Like most of you on the day before Thanksgiving, we’re a bit distracted. We’re focused on one thing though: Our gratitude to our readers. We appreciate the fact you keep coming back.

While we’re on the topic of distractions, we’ll be closing up shop for the long weekend and returning on Monday, November 29. In the meantime, if you’re fearful that your upcoming holiday gathering is akin to SNL’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syA9oZkQ-KY">recent spoof</a> of a Target Thanksgiving ad, then consider this executive editor’s timeless pumpkin chocolate chip cookies: They are a definite crowd please and can satisfy almost everyone’s dietary (and political) needs.

In the meantime, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones.

<h2>Leon Kaye’s Addictive Thanksgiving Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies</h2>

1/2 cup Miyoko’s Vegan butter or other “healthy” margarine

1 cup organic brown sugar

1/2 cup organic granulated sugar

1 humanely sourced (cage free, organic, etc.) egg (You can try using ¼ cup of applesauce or another alternative if you wish for these to be vegan)

1 cup organic canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon fair trade vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cloves)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional – or any nuts for that matter)

1 cup or a 12 oz bag of fair trade-certified semisweet chocolate chips (or dark chocolate chips or chunks)

The steps to making these addictive cookies:

<ol><li>Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.</li>
	<li>Grease cookie sheets, or use parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.</li>
	<li>In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then fold in the pumpkin and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices; gradually mix into the creamed mixture. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.</li>
	<li>Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light brown. Cool on wire racks.</li>
	<li>Try to eat only one. It so won’t happen.</li>
</ol>You can use butter, but using Miyoko’s vegan alternative (which I prefer as it has no palm oil) or a similar product gives the cookies a nice texture, similar to a cake. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice should do the trick. And don’t forget the salt–it brings out the flavor of the chocolate.
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="Best made the night before Thanksgiving" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d5f86840-584d-4d5a-9674-e09a23e7997c" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Pumpkin%20Chocolate%20chip%20cookies.jpeg" width="640" height="427" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Best made the night before Thanksgiving</figcaption></figure>The results should look almost the above photo, courtesy <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pumpkin_chocolate_chip_cookies_on_wire_rack,_November_2009.jpg" target="_blank">Keith McDuffee</a> via Wiki Commons. (The author’s photos never happen as platters of these cookies disappear before he thinks of snapping a pic.).

Lead image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/E-EEQSjDdck" target="_blank">Joseph Gonzales</a> via Unsplash

Happy Thanksgiving! We’re Absolutely Thankful for Our Readers

The shift toward virtual work, commerce and community during the COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated issues of accessibility online. People with disabilities are often unable to access the basic functions of websites and apps. And while some companies are making big strides in improving digital accessibility, it’s not nearly fast enough for people with disabilities who are taking their frustrations to court. For companies, this is both a wake-up call and an opportunity.

A stunning <a href="https://accessibe.com/compliance" target="_blank">98 percent of websites</a> are considered inaccessible. That leaves the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p0816-disability.html" target="_blank">61 million Americans</a> who live with a disability, or 1 in 4 U.S. adults, without access to the online information that many of us take for granted. Globally, the situation is much the same: Websites are largely inaccessible for the <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/disability%23tab=tab_1" target="_blank">more than 1 billion people worldwide</a> who experience some form of disability.

That has many people fed up. The number of U.S. lawsuits alleging that websites, apps and digital videos were inaccessible to people with disabilities <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/lawsuits-over-digital-accessibility-for-people-with-disabilities-are-rising-11626369056" target="_blank">rose 64 percent in the first half of 2021</a>, and more than one of these lawsuits is now filed every hour. That is a <a href="https://accessibe.com/compliance" target="_blank">300 percent increase in lawsuits</a> since 2018, many aimed at large companies.

Once the pandemic boosted digital-first consumer interactions, companies got serious about accessibility — some for the first time. According to a recent survey from the market research firm Forrester, <a href="https://www.forrester.com/blogs/digital-accessibility-enters-the-spotlight-as-a-business-priority/" target="_blank">8 in 10 companies</a> are now working to achieve accessibility, but only about a third have a top-down commitment to creating an accessible digital experience. For nearly half of the companies surveyed, accessibility is driven by grassroots efforts from passionate teams or individual employees.

“It’s ironic that as we become more of a technological world where more things can be made accessible, less and less things are,” Michael Hingson, chief vision officer for AccessiBe, a company specializing in solutions for digital accessibility, told TriplePundit. 

