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2019 has been another big year for environmental news stories, culminating in last week’s disappointing end to the annual U.N. climate negotiations. But what has this year meant for water? Here are the top five trends.

1. Too much or too little 

Droughts and floods dominated headlines in 2019. Chennai, a city in India with a population roughly equivalent to New York City, is on the verge of running out of water. Only four years ago, the area faced devastating floods from monsoon rains, and this year saw three of its four reservoirs run dry. This growing city in India’s south looks to be a harbinger for future scarcity in Bangalore, often called India’s Silicon Valley.

Sydney, Australia, is also facing one of its most severe droughts in recent years, and Sydneysiders are looking at severe restrictions on water use, much like last year’s situation in Cape Town. And while Sydney does not have the population density of Chennai, wildfires are also gripping the region, putting it at increasing risk. 

On the flip side, some places saw too much water this year. Towns and farms throughout the Midwestern U.S. faced flooding as the Mississippi River overflowed. Some of the flooding highlighted the poor state of some of the infrastructure along the river. Recovery costs are in the billions of dollars, and the impact of the flooded corn and soybean fields is not yet fully clear.

More recently, flooding in Venice has captured the world’s attention. Although the city is used to flooding, this year’s events were something more: the highest water levels in 53 years. In addition to irreversible damage to historic buildings, it could mean the exodus of further residents in the already shrinking city as people flee inland.

2. Water scarcity as a risk

In 2019, more businesses woke up to the fact that water scarcity poses a risk to their operations, from industrial processes to data centers to simply powering facilities. Still, about half of companies do not have a plan to realize their water reduction targets, according to an Ecolab/Greenbiz survey conducted earlier this year. Although that same survey found that 74 percent of respondents said water is a priority, and 59 percent said it is a growing business risk. And while some businesses are reducing water use in their own operations, in some places business leaders pushing for better governance to fit the technological solutions that already exist.  

3. Clean water troubles spread

Clean water continued to produce headlines five years after the crisis in Flint, Michigan. High levels of lead were found in the drinking water in Newark, New Jersey, earlier this year. And in May, researchers concluded that 43 states had sites with elevated levels of toxic chemicals coming from their taps.

Further, experts have estimated that Flint and Newark may be the tip of the iceberg as necessary water infrastructure upgrades have not been completed for decades. Unfortunately, initiative on infrastructure has not been trending this year, despite the floods and water quality concerns.

4. Stamping out water inequality

The theme of 2019’s World Water Day was "Leave No One Behind," highlighting the global inequality of access to clean, safe water. Marginalized communities are more likely to have inadequate supplies. Although this is often viewed as a problem for the developing world, the developed world is not immune. While wealthy people, cities and countries will always be able to find the means to buy new supplies, the poor and marginalized will struggle to gain the same access.

Flint is a case in point: A government-appointed committee in Michigan found that race was a factor in causing the crisis. In the U.S. more broadly, this has also become an issue in the aftermath of extreme weather events, like hurricanes and floods, when poorer residents struggle to regain their footing after the relief trucks have left.  

5. The climate change connection

The connective tissue that runs through all of this is climate change. Water will be more affected by climate change than any other sector. Whether this means more extreme weather events leading to floods and droughts, climate migrants and the impact of those shifting populations, or increased stress on already fracturing infrastructure, climate change as a pressure on water began to show up in more discussions on the topic overall.

The fact that this conversation is happening is a sign of progress. The more the dots are connected, the better equipped we are to solve the problem. As the saying goes, “The first step is admitting you have a problem.” At first glance, these trends may seem overwhelming and dire, but they are a necessary part of the solution. 

Image credits: M Waleed and fotografierende via Pexels

The holidays came early for YouTuber Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson and the Arbor Day Foundation as their viral #TeamTrees campaign crossed the finish line of funding 20 million tree-plantings worldwide. 

Launched on Oct. 25, the campaign aimed to raise $20 million to plant 20 million trees in celebration of Donaldson's YouTube channel reaching 20 million subscribers. Inspired by a Reddit challenge from a fan, #TeamTrees quickly went viral—raising $12 million by November and attracting attention from high-profile donors like Elon Musk, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki.

The campaign hit the goal on Friday, over a week before its self-imposed deadline of Jan. 1. "We did it!!" Donaldson announced on Twitter. "Thank you so much to the over 500,000 different people that donated and the hundreds of influential people that promoted the campaign! Teamtrees was more than planting 20 million trees, it was a movement that shows we care and we want to make change."

The campaign is the largest crowdfunding effort in YouTube's history and "one of the fastest-growing environmental fundraising initiatives to-date," according to the Arbor Day Foundation. Through its global network, the Foundation will plant the promised 20 million trees across every continent except Antarctica, from January 2020 through December 2022. Tree species will be native to each area, ensuring survivability and maximum benefit for local ecosystems.

"We are proud to have partnered with #TeamTrees and are humbled at the outpouring of support," Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation, said in a statement on Friday. "We recognize the trust that's been placed in us. Now it is time to begin carefully planting these 20 million trees all over the world."

Influencers taking stands

As TriplePundit follows the brands taking stands movement and the rising trend of corporate, executive and employee activism, the prominent role of online influencers has come into sharper focus. 

A powerful economic and cultural force in their own right, the social media influencer market is expected to be worth up to $15 billion by 2022, and U.S. teens say they look up to influencers more than traditional celebrities like actors, musicians and athletes. 

