headed to a location 240 nautical miles offshore for a two-week trial before continuing its journey toward the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, 1,200 nautical miles offshore, to start the cleanup. System 001 is being towed from the San Francisco Bay by the vessel Maersk Launcher, which has been made available to the project by A.P.