Hingson is blind from birth and a longtime advocate for people with disabilities. His dramatic story of <a href="https://michaelhingson.com/" target="_blank">surviving the 9/11 attacks</a> at the World Trade Center, making it down 78 flights of stairs with his guide dog, Roselle, is chronicled in his book, Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog and The Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero.

“All my life, I have had the opportunity to be involved in visionary work, and that includes digital accessibility,” he told us. “COVID-19 has made the lack of accessibility a more visible problem, but it hasn’t solved it. I think we’re going to see more of an outcry that accessibility isn’t built into the websites, apps and the products we’ve come to depend on.” 

Not only is it the right thing to do, but serving the disabled community is also a significant market opportunity. Globally, people with disabilities control <a href="https://www.accenture.com/T20180124T093425Z__W__/US-EN/_ACNMEDIA/PDF-70/AMPLIFY-ACCESSIBILITY-ACCENTURE.PD" target="_blank">$8 trillion in disposable income</a>, including nearly $500 billion in the U.S. alone. Those people are much more likely to spend their hard-earned cash with businesses whose platforms they can easily use, Hingson explained. Businesses that prioritize accessibility can also earn customer loyalty, with a Nielsen study finding that <a href="https://www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/pdf-89/accenture-disability-inclusion-research-report.pdf" target="_blank">people with disabilities tend to be more brand loyal</a> and also make more shopping trips and spend more per trip than the average consumer.

<h2>Moving from a compliance to an opportunity mindset</h2>

What exactly is digital accessibility? As the U.S. Department of Labor’s Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT) puts it, accessibility means that <a href="https://www.peatworks.org/about/" target="_blank">everyone can use the exact same technology</a> — regardless of how much they can see or hear, how they process information, or whether they can manipulate a trackpad, touchscreen or mouse.

Making websites accessible is the law. In 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice clarified that <a href="https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/doj-confirms-websites-are-covered-by-56505/" target="_blank">websites are considered places of public accommodation</a> and should therefore comply with the <a href="https://www.ada.gov/ada_title_III.htm" target="_blank">Americans with Disabilities Act Title III</a>. Due to the increased use of the internet, many countries have incorporated web accessibility into existing civil rights legislation that protects people with disabilities or created new laws to make the internet more accessible.

For many companies, digital accessibility strategy has been focused on meeting these legislative mandates. Not surprisingly, those actions tend to be more focused on risk containment versus business differentiation or innovation. 

BMC, an enterprise software company, has embedded accessibility into the way it designs its website — including creating a web accessible color palette, training developers and product managers to inclusively build products, and providing web accessibility checklists that allow for all functions of the company to build in accessibility accommodations.

“While it’s true that risk containment has been the catalyst for many accessibility initiatives including ours, it has also brought about a real change in the way we think about our digital experiences and our users,” said Mark Fries, AVP of web strategy and development at BMC. “By making accessibility something we build in from the beginning of a project, we are able to focus our efforts on the things that will be most meaningful to the most people and ultimately make the greatest impact. It’s not a tradeoff.”

Yet there is a great deal of innovation to gain in digital accessibility, as journalist John Brownlee, who is blind, <a href="https://modus.medium.com/why-accessibility-is-the-future-of-tech-a3f535cc4f0e" target="_blank">writes in Modus</a>: “Accessibility is probably the most important and exciting frontier in design right now. Far from being something that designers pursue grudgingly, it should be viewed as what it is: a crystal ball through which we can view the all-encompassing future of tech.”

The pandemic has also accelerated this mindset shift toward innovation, <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-of-its-kind-primer-by-digital-inclusion-global-expert-frances-west-reveals-key-gaps-301292149.html" target="_blank">according to a recent report</a> from the International Labor Organization’s Global Business and Disability Network. “[COVID-19 has] significantly raised the visibility of digital technology’s impact on the workplace … and overall, the impact of the pandemic has further accelerated digital transformation,” the report reads. “It also has ‘normalized’ accommodation requests and the adoption of inclusive technology, and many companies do have well-established accessibility solutions and practices around mobility, vision, hearing, and increasingly in the area of cognitive and neurodiversity disability.”

Framing digital accessibility as an opportunity rather than a compliance matter is the way to go, Hingson told us. “It’s really a matter of education, and to have meaningful consumer input and involvement in the development of technologies,” he said. "Technology and devices should include accessibility right from the outset, not as an afterthought.”

<h2>The next step forward for digital accessibility</h2>

There is still much work to be done. Ensuring companies are inclusive and accessible requires a new mindset that incorporates <a href="https://www.accenture.com/T20180124T093425Z__W__/US-EN/_ACNMEDIA/PDF-70/AMPLIFY-ACCESSIBILITY-ACCENTURE.PD" target="_blank">human-centered and inclusive design</a> into the way companies create products and services. “Most organizations, including my own, still have a lot of work to do. However, it is imperative that all experiences, including products, content materials and websites, are inclusively designed,” Fries of BMC said.

