This week the <a href="https://sciencebasedtargets.org/" target="_blank">Science-Based Targets initiative</a> (SBTi) launched what it's calling the world's first emissions targets standard for farming, forestry and other kinds of land use. Companies in the forest, land and agriculture sectors must pledge to end deforestation by 2025 to have their targets certified as science-based under <a href="https://sciencebasedtargets.org/sectors/forest-land-and-agriculture" target="_blank">the new guidance</a>. They must also commit to reducing their overall emissions and using land-based solutions to sequester carbon. These sectors are responsible for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211467X21000699" target="_blank">22 percent</a> of global greenhouse gas emissions, the largest sector emitter after energy.  
  
Until now, few companies accounted for land-based emissions in their science-based targets or climate disclosures, largely due to the lack of available guidance. The new SBTi guidance provides land-intensive businesses with the carbon accounting tools necessary to help prevent some of the catastrophic impacts of climate change. 

TriplePundit spoke with Martha Stevenson, senior director of strategy and research at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and senior advisor for the SBTi, about what makes up the new standard and what business leaders can expect.

“We break down the emissions into two categories: land use change and land management," she explained. "Land use change includes clearing forests and grasslands for new pasture or plantations, and that accounts for 11 percent of emissions globally. Land management, on the other hand, includes the management of livestock, feed, methane, manure, fertilizer application and runoff. It also includes tractors and other farm and forestry equipment.”

Stopping deforestation and land-use change is critical to reducing emissions and slowing climate change, Stevenson said. “Soils could be storing carbons based on a number of things, like how regenerative the land management practices are or releasing carbon if you have significant fire or disease, and those numbers can shift year over year," she told us. 

Christa Anderson, director at WWF and co-lead of the SBTi land-use project, agreed. “The next few years are critical in our efforts to address the climate crisis, and this guidance addresses 22 percent of global emissions that have largely been ignored to date," she told us. "The food, land and agriculture sector has the potential to both cut emissions and enhance carbon sinks at the pace to keep the goal of limiting climate change to 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach.”

Certain land-intensive companies that have already committed to science-based targets will be required by SBTi to comply with the new land-use guidelines. Companies that have set emissions reduction targets with SBTi that are also within land-intensive sectors (e.g., food and forestry) or those with land-related emissions that contribute 20 percent or more of their overall emissions will now be required to set targets in accordance with the new standard. 

When asked about the tangible practices that can be immediately implemented to slow emissions, Stevenson said: “The most important thing is to stop land use change. This is what we need most immediately to achieve a 1.5-degree increase in global temperatures. We have to do this rapidly.”

There's also a compelling business case for players in land-intensive sectors to account for their impacts and begin to reduce them. “This is the first time that the companies will be required to set targets from forestry and ag, but a lot of the practices are good for soil health anyway. A lot of the practices are win-wins," Stevenson said. 

The new guidelines provide users with a number of mitigation pathways, most of which are related to deforestation. Additionally, companies are required to both reduce and remove carbon. The removals do not function as offsets, because the companies must also significantly reduce carbon emissions and improve their land-based carbon sinks. The guidance is not prescriptive of how a company removes and reduces carbon, but it does provide strict guidelines regarding how carbon removals can be counted. Stevenson noted that it is critical that carbon accounting is transparent and fair for farmers, foresters and other land-based business operators, and that their rights and opportunities are respected. 

 Through the new guidance, SBTi is providing land-intensive companies tools with which to implement climate-smart practices and offering these companies science-based pathways for cutting emissions to ensure that global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

SBTi Launches New Standard for Food and Forestry

The nine-to-five in-office experience as some once knew it likely isn’t coming back — at least not for five days a week. Employees’ expectations about work have changed, enabled by technology, sparked by the pandemic and accelerated by a renewed value of time for personal passions that once went to long commutes and in-person obligations. As the workforce transforms, so too should our ways of fostering mentorship.

Traditionally, in-person connectivity allowed people to meet with peers and leaders in the workplace. In my experience, fruitful mentorship has come from meaningful and transparent communication, and experiences that made me feel a true sense of belonging in the workplace. While I’d like to believe that my drive and intelligence alone helped me succeed, I know that my mentors and sponsors were instrumental in getting my foot in the door and that they played a huge role in my success throughout my career.

In today’s virtual environments, connectivity can feel more challenging than ever as it can be harder to foster emotional transparency and trust. To account for that, the way we cultivate coaching, mentorship and sponsorship will need to change.

<h2>How companies can foster mentoring</h2>

The first step is to acknowledge that coaching, mentorship and sponsorship are meant to be different. A coach helps a person succeed in their day-to-day role to help them achieve their career goals, while a mentor shares their own experience and learnings to help someone develop — the key is to cultivate the right mentorship at the right time in a person's career. And different still is sponsorship, where someone in a position of power deliberately opens doors and advocates for opportunities and career progression for those they sponsor.

In my own experience, coaching and mentorship at PwC have been integral for not only my own development but also for building on the firm's culture of belonging. I’ve seen the firm create strategies for intentional support, and that doesn’t happen overnight. It requires accountability and leadership-driven initiatives across all levels of career progress. Acknowledging that societal, systemic inequities have created an uneven playing field for achievement is also important. Further, it requires understanding that mentees from different backgrounds need different things from their mentors to succeed.

Deliberate planning and programming can help mitigate that. PwC’s <a href="https://fisher.osu.edu/news/thrive-introducing-underrepresented-students-careers-accounting" target="_blank">Thrive initiative</a> guides entry-level and experienced Black and Latinx associates through an innovative, two-year experience of workshops, networking and leadership engagement. At the experienced level, Enrich is designed to help women and racially/ethnically diverse employees identify additional skills and cultivate mentor relationships that can help them toward the journey of becoming a partner, the owners and leaders who drive and oversee the firm’s strategy. In addition to the benefits to mentees, both programs help reinforce to mentors the importance of taking the extra step to become sponsors. 

PwC has also created pathways beyond the firm by collaborating with more than 2,200 leaders across various industries and organizations. For example, <a href="https://www.ceoaction.com" target="_blank">CEO Action for Diversity &amp; Inclusion</a> launched a <a href="https://www.ceoaction.com/media/press-releases/2022/ceo-action-for-diversity-inclusion-introduces-mentoring-initiative-for-diverse-executives/" target="_blank">first-of-its-kind</a> mentorship initiative in March 2022 that brings C-suite mentors and senior, diverse leaders from signatory organizations together to help navigate the many factors that play into professional advancement.

PwC’s strategy enables employees to receive mentorship and coaching throughout their career journeys that set them up for success.  

<h2>Challenges and opportunities in the new workplace</h2>

People thrive when their daily experience matches their personal values — a balanced workload, flexibility, a sense of purpose and belonging and meaningful relationships. But remote work has made it harder for people to develop those connections. What can companies do to cultivate relationship building while navigating the siloed nature of remote work? 

Here are some ideas:

<ul><li>Deliberate teaming: Fostering more opportunities for employees and teams to bond is vital to keeping the doors for mentorship open, especially given the nature of remote work.</li>
	<li>Intentional referrals: Sponsors can use their influence to provide opportunities for mentees by referring them to programs they could not otherwise access.</li>
	<li>Inclusion networks: Creating spaces for people of shared backgrounds or interests to organically connect can help create strong relationships.  </li>
	<li>Cross-company mentorship: Working with external companies to pair mentees with leaders from different organizations, such as the initiative launched by CEO Action for Diversity &amp; Inclusion, can expand networking circles.</li>
	<li>Expanded networks: Creating opportunities for informal gatherings can be a great way to get various levels of staff together and helps them get visibility with other teams or leaders they wouldn’t necessarily work with in their day-to-day. </li>
</ul><h2>The future of mentorship</h2>

A good mentor experience can be a boost for employees to get them from where they are on their career journeys, to the ultimate destination they aspire to reach. Leadership development is powerful, but when it is combined with intentional coaching, mentorship and sponsorship, we can change outcomes at dramatically higher rates. 