In the case of #TeamTrees, hundreds of these high-profile voices leveraged their clout for good. YouTube videos related to the campaign earned a staggering 276 million views, with help from Donaldson and former NASA engineer Mark Rober, who himself has over 10 million subscribers on the platform. A single YouTube live stream by user Jacksepticeye raised $154,000 from 9,000 donors in a matter of hours, according to #TeamTrees.

As news of the campaign spread across the Web, it turned into scores of memes on Reddit, live-stream benefits on Twitch, half a billion views on TikTok and fundraiser bake sales IRL (that's "in real life" for the grups in the room). 

"When Mark [Rober] and I started this campaign, we couldn't have predicted the incredible support #TeamTrees would receive," Donaldson said in a statement. "From hundreds of YouTube creators, to the biggest names in Silicon Valley, to kids holding bake sales, a huge team came together to make this possible. This is a big win for the planet."

(Image: The impact of planting 20 million trees, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.)

#TeamTrees succeeds where COP25 failed

The success of #TeamTrees is timely for a number of reasons. Nature-based climate solutions emerged as a key point of focus at the annual U.N. climate talks (COP25)—and for good reason.

Nature-based solutions could could deliver 37 percent of the emissions reductions scientists say is needed to limit global temperature rise, according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBSCD). And, per the National Academy of Sciences, forest restoration has the most global climate mitigation potential compared to all other natural solutions. 

Though COP25 ended in disappointment, with world leaders again unable to agree on key issues, campaigns like #TeamTrees illustrate how much influence everyday people have, organizers say. 

"#TeamTrees is a prime example of youth leadership—especially the Gen Z 'Change Generation'—moving beyond retweet activism and harnessing the power of social media to address key societal issues," said Lambe of the Arbor Day Foundation. "The 20 million trees planted through this campaign will absorb and store 1.6 million tons of carbon, the equivalent of taking 1.24 million cars off the road for a year."

The campaign will continue to collect donations beyond the Jan. 1 deadline, with proceeds going toward the Foundation's Time for Trees initiative, a commitment to planting 100 million trees by 2022.

"We know 20 million trees won't cure climate change but this is a clear message that we care about our planet and about each other," said Matt Fitzgerald, campaign director for #TeamTrees, in a statement. "Solutions are all around us and it's time to get to work. #TeamTrees is here for it. This is just the beginning."

Image credits: Akil Mazumder/Pexels and the Arbor Day Foundation

2019 was a big year for sustainable development in seafood. From the Venetian Hotel partnering with FishWatch to Tyson Foods investing in a plant-based shrimp startup, brands took initial steps to foster sustainable seafood supply chains. Such moves are essential since 55 percent of our world’s oceans are overfished and may house more plastic than fish by 2050. 
 
Both large and small players in seafood and seafood replacements saw sustainable development as an important part of their 2019 business strategy. Read on for just three examples. 

1. Plant-based fish products recognized for their flavors 

This year, plant-based seafood achieved the seemingly impossible: the “just right” texture and flavor. The fish-free tuna by Good Catch Foods, which TriplePundit touted as a vegan seafood company to watch in 2019, won a Nexty Award as the best new meat alternative at Expo East 2019, the largest natural food products expo in the United States. 

Similarly, Ocean Hugger Foods, a plant-based tuna and eel company, launched several products in retailers and restaurants across the U.S. this year—including Whole Foods Market, Albertsons and Walmart. Albertsons, a U.S. food and drug retailer, eliminated freshwater eel from its sushi products this year due to the eel’s decline and the pollution and disease associated with freshwater eel farms. Not to mention that in the past 10 years, the price of freshwater eel has gone up by 8,000 percent.   

2. Partnerships bring increased transparency   

Trade associations and retailers upped their data collection through partnerships in 2019, bringing more transparency to seafood supply chains. In March, the National Fisheries Institute, the largest U.S. seafood trade group, partnered with the IBM Food Trust to launch a blockchain-based traceability program for their members that range from suppliers to retailers. The goal is to use blockchain to help companies in the trade group cut down on waste, prevent fraud, and tell a more robust sustainability story. 
 
In October, Walmart leveraged its partnership with IBM to launch a shrimp tracking program, while the Texas grocery chain H-E-B partnered with the Environmental Defense Fund to update its sustainable seafood standards. The move expanded traceability in the grocer's supply chains and adds the fish catch method to consumer-facing marketing.  

(Image: BlueNalu's cell-based yellowtail prepared in a poke bowl.)

3. Momentum builds in cellular-based seafood options 

Cellular aquaculture companies—companies that produce fish from cell cultures—grew operations and industry partnerships in 2019, proving they are ready to scale. 
 
Five cellular protein companies launched a trade group—the Alliance for Meat, Poultry and Seafood Innovation—in August to seek regulatory approval for their products and educate consumers about the sustainability benefits of cell-based meats. The creation of the trade group is important since communications around their offerings are becoming fragmented as more cellular protein companies enter the market, Quartz reported.
 
Two companies in particular achieved growth milestones in 2019. Shiok Meats, another cellular fish and meat company, sampled its lab-grown shrimp at the Disruption in Food Summit in Singapore and raised over $4 million in seed funding from various global investors. BlueNalu, a cellular-based seafood company and member of the Alliance, expanded its operations and even demoed its yellowtail amberjack in December.  