Yet very few companies recognize that digital accessibility needs to be an integral part of their digital transformation strategies, <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-of-its-kind-primer-by-digital-inclusion-global-expert-frances-west-reveals-key-gaps-301292149.html" target="_blank">according to the ILO report</a>. They fail to connect the dots that digital accessibility investment has a universally positive impact on all users, internal and external, and is a prerequisite for sustainable and scalable hiring in serving people with all different abilities. “Beyond simply benefiting users with disabilities, focusing on web and content accessibility improves brand perception, facilitates social inclusivity, and builds a better experience for all users,” Fries added. 

The situation can — and must — change, Hingson said — and he is confident that the technology for digital accessibility will continue to improve with advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning. But the bigger question is the commitment: that businesses give digital accessibility the focus it deserves. 

“The reality is, today we have the technology and the ability to make the world an inclusive place,” Hingson said. “What we don't have is an educated desire on behalf of all the decision-makers in the world to truly make it inclusive.”

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

Image credit: Peakstock/Adobe Stock

From Compliance to Opportunity: Digital Accessibility for People with Disabilities is Rising on the Business Agenda

Yes, many of us have long snickered at the very thought of Ikea furniture and products – as this recent parody bit of John Oliver in this recent Saturday Night Live skit <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAdYGBfOElk" target="_blank">sums up</a>. Of course, many of the snickering among us also shop at Ikea knowing the chances of running into anyone we know in those mazes disguised as retail showrooms are very low.

But Ikea has also been a leader on the sustainability front within the retail sector – for example, charging for plastic bags long before other retailers did the same, a move those chains generally made because of local ordinances. The company has also been a trailblazer on renewable power investments – so much so that earlier this year, Ikea said those projects were generating <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/ikea-renewable-energy/718146" target="_blank">more power than it could use</a>.

Speaking of plastic, today Ikea has announced that it will <a href="https://about.ikea.com/en/newsroom/2021/11/17/ikea-to-phase-out-plastic-from-consumer-packaging-by-2028" target="_blank">phase out</a> all plastic from its consumer packaging by 2028. For example, those light bulbs encased in plastic blister packs that foment wrap rage? Well, now they are arriving on shelves packaged in paper boxes.  

According to the company, plastic now only consists of less than 10 percent of Ikea’s total packaging needs by volume. Nevertheless, the company has disclosed it spends about 1 billion euros ($1.13 billion) on 920,000 metric tons of packaging annually. Incorporating more renewable and recycled materials can help keep that tab down.

Most of the shift away from plastic packaging at Ikea will instead be toward paper-based materials. That won’t necessarily satisfy critics who argue that paper consumption drives deforestation worldwide – and much of the paper-based packaging produced worldwide <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/woodmackenzie/2020/08/24/is-paper-a-more-sustainable-flexible-packaging-material-than-plastic/?sh=53d12cb412d4" target="_blank">ends up in landfill</a>, especially it’s embossed with aluminum or lined with plastic. If (and that’s a massive if) paper waste streams are managed correctly, many global organizations have made the case that <a href="https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Design_Management_for_Circularity.pdf" target="_blank">paper can be a part</a> of the transformation toward a global circular economy. Again, we’re talking gargantuan if’s here.

Ikea insists this change in packaging will eventually be based on renewable and recycled materials – the details of which are vague for now. But in the grand scheme of things, and in comparison to other retailers, once again Ikea is a step or two ahead of its peers.

“Phasing out plastic in consumer packaging is the next big step on our journey to make packaging solutions more sustainable and support the overall commitment to reduce plastic pollution and develop packaging from renewable and recycled materials,” said Erik Olsen, the company’s packaging and identification manager at IKEA of Sweden. “The shift will happen progressively over the coming years, and mainly be focusing on paper as it is both recyclable, renewable, and widely recycled across the world.” 

Image credit via <a href="https://about.ikea.com/en/newsroom/2021/11/17/ikea-to-phase-out-plastic-from-consumer-packaging-by-2028?assetID=065DEE1D-EE20-47E5-AA8B-7E1E848FA53C" target="_blank">Ikea</a>

By 2028, Ikea Will Phase Out Plastic from All Consumer Packaging

It may seem like Black Friday has been going on for a month already, but that doesn’t minimize the importance of Small Business Saturday across the U.S. As those web ads keep following us as we surf and our email inboxes fill up with holiday deals, we thought we would offer a reminder why this coming Saturday, November 27, is so important to many entrepreneurs, small business owners and their families nationwide.