Image credits: <a href="https://unsplash.com/@surface" target="_blank">Surface</a>/Unsplash

Mentorship in a Virtual World: Why You Need It and How Companies Can Provide It

"There is no future for us in fossil fuels." There’s nothing trite about these words uttered by Samoan climate activist <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/global-citizen-prize-winner-brianna-fruean/" target="_blank">Brianna Fruean</a>. Whole countries are at risk of being <a href="https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/36859/20220329/countries-disappear-due-rising-sea-level-will-homeland-survive-disaster.htm" target="_blank">swallowed by rising seas</a> if swift and drastic action isn’t taken to slow the climate crisis. One of these nations — the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu — has stepped forward to hold the rest of the world accountable by petitioning for a non-proliferation treaty on fossil fuels.

Some may consider it a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/24/vanuatu-makes-bold-call-for-global-treaty-to-phase-out-fossil-fuels" target="_blank">bold request</a> on the part of a country with a population <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/vanuatu-population/" target="_blank">just over 320,000</a> and <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/gdp/vanuatu-gdp/" target="_blank">less than a billion</a> (USD) in annual gross domestic product. But by continuing business-as-usual, the world’s carbon super-producers are sentencing <a href="https://www.activesustainability.com/climate-change/countries-risk-disappearing-climate-change/" target="_blank">small island developing states</a> like Vanuatu to annihilation.

The islands of the South Pacific are particularly vulnerable to rising seas due to their low-lying positions. Kiribati, an atoll which lies less than two meters above sea level, is already <a href="https://www.iberdrola.com/sustainability/kiribati-climate-change" target="_blank">"sinking" into the ocean</a> and is projected to be the first country to disappear completely. Likewise, their neighbors in Samoa, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, the Maldives, the Marshall Islands and more are facing imminent destruction. None of these countries contribute greenhouse gases proportionate to the <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/climate-change-greenhouse-gases/750301" target="_blank">Big Five</a> (the United States, China, Russia, India and Brazil), yet they stand to pay the ultimate price for climate change.

Together, the islands of the South Pacific contribute <a href="https://beta.nsf.gov/science-matters/pacific-islands-front-line-battle-against-climate-change" target="_blank">a mere 0.03 percent</a> of global greenhouse gas emissions. On its own, Vanuatu is already considered <a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/tiny-island-nation-lays-out-big-plans-for-climate-change/" target="_blank">carbon negative</a> as its forests and and oceans sink far more carbon than it produces. But the tiny nation isn’t stopping there — its goals include converting to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/vanuatu-climate-action-pollution-reduction.html" target="_blank">100 percent renewable electricity by 2030</a> with the ultimate goal of <a href="https://www.vanuatuicj.com/NDC" target="_blank">phasing out</a> almost all fossil fuels on the islands.

“We call for the development of a fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty to phase down coal, oil and gas production in line with 1.5C and enable a global just transition for every worker, community and nation with fossil fuel dependence,” Nikenike Vurobaravu, the president of Vanuatu, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/24/vanuatu-makes-bold-call-for-global-treaty-to-phase-out-fossil-fuels" target="_blank">told the U.N. General Assembly</a> on Saturday, referring to the global push to cap temperature rise at 1.5 degrees Celsius. 
<figure role="group"><img alt="Vanuatu outdoor market" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a4726d30-494c-4b7e-9706-eaf8e4bea7e2" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Vanuatu%20outdoor%20market.jpg" width="1500" height="904" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>An outdoor market in Port Vila, Vanuatu.</figcaption></figure>Vurobaravu also asked that the International Court of Justice give an opinion on whether there is a legal obligation to safeguard current and future generations from the climate crisis. While this request won’t likely generate restitution for the damage that has already been done, the hope is that it will amplify calls for help from countries stricken by climate disaster as well as bolster lawsuits on behalf of those seeking climate justice.

Michael Poland, the campaign director for the non-proliferation treaty, spoke with <a href="https://climatechangenews.com/2022/09/23/vanuatu-calls-fossil-fuel-non-proliferation-treaty-un-general-assembly/" target="_blank">Climate Home News</a>, saying: “Vanuatu has now built a growing coalition of more than 80 nations who are backing their call for an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice. This initiative, and their call for a fossil fuel treaty, is part of their efforts in pushing for governments to pursue all legal avenues possible towards climate justice.” More than 65 cities and other governments are backing the treaty so far, as is the World Health Organization and, surprisingly, the Vatican.

Average sea levels rose 19 centimeters between 1901 and 2010, much of it due to melting sea ice in the Arctic. At the current rate of emissions, oceans are expected to rise <a href="https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/climate-change" target="_blank">another 24 to 30 centimeters by 2065</a> and up to 63 centimeters by the end of the century. Many parts of Kiribati will be <a href="https://cop23.com.fj/kiribati/#:~:text=For%20Kiribati%E2%80%94a%20Pacific%20archipelago,could%20be%20underwater%20by%202050." target="_blank">gone by 2050</a>. There is little time to act if Vanuatu and the islands of the South Pacific are going to be preserved.

Activist Brianna Fruean <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/24/vanuatu-makes-bold-call-for-global-treaty-to-phase-out-fossil-fuels" target="_blank">spoke to The Guardian</a> in response to the proposed treaty. “They’ve heard the call from our youth that there’s no future for us in fossil fuels and listened. It’s time for other world leaders to do the same.” <a href="https://350.org/pacific/" target="_blank">Kalo Afeaki</a>, an activist based out of New Zealand, echoed her sentiment, also via The Guardian: “We need countries to be bold because we have run out of time. The future scares me … we need countries to endorse the fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty and we need them to do so now.”

Image credits: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/YkMC1mqegTw" target="_blank">Monika MG</a> and <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/m1Pk_ZqcG-Y" target="_blank">Adli Wahid</a> via Unsplash

Island Nation of Vanuatu Pushes for a Non-Proliferation Treaty on Fossil Fuels

September 29 is the U.N.’s International Day of Awareness of Food Loss &amp; Waste. It’s an important day of visibility for an issue at the heart of the climate crisis: food waste is responsible for 8 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, and as a country would be the third largest emitter behind the U.S. and China. It’s a day of hope: this year has seen a boom of food tech investment, along with noble waste reduction commitments from a host of government organizations, retailers, and food producers.

There are multiple angles from which to attack the food waste problem, with the most attention going to reuse and rescue (diverting or upcycling food that is about to go to waste). The most important focus area for food waste, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/recycle/preventing-wasted-food-home" target="_blank">according to the EPA</a>, is prevention – and in that department, industry has its work cut out. 

<h2>Want to prevent food waste? Start with better data.</h2>

Preventing food waste might sound like a no-brainer. Not only does it meet sustainability goals, but it also helps the bottom line: a <a href="https://champions123.org/publication/business-case-reducing-food-loss-and-waste" target="_blank">study found that</a> for every dollar retailers invested in food waste reduction, they received a 5-fold return. Both retailers and brands can prevent waste with better forecasting, streamlined operations, and increased sell-through of food products. But these initiatives require new ways of doing business: namely, transparency and collaboration among retailers, suppliers, and partners. And, that means solving the data problem.

Actionable data is required to figure out new tactics at all levels of the food waste challenge, including establishing baselines for improvement, identifying hotspots that need action, monitoring progress, and sharing success stories. Using data, retailers can explore shrink by department and stores – finding, for instance, that waste is particularly prevalent in low sales volume departments like <a href="https://pacificcoastcollaborative.org/food-waste/" target="_blank">prepared foods and bakery</a>. Solutions might include improved ordering, store layouts that increase product turnover, or discounts on food that is close to its expiration date. But most companies in food retail don’t yet have easy access to this information.

"The biggest obstacle we've seen to system wide collaboration to reduce food waste is the lack of a structured, formalized process for data reporting and sharing, one that is simple and scalable for food businesses. But now voluntary agreements like the Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment in the U.S. and other similar collaborations around the world – where data are shared in a transparent, pre-competitive format – are helping to overcome this, allowing businesses to work together to share best practices and insights that benefit their entire industry," - Jackie Suggitt, Director of Capital, Innovation &amp; Engagement at ReFED.