Looking ahead: Sustainable seafood in 2020 and beyond

As we move into 2020, more retailers and restaurants are likely to bring more transparency to their sustainable seafood sourcing practices and offer new seafood alternatives, outlets like Food & Wine and Today predict.
 
“Diners who care about the environment and animal welfare will continue to ask food makers about the sustainability of ingredients,” Jenny Zegler, associate director of food and drink for market research firm Mintel, told USA Today. “For their part, companies will increase awareness of their efforts through consumer messaging, social media campaigns and package design.”

Image credits: Caroline Attwood and Filippo Faruffini via Unsplash, Valeria Boltneva/Pexels, Good Catch Foods, BlueNalu

From carbon-positive burgers to bioplastic toys, here are the top sustainability headlines you may have missed this month. 

December has been a busy month for new sustainability commitments, product announcements and milestones. Over the past two weeks, we've seen dozens of businesses leverage the annual U.N. climate talks (COP25) to re-up their commitments to reduce emissions and increase efficiency.

By itself, the U.N. Global Compact’s Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign has doubled in size between Climate Week in September and the end of the U.N. talks. As of last week, 177 companies with a collective $2.8 trillion in market capitalization have aligned with the global push to cap temperature rise at 1.5 degrees Celsius through the campaign.

Having trouble keeping up? You're not alone. Here are just a few of the headlines that crossed our desks over the past two weeks. 

Ikea, H&M and Swedish burger chain MAX Burgers create 'climate positive' business framework

MAX Burgers, the only national burger chain in Sweden with over 150 restaurants, has been climate positive since last year, as recognized by the U.N. But what does this mean, really? 

The company linked up with Ikea, H&M and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to put the definition on paper. And last week, this cohort released the first draft of a global framework for a climate positive corporation. Among other defining characteristics, becoming a climate positive company means "reaching net-negative emissions by 2040 at the latest," according to the framework. 

For its part, Ikea is putting its money where its mouth is and plans to invest $220 million toward its climate-positive ambitions. 

Ecolab leverages net-zero commitment to push water into the climate conversation 

Water, energy and hygiene solutions firm Ecolab is among the latest to commit to a net-zero trajectory—pledging to halve emissions by 2030 and zero them out by mid-century.

The company leveraged its COP25 announcement to advocate for water issues as part of mainstream climate dialogue. “You can’t tackle climate effectively if you don’t tackle water at the same time," said Emilio Tenuta, VP of corporate sustainability for Ecolab. Read more on 3p here. 

Patagonia creates used gear rental program with Awayco

Outdoor gear label and sustainability darling Patagonia is no stranger to selling used gear. Now, it's going to the next level in partnership with outdoor rental platform Awayco.

Starting at the brand's new flagship store in Denver, customers will have the option to reserve used gear on Awayco and pick it up in store before heading to one of a half dozen major mountain destinations nearby. Getting into gear rental makes sense for Patagonia, a perennial advocate for more responsible consumption.  

Mattel to switch to sustainable plastic by 2030

This week, storied toymaker Mattel pledged to use 100 percent recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastics in products and packaging by 2030. Its first product will be a revamped version of the Fisher Price Rock-a-Stack, a classic best-seller that dates back to the 1960s.

Made from sugarcane-based plastics and packaged in "100 percent recycled or sustainably sourced material," the new Rock-a-Stack will hit store shelves in early 2020, Mattel says. 

Delta signs on to purchase 10 million gallons of sustainable fuel annually

This week, Delta Air Lines announced a long-term agreement with biofuel company Gevo to purchase 10 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuels annually. The fuel will be produced after an expansion of Gevo's Minnesota production facility and is expected to be available between 2022 and 2023.

“Fuel is an airline’s biggest area of impact and therefore presents our greatest opportunity to drive solutions that care for the planet,” Graeme Burnett, senior vice president of fuel management at Delta, said in a press statement. The move comes after Delta invested $2 million to study the feasibility of a new biofuel facility in Washington state, in partnership with another producer. 

Bank of America meets $125 billion environmental business commitment six years ahead of schedule

Back in 2013, Bank of America pledged to deploy $125 billion for low-carbon business activities—and this month, it met that goal six years early. The cash funded energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable transportation projects across the U.S., supporting "tens of thousands of jobs" in the process, according to Bank of America. 

This milestone brings the financial giant’s total commitment to more than $445 billion since 2007, per company estimates. That includes $6.35 billion in issued corporate green bonds, the newest of which was announced in October and valued at $2 billion. The bank also underwrote nearly $50 billion in green bonds on behalf of corporate clients. 

“Through our sustainable finance efforts, we’re driving a clean energy future, while helping our clients accelerate their business activities related to low-carbon and sustainable growth,” Anne Finucane, vice chairman at Bank of America, said in a press statement. Up next: The company plans to mobilize an additional $300 billion in sustainable financing by 2030, with a focus on projects that support the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Blue Bottle cafes to go zero-waste next year

Iconic Bay Area coffee label Blue Bottle, which was acquired by Nestle in 2017, plans to phase out single-use cups and bags at all of its U.S. cafes by the end of 2020. The company previously switched to biodegradable cups but felt the move didn't go far enough, CEO Bryan Meehan wrote in a letter earlier this month. 

"At Blue Bottle, we’re not afraid to admit that we’re part of the problem," Meehan wrote. "We recently woke up to the fact that our beautiful bioplastic cups and straws were not being composted even though they were 100 percent compostable. Too many ended up in landfills, where they couldn’t break down at all." 