<h2>Small Business Saturday is a big thing</h2>

According to American Express, which was instrumental in launching Small Business Saturday over a decade ago, awareness about this day has turned into huge numbers over the past several years. Last year,spending on Small Business Saturday 2020 <a href="https://about.americanexpress.com/all-news/news-details/2020/American-Express-11th-Annual-Small-Business-Saturday-Reaches-a-Record-High-with-an-Estimated-19.8-Billion-in-Reported-Spending/default.aspx#:~:text=in%20Reported%20Spending-,American%20Express'%2011th%20Annual%20Small%20Business%20Saturday%C2%AE%20Reaches%20a,%2419.8%20Billion%20in%20Reported%20Spending" target="_blank">reached $19.8 billion</a>, a slight uptick from the previous year despite the global pandemic’s impact, according to the company's estimates.

<h2>November 27 offers another opportunity to support Black-owned businesses</h2>

American Express <a href="https://smallbiztrends.com/2021/11/small-business-saturday-2021.html" target="_blank">has made it more seamless</a> for small business owners to register and participate for this coming Saturday. The financial giant has also invested in raising the profile of Black-owned businesses across the U.S. For example, in a partnership with the online shopping partner Showfields and the U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce, the company has curated an online holiday-themed <a href="https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/?extlink=CH=ps-CU=us-BU=GABM-skw=US-EN_GABM_GGL_Small+Business+Saturday_NB_Shop+Small_E_STANDARD-Core_General-p67442470230-TST=SmallBusinessSaturday-EEP_URL=g_psea&amp;cpid=g_psea&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAnO2MBhApEiwA8q0HYTK8oj8wDll0ta2aXhuyKaHDARRWLJdjI9bTinVVfP3PvSC66bnNlhoCPJ8QAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">shopping collection</a> that exclusively showcases Black-owned retailers.

Such a focus is important as many of these small businesses are looking to recover the losses they suffered during the pandemic. Although many large corporations pledged their support to Black-owned enterprises last year, overall those promises <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/commitments-black-america/727391" target="_blank">have since fallen short</a>. One study has concluded that almost <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/building-supportive-ecosystems-for-black-owned-us-businesses" target="_blank">60 percent</a> of Black-owned businesses ran into large financial risks over the past 18 months, yet many of them quickly realized they had no choice but to <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/black-business-owners-social-change/727041" target="_blank">pivot and figure things out on their own</a> as federal emergency funds and loans largely bypassed them.

<h2>It makes it easier for locals to spend money where it counts the most</h2>

Whether we live on social or traditional media, it’s hard to ignore the constant messaging from the largest online and brick-and-mortar retailers as they keep rolling out new deals in their bid to have us open up our wallets time and again. Based on the fact that these larger companies have had more luck than their smaller competitors in scoring those coveted holiday items on their shelves, the evidence suggests that <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/supply-chain-small-businesses/731091" target="_blank">the deck is stacked</a> against smaller stores.

It won’t be surprising if the largest retailers in the U.S. report a banner year once this season wraps up, but here’s one fact about where many Americans’ hearts lie: The data out there concludes <a href="https://about.americanexpress.com/all-news/news-details/2021/American-Express-Celebrates-the-12th-Annual-Small-Business-Saturday-Bringing-a-Digitally-Integrated-Holiday-Shopping-Experience-to-Communities-/default.aspx" target="_blank">80 percent of them</a> will likely buy from a small business during the next few weeks. The work of companies like American Express, as well as ongoing social media campaigns with hashtags like #ShopSmall and #SmallBusinessSaturday, is important to remind consumers where they can go to support local businesses.

<h2>It keeps dollars in the local community</h2>

It’s a pretty intuitive argument to make: When we leave our homes this weekend and hit the local main street or that corner strip mall, we’re doing more than finishing off our holiday gift list. Add that latte and scone at the local coffee house, the lunch bought while taking a break between stores, and picking up any household items that we may need, and the economic impact of our decision to shop local can tally up quickly.

That tally can cumulatively amount to hundreds of billions of dollars, American Express says. “Shopping small” this season, according to the company, could result in a total impact of $695 billion spent in the small business economy. Hence small business owners are counting on the next several weeks to be successful one: 78 percent of the business owners who American Express surveyed said this holiday season’s results will determine their ability to stay in business during 2022.