<h2>Why food waste has a data problem</h2>

The reality is, being data-driven isn’t easy without the right tools in place. Data obstacles plaguing the retail industry include:

Implementation challenges: There is no easy way for retailers to implement waste reporting across all their stores, warehouses, and distribution centers. Data is spread out, there’s no clear playbook for collecting it, and reporting is onerous. These challenges are even harder on smaller retailers with fewer resources.

Organizational challenges: Most retail organizations lack clear ownership over food waste reporting. And even if information is collected, there’s no incentive to share it externally, with lingering skepticism that this might result in a negative public image or give away competitive secrets.

Standardization challenges: It may sound like a small detail, but standardization is arguably the biggest data challenge of all. Every retailer reports food waste with their own units (from dollars to pounds to cases) and at their own pace (often annually, which isn’t frequent enough). Thich makes aggregating data to serve the broader industry nearly impossible.

<h2>Tech companies and nonprofits can work together to close the data gap</h2>

Here’s the good news: new technologies and innovative solutions have arrived to solve the enormous problem of data capture, standardization, and sharing. 

There must be public private partnership between retailers, nonprofits, and solutions providers to collaborate and share knowledge around reducing waste. Additional working groups can be formed to encourage pre-competitive data sharing amongst groups of retailers and CPGs, facilitating transparency and safely overcoming competitive concerns.

Finally, the industry must create international standards around food waste measurement and reporting. The <a href="https://flwprotocol.org/" target="_blank">Food Loss and Waste Protocol</a> is a standard used to calculate waste that is gaining traction as a singular playbook across the industry. The Food Waste Policy Action Plan, <a href="https://foodwasteactionplan.org/" target="_blank">a partnership between organizations</a> like the NRDC, Harvard Food and Law Policy Clinic, WWF, and others, have advocated for international standards for date labeling, another thorny issue where inconsistencies can lead to wasted food.

The causes (and solutions) of food waste are not simple. Technology that enables greater visibility and transparency, aligned with programs to encourage collaboration industry-wide, can help solve one of the biggest unsolved threats to the climate today.

Interested in having your voice heard on 3p? Contact us at <a href="mailto:editorial@3BLMedia.com?subject=3p%20guest%20article%20pitch">editorial@3BLMedia.com</a> and pitch your idea for a guest article to us. 
  Image credit: <a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/supermarket-stalls-coolers-market-949913/" target="_blank">ElasticComputeFarm</a> via Pixabay

Data Transparency: The Missing Link in Tackling Global Food Waste

The U.S. still struggles to shake off its stubborn racial wealth gap, one that is most apparent when contrasting the total amount of assets owned by Black and white families. On average, Black families across the U.S. have only <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/the-economic-state-of-Black-america-what-is-and-what-could-be" target="_blank">one-eighth the wealth</a> when compared to white families, and that gap has actually <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/17/wealth-inequality-black-families-90-percent-less-wealth-than-white-families-united-states.html" target="_blank">widened</a> in recent years. Meanwhile, it has been an ongoing challenge for leaders who support and fund programs that could boost Black families’ ability to build intergenerational wealth. The problem? Much of the data available that could help address this wealth disparity is incomplete or long outdated. 

The <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/07/black-white-wealth-gap-inheritance/565640/" target="_blank">impacts</a> of the racial wealth gap in the U.S. are <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/black-families-intergenerational-wealth-gap/707026" target="_blank">devastating</a>. To start, family wealth provides economic cushions at times of need. Having that access to cash (or even a home equity line) can help a family through a rough economic patch. Wealth allows for investments in real estate and passive income streams such as equities, and the availability of such funds can pay for a child’s education or unexpected medical bills without turning to burdensome loans.

To that end, the nonprofit <a href="https://prosperitynow.org/" target="_blank">Prosperity Now</a> has launched a partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies’ <a href="https://www.bloomberg.org/founders-projects/the-greenwood-initiative/" target="_blank">Greenwood Initiative</a>, a program focused on building wealth for Black families while taking on the lack of investment in Black communities throughout the U.S.

Editor's note: Be sure to <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/category/brands-taking-stands/59911" target="_blank">subscribe</a> to our Brands Taking Stands newsletter, which comes out every Wednesday.

Key to this partnership is the <a href="https://blackwealthdata.org/" target="_blank">Black Wealth Data Center</a> (BWDC), an initiative that seeks to narrow the racial wealth gap by providing relevant, nonpartisan, evidence-based information to policymakers and other leaders who are determined to design programs that could improve racial equity.

Plans for the BWDC includes the <a href="https://blackwealthdata.org/explore/intro" target="_blank">hosting of data sets</a> with information on assets, debt, education, employment, home ownership and business ownership. With strong, relevant and reliable data, the BWDC can function as a resource for advocates and leaders to build better and evidence-based policymaking and investment choices — thereby chipping away at the wealth gap lingering across U.S. states and local communities.

“At Prosperity Now, we know firsthand that reversing centuries of economic inequities takes intentional, coordinated efforts aimed at dismantling structures that exclude people and rebuilding our economy from the ground up," Gary Cunningham, CEO and president of Prosperity Now, told TriplePundit in an email. "The BWDC underscores the importance of democratizing data, because the most effective solutions come from those most closely impacted by injustice. The Black Wealth Data Center is a significant advance for the field as it will help us unearth new ways to build wealth in Black families and ensure that we are using the most robust information and tools to create programs and policies that drive toward racial wealth equity,”

Image credit: <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/family-having-dinner-and-celebrating-4262173/" target="_blank">August de Richelieu</a> via Pexels

New Data Center Offers Policymakers the Tools to Bridge the U.S. Wealth Gap

Just a few months ago, the 2022 midterm elections were shaping up as a classic battle between the usual conventions of Republican and Democratic politics. However, the “capitalism-versus-socialism” formula long favored by the right has shifted in recent weeks. The battleground has now moved on to the nature of corporate citizenship itself. House Republicans' new “Commitment to America” agenda, which <a href="https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a41341631/kevin-mccarthy-agenda-leak/" target="_blank">leaked</a> ahead of its planned release last week, aims to attract Republican voters partly by stripping the ESG and corporate social responsibility models down to their bones.

<h2>ESG and DEI programs are the targets</h2>

One leading element of the corporate social responsibility model is ESG (environmental, social and governance) investing, in which financial institutions <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/esg-reporting-disney/745516" target="_blank">gravitate toward businesses</a> that demonstrate an ability to manage risks and opportunities in the era of climate change and social progress in the U.S. and globally.

Another important feature consists of corporate DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs. Through DEI programs, business leaders recognize that bottom-line benefits follow a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences of U.S. workers, executives, customers and clients, <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/dei-challenge-office/730366" target="_blank">along with communities</a> beyond the office walls.

Editor's note: Be sure to <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/category/brands-taking-stands/59911" target="_blank">subscribe</a> to our Brands Taking Stands newsletter, which comes out every Wednesday.

The corporate social responsibility model does many things, but there is one thing it clearly does not do. It does not support a political party that has elevated the politics of race and gender supremacy to the highest level of elected office in the U.S. Partisan, ad hominem attacks on ESG and DEI programs were all but certain to increase after former President Donald Trump was elected to office in 2016, and they did.

<h2>A clear line from former President Trump to the 2022 midterms</h2>

Former President Trump won election in 2016 <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/ashes-trump-presidency/707891" target="_blank">by appealing to white supremacists</a>. He continued to govern from that platform after taking office, especially through immigration policies that <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2017/97-top-tech-companies-line-against-trump/19896" target="_blank">challenged business leaders</a> to stand up for Muslims and other minorities. Trump also began to bolster white domestic terrorist organizations with the support of the presidency, setting the stage for dozens of murders <a href="https://www.adl.org/blog/two-years-ago-they-marched-in-charlottesville-where-are-they-now" target="_blank">attributed to racial hatred</a> over the next two years and, ultimately, <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/corporations-bloodless-coup/724596" target="_blank">the violent insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021</a>.

As the 2020 campaign season approached the crucial months of September and October, Trump also took aim more specifically at the corporate social responsibility movement, leading his party in a charge <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/diversity-training-red-scare/706151" target="_blank">against diversity training</a>.

That strategy failed, but Trump continues to hold a firm grip on the Republican Party.