After a brief stint using paper straws and sugarcane-paper cups, the company opted for an entirely zero-waste model, starting with a pilot in San Francisco. Read Meehan's full letter here. 

Pete and Gerry's ups the sustainability ante with the industry's first reusable egg carton

Made up of 45 family-run organic farms from New England to the Midwest, Pete & Gerry's is no stranger to sustainability. It's the largest U.S. producer of free-range, organic, Certified Humane eggs and offers take-backs for its packaging. So, it comes as no surprise that the brand is the first in its industry to test reusable egg cartons. 

"We recognize that reuse is even better than recycling," CEO Jesse Laflamme said in a statement, "and we're proud to be at the forefront of this growing movement to help reduce the impact of packaging on the planet.” Read more on 3p here. 

Kroger puts plant-based meat on the big stage

Over the next 16 weeks, shoppers will find plant-based meat displays featured prominently in the conventional meat department at 60 Kroger stores across Denver, Indiana, and Illinois.

The move is part of a consumer engagement test in partnership with the Plant-Based Foods Association (PBFA), which will track how moving plant-based meats out of specialty sections affects sales.

"Our goal is to provide retailers with actionable data to inform merchandising decisions and optimize plant-based food sales," Julie Emmett, senior director of retail partnerships for PBFA, wrote on the Association's website. The test was first announced in September and went live this week. 

Hilton expands food waste reduction initiative to more than 300 hotels

Following a pilot at 50 hotels, Hilton will expand its food waste reduction program to all North American properties, the company announced this week. Along with getting smarter about food prep and service to reduce waste-up front, pilot hotels connected with local food rescue nonprofits to re-route leftovers to those in need. Scraps that can't be donated are composted, saving approximately $7,000 per month in waste hauling fees, the company says. 

The expansion creates one of the largest hotel food donation programs to date. Pilot hotels have already diverted more than 6 million pounds of food waste from landfills, an equivalent of more than 11,000 megatons of carbon emissions, according to Hilton. Read more on 3p here. 

Image credits: Valeria Boltneva/Pexels; Fisher Price; Tyler Nix/Unsplash; Plant-Based Foods Asociation

Organic egg producer Pete and Gerry’s is the first in its industry to test reusable egg cartons.  They're made from recycled, BPA-free plastic and cost $3, but using them will give customers a discount on their dozen eggs. 

"Reusable cartons are a logical next step in our ongoing commitment to sustainability, moving consumer behavior from recycling to reuse,” said Jesse Laflamme, CEO of Pete and Gerry’s, in a press statement. “We plan to expand this program in 2020 to reach even more consumers and amplify the program's impact with major retailers clamoring for this type of sustainable innovation."

The certified B Corporation has been piloting the initiative at Hanover Co-op Food Stores in New Hampshire and Vermont over the past six weeks. Customers are "loving the idea that [the cartons are] robust, and they can cut down on their waste,” Laflamme told Fast Company. And he hopes other retailers will make space for the cartons as well. 

As the largest U.S. producer of free-range, organic, Certified Humane eggs, the brand can be found at major retailers in almost every market, including Target, Safeway and Walmart. Though Whole Foods may be the next logical partner for the reusable roll-out because of its sustainability-minded clientele, Laflamme told FastCompany.

(Image: Pete and Gerry's reusable egg cartons are available for purchase at designated retail displays and can be refilled with loose eggs elsewhere in the store.)

Reusable options take hold in the retail sector

Reusables are coming into fashion across the retail sector. You’d be hard pressed to find a disposable grocery bag in many states. Californians and Hawaiians are already used to bringing their reusable totes on shopping trips. And some cafes offer discounts when customers forgo the disposable cup, lid and sleeve for their own reusable mug.

Legislation and incentives haven’t gone much further than bags and cups yet, but that doesn’t mean customers don’t appreciate zero-waste options from the brands they love and the stores they patronize. The public is waking up to the political complexities of recycling, and many recognize that putting an item in the recycling bin doesn’t necessarily mean it will be recycled, especially as waste export markets shrink.

Instead of relying mostly on recycling to keep their ecological footprints small, many consumers are beginning to reduce waste on their own—and research indicates they expect brands to help them. Sixty percent of U.S. consumers want packaging options that don't involve single-use plastic, according to a recent survey. In the U.K., around half of consumers say they're willing to pay more for the privilege of leaving single-use behind. 

(Image: Once they've purchased a reusable carton, shoppers can fill it up at a Pete and Gerry's display of loose eggs which are discounted from a standard dozen, allowing the carton to pay for itself over time.)

"Reuse is even better than recycling..."

For its part, Pete and Gerry’s has been chasing more sustainable packaging for years. 

The company launched recycled plastic packaging in 2012 based on third-party lifecycle analyses. Canadian research company Quantis found clear recycled PET packaging to be either “superior” or “vastly superior” in most cases, compared to to pulp or polystyrene, when considering environmental and human factors. And if customers don’t have the option of recycling plastic in their area, Pete and Gerry’s takes back their cartons for free. 

"Our consumers expect Pete and Gerry's to be on the leading edge of sustainability," said Laflamme. "Like many other consumer packaged goods companies, we recognize that reuse is even better than recycling, and we're proud to be at the forefront of this growing movement to help reduce the impact of packaging on the planet.”

“This is a pilot program, but we are emboldened by the initial results and committed to new ways of thinking about how we deliver on our promise to be a responsible force for good."