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/q6zV1ioOel4" target="_blank">Mac Glassford</a> via Unsplash

Four Things to Know About Small Business Saturday

<a href="https://www.viacomcbs.com/sites/g/files/dxjhpe226/files/2021-08/ViacomCBS-Social-Impact-Review.pdf" target="_blank">As featured in the ViacomCBS Social Impact Review</a>

In the U.S., suicide rates are the highest they’ve been since World War II, yet mental health is still often misunderstood and stigmatized. Events in 2020 brought this concern to the forefront for our viewers.

ViacomCBS has a commitment to mental health stretching back a decade and a half. Building on our long legacy, MTV Entertainment Group has recently launched Mental Health is Health, an initiative seeking to harness the power of storytelling to destigmatize mental health and drive behavioral and cultural change that normalizes mental health conversations and inspires action.

In 2020, ViacomCBS and the Well Being Trust conducted a survey of Americans to better understand the attitudes of mental health care. We found that:

<ul><li>COVID-19 and social injustice have only exacerbated mental health challenges, with more than half of respondents reporting that difficult feelings have been getting in the way of their daily activities and relationships during the pandemic.</li>
	<li>78 percent of Americans believe that their mental health is an important priority.</li>
</ul>Collaborating To Create a First-of-Its-Kind Mental Health Media Guide

In recognition of the pivotal role storytelling can play in addressing the growing mental health crisis, MTV Entertainment Group led the development of the first-ever Mental Health Media Guide, a groundbreaking, comprehensive resource for content creators designed to help expand positive mental health portrayals. The Media Guide was developed by a coalition of media and entertainment companies and mental health experts and organizations. We will use it to inform our own storytelling and programming across our channels.

Our Brands’ Commitment To Being A Part of the Solution

Our brands have championed a constructive conversation around mental health for many years. When the SHOWTIME show Homeland first aired in 2011, the main character, Carrie Mathison, was one of the only protagonists on television struggling with bipolar disorder.

In 2020, we participated in the mental health and wellbeing conversation in a number of ways:

<ul><li>The Daily Show with Trevor Noah raised over $40,000 during Mental Health Awareness Month and highlighted programs to help address the unique emotional challenges of the pandemic. The recipients of the donation, Vibrant’s Disaster Distress Helpline and NYC Well, provide life-saving crisis support to anyone in distress.</li>
	<li>Lady Gaga’s mother, Cynthia Germanotta, joined the CBS This Morning special Stop the Stigma broadcast to talk about the impact of mental illness on her family and friends.</li>
</ul>Sparking Important Conversations

In 2020, we announced that we will expand mental health resources, including our Employee Assistance Program, to all production teams and talent to ensure that every single person on a ViacomCBS production has access to free, professional counseling.

ViacomCBS Veterans Network is partnering with our content producers to talk about mental health and suicide proactively and responsibly. For example, SEAL Team is a drama that follows an elite unit of Navy SEALs as they train, plan and execute the most dangerous, high-stakes missions our country can ask of them. We introduced David Boreanaz, a leading actor on the show, to a couple who lost their son in combat in order to give Boreanaz perspective on what his role means to military families.

For shows that contain triggering content like Blue Bloods, a CBS drama about a multi-generational family of veterans and cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement, the ViacomCBS Veterans Network reviewed scripts to ensure appropriate warnings were included.

On the international side, we supported the UK’s Film + TV Charity in the launch of its Whole Picture Programme, which is designed to improve mental health for employees behind the scenes in UK film and TV. We will continue to work with the charity’s taskforce and mental health experts to help those working in our industry feel supported and valued.

In Africa, MTV Generation Change’s Need to Know in Isolation series passed the mic to Nigerian mental health activist Hauwa Ojeifo, who discussed the importance of selfcare, explained how access to services like medication and therapy is vital for vulnerable populations and encouraged audiences to amplify the call for mental health awareness during the global pandemic.

<a href="https://www.viacomcbs.com/sites/g/files/dxjhpe226/files/2021-08/ViacomCBS-Social-Impact-Review.pdf" target="_blank">Read the 2020 ViacomCBS Social Impact Review here</a>.

Previously published in the <a href="https://www.3blmedia.com/news/viacomcbs-prioritizing-mental-health" target="_blank">3BL Media newsroom</a>.

ViacomCBS Is Prioritizing Mental Health

With the holidays on the horizon, many shoppers around the world are filling their baskets with Cadbury chocolate. Meanwhile Mondelēz International, parent company to Cadbury Dairy Milk as well as other brands such as LU Biscuits, Oreo and Toblerone, recently committed to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its supply chain by 2050, including targets for cocoa ingredients. 