His <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/red-alert-pride-month-attacks/747801" target="_blank">influence on white supremacist organizations</a> also continues to ripple out in state and local politics, taking a variety of forms that undermine ESG and DEI principles. Some examples are the <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/corporations-federal-lgbtq-rights/722111" target="_blank">legally sanctioned harassment of LGBTQ children and their families</a>, book bans that focus on minority, LGBTQ and women authors, the fostering of a false scare over the <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/critical-race-theory-alec/725786" target="_blank">teaching of critical race theory</a>, and the amplification of <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/texas-blackrock-fossil-energy/754656" target="_blank">the “woke capitalism” canard</a> against a prominent Jewish financier. 

Considering the connection between <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/dei-bystander-effect-court-stacking/744056" target="_blank">misogyny and white supremacist politics</a>, it is also no surprise that Republican-led states jumped on the opportunity to impose new restrictions on abortion following the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in the Dobbs case. Millions of U.S. women now find <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/dobbs-pregnant-people/750141" target="_blank">their health and safety in jeopardy</a>, and may face legal consequences along with their employers and health workers, after the Dobbs decision upended 50 years of protections for pregnant and pregnancy-capable people.

<h2>Corporate leaders need to look in the mirror</h2>

These existential threats to the corporate social responsibility model are at least <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/abortion-business-leaders/749556" target="_blank">partly the fault of business leaders</a> who have provided financial support to extremist candidates over the years.

Corporate support for right wing “bill mills” like the National Rifle Association and the American Legislative Exchange Council has withered over the years. However, <a href="https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-reports/promises-kept-the-companies-not-funding-sedition/" target="_blank">even after the failed insurrection</a> of Jan. 6, <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/pride-month-political-donations/724241" target="_blank">some U.S. corporations </a>have continued to <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/obbying-full-pride-month/746486" target="_blank">provide funds to</a> Republican candidates and office holders who appeal to misogynists and white supremacists.

Last week, for example, independent journalist Judd Legum reported that AT&amp;T, Google and Cigna were among the corporations providing funds to members of Congress <a href="https://popular.info/p/these-corporations-are-backing-the" target="_blank">who support a national abortion ban</a>, alongside Home Depot, Koch Industries and more than three dozen others.

<h2>‘Commitment to America:’ The call is coming from inside the house</h2>

Corporate support for Republican office holders has come back to bite them long after Trump lost the 2020 election, and they are badly mistaken if they think this chapter in U.S. political history is closed.

Leading Republicans in Congress made that clear earlier this month, when U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) laid the groundwork for a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2022/09/13/lindsey-graham-introduces-national-abortion-ban-heres-what-it-would-do/?sh=5f1fbba26796" target="_blank">national abortion ban</a>. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) followed up last week with the introduction of his party’s new “Commitment to America” platform.

It is easy to make fun of McCarthy’s media rollout, which <a href="https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a41357812/kevin-mccarthy-commitment-to-america/" target="_blank">featured a fake quote</a> attributed to Abraham Lincoln along with stock images from a Russian website. However, there is nothing funny about the document. It is a summary of the key legal and rhetorical daggers thrown against corporate social responsibility over the past two years, couched in the conventional language of Republican politics.

<h2>The 'Commitment to America' and the QAnon conspiracy</h2>

In fact, the Commitment to America agenda includes lines that echo the wild ramblings of the off-the-rails but influential QAnon conspiracy theory. That is probably no accident. QAnon began to merge with support for the former president during his time in office. The connection was evident in the Jan. 6 insurrection. In recent weeks, Trump himself has drawn QAnon followers <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/21/politics/qanon-fans-donald-trump/index.html" target="_blank">more aggressively</a> into his circle of influence, and by extension, the Republican Party.

QAnon’s depiction of an elite group that exercises behind-the-scene control over world affairs dovetails neatly with the Commitment to America. Through that lens, the Commitment to America is nothing more than a dressed-up version of QAnon conspiracies, hiding behind a generous helping of the usual economic conservatism and law-and-order <a href="https://twitter.com/metzgov/status/1572649572744429568?s=20&amp;t=25fFyh_HUkwM7alO3Stl9w" target="_blank">conventions of Republican policies</a>.

The official <a href="https://twitter.com/metzgov/status/1572649572744429568?s=20&amp;t=25fFyh_HUkwM7alO3Stl9w" target="_blank">one-page version of the document</a> (available on Twitter and elsewhere) is front-loaded with a long list of items that reflect at least nominally conventional Republican policies. However, those who continue reading past the first two sections will find echoes of the QAnon appeal under the third heading, “A Future That’s Built on Freedom.”

By freedom, they mean freedom from the tenets of ESG investing, corporate DEI programs, and laws that protect minorities, women and the LGBTQ community from repression. The “Freedom” section includes a validation of extremists who have been disrupting school board meetings, advocating for book bans and seeking to censor lessons that fail to meet the white supremacist platform, with these words: “Advance the Parents’ <a href="https://www.republicanleader.gov/parents-bill-of-rights/" target="_blank">Bill of Rights</a>…and expand parental choice so over a million more students can receive the education their parents know is best.”

Another item validates the anti-transgender movement with these words: “Defend fairness by ensuring that only women can compete in women’s sports.” Another item covers the entire gamut of racism and misogyny as expressed in abortion bans, hate speech and white supremacy, with these words: “Uphold free speech, protect the lives of unborn children and their mothers, guarantee religious freedom, and safeguard the Second Amendment.” Still another item validates election deniers, including those seeking to disrupt local elections offices, with these words: “…increase accountability in the election process through voter ID, accurate voter rolls, and observer access.”

The Commitment to America also promises to “stop companies from putting politics ahead of people,” which apparently covers the entirety of the corporate social responsibility movement.

The fierce blowback against the new abortion bans could ultimately help swing the needle against extremism on Election Day.

However, business leaders would be wise not to sit by while advocates for the principles of corporate citizenship and ESG do all the heavy lifting. Their votes might not be enough.

Don’t say you weren’t warned.

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/Os2kIaebMW8" target="_blank">Alejandro Barba</a> via Unsplash

The ESG Movement Has the Numbers, But ‘Commitment to America’ Might Have the Voters

A partnership developed by <a href="https://www.mars.com/" target="_blank">Mars, Incorporated</a> is sending corporate employees on remote expeditions to help solve the problem of marine debris. 

The consumer goods giant, maker of confectionary, food, and pet care products and services like M&amp;M’s, Ben’s Original, Pedigree, Banfield, BluePearl, and VCA animal hospitals, established the Mars Ambassador Program (MAP) in 2008. Each year, Mars employees, who the company calls associates, can apply for an assignment that pairs them with a partner nonprofit organization. These associates then step away from their regular jobs for one to six weeks to work directly with the partner organization with the goal of using their expertise to make a positive impact in communities across the globe where Mars has operations or a sourcing relationship.

This year, Mars is partnering with the <a href="https://www.rozaliaproject.org" target="_blank">Rozalia Project</a> to help team members learn about the environmental impact of single-use plastics on marine environments and to develop programs and solutions. The Rozalia Project is a Vermont-based nonprofit with a mission to clean and protect the ocean and to conserve a healthy, thriving marine ecosystem. It works from “surface to seafloor,” with a focus on prevention through education, remediation, innovation and solutions-based research, and also works in inland and coastal areas to prevent debris from reaching the ocean. 

<h2>Marine debris: What’s the scope of the problem?</h2>

Marine debris, which is anything made by humans that ends up in the ocean, is a massive problem. “Right now, one of the greatest threats to the world ocean is the problem of marine debris,” Ashley Sullivan, executive director of the Rozalia Project, told TriplePundit. “It’s a complicated problem, but because of that, it needs multiple angles to solve. As an organization we are doing clean-ups to mitigate the problem in remote areas with the Mars team.”

The Rozalia Project divides marine debris into three categories: consumer debris, derelict fishing gear and microplastic pollution. The numbers are staggering: 80 percent of the debris in the world’s oceans comes from consumer waste. A 2015 <a href="https://news.uga.edu/new-science-paper-magnitude-plastic-waste-going-into-ocean-0215/" target="_blank">study</a> estimates that 8 million metric tons of consumer debris are entering the oceans every year.  
  