Image credits: Erol Ahmed/Unsplash and Pete & Gerry's

The dust from COP25 has settled in Madrid, and after two weeks of negotiations we’re left with an outcome that leaves much to be desired.

The parties to the negotiations—nearly 200 governments—failed to bridge the ambition gap between what the climate science demands and the world’s current trajectory. They also failed again to iron out the details of vital carbon market mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, as well as rules of the road for compensating the most climate-vulnerable nations for the harms they suffer.

Above all, world leaders failed to act on the clarion call for increased action heard from all sectors of society and every corner of the world, both inside and outside the halls of COP25. In the end, the efforts of countries comprising what is known as the “High Ambition Coalition,” from low-lying island nations to the European Union, were stymied by a handful of countries that have made outsized contributions to global emissions, such as the U.S.

While there is no use sugarcoating any of this, it’s important we don’t lose sight of what gave us hope at COP25. Here are just a few key indicators of progress associated with this COP that we can build on as we head into 2020, a critically important year for tackling the climate crisis. 


1. Investors are mobilizing on climate action more than ever before

While governments did not collectively send a strong signal at COP25, the world’s most influential investors did. A record 631 institutional investors, with more than $37 trillion in assets, urged governments to close the climate ambition gap, including by phasing out thermal coal, putting a meaningful price on carbon, ending subsidies for fossil fuels, and strengthening nationally-determined contributions to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Investors made their statement to governments at a COP25 side event focused on the Investor Agenda. Global investors including BNP Paribas, Aviva Investors, PKA Pension Fund, California's pension and teacher retirement funds, and others highlighted their commitments to accelerate the transition to net zero emissions. The event also featured Denmark’s Climate Ambassador, Tomas Anker Christensen, announcing the new Climate Investment Coalition to scale private investment in clean energy and climate solutions in the decade ahead, building from the US$50 billion commitment put forth by Danish pension funds in September.

Through a range of COP25 events, several investors actively involved in Climate Action 100+ —the world’s largest investor-corporate engagement mobilization to date—were able to illuminate the considerable inroads the effort has spurred in the last year alone. Other investors and financial institutions discussed their commitments to stop funding new coal and fossil fuel projects—including the European Investment Bank’s groundbreaking commitment to cease funding coal, oil and natural gas projects by the end of 2021.

Investors also took stock of the rapidly expanding market for green bonds, with well over US$200 billion in green bonds issued in 2019 that are either certified by the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) or aligned with CBI criteria.

(Image: The U.S. Climate Action Center at COP25.)

2. Companies are committing to net-zero emissions and advocating for a price on carbon    

In the absence of U.S. leadership at the national government level, 75 U.S. CEOs, along with union leaders representing 12.5 million workers, publicly declared their support for the Paris Agreement ahead of COP25. 

Just a few days later, members of We Are Still In showcased their climate leadership actions at the U.S. Climate Action Center. The coalition is made up of more than 2,200 U.S. companies and investors, as well as hundreds of other city, state, university, indigenous, faith, youth and civil society leaders. Over four full days of programming, companies like Microsoft, Mars, Salesforce, Schneider Electric and Ingersoll Rand made it clear that when it comes to the Paris Agreement, the Trump administration does not represent the business community.

That spirit of diversified, multi-constituency leadership has caught on beyond the U.S. as well, inspiring similar coalitions of “sub-national” leaders in Brazil, Japan, Mexico, and South Africa. 

Many of the companies and investors at the U.S. Climate Action Center also voiced their strong support for adopting robust carbon pricing, efforts that are all the more critical after negotiators failed to agree on carbon market mechanisms. What’s more, some 177 companies from around the world have made commitments to adopt a science-based target in line with capping temperature rise at 1.5 degrees Celsius, the new standard for corporate climate commitments. 

(Image: Youth activists commander the stage at COP25.)

3. Public pressure for climate action at the necessary speed and scale has never been stronger

The voices of the people—particularly of the young, indigenous, and those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change—were raised loudly and clearly. People of all ages and backgrounds filled the halls of COP25 and the streets of Madrid, demanding those in power take action at the scope and scale the science demands.

Student climate striker Greta Thunberg, fresh off her return trip across the Atlantic by sailboat and on the eve of being named Time magazine's Person of the Year, shared her spotlight with allies from the global North and South. She decried “creative accounting” that masked a lack of progress, saying: “This is not leading, this is misleading.” 

These voices—though frustrated and sometimes angry—are crucial for helping demand that governments wake up to the urgent need. They laid bare the ambition gap, illuminating not just how far behind governments are, but also how mobilized and aligned the rest of the world has become. 

Ultimately, although this COP fell far short of what should have been, these indicators of progress give reason for hope and provide a strong foundation for a redoubling of efforts in the run-up to COP26 in Glasgow. Governments have no choice but to align themselves with the rest of the world and swiftly close the climate ambition gap.

Image credits: UNClimateChange/Flickr

This article series is sponsored by Philip Morris International.

It’s hard to believe it has been nearly a decade since the United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously endorsed the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which today are considered the authoritative global standard. 

The U.N. Guiding Principles made clear for the first time that all companies have a responsibility to respect human rights. They call on companies to put in place due diligence processes to mitigate negative human rights impacts, address impacts where they occur, and publicly report on their performance. They also emphasize that a company’s responsibility applies not only to its own operations, but also to business relationships across the value chain. 