<h2>What’s in the net-zero plan</h2>

In 2020, Mondelēz International set a <a href="https://sciencebasedtargets.org/" target="_blank">science-based target</a> to reduce its absolute end-to-end greenhouse emissions (“from farm to shelf”) by <a href="https://ir.mondelezinternational.com/news-releases/news-release-details/mondelez-international-sets-science-based-targets-reduce" target="_blank">10 percent by 2025</a>, compared to a 2018 baseline. Previously, it had aimed to reduce emissions in its manufacturing operations by 15 percent by the end of 2020, and after meeting that goal upped its commitment to include a wider scope across the supply chain. 

This new goal raises the target once again with an aim for net-zero emissions across the entire supply chain. The net-zero target aligns with the company’s signing on to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Race to Net Zero initiative, which intends to <a href="https://unfccc.int/climate-action/race-to-zero-campaign" target="_blank">mobilize businesses, governments and investors</a> to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 in line with the Paris Climate Agreement’s goal to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

In order to meet its long-term goals, Mondelēz International set ambitious targets within different components of its supply chain — for example, sourcing 100 percent of chocolate and wheat through the company’s sustainable ingredient programs: <a href="https://www.cocoalife.org" target="_blank">Cocoa Life</a> and <a href="https://www.harmony.info/en-en" target="_blank">Harmony Program</a>, respectively. Other targets include increasing energy efficiency in biscuit ovens and steam boilers and reducing food waste by 15 percent in manufacturing and 50 percent in distribution. 
<figure role="group"><img alt="Mondelez International net-zero value chain" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0a2d27ee-f52a-47ba-858e-66fdd3ae72de" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/MDLZ%20Net%20Zero%20Announcement%20Infographics%20Final.002.jpeg" width="960" height="540" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>From sustainable ingredients sourcing to renewable energy, Mondelēz International details its plan to go net zero by 2050. (<a href="https://www.mondelezinternational.com/-/media/Mondelez/News/Articles/NetZero-Infographic-Plan.JPG">Click to enlarge</a>.)</figcaption></figure><h2>“We focus on where we can have the biggest impact”</h2>

Unlike many other industries, the bulk of emissions from a consumer packaged goods (CPG) company like Mondelēz International do not come from owned manufacturing or operations. Most are <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/scope-3-climate-change-action/708441" target="_blank">Scope 3 emissions</a>: indirect upstream and downstream emissions within the value chain, and specifically those associated with agriculture. That means CPG companies have to work with their suppliers and the farmers who grow these raw materials in addition to government regulators and other stakeholders in the industry to make more sustainable ingredients available and scalable. 

“We focus on where we can have the biggest impact that is relevant to our business,” Chris McGrath, vice president and chief of global impact, sustainability and well-being at Mondelēz International, told TriplePundit. “We’re one of the largest buyers of cocoa, for example, and it’s part of our footprint.” 

About 70 percent of Mondelēz International’s footprint comes from agriculture, McGrath said. The company’s move toward net zero builds on previous initiatives aimed at improving the sustainability of key ingredients in a way that meets suppliers’ needs. To some extent, that is still how the company operates. “We had done a lot of work to know what was going on with the suppliers we were working with — for example, cocoa growers in Ghana,” McGrath said. “Then we learn as we go. We’re taking that approach with net zero: We’ve done a lot of work to know how we need to scale, and we’ll continue to publish more specific goals as we measure impacts.”
<figure role="group"><img alt="Mondelez - Cocoa Life - Cocoa growing communities in Africa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="73084f95-d161-436a-aba3-06c1b2399a01" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Mondelez%20-%20Cocoa%20Life%20-%20Cocoa%20growing%20communities%20in%20Africa.jpg" width="1500" height="994" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Launched in 2012, Mondelēz International's Cocoa Life program works with cocoa farmers in West Africa to improve yields, profits and resilience, boost sustainable agriculture practices, and improve quality of life in surrounding communities. </figcaption></figure>The company’s sustainable cocoa program, <a href="https://www.cocoalife.org/" target="_blank">Cocoa Life</a>, in particular is a cornerstone to this work. Launched in 2012, the program aims to address issues such as climate change, gender inequality, poverty and child labor in the <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-10-cocoa-producing-countries.html" target="_blank">cocoa industry</a>, which is mostly located along the equator in West Africa. "We as a company can ensure have real impact to improve the environment and people’s lives,” McGrath said. “This is also a business strategy: We are one of the biggest chocolate and biscuit companies, and we need a strong supply chain from a company perspective and also from a people perspective.”