Meanwhile derelict fishing gear and waste in the ocean also poses an immediate threat. “Everyone has seen the images of entangled sea life. In the immediate term, derelict fishing gear is causing lethal damage to the marine ecosystem,” Sullivan said. “If you went out to the <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2019/ocean-cleanup-pacific-garbage-patch/85946" target="_blank">Great Pacific Garbage Patch</a> to look at what’s floating around, 45 percent of that debris is connected to the fishing industry.”

Microplastic pollution is more difficult to quantify, but Sullivan noted it “has been found in every environment on our planet: terrestrial, marine and in our air.” In this area, the Rozalia Project’s microplastics research has resulted in <a href="https://www.rozaliaproject.org/solutions-based-research%25255C" target="_blank">published papers</a> that “give people the ability to understand the problem of microplastic pollution and make it more accessible and more accurate,” she said.

<h2>Using data to drive solutions</h2>

The Rozalia Project has worked with tens of thousands of volunteers to collect and record over a million pieces of consumer debris. The data is critical to understanding the problem and driving solutions.

“Most of our work happens in the Gulf of Maine, where our Mars expeditions are happening,” Sullivan explained. “We are removing and cataloging tons and tons of debris. We have removed over six tons this year from the Gulf of Maine. If you look at a lobster trap, there are different parts with different functionalities. When a trap is lost in the ocean, pieces break off and get lost in the ocean. Collecting the debris and recording the data helps us understand which part of the lobster traps get lost and break off, so we can go to a manufacturer to propose solutions that can prevent the problem.”
<figure role="group"><img alt="volunteers pick up coastal and marine debris on maine beach" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2afd74a1-298e-438d-bd85-0b1110bf2cbb" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/volunteers%20pick%20up%20coastal%20and%20marine%20debris%20on%20maine%20beach.jpg" width="1500" height="1129" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Mars employees volunteer off the Gulf of Maine in August 2022. </figcaption></figure><h2>How Mars is partnering with the Rozalia Project to help clean up the ocean</h2>

This year, select Mars associates will embark on one of two expeditions to pick up trash from remote shorelines in the Gulf of Maine and record each piece of debris collected. The associates will also revisit remote shorelines that were accessed in 2014, 2015 and 2019 expeditions to continue building a data set. The data will be compared and analyzed for a greater understanding of the type of marine debris on Maine’s remote shores. 

The Rozalia Project also uses clean-ups as an educational tool. The organization has <a href="https://www.rozaliaproject.org/education-programs" target="_blank">developed a curriculum</a> out of its research to give students the opportunity to both participate in clean-ups and examine the data with the goal of inspiring students to be a part of the solution. 

Through their partnership, Mars associates have engaged island and coastal community members in local, in-person educational programs. 

“Most recently, when we had Mars ambassadors on board, in addition to clean-up, we took them to a coastal community in Maine to deliver educational programs to young students in that community,” Sullivan said. “Ninety-seven percent of the kids we worked with in the marine debris program felt that they could positively impact the environment. It’s inspiring to embolden young people to know that they have the power to create a difference in creating healthier waterways. Our educational programs do that, and we bring people from across all of the business units at Mars, Incorporated out to coastal communities and engage them in that educational work.”

Annette Jennings, director of community engagement and corporate giving at Mars, is responsible for running this program globally. She said that when the Mars Ambassador Program was created back in 2008, it was one of the first of its kind in the industry. “It was created in the spirit of mutuality as a way to provide nonprofit partners with much-needed skills that they may not have within their organization, while simultaneously providing our associates with opportunities to develop their leadership competencies in a unique setting,” she said.  

<h2>The future of the partnership</h2>

Sullivan is looking forward to their continued collaboration. “I think that the experience that these expeditions leave on Mars employees is really profound, not only as individuals but in their families, communities and in their work,” she said. “They can take these experiences of understanding the marine debris problem in a really intimate way back to their workplace as inspiration and motivation to create solutions.” 

Jennings agreed, noting that internal survey results “show increased engagement amongst participants in the program as well as a more concrete understanding of our corporate purpose.”

The impact of the program is not limited to participants, she said. “Every MAP participant is required to share their story with other employees in an effort to amplify the work of a few among many,” she told us. “We know that these stories drive pride amongst our entire associate population, too. Mars Ambassador Program is also a very important way that we engage our own employees in delivering on our  purpose: the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today.”

This article series is sponsored by Mars and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team.

Image courtesy of Mars

New Partnership Enlists Mars Employees to Tackle Marine Debris

As a new school season kicks off, educators, students, parents and schools are still battling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Teachers are being stretched thread-thin as they push to cope with a large number of students who are behind academically and struggling with challenges such as mental health issues and food insecurity. The rising cost of goods is putting further strain on families, with 40 percent of respondents in a recent survey saying they’re <a href="https://www.adweek.com/commerce/inflation-back-to-school-shopping-budgets/" target="_blank">stressed about the money they will spend</a> on back-to-school shopping — up from 28 percent in 2021. 

To take stock of the present need, <a href="https://www.adoptaclassroom.org/" target="_blank">AdoptAClassroom.org</a> <a href="https://www.adoptaclassroom.org/2022/04/12/state-of-teaching-statistics-2022/" target="_blank">surveyed</a> 4,665 teachers who instruct students from pre-Kindergarten through high school at public, private and charter schools. Not surprisingly, teachers reported shouldering more responsibilities and relying more on their own resources to meet students’ needs.

Eighty-one percent of teachers reported a heavier workload during the last school year, while 80 percent said they were spending more time addressing students’ mental health needs. Another 71 percent reported spending more of their own money on supplies for their classrooms, and 69 percent said they were devoting more time to helping students catch up academically. 

<h2>Teachers increasingly shoulder emotional and financial burdens in the classroom, but businesses can help</h2>

Studies have shown that about 96 percent of teachers purchase supplies for their students, spending an average of $750 annually. Because of academic deficits tied to the pandemic, 78 percent of teachers reported needing more classroom supplies.

The pandemic also continues to take its toll on families, and 92 percent of classrooms have students whose parents cannot afford to purchase school supplies, according to AdoptAClassroom.org’s study.

The Minnesota nonprofit has been providing funding for school supplies to classrooms and families in need since 1998. <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/return-school-pandemic/727466" target="_blank">Educators</a> can register on AdoptAClassroom.org’s website and receive funding in several ways: through individual donations, crowdfunding, corporate sponsor donations or by applying for AdoptaClassroom.org’s Spotlight funds. 

As teachers face continued challenges, more companies are responding to those needs by strengthening their relationships with AdoptAClassroom.org. 

In particular, Subaru of America, Inc. and its retailers across the U.S. “adopted” classrooms at schools in their communities and provided supplies, as well as flexible funding in the form of credits to be spent on the AdoptAClassroom.org marketplace, supporting learning resources. Subaru is the largest corporate supporter of AdoptAClassroom.org. The automaker and its retailers have provided supplies to more than 300,000 students nationwide since 2021 as part of the <a href="https://www.subaru.com/learning" target="_blank">Subaru Loves Learning initiative</a>, and they continue to expand their participation. <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/return-school-pandemic/727466" target="_blank">More than 600 Subaru retailers</a> partnered with high-need schools in their local communities this year. 

In just one of many examples, <a href="https://www.baldwinsubaru.com/" target="_blank">Baldwin Subaru</a> of Covington, Louisiana, has taken <a href="https://pineviewmiddle.stpsb.org" target="_blank">Pine View Middle School</a> under its wing and last year began providing flexible funding in the form of credits to the AdoptAClassroom.org marketplace, resources and volunteer hours to the school, including $10,000 which was used to buy seating for students with disabilities.
<figure role="group"><img alt="AAC Subaru Lovs Learning students at Hopkins HS-10" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ca14688f-c836-4c60-a71c-a3970e97f96c" src="https://back.3blmedia.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/AAC%20Subaru%20Lovs%20Learning%20students%20at%20Hopkins%20HS-10.png" /><figcaption>Subaru is the largest corporate supporter of AdoptAClassroom.org. </figcaption></figure><h2>In Covington, Louisiana, a local business helps a public middle school weather tough times</h2>

The only public middle school in the area, Pine View serves all of the surrounding elementary schools, which means it has a highly diverse population. Like most of the schools in the AdoptAClassroom.org program, Pine View is a high-needs school, based on the number of students who receive free and reduced-priced lunches. 

