Key Impact Points: Restoring Hope in the Eastern Himalayas High in West Bengal’s mountains, farmer Prabhat Rai faced devastating erosion due to deforestation and climate change. “Rainfall would strip away the soil, making it harder to farm and build a future for our children,” Prabhat said. “Before, we had no
Key Impact Points: Driving Sustainability with Data The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Zero Waste Foundation have launched a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing global sustainability through innovative waste management solutions. This collaboration falls under UNEP’s “Early Warning and Global Environmental Monitoring Services” initiative, addressing the triple planetary
Governments and corporations around the world increasingly recognize the necessity of a cohesive, collaborative approach to address global sustainability challenges. Once a celebrated benchmark for corporate responsibility, the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework now faces significant skepticism and diminishing traction. In its place, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
Key Impact Points: Groundbreaking Social Finance Initiative Standard Chartered has launched its first-ever Social Bond, issuing EUR1 billion aimed primarily at financing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), healthcare, education, essential infrastructure, and food security projects in emerging markets. Around USD4.2 trillion in annual investment is needed across emerging markets to
Key Impact Points: Historic Cross-Sector Collaboration On the sidelines of CERAWeek 2025 in Houston, leading global corporations have made a historic pledge to significantly expand nuclear energy. Companies including Google, Amazon, Meta, and Dow have joined forces with 14 global banks, 140 nuclear industry firms, and 31 countries in supporting
Key Impact Points: Accelerating Sustainable Materials The LEGO Group significantly advanced its commitment to sustainability in 2024, ensuring half of the materials purchased for LEGO bricks were sustainably sourced. This marks a notable increase from 18% in 2023, with 47% certified mass balance materials, translating to around 33% renewable sources,
Key Impact Points: Growing Importance of Nature Reporting Until recently, very few companies considered nature-related impacts in their reporting. Now, reporting on nature is increasingly crucial as businesses recognize their dependencies and impacts on ecosystems. Companies have begun embracing comprehensive frameworks as investors, regulators, and consumers demand transparency. Key Frameworks
Key Impact Points: Strategic Shift Amid Regulatory Delay The European Union’s ambitious EUDR, designed to combat deforestation and enhance supply chain transparency, faces a year-long delay. Challenges include incomplete readiness of the European Commission’s compliance system, complexities in supply chain traceability, and pressures from global trade partners. Instead of viewing
By Heather Clancy, Trellis One of the first things Michael Kobori did after joining Starbucks as its first chief sustainability officer in January 2020 was buy a new jean jacket and add some patches. His new employer’s green siren logo was soon followed by one honoring “The Lorax,” the Dr. Seuss
Key Impact Points: A Challenging Environment International Women’s Day 2025 arrives at a challenging moment for gender equality and climate action. The Trump administration’s recent stance has intensified obstacles, cutting back support for diversity initiatives and withdrawing from international climate commitments. Mafalda Duarte, executive director of the Green Climate Fund,