TriplePundit was curious about the impact of the guidelines and turned to an expert, Faris Natour. Natour is co-founder of the sustainability and human rights consulting firm Article One and leads the Human Rights and Business Initiative at the Center for Responsible Business at the University of California, Berkeley. For him, the U.N. Guiding Principles were a game-changer. 

“They have had tremendous impact on business,” he told TriplePundit, “with many companies making significant progress in adopting the standards and strengthening their due diligence processes, including their responsible sourcing processes.”

“Today we are seeing companies investing in human rights, which we did not see before. For example, companies have created human rights departments—Pepsi has even appointed a Chief Human Rights Officer.”

Leading companies are digging deeper into their supply chains, where human rights risks are greatest, Natour said. “In the past, companies focused on where they had the most leverage—typically their tier-one direct suppliers. Now, they are going further down to where raw materials are sourced or resources are extracted to tier-three subcontractors, and they are directly engaging in a meaningful way with rights holders, the workers on the ground.” 

What good looks like 

The nonprofit Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB), which rates 100 of the largest listed companies against the U.N. Guiding Principles, also observed notable changes at some major multinationals. 

Seventy-five percent of analyzed companies improved their scores since 2017, with “top movers” including Danone, Heineken, Kellogg and PepsiCo, according to CHRB’s latest benchmark. 

As Natour indicated, more companies are going directly to where risk assessments identify the greatest threat of human rights violations. Perennial leaders from the CHRB list include Adidas, Unilever and Marks & Spencer. We’ve also seen companies including HP and Levi-Strauss hone in on ways to protect and invest in supply chain workers’ rights. 
Another best practice is going beyond due diligence to set—and meet—voluntary targets on human rights.

Philip Morris International (PMI) has committed to eliminate child labor from its tobacco supply chain by 2025. After creating the Agricultural Labor Practices (ALP) program in 2011 to address child labor, PMI worked with Verité, a leading NGO in supply chain sustainability, to implement the program among its 350,000 farmers. The company and its suppliers also hired 2,600 field technicians to train farmers and workers on the ALP program, raising awareness about both their rights and their responsibilities and monitoring for compliance. In 2018, PMI and its suppliers monitored 88 percent of its farmers, identifying about 4,500 cases of child labor. 

To address them, the company uses root-cause analysis to understand what is driving the situation on a particular farm. For example, when poverty forces children to help in the field, PMI and its partners work with farmers to improve yields or identify other income-generating work, allowing them to hire workers and cover school costs for their children. “We want to solve the issue—not  just for that growing season, but once and for all,” said Anna Kletsidou, lead of social sustainability and human rights at PMI.

The road ahead

Despite progress from highly visible multinational companies, there are still headwinds. Though the CHRB’s latest ranking shows incremental improvement across the board, the majority of companies still underperform against the U.N. Guiding Principles. 
Natour also points to small and medium enterprises that need to be brought into the discussion, as well as the increasing reach of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation.  

“Every company now is a tech company in some way,” Natour explained. “And we are seeing companies starting to realize the privacy and other issues that come with technology.” He cites AI risks related to facial recognition and data mining in the retail sector, as well as the impact on jobs being replaced by automation in the transportation and agricultural sectors: “Getting ready for these issues is critical.” 

The U.N. Guiding Principles provide the road map. The rest is up to industry, together with partners, to understand the emerging risks and work to mitigate them. 

Image credit: Annie Spratt/Unsplash

(Image: Constructed in only 24 hours, these homes are the start of the world's first 3D-printed housing development.)

An estimated 1 billion people, more than 10 percent of the world’s population, do not have adequate shelter. Experts predict that number will grow to 3 billion by 2050. But not if the construction and technology company Icon has anything to say about it.

This month, the Austin, Texas-based company, together with the San Francisco-based housing nonprofit New Story and its Mexican partner Échale, unveiled a pair of 3D-printed homes in the Mexican state of Tabasco. If all goes as planned, they'll be the start of the world's first 3D-printed housing development. What’s more, the homes were built in 24 hours and will cost residents only $20 a month.  

Icon, which says it's on a mission to make dignified housing accessible to everyone, everywhere, describes the homes as “the future of human shelter.” Already, the company has closed a seed round of $9 million in funding that included, according to its website, investments from Silicon Valley, a renowned international developer and America’s largest homebuilder, among others.

Printing homes is simple, affordable and environmentally friendly, partners say

According to Icon, the process of printing a home is relatively simple. Its branded 3D home printer,  the Vulcan II, churns out layers of cement that amass to form the walls of the home. What takes more time is installing the non-printed fixtures like doors and windows at the end of the process.

Icon’s engineers designed Vulcan II to produce resilient, single-story homes up to 2,000 square feet. The company also claims its printer is faster, cheaper and creates less waste than traditional homebuilding methods, and allows for more design freedom. It can print at night and during power shortages, and it operates from a tablet, so only a few workers are required.   

“With 3D printing, you not only have a continuous thermal envelope, high thermal mass and near zero waste, but you also have speed, a much broader design palette, next-level resiliency, and the possibility of a quantum leap in affordability. This isn’t 10 percent better, it’s 10 times better,” said Jason Ballard, co-founder of Icon, who has previous experience working in a homeless shelter and as an environmental consultant. 