Cocoa Life works with cocoa farmers on the ground with a focus on improving their profitability, benefiting the surrounding community, and restoring and conserving forested areas. “We are in partnership with our suppliers in the program to adapt new agricultural practices to help farmers grow more cocoa on existing land,” McGrath explained. “We’ve always taken a holistic approach to help the farmers make a positive impact in terms of their livelihoods and also reduce carbon emissions. Continuing to partner with our suppliers is one of the levers to get to net zero.”

As such, one of the company’s primary net-zero goals is to source 100 percent of its cocoa from around 200,000 Cocoa Life Program farmers by 2025. “We train farmers with our suppliers on good environmental practices like providing shade trees,” McGrath said. “We’ve given out over 2 million shade trees, which have a positive environmental benefit and protect the cocoa seedlings, enabling the farmer to produce better and faster.” Beyond 2025, the company is looking to scale the work and lessons learned from the Cocoa Life Program. 
<figure role="group"><img alt="Mondelez Net-Zero Value Chain - Cocoa Life Farming in Ghana" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="41a4108f-1ee3-4100-842d-816fdc2ee15c" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Mondelez%20Net%20Zero%20Value%20Chain%20-%20Cocoa%20Life%20Farming%20in%20Ghana.jpg" width="1500" height="994" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>A Cocoa Life farm in Ghana. </figcaption></figure><h2>Moving forward from COP26</h2>

Since most large CPG companies have global supply chains, the challenges they face stretch across country and industry lines. Like many of us, McGrath said she hopes the <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/cop26-companies-workforce/730536" target="_blank">COP26 climate negotiations</a> that wrapped earlier this month in Glasgow can build new bridges. “What I’m hoping comes out of the climate summit is more alignment amongst government and business,” she told 3p. “Moving from commitments and conversation into action, we need to work together to figure out the solutions. We need new innovations in agriculture.”

McGrath is co-chair for the <a href="https://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com/environmental-sustainability/forest-positive/" target="_blank">Forest Positive Coalition</a> of the <a href="https://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com/" target="_blank">Consumer Goods Forum</a>, where 20 companies are working on solutions for forest-positive business. The cross-sectoral approach to collaboration gives her hope that she will see positive outcomes for agriculture and CPG supply chains. “I find it so meaningful to be able to bring the innovation that’s required,” she said. “Cocoa Life is one of our biggest innovation programs. We worked in partnership with suppliers and NGOs to create a solution that wasn’t there, and we’ve been scaling for nine years.” 

But this is just the beginning, she said, and a more sustainable agricultural sector will require everybody working together. “We need government working to make the investments in innovation and install the infrastructure,” she said. “We need business to step up and work together. We need to mainstream regenerative agriculture.”

Images courtesy of Mondelēz International

From Farm to Shelf: Mondelēz International Targets Net Zero Across the Value Chain By 2050

Those disturbing viral videos of people getting trampled in big box store stampedes on Thanksgiving night aren’t the only reason many of us prefer to stay home that day and avoid the Black Friday madness altogether. If you ever had to get up at 2 a.m. on Black Friday morning or cut a Thanksgiving Day gathering short because of that weekend’s demands on retail workers, you would understand why anyone with a smidgen of a conscience would rather not walk through any large store's sliding glass doors that day or at all that weekend.

It turns out that very soon, store hours on Thanksgiving Day will soon become a distant memory. According to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-holidays-shopping-f280f3afa3edf048e468aac33d9eb9a2" target="_blank">Associated Press</a>, Target won’t be open at all that day or night — for good. 

“What started as a temporary measure driven by the pandemic is now our new standard — one that recognizes our ability to deliver on our guests’ holiday wishes both within and well beyond store hours,” Target CEO Brian Cornell wrote in a note obtained by the AP. “You don’t have to wonder whether this is the last Thanksgiving you’ll spend with family and friends for a while, because Thanksgiving store hours are one thing we won’t ‘get back to’ when the pandemic finally subsides.”

While Cornell’s note may come across as if it had been written with compassion toward what retail workers endure each holiday season, current economic realities are what dictates this latest shopping trend. Many retailers stayed closed during last year’s Thanksgiving holiday in a move to “stop the spread” of COVID-19, and Americans’ continued shift to online shopping also makes shopping on a family holiday more of a relic than a necessary reality for these companies’ bottom line. Add the fact that many retail workers have been fed up with <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/karens-retail-workers/120861" target="_blank">how they’ve been treated</a> on the job, thereby becoming a driving force in the “Great Resignation,” this announcement is also a face-saving measure on behalf of any retailer deciding to give its employees during this year’s holiday.

