3p Weekend: 13 Sustainability Newsletters Worth Your Time

With a busy week behind you and the weekend within reach, there’s no shame in taking things a bit easy on Friday afternoon. With this in mind, every Friday TriplePundit will give you a fun, easy read on a topic you care about. So, take a break from those endless email threads, and spend five minutes catching up on the latest trends in sustainability and business.

The early days of the Donald Trump administration have been anything but boring. Many of us open our news apps with baited breath these days, as the incoming administration delivers policy after policy that sends the broader sustainability community into an uproar.

But amidst the cries that the sky is falling, the discerning reader can still find plenty to be optimistic about. Renewable energy continues to get cheaper and gain market share, and some analysts say Trump's antics could unintentionally push corporate social responsibility into the mainstream.

So how can you separate the news you want from the doom and gloom? Emailed newsletters are an ideal option, especially for readers on the run. Read on for our picks, and catch up on the stuff you really care about in 2017.

1. Sustainable Brands

Sustainable Brands is best known for its annual conferences that bring business leaders together to forge the next frontier of CSR. But the same company behind those week-long events in London, San Diego and now Detroit also publishes daily headlines related to sustainable business.

And if you don't have time to log on every day, you're in luck. SB offers six tailored newsletters to suit your reading needs. Choose from headlines on business, communications, research and more, or opt for the Weekly Digest for the need-to-know.

Sign up for Sustainable Brands newsletters here.

2. Guardian Sustainable Business

The Guardian, a leading U.K. newspaper, has a separate arm of its site dedicated exclusively to sustainable business. Find curated headlines and in-depth pieces befitting of the Guardian's respected journalists.

And if you don't have time to browse on the daily, the GSB Weekly newsletter is a solid alternative. Sign up for climate and policy updates, cleantech news, and op/eds from prominent thought leaders in the CSR space.

Sign up for the GSB weekly newsletter here.

3. B The Change Media

By now most of you have heard about B Corporations. Certified by the nonprofit B Lab, B Corps commit to a rigorous set of standards. Nearly 2,000 companies (including TriplePundit) are now B Corp certified.

B the Change media formed in 2015 as a partnership between B Lab and the media arm's CEO Bryan Welch. "We are not focused exclusively on B Corporations," B the Change notes on its website. "But we systematically use the comprehensive B Impact Assessment as a way of measuring companies’ commitment to doing good."

And the B Daily newsletter puts all of that good at your fingertips. You'll learn about up-and-coming companies using business as a force for good, and find out how legacy firms are reshaping their business for sustainability.

Sign up for the B Daily newsletter here. 

4. GreenBiz

For seasoned CSR and sustainability pros, GreenBiz and its founder Joel Makower need little introduction. From daily headlines and research to global events and an expansive executive network, GreenBiz is one of the top sources for sustainable business.

The GreenBuzz newsletter brings you the latest breaking news, along with daily updates from Makower and special sections ranging from technology to carbon tools. Its Verge weekly newsletter focuses specifically on cleantech, with the latest news on energy, information, buildings and vehicles.

Sign up for the GreenBuzz and Verge newsletters here. 

5. SmartBrief

Leading business-to-business (B2B) media company SmartBrief is all about keeping busy business leaders informed. SmartBrief publishes more than 200 tailored e-mail newsletters "in partnership with leading trade associations and professional societies," the company says.

That's a whole lot of curated knowledge on pretty much anything under the sun. But for our purposes, we suggest the SmartBrief on Sustainability and SmartBrief on Social Business. These daily newsletters bring all the latest headlines the sustainable business pro needs to know about before that afternoon water cooler chat.

Sign up for the SmartBrief on Sustainability here. 

Sign up for the SmartBrief on Social Business here. 

6. 3BL Media

Looking for the latest news directly from CSR leaders? Look no further than 3BL Media's Newsalerts.

Choose from weekly or daily newsletters, or opt for tailored news on health or energy topics. All newsletters contain press releases directly from companies about their latest CSR and sustainability initiatives. And you'll also get the low-down on upcoming events, webinars and conferences to keep yourself informed.

Sign up for 3BL Media newsletters here.

7. CSRWire

Under the umbrella of 3BL Media, CSRWire aggregates press releases related to CSR and sustainability -- bringing you all the latest in one place. And its Daily News Alert is more of the same: Browse press releases, events, reports, books and editorial commentary straight from your inbox.

Sign up for the CSRWire Daily News Alert here.

8. UNEP Climate Action Program

If you're looking to get your climate news 'straight from the horse's mouth,' as it were, this weekly newsletter from the U.N. Environmental Program is just the ticket.

Browse the latest news from the UNEP's Climate Action Program, read white papers and reports, and peep interviews with business leaders on the future of corporate climate action. And if you're looking for your next green job, the newsletter also includes the program's latest openings.

Sign up for the Climate Action Newsletter in the sidebar here.

9. NASA

For more insider climate news, this option from NASA is a must-read. It'll deliver the latest from NASA's Climate Change website to your inbox once a month, although with news that the Trump administration may try to gut NASA's climate division, who knows how long it will last.

Sign up for the NASA Global Climate Change newsletter here.

10. Cone Communications

The weekly Prove Your Purpose newsletter is ideal for folks who are short on time.

We're not sure how they do it, but Cone Communications manages to squeeze a whole lot into one weekly update. Check out the latest CSR trends the firm is tracking, and find curated headlines from all over the Web. You'll be the smartest person at the office all week.

Sign up for the Prove Your Purpose newsletter here.

11. Environmental and Energy Study Institute

EESI's weekly climate change newsletter focuses on the latest in climate research and policy. The nonprofit pulls from respected sources like Scientific American and the New York Times, and synthesizes the latest news into readable paragraphs perfect for the business leader on the go. Be prepared to spend at least 20 minutes on this one, but you'll walk away informed.

Sign up for the EESI Climate Change newsletter in the footer here.

12. FastCo.Exist

The sustainable business arm of Fast Company magazine, FastCo.Exist features the latest news on innovative business models, new economic policy and clean technology. And its fun, visually-stimulating take on information carries over into the FastCo.Exist daily newsletter. Additionally, you can find daily and weekly newsletters dedicated to leadership, philanthropy, technology, and more.

Sign up for the FastCo.Exist daily newsletter in the sidebar here. After signing up, open your preferences to select from other Fast Company newsletters.

13. TriplePundit

Okay, it would be a little weird if we didn't plug ourselves, right? But seriously you guys, have you seen the new 3p Weekly newsletter? We kicked off the new year with a new look and the same 3p content you love.

Each Weekly Dispatch newsletter brings you our most popular stories and curated coverage on the topics everyone is talking about. And our analysis with the triple bottom line in mind means it's more than just the headlines -- it's insight you can trust.

Sign up for the 3p Daily Headlines and Weekly Dispatch newsletters here. 

Image credit: Pexels

Editor's Note: This post was updated on Feb. 20 with the most updated version of GSB's signup URL.