Icon also uses a cement mixture that its designers say is stronger than traditional building materials and can withstand extreme weather conditions. Resting within a seismic zone, the new 500-square-feet homes in Tabasco are being engineered above local standard safety requirements, including robust foundations. Homes will include two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom.

While New Story is funding the up-front cost of building the homes and infrastructure, residents will be required to pay a small mortgage of 400 pesos (about $20) per month for seven years. The mortgages come with zero interest, and the money will go into a community investment fund.

To select who will live in the 50-home community, New Story worked with the local government and Échale to survey more than 500 families in Tabasco, where the median family income is $77 per month. The rural state also has the highest unemployment rate in Mexico, and the majority of the families there are from an indigenous population historically left out of government programs. The families selected were those found to have the greatest financial and physical needs. 

“3D printing for housing is a technology applied to a sector that has historically required a lot of labor," said Verónica Contreras, foundation director at Échale. "The fact that this technology is being used to help the people with the biggest social gap turns it into a humanized technology."

New Story and Échale also solicited feedback from future residents about the community's design. The vast majority of families wanted abundant green spaces in the neighborhood and flat roofs so that it would be easier to add to or customize their homes. 

(A Tabasco family stands in front of the Vulcan II hard at work on a new home.)

Addressing the housing crisis north of the border 

It’s not only developing countries that face a growing housing crisis. In the U.S., experts say stagnancy in home building has not kept up with demand and population growth, driving up costs past the point of affordability for the average person. 

Icon, the first company in the U.S. to secure a building permit for a 3D-printed home, is also working to print homes north of the border. 

In its hometown of Austin, Icon is working with Mobile Loaves and Fishes on the Community First! Village, a 51-acre master planned community that will provide affordable, permanent housing for men and women coming out of chronic homelessness. The company recently constructed a nearly 500-square-foot Welcome Center in the community in less than 27 hours. 

Across town, real estate investment company Cielo Property Group is working with Icon and the city of Austin to redevelop underutilized properties and help bring permanent housing using 3D printing technology to the city.  

Many in the home-building industry are wondering if 3D-printed homes will be the next big shift in the sector. Icon certainly hopes so and is doing what it can to help accelerate the pace.

Images courtesy of Icon

By Aron Cramer, President and CEO, BSR

As we enter the decisive decade of the 2020s—when significant steps toward decarbonization have to happen if we are to stave off the worst impacts of climate change—the 2019 U.N. climate talks in Madrid, COP25, was a poor jumping-off point.

This year’s COP was designed to pave the way for greater ambition on the part of national governments. Unfortunately, they failed to live up to the importance of the moment. In advance of the climate conference, the U.N. Environment Program’s Emissions Gap report called for annual emissions reductions of 7.6 percent if the world is to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Measured against that benchmark, the last COP of the 2010s represents a serious setback.

There were multiple disappointments in Madrid. There was no agreement on alignment of carbon market rules, which would provide guidelines on how countries can trade emissions internationally. Also, countries did not prioritize the ground rules that would protect vulnerable nations after a climate disaster.

Even the aspirational language emerging from the negotiations took a step backward from the more concrete commitments to heightened ambition in the run-up to next year’s pivotal COP26, when the “ratchet” of national contributions is intended to happen. And while 121 nations have committed to net-zero emissions, this is less significant in terms of impact: These countries represent only 15 percent of global emissions. 

There is little doubt that this reflects, in part, the absence of American leadership under the current administration in Washington. While American business and investors were visible and there was political representation from a climate-friendly delegation of congressmembers, state governors, and mayors, they are not able to shift national government commitments. While the We Are Still In coalition remains vibrant and important, it cannot make up for the loss of climate diplomacy from the White House. And with the exception of the European Union, other major emitting nations did not step up either.

But while this was clearly a COP where national governments did not seize the day, there were still some glimmers of hope.

Because while national government action matters—a lot—it is far from the only pathway to progress. And in many other areas, COP25 showed important steps forward. Many businesses, reflecting what is known in the hallways of the climate talks as “the real economy,” continue to make new commitments. Nearly 800 companies are now committed to net-zero emissions by mid-century.

While many heavy-emitting industries remain on the sidelines, there are some interesting new commitments. For example, Spanish oil and gas producer Repsol made its COP host country proud by announcing the first net-zero commitment in that sector to include Scope 3 emissions. More broadly, the number of companies joining the U.N. Global Compact’s Climate Ambition Coalition, committing to a 1.5-degree target, has doubled since September, expanding to 177 companies representing US$2.8 trillion in market capitalization. Goldman Sachs and AXA have both announced new divestment strategies.

In addition to action by businesses and investors, public demand for climate action continues to be heard. Coinciding with COP, Time magazine named Greta Thunberg the Person of the Year for 2019, and “climate emergency” was named the word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries. It is clear public expectations about climate action are stronger than ever and growing.  

What does this mean for business? Looking ahead to 2020, business has both the interest and the opportunity to continue to raise its ambition. Companies can act by joining the growing parade of businesses committed to 100 percent renewable energy in service of augmented science-based targets and aligning their business strategies with the 1.5-degrees Celsius target.

Companies also can enable progress by working with their supply chains as the number of businesses seeking deep Scope 3 emissions cuts continues to grow. And finally, business should leverage its influence by calling on governments to drop the timidity that was—unfortunately—on display in Madrid.  A loud business voice was vital in the run-up to the Paris Agreement in 2015, and it will be essential to delivering the strong result that will be badly needed at COP26 next November in Glasgow.