While the school says it does have resources to support students' emotional and academic needs, its staff can always use more help. There is a full-time mental health provider and guidance counselor on staff, as well as 20 before- and after-school extracurricular activities in which students can participate, as noted by Dr. Seu Hee Ledet, principal of Pine View Middle School.

“They can feel a sense of belonging that helps with their socialization, connectedness and mental health,” Dr. Ledet said. “We address academic deficits with targeted daily interventions using student data and student work.”

Recently, Baldwin Subaru employees and members of the community held a “beautification day” at Pine View, painting the school’s exterior doors, basketball court, and the exterior of the building that surrounds the playground area. They also planted flowers around the area and donated basketballs. 

“The basketball court was in rough shape, so we removed the grass from the court and replaced the backboards with new netting,” said Lindsey Rose, marketing director of Baldwin Subaru. The dealership plans to continue to work with the school for future facility updates and donate needed playground equipment. 

“We loved working with this school so much and saw that they really needed the funds, so we increased the donation and activities for this year,” Rose continued. “In May, we also visited the school with our mobile service van and provided free multi-point inspections, fluid top-offs, oil changes, and inflated tires for all of the teachers and staff.”

Baldwin also plans to donate an additional 25 classroom supply kits to the school. “These kits were curated by AdoptAClassroom.org and Subaru by reviewing national purchasing data of the most in-demand and commonly used supplies,” Rose said. The kits will include items such as pencils, pens, disinfecting wipes, sticky notes, highlighters, dry erase markers and erasers.

Pine View Middle staff members say they’re grateful for the partnership. “Dr. Ledet specifically has been extremely accommodating and open to all the ideas that we have presented to her,” Rose said. “However, we have received the most feedback from the community. Since we started working with Pine View, we have had multiple customers tell us that they choose to purchase a car or service their vehicle with us because of the support that we have provided to the school.” 

“Our staff loves positive feedback and the publicity about the hard work they are doing and any partnership,” Dr. Ledet added.  “They are thrilled for another year’s sponsorship.”  

The Subaru philosophy is that partnerships such as these should not be viewed as going above and beyond, but as the norm. Retailers must start by providing support within their own cities and towns, Rose said. “Any business, local or national, that opens its doors in our community should take responsibility for helping the community that we live and work in grow and flourish,” she said. “This is part of the Subaru Love Promise and how Subaru gives back, simply because it is the right thing to do, and makes Subaru More Than a Car Company.”

This article series is sponsored by Subaru and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team. 

Images courtesy of Subaru of America, Inc.

Schools Still Face Impacts From the Pandemic, But Businesses Can Help

With widespread labor shortages across the U.S., more businesses are feeling the pressure to improve their environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) policies. With Generation Z emerging as the new generation of workers, and a <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/2021-deloitte-global-millennial-survey-report.pdf" target="_blank">recent report</a> conducted by Deloitte revealed that 60 percent of Gen Z employees are concerned that current leaders in business are not focused enough on protecting the environment. These young workers are looking for employers who can demonstrate their commitment to combating the issues impacting our world.

Gen Z is becoming the <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/understanding-generation-z-in-the-workplace.html" target="_blank">most populous and most diverse generation</a> on the planet, which makes it important for companies to consider how they can become an employer of choice. This new generation <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/31/business/gen-z-jobs.html?referringSource=articleShare" target="_blank">prioritizes</a> mental health, flexibility and meaningful action on climate change. 

According to <a href="https://www.diligent.com/" target="_blank">Diligent</a>, which provides software to simplify corporate governance, getting the right people on board means starting with your ESG commitments. “Employers can prioritize engagement by driving transparency and confidence, and ensuring employees have the information and resources required for them to succeed in their roles,” Diligent’s chief people officer, Avigail Dadone, told TriplePundit. She suggests that this type of engagement allows employees to connect to a company’s mission and commit to shared goals. Some examples that Diligent implements include a goal management platform, an onboarding program to engage new starters for three months, and several employee-led programs and resource groups to focus on peer support and inclusivity in the workplace. 

Beyond creating a symbiotic work environment, “Employees and prospective talent are drawn toward ethical companies and want to know how an organization is giving back to the planet and their communities” Dadone noted. Because ESG is still new, there is a lack of clarity around defining and measuring it, which can lead to greenwashing. Companies are challenged to positively present their ESG initiatives in the recruitment process, but without evidence and accuracy, it’s difficult to back up, she added. 

It's also necessary to conduct proper risk management for any ESG-related initiatives. Dadone discussed how companies benefit by adopting precise systems that establish a standard of success, then tracking how well they measure up to their goals to keep them accountable. Stakeholders and prospective employees are concerned with sustainable and ethical business practices; therefore, staying on top of ESG reporting keeps companies competitive. Diligent <a href="https://www.diligent.com/carbon-accounting/" target="_blank">offers ESG management tools</a>, which the organization said are able to help businesses navigate their ESG journeys in a way that is meaningful to them and their stakeholders. 

In today’s business and regulatory landscape, ESG strategy is more of a need-to-have than a nice-to-have, Dadone said. Earlier this year the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) <a href="https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2022-46" target="_blank">proposed rules</a> that <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/sec-proposed-climate-related-disclosures/751891" target="_blank">require public companies to disclose</a> how climate change risks affect their business and provide more information on their impact on the environment. The implications of these rule changes indicate that failure to meet ESG requirements can result in not only reputational risk, but regulatory, operational and financial risk as well. 

Recent years have highlighted the pressing issue of climate change. With wildfires and extreme temperature conditions, Gen Z is awake to this crisis. Their choices are influenced by climate change risks, and where to seek employment is among those choices. Companies with quality ESG initiatives stand out to this diverse generation. Nearly half of Gen Zs surveyed by Deloitte reported their personal ethics have played a role in their career choices. Starting with ESG commitments is one way to ensure getting the right people on board in an organization. 

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/iO2d-KYp5JU" target="_blank">Eliott Reyna</a> via Unsplash

Gen Z to Employers: Show You’re Committed to Ensuring Our Future

Tropical rainforests, or “Jewels of the Earth," overflow with abundance and wealth. They’re home to a staggering array of biodiversity, housing <a href="https://rainforests.mongabay.com/03-diversity-of-rainforests.html" target="_blank">over half of our plant and animal species</a> although they cover just a fraction of the Earth’s surface. Rainforests also store billions of tons of carbon, buffer against flooding and help prevent erosion. <a href="https://www.nps.gov/teachers/classrooms/wildlife-of-the-tropical-rainforests.htm" target="_blank">A quarter of natural medicines</a> have been discovered in tropical rainforests. In fact, it’s estimated that the benefit of the Amazon rainforest, if left standing, is <a href="https://www.xprize.org/prizes/rainforest/articles/economic-benefits-of-saving-the-rainforests#:~:text=Conducted%20by%20economists%20and%20agricultural,took%20many%20aspects%20into%20account." target="_blank">over $8.2 billion per year</a>. This value stems from products such as Brazil nuts, provision of raw materials like <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2015/making-market-deep-rainforest/34981" target="_blank">rubber and timber</a>, carbon dioxide sequestration, and local climate regulation.

The Amazon is the world's largest rainforest, stretching across northern South America like a green sheath. Brazil is home to nearly two-thirds of this lush ecosystem, containing the greatest extent of tropical rainforest in the world. Unfortunately, there’s <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/deforestation-increasing-pandemic/120676" target="_blank">trouble</a> in this corner of paradise. The amount of Amazon rainforest cleared has been rising over the last decade, and from 2020 to 2021, an area <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/11/19/1057245837/brazil-amazon-rainforest-worst-deforestation-rate" target="_blank">nearly the size of Connecticut</a> was cut down. 

Ironically, over the last decade, the number of infraction notices for deforestation has declined. Brazil suffers from a multitude of environmental problems, in part <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/amazon-rainforest-brazil-bioeconomy/755501" target="_blank">fueled by its own government</a>. In 2018, Jair Bolsonaro was elected as Brazil's president, campaigning to open the Amazon rainforest <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/19/jair-bolsonaro-brazil-amazon-rainforest-deforestation" target="_blank">to agriculture and mining</a>. Since that time, he’s chipped away at environmental regulations and weakened government environmental agencies battling illegal mining and logging.

