Accelerating Sustainability: Finch & Beak Joins SLR Consulting

To accelerate sustainability at an even faster pace, Finch & Beak has officially joined SLR Consulting as of 18 March 2022. Both companies have, for the past 25 years, helped clients to achieve their sustainability goals. By combining the ESG industry experience that Finch & Beak has with the experience SLR has as a global leader in environmental and advisory solutions we will be able to expand both of our companies’ work into new markets.

Algramo Develops Refill Business with Unilever

In the outskirts of Santiago, inexpensive food is very hard to come by. There are only few supermarkets, and the food at local stores is typically priced 30-40% more expensive than normal. Chilean based startup Algramo has developed a solution to address this challenge. Founded in 2012, the company is solving economic and environmental issues through its vending machines. Algramo dispenses staple products, like grains, rice, beans, lentils, and sugar “by the gram” (al gramo) to low-income customers. Now partnering with Unilever and others, the company has developed a reusable packaging solution for household cleaners and detergents.

World Resources Forum 2019: Closing Loops

The next edition of the World Resources Forum is taking place in the heart of Antwerp, Belgium from 24-27 February 2019 in collaboration with the Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM). This time, business leaders, policy-makers, NGOs, researchers, entrepreneurs, the media, and students will share solutions and practices undertaken to move from a linear and fossil to a circular and low carbon economy.

Empowering Smallholder Farmers within the Value Chain

What do the Rana Plaza clothing factory disaster and the Chinese food safety scandal that, according to Reuters, caused a 4.2 percent share price decrease for Yum Brands have on common? They are two of the many examples of the costs and risks that companies can incur when a sustainable and integrated supply chain management is not in place. On the other hand, responsible management comes with many benefits, including greater access to capital and new markets, reducing the cost of material input, energy and transportation, and spurring innovation in order to meet evolving customer and business partner requirements. The business case is clear.

Finch & Beak

Finch & Beak is a consulting agency that helps companies accelerate their performance on today’s biggest sustainability challenges. In 1997, we launched our business as a boutique consultancy that worked on bringing sustainability into the mainstream. During this 25-year period, we have serviced over 100 corporate clients throughout Europe, trained more than 5000 executives, and worked with top-level business schools from around the globe. As of March 2022, Finch & Beak has joined SLR Consulting and became part of a larger global network to further sustainability acceleration.

McDonald's Ambitious Targets for 2020

Although McDonald’s is not typically perceived as one of the frontrunners in sustainability, it has built up a sound track record recognized by leading benchmarks such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Great Place to Work, and Fortune. Over the past few years, the company has been working on a global sustainability framework and collaborated with stakeholders to define goals for the year 2020. Where is the company on its sustainability journey and how is McDonald’s collaborating with locally operating companies?

Accelerating Employee Engagement at Eneco

Not so long ago, utility companies were public agencies that offered predictable products and services, and had little to no competitors. They did not need to have an open, social and innovative character, and entrepreneurial skills were not that important. During the 1990's this slowly began to change. Moreover, new technological opportunities and contemporary developments led to further acceleration. So how faces Eneco, a >€5 billion turnover Dutch energy company, this changing context?

Is Creating Shared Value Gender-Sensitive?

The unique lingerie brand Naja produces lingerie with a purpose and is a great example of putting the Creating Shared Value concept into practice. With their initiative ‘Underwear for Hope’ the company empowers women in South America through education and employment. By offering training and job opportunities for women in the poorest regions of Colombia, Naja gives women chances to develop their skills and receive a regular income.

Shared Value: The Potential for Sustainable Success

“Value2: Entrepreneurship for society: profit for sustainable welfare" is the title of the new book by Sabine Denis, General Manager of Business and Society Belgium. The book describes in detail the concept of shared value and the link between economic activity and sustainable welfare in society, based on no less than thirty in-depth interviews about sustainability with the captains of industry. On February 17th Sabine Denis presented her new work in Brussels, Belgium.

Sustainable Protein Production in Dairy: Less Farting, More Fat

As projected by the World Resources Institute, the world will need to produce 70% more calories by 2050, to feed its global population of 9.6 billion people. A major part of these calories will consist of animal protein: meat, milk and eggs. While alternative solutions will also make contributions to filling the food gap (reducing food waste, shifting diets), it is clear that the production of animal protein will have to increase dramatically in order to meet growing demand.