ESG Acceleration Webinar: #BuildingBackBetter in the Decade to Deliver

During this webinar we'll zoom in on what companies can do to emerge stronger and more sustainably from the pandemic crisis, sharing take-aways for businesses from the 2020 Future Possibilities Report. This UN-sanctioned report explores the possibilities of tomorrow, and how countries can leverage them to reset their economies in the post-Covid world.

Positive Impact Through Meaningful Partnering

In a fast-changing world with increasing internal and external risk, companies need to find smart solutions to achieve their sustainability objectives. Building strong partnerships with external stakeholders can help companies increase their positive impact as well as gaining a competitive advantage. This article sheds light on the partnership between Accor and the food waste reduction start-up Too Good To Go, highlighting both organizations’ objectives and partnership’s benefits.

The Key to Executing Change is Collaboration

As the launch of the new Loop partnership at the 2019 World Economic Forum suggests, today’s biggest sustainability challenges require collaborative solutions. That is why the Sustainable Development Goals include SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals. However, the number of sustainability partnerships has remained low due to fierce competition between companies for recognition of their sustainability performance. By forging and maintaining partnerships companies can make a bigger sustainability impact while also gaining the competitive advantage they seek.

A Little Less Conversation, a Little More SDG Action

The largest call-to-action for sustainability ever was announced three years ago to the day, on September 25, 2015, when the leaders of 193 nations adopted an ambitious set of global goals to combat poverty, inequality and climate change at the United Nations General Assembly. That day, the United Nations called for governments, businesses, NGOs and citizens around the world to join forces in achieving the 17 SDGs and its associated targets by 2030. But meeting those targets presented a conundrum of execution of unprecedented magnitude. Therefore focus is required to realize the ideas generated. As today is SDG Action Day, we share our free SDG Proposition Canvas and workshop instructions to turn your ideas into focused actions.

Katapult: A Norwegian Accelerator with Global Impact

The Oslo-based Katapult is not just any startup accelerator program. While the likes of Y Combinator, TechStars and Seedcamp have pioneered the acceleration landscape through funding hundreds of small businesses that in some cases have grown into big names themselves, this Norwegian program is a for-profit accelerator that is uniquely focused on creating positive societal impact.

Corporate Accelerators Spark Sustainable Innovation

Instead of innovating in isolation, multinationals are opening their doors and partner with startups to design solutions for their most pressing challenges. Coca-Cola, Google and Disney are only a few of the companies that have captured value of initiating these corporate accelerators. These accelerators increasingly focus on sustainability issues. One of the latest companies entering the stage is Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev). The global beer company has announced its 100+ Accelerator, aiming to address global challenges in line with the group’s 2025 Sustainability Goals.

Launch of the World Ports Sustainability Program

The newly created World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP) will be launched on March 22 and 23, 2018 in the Port of Antwerp, Belgium. Ports are critical points in the global supply chain and play a crucial role in working to improve the sustainable performance of the supply chain on a local as well as on the global scale. The WPSP will bring together the international ports community in order to contribute to a sustainable future.

Sunglasses That Help Save the Oceans in Style

With the recent UN resolution on marine litter and microplastics adopted by all 193 member states and studies claiming that our oceans will contain more plastics than fish by 2050, ocean plastics is en vogue. Roughly 13% of these ocean plastics are accounted for by abandoned fishing nets. Not only do these nets contaminate our waters, before disintegrating they lead to “ghost fishing”: entangling and killing hundreds of thousands of sea animals. With fishermen as obvious key stakeholders in this global challenge, entrepreneur François van den Abeele found a way to truly engage them: making stylish sunglasses from plastic waste such as retrieved fishing nets.

Value Proposition Design for the Circular Economy: Adidas & Parley

Born as a spin-off of the Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik founded in 1924, the world’s second largest sportswear manufacturer needs no introduction. Throughout the decades, the Adidas brand has become synonymous with top athletic performance as well as iconic, personal style with its Adidas Originals line. How does the almost 100 year old company stay fresh? One way is through innovating for a sustainable future.

Collaboration with Competition: Peer Partnerships for Society

Traditionally, value chain partnerships are set up between companies with complementary capabilities, resources, products and services. To increase the impact of their sustainability efforts, companies increasingly find that collaboration with competitors can be a useful approach. These partnerships typically lead to synergies for all parties involved, including an increased scalability of their sustainability efforts, cost savings and improved performance. In addition, peer partnerships can fuel new business models and, thus, new revenue streams.