It wasn’t always like this. Deforestation rates fell between 2004 and 2012, as thousands of citations were written each year in Brazil. However, a backlog of cases languished for years in the courts, and only 10 percent to 15 percent of fines were ever paid. Today the federal and state agencies tasked with preventing deforestation are understaffed and under-resourced, at times even lacking cars to patrol areas. And they can face violent retaliation from loggers and ranchers, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/24/brazil-amazon-environmentalist-murder-luiz-alberto-araujo" target="_blank">even fatal ones</a>. Cases that make it to the criminal justice system spend years in court, rarely sending offenders to prison. 

These problems aren’t confined to the steamy forests of Brazil, though. The Amazon’s destruction has ramifications across the globe. When rainforests are cleared, rainfall drops, which can make areas more vulnerable to drought and fires. On top of that, there’s increasing evidence that the Amazon’s destruction impacts <a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/how-deforestation-affecting-global-water-cycles-climate-change" target="_blank">rainfall in distant regions</a>, perhaps as far away as the U.S. Midwest. Deforestation can also increase the spread of tropical diseases or spur the outbreak of new ones. Finally, clearing tropical rainforests releases billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Sadly, it’s now estimated that the Amazon rainforest <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/14/amazon-rainforest-now-emitting-more-co2-than-it-absorbs" target="_blank">releases more carbon dioxide than it absorbs</a>, as a result of heatwaves, fires set to clear land and droughts fueled by the loss of rain-producing trees.

There’s a desire for change. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-investors/as-amazon-burns-230-big-investors-call-on-firms-to-protect-worlds-rainforests-idUSKBN1W32T3" target="_blank">International corporations and investors</a> have been putting pressure on companies operating in the Amazon to help end the destruction. In 2019, over 200 investors recommended businesses implement a no-deforestation policy with measurable commitments. This includes establishing a monitoring system, assessing risks their supply chains pose to rainforests, and reporting annually on deforestation risks and management.

<a href="https://newsdirect.com/news/the-role-of-sustainability-certifications-in-mitigating-deforestation-775436120" target="_blank">Third-party sustainability certifications</a> also help ensure companies uphold their commitments, confirming the mitigation of deforestation in natural forests for the biofuel, forestry, food and agricultural industries. Some programs also assure products sourced from tropical forests are environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. 

While daunting, some businesses including <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2015/rainforest-alliance-reviews-paper-giants-forest-conservation-efforts/36946" target="_blank">Asia Pulp and Paper</a> and <a href="https://www.wilmar-international.com/docs/default-source/default-document-library/sustainability/policies/wilmar-ndpe-policy---2019.pdf?sfvrsn=7870af13_2" target="_blank">Wilmar</a> say they have taken the plunge and committed to zero natural forest destruction policies. Other companies, like Nestle, Mars and Kellogg, have committed to using palm oil that is deforestation-free. While far from foolproof, these pledges are steps in the right direction.

Committing to rainforest protection is also good business. Products that contribute to deforestation can be difficult to sell to retailers that have strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies in place. In addition, S&amp;P 500 companies that are actively managing and planning for climate change <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/sep/23/business-companies-profit-cdp-report-climate-change-sustainability" target="_blank">outperform those that don’t</a>, getting an 18 percent higher return on their investments, 50 percent lower volatility of earnings over the past decade, and 21 percent stronger dividends.

Finally, the public has a strong interest in companies that take environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility seriously. <a href="https://morningconsult.com/2022/02/28/consumers-want-greener-climate/" target="_blank">Surveys show</a> the majority of people in major markets around the world expect companies to take action against climate change, and many say they would be <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/consumer-attitudes-esg/752006" target="_blank">more likely to purchase a product</a> if the company advocated for an issue they cared about. 

In a few short years, the Brazilian Amazon has transformed from a conservation success story to a cautionary tale. But it’s not too late to reclaim this treasure, and businesses should play a crucial role in protecting the wealth of the world’s greatest tropical rainforest. 

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/JVUCzgbTjDE" target="_blank">Kiyoshi</a>/Unsplash

The Rapidly Shrinking Riches of the Amazon

ESG, which refers to how environmental, social and governance factors pertain to business, has been all over the headlines lately — and the debate has become increasingly contentious. Billionaires like <a href="https://time.com/6180638/tesla-esg-index-musk/" target="_blank">Elon Musk</a> call it a “scam,” consumers and business leaders see it as a <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/consumer-attitudes-esg/752006" target="_blank">strategic priority</a> to develop more sustainable business models, while governments are implementing ESG standards as a way to <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/disclosure-sec-reporting-requirements/748631" target="_blank">act in the public’s interest</a>. 

Each of these diverse sets of stakeholders have a valid claim to ESG, but they also have radically different priorities when it comes to how it’s used. It’s no wonder, then, that debates around the topic between these groups often devolve into arguments, name-calling, and more shouting than listening. 

In order to move the debate from combative to constructive, we need a shared language. Stakeholders need to be able to express what they want out of the movement, and be able to understand what others want out of it (even if they are approaching it from a different angle). 

When debating ESG, stakeholders typically fall into one or more of the following categories in terms of what they want out of the movement: assurance, impact or regulation.

<img alt="types of ESG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ccbd89d4-e2ec-4685-93fc-be1a28ab4479" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Types%20of%20ESG.png" width="1912" height="1056" loading="lazy" />

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at each, and suggest how they can be used together to facilitate the implementation of meaningful practices that positively impact society and the environment.

<h2>ESG for assurance</h2>

ESG for assurance is all about adjusting for financial risk. From this perspective, ESG is a means to make better financial decisions — rather than a way to drive sustainable business transformation. This is what investors, board members and chief executives care the most about: monitoring potential risks to the financial bottom line (for example, a lawsuit for non-inclusive hiring practices, or decreased future earnings as natural resources become less available). 

There are a number of frameworks out there to measure and report on this, all of which are voluntary, and some of which are more comprehensive than others. The conversation around ESG reporting continues to evolve, and increasingly, is moving toward a standard of Double Materiality:

<img alt="double materiality ESG principle" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e0d225a7-bfca-4a59-8251-fccd7c0bed14" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/double%20materiality%20ESG%20principle.png" width="2047" height="1063" loading="lazy" />

A <a href="https://1.reutersevents.com/LP=32742" target="_blank">new report</a> from Reuters has a nice explanation of this, and Proof of Impact recently published a piece <a href="https://impactentrepreneur.com/double-materiality-benchmarking/" target="_blank">on this same topic</a>.

That being said, until we have a universally accepted standard for reporting, it will continue to be difficult to compare ESG performance across companies using different frameworks. International bodies are working to solve that problem, and at the U.N. COP26 climate talks in 2021, the <a href="https://blog.movingworlds.org/top-esg-reporting-frameworks-explained/" target="_blank">International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)</a> was established in order to merge the many ESG disclosure standards into one, and to encourage the uptake of these standards globally. 

It’s important to note that this does not mean that ESG for assurance has anything to do with progress toward the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Even if we arrive at a universal standard for reporting, companies can still report on factors like their environmental impact (carbon emissions, as an example) without any intention to reduce or address them. 

While it’s true that ESG will never reach its full potential when viewed exclusively through a financial materiality lens, it is still important to work toward a universal standard for the sake of comparison and global adoption. However, <a href="https://www.ey.com/en_be/assurance/how-the-eu-s-new-sustainability-directive-will-be-a-game-changer" target="_blank">as EY points out</a>, the need to build consensus across the globe puts global standards at risk of being drawn down to the lowest common denominator. That’s why, on its own, ESG for assurance isn’t enough. 

<h2>ESG for impact</h2>

ESG for impact is about leveraging ESG to drive more sustainable, equitable business models. As opposed to assurance, which is about mitigating financial risk, ESG for impact is about creating positive social and environmental value. 