The need for heightened urgency is coming from the science, the streets and the employees of global companies. 2020 must be a year when the promise of Paris is given new life in Glasgow. With business engagement in the year ahead, we can redefine Madrid as a footnote in history, rather than lasting damage to climate ambition.

Previously posted on BSR and the 3BL Media News Room. 

Image: Jorge Fernández Salas/Unsplash

“The point of no return is no longer over the horizon,” Secretary-General António Guterres said at the start of the annual U.N. climate talks (COP25), which wrapped in Madrid on Sunday. In the following weeks, representatives from almost 200 countries negotiated how to deal with the threat from climate change at a global level. Many U.S. corporate collaboratives also used the event as a backdrop for their ambitious climate announcements.  

Although changing weather trends already impact businesses, private-sector climate leadership is focused almost exclusively on decreasing greenhouse gas emissions rather than also actively adapting to climate impacts. This is a grave omission that goes against the historic 2015 Paris climate agreement and hurts shareholders, communities and the planet.
 
For the last five years at these annual COP proceedings, high-level government leaders arrived determined to both decrease greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the current and future changes that aren’t avoidable any longer. Global mean temperatures have already risen by over 1 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels, causing changes such as more frequent and extreme weather and gradual shifts in rainfall and sea levels. Man-made climate change is locked in for centuries, regardless of future global greenhouse gas reductions.

But many U.S. corporate collaborations have emerged solely to work in partnership on climate change mitigation. These include We Are Still In, America’s Pledge, We Mean Business and a new entrant, the Certified B Corp community. These groups' overarching climate policy priority is to keep average global temperature rise under 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels this century.

Fully aligning corporate actions with the Paris agreement requires corporations to give climate resilience the same level of ambition as emissions reductions. Yet these business coalitions don’t specifically embrace the Paris agreement’s set expectations for planning, implementing and reporting on climate adaptation efforts.

Adaptation is missing from most corporate climate action strategies 

Investors define adaptation and resilience as the ability to anticipate, absorb, accommodate and recover from the increased risk and impact of climate change.

Why is the absence of a clear commitment to adaptation so egregious? Because adaptation is material to corporations’ operations and their future prosperity. Global supply chains, business continuity and market growth depend on it. The major credit rating agencies—Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s—certainly grasp that. Both include climate change risks in their evaluations, and Standard & Poor’s even describes how it calculates a resilience benefit in its evaluation of green projects.

Consider also the Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. Its guidelines, elements of which are being incorporated into law in some European countries, provide counsel on how investors assess the physical impacts of climate change on their current and future portfolios.

Since physical climate risks impact operations, workforce, markets, infrastructure, raw materials and assets, the Climate Bonds Initiative now certifies bonds not only based on potential for greenhouse gas reduction, but also on their contribution climate change resilience. Even the U.S. Government Accountability Office recently released a repot entitled, Limiting the Federal Government's Fiscal Exposure by Better Managing Climate Change Risks.

Why do companies overlook adaptation? 

One reason why corporate collaborations may be avoiding action on climate adaptation is because adaptation is less a sustainability issue and more a legal, governance, finance, human resource and supply chain issue. The challenge has pivoted from an exclusive focus on how we can protect the planet to include how we can protect humans and assets from climate impacts that could create both the market crisis and the humanitarian crisis of our time.
 
Already, people around the world are enduring deadly heat waves, food insecurity, the spread of disease, imperiled ecosystems, and damaged infrastructure exacerbated by climate change. Scientists calculate that those living in poorer countries are 10 times more likely to be affected by a climate disaster each year than those in wealthy countries. But these impacts also affect developing countries like the U.S. and are expected to worsen. Many climate impacts will increasingly impact lower-income Americans more severely.

Why adaptation matters to purpose-driven businesses 

Some corporate climate action collaborations have at least been clear with their members that they have only a greenhouse gas reduction emphasis in their scope. But the omission of adaptation is particularly grave for corporate collaborations that have a remit beyond climate action. This could, arguably, include the B Corp community—which operates under the mission to work “toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high-quality jobs.” When corporations sign on to a collaboration’s climate policy agenda in the context of this type of mission, they are led to believe their carbon reduction efforts are enough.

However, without adaptation as a climate action priority—at a minimum, upgrading or moving at-risk infrastructure, using climate resilient crops and adding spare capacity—companies are not serving this mission. They are not working to mitigate physical climate risks that increase inequality, have a disproportionate risk on impoverished communities, increase negative health outcomes, and disrupt communities.
 
Of course, they also miss the opportunity to create adaptation-related jobs. Besides being a business imperative, assisting in adaptation offers opportunities for corporations. It can open doors to new markets, build efficiencies and enhance communities while addressing risks.

For instance, building flood defenses and stormwater management systems, strengthening water supply and distribution systems, diversifying forest species, creating cooling technologies for outdoor workers, and strengthening electric grid resilience, among other things, are big business already. Plus, helping communities adapt can ensure business continuity and protect the middle-class market that has sparked so much of this decade’s business prosperity.

The bottom line

Corporate failure to adapt necessarily results in higher costs to the business, along with loss of lives and livelihoods. So, here’s the call to action for corporate coalitions on climate: Recognize that mitigation and adaptation are complementary strategies for reducing unmanageable change and managing climate risks. You can also benefit from fresh opportunities created by these strategies—and by exercising adaptation leadership in your communities.

Image credit: Pixabay