ESG for impact is typically driven by a company itself, rather than an external reporting or regulatory body. A company will typically be motivated to make a real impact on environmental, social and governance factors when it sees the possibility of realizing a positive returns on that investment, including:

<ul><li>Building the brand and attracting new and more loyal customers</li>
	<li>Helping tap into new markets and customers</li>
	<li>Recruiting, engaging, and retaining the best employees</li>
	<li>Driving better governmental regulations and relationships</li>
	<li>Qualifying for preferential treatment with other business partners and suppliers</li>
</ul>Microsoft, for example, was not forced by any external body to make investments in becoming both <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/01/16/microsoft-will-be-carbon-negative-by-2030/" target="_blank">carbon neutral and water negative</a>, however, it did so because it helps build goodwill with some of its biggest customers (including governments) and also helps it retain and engage its employees.

As mentioned above, realizing the potential of ESG for impact still requires a universal standard to serve as a common measuring stick. The difference is that when reporting from this perspective, an additional step is taken to then address and improve those factors (versus simply disclosing them).

Social impact professionals, consumers and employees tend to care the most about impact. In some cases, politicians do as well, given that many of the priorities of potential voters relate to society and the environment. However, a desire to do good from a handful of companies is not enough to change the economy and achieve the SDGs. This is why ESG for regulation is still needed.

<h2>ESG for regulation </h2>

ESG for regulation is something that is imposed by an outside governing body — like a national government or the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Globally, <a href="https://movingworlds.org/esg-reporting-guide#esg-requirements-and-regulations" target="_blank">governments have imposed</a> different ESG and CSR (corporate social responsibility) laws. Most of these are for disclosure and assurance purposes, and to facilitate the adoption of universal standards that make comparison across sectors and geographies possible using the same measuring stick.

For example, earlier this year the <a href="https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2022-46" target="_blank">SEC proposed a set of rules</a> to standardize and enhance climate-related disclosures for investors. These rules don’t set specific targets that companies need to achieve for impact purposes, but rather, are meant to unify ESG for assurance frameworks for easier comparison. Still, some governments, like India and Singapore, take regulation a step further by actually building in criteria related to impact. 

While not explicitly tied to ESG for impact, ESG for regulation is still an important part of scaling the movement. While investors will use those disclosures to make financial decisions, employees and consumers can use that same information to make decisions about whether or not to engage with certain companies based on their track records. 

<h2>Combining the three to move the movement forward</h2>

The ESG space is rapidly evolving and expanding, and debates are an inherent part of that. But for those debates to lead to any type of meaningful outcome, all stakeholders need to be more active in owning their intentions for ESG initiatives and reporting — and also in labeling and communicating them. 

Indeed, at the most basic level, companies need to report on environmental, social and governance factors for assurance and regulatory purposes. But those things aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive to ESG for impact -— in fact, assurance, impact and regulation are all needed for the movement to reach its full potential. 

ESG can help facilitate better financial decisions and progress toward the SDGs. After all, as former CEO of Unilever Paul Polman puts it, investing in a more sustainable and regenerative economy is “the biggest business opportunity of our time”... and the future of our planet depends on it. 

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/YUcGY15s5_o" target="_blank">Nick Staal</a>/Unsplash

Graphics courtesy of Moving Worlds

We Need to Create a Shared Language Around ESG

From the start of his presidency, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bolsonaro-plan-to-develop-amazon-rainforest-2019-1" target="_blank">Jair Bolsonaro</a> has promised the Brazilian people free economic development in the Amazon rainforest. Half a year into his term, he was telling the world: “We preserve more [rainforest] than anyone. No country in the world has the moral right to talk about the Amazon. You destroyed your own ecosystems.” 

Bolsonaro's decision to allow deforestation in the Amazon rainforest for ranching and agriculture is shortsighted, especially when you consider the climate consequences, as the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) <a href="https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/deforestation-brazils-amazon-has-reached-record-high-whats-being-done" target="_blank">outlines in an August brief</a>. Even still, his popularity with Brazilians makes sense. Why wouldn’t a nation with plentiful natural resources want to make use of those resources and increase its gross domestic product? 

According to the CFR, Brazil has become the world’s top exporter of beef and soy. Could Bolsonaro be right about unrestrained deforestation in the Amazon being the right economic decision for Brazil?

<h2>A new model for economic growth: The bioeconomy</h2>

Or maybe the desire for economic development and the need for conservation don’t have to be at odds. In the United States, the <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/forests-sustainable-forestry-101/719676" target="_blank">Forest Stewardship Council</a> (FSC) is able to find a confluence between those goals through responsible forest management. That means the owners of forests in the U.S. are able to gain profits from the land while keeping ecosystems intact. Business activities like selective logging, hunting and recreation can make use of forests in a way that maintains them for generations to come, and they give landowners an incentive to keep forests the way they are. In a sense, forest management shows landowners the true value of trees. 

In the Amazon rainforest, economic opportunities look more like acai berries and ecotourism. Acai palms grow natively in the rainforest, and the acai industry has benefited more than 500,000 families over the last 20 years, Carlos Nobre, a Brazilian earth system scientist and member of the Royal Society, said at this year’s <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-amazon-as-a-bioeconomy-superpower-tickets-412279006607?utm_source=eventbrite&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=event_reminder&amp;utm_term=eventname" target="_blank">United Nations Science Summit</a>. Some acai farmers are reaching the middle class, Nobre said, having come from the depths of poverty.

Compared to conventional cattle and soy industries that require a transformation of the land, acai also provides an economic advantage. Annually, cattle provide $100 per hectare and soy $600, while a hectare of acai is valued at $1,000, Nobre explained. 

<h2>Opportunities for developing a bioeconomy in the Amazon rainforest abound</h2>

The <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/arapaima" target="_blank">15-foot piraracu fish</a>, oils, pulps, butters, craftsmanship — these are all economic opportunities that Amazonians have only begun to explore, Nobre said. That’s not to mention the incredible potential for ecotourism. “Two streets here in New York have more companies than 6.5 million square kilometers [in the Amazon rainforest],” he said, emphasizing the economic possibilities. Investment in a bioeconomy would reap benefits across the triple bottom line — for indigenous people, biodiversity and climate, as well as profit.

But a lot of work will be required to achieve this goal. The Brazilian Amazon has already seen <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/19/tragedy-foretold-brazil-sees-surge-in-amazon-fires" target="_blank">more fires</a> this year than in all of 2021. Also this year, the nation set another record for deforestation. In April alone, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/6/brazil-sets-another-amazon-deforestation-record-prompting-alarm" target="_blank">the equivalent of 140,000 football fields</a> were transformed. This is just months after Bolsonaro signed the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59088498" target="_blank">COP26 pledge</a> to end deforestation by 2030. 

We’re just a month away from an election that may prove supportive of a bioeconomic approach, though. Former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is running, and he is pursuing a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/exclusive-lula-pushes-brazil-indonesia-congo-cop-forest-alliance-if-elected-2022-08-31/" target="_blank">rainforest alliance</a> with Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has the second-largest rainforest in the world, in the case that he is re-elected. It was under Lula’s presidency, from 2004 to 2012, that deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/09/brazil-faces-two-contrasting-legacies-for-the-amazon-in-octobers-elections/" target="_blank">decreased by over 80 percent</a>. Rates have increased by 60 percent under Bolsonaro.  

While many Brazilian Amazonians pursue <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2021/1102/Saving-the-Amazon-one-wood-carved-spoon-at-a-time" target="_blank">sustainable and traditional industries</a>, the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/04/22/bolsonaros-empty-promises-protect-amazon" target="_blank">environmentally lax approach</a> of the current administration actively harms their initiative. Whoever wins their presidential bid should instead be anxious to get behind bioeconomic activities.

In an article for <a href="https://www.forest-trends.org/blog/an-amazon-bioeconomy-is-a-path-forward-for-brazil/" target="_blank">Forest Trends</a>, Beto Borges states the economic potential teeming in the Brazilian Amazon: “As a prominent economic force and the world’s largest forest country, Brazil is strategically positioned to be a global leader in shaping and modeling a new way of doing business, a challenge and opportunity as countries slowly turn to post-pandemic recovery.” 

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/RvV6qccrbkA" target="_blank">Jaime Spaniol</a>/Unsplash

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