Nevertheless, credit Target with being the first nationwide large retailer to end any store hours on Thanksgiving Day. Macy’s is one retailer that will also shutter its stores this Thursday, though some of its locations will still offer curbside pickup. Kohl’s and Walmart locations will also stay dark on Thanksgiving, though according to the AP they haven’t yet committed to making this policy change permanent. Don’t be surprised, however, if more retail chains follow suit as when one makes a drastic, headline-generating change, others will follow.

Retailers have been offering bonuses and benefits such as health insurance and 401(k) contributions in the rush to staff up Many potential employees, however, have been unmoved, even though federal pandemic benefits expired earlier this month. More people are putting their health and sanity first, even if at first it means less spare income. “I think, overall, people are really shifting their priorities,” Sara Gordon of the temporary staffing company Adecco <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/despite-record-pay-perks-few-people-want-work-retail-holiday-n1279715" target="_blank">told NBC News</a> in September. “Flexibility and the ability to acknowledge that life happens and life is happening in a very unpredictable world really packages employee mental and physical health as a priority and value proposition.”

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/sUlR4Iul-9c" target="_blank">Ashkan Forouzani</a> via Unsplash

Rest in Peace (Literally), Thanksgiving Day Shopping

<a href="https://www.givingtuesday.org/" target="_blank">For close to a decade</a>, the Giving Tuesday movement has been the social antidote to the excesses that often mark the holiday season. Year after the year, the people and organizations behind Giving Tuesday have been successful at urging citizens to donate whatever funds they can afford or to work within their communities to assist those amongst us who could use a lift. While traditionally Giving Tuesday occurs five days after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/these-5-organizations-show-what-giving-tuesday-now-all-about/88961" target="_blank">in May 2020</a> another Giving Tuesday, organized in only six weeks, also witnessed a surge in donations to help people who were most affected by the global pandemic.

This year’s Giving Tuesday occurs next week, on November 30. While listing every worthy organization deserving of funds is an impossible task, should you be inclined to open your checkbook or type in your credit card number online, we offer a few ideas on how you can join the spirit of Giving Tuesday and offer a hand up to your community.

For those who want to be a part of Giving Tuesday here in the U.S. but are not sure where to start, <a href="https://www.givingtuesday.org/united-states/#USmap" target="_blank">this directory</a> can help you find campaigns and local organizations in your area. 

<h2>National Domestic Workers Alliance</h2>

Domestic workers — the majority of whom are women of color and immigrants — were especially hard hit by the pandemic and the economic fallout — and U.S.-based National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) has been among these oft-overlooked workers’ staunchest allies.

These people, including nannies, house cleaners, and home care workers for seniors and people with disabilities, were often the first to lose their income streams last year as families with means sheltered in place, required fewer services, and grew wary of others entering their homes. In addition, many domestic workers lack access to health insurance and paid sick leave through the agencies for which they work.

A <a href="https://secure.everyaction.com/ncLu4BogLEilhmk36wPyTw2?ms=ndwa_membership_web" target="_blank">donation to NDWA</a> can help support this organization’s advocacy and support for domestic workers – which include the benefits that <a href="https://membership.domesticworkers.org/member-benefits/" target="_blank">it provides to its members through a low monthly or annual fee</a>.

<h2>Consider supporting local STEM education programs</h2>

While today’s economy is largely stacked against citizens who work for low wages in the service industries, the demand for technology workers is opening more doors to better-paying jobs. And no, we’re only not talking about plum engineering jobs at the leading tech giants – a STEM boot camp, a few technology classes or a certification can often lead to a job that is more rewarding personally while making it far easier to pay the bills. Meanwhile, more public school districts are launching STEM education programs that target youth in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Such programs can benefit from donations and sponsorships; many have the “donate” button promptly displayed on their websites for good reason.

<h2>Sharing the spirit of Giving Tuesday isn’t limited to donations</h2>

If you want to be a part of Giving Tuesday and you feel as if you can do your part by avoiding the giant online and brick-and-mortar retailers, that’s more than a fair response. Of course, the question comes up: What are the alternatives?

Let’s start with the Black community, which the pandemic especially hit hard. Promised a bill of goods over a year ago, many of those pledges companies made to Black business owners <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/commitments-black-america/727391" target="_blank">have since fallen short</a>. With one study suggesting that almost <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/building-supportive-ecosystems-for-black-owned-us-businesses" target="_blank">60 percent</a> of Black-owned businesses ran into large financial risks, many of them quickly realized that they had no choice but to <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/black-business-owners-social-change/727041" target="_blank">pivot and figure things out on their own</a>.

So whether you prefer to shop online or are searching for a local business to spend your dollars, there are countless resources: <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90512942/how-to-find-and-support-black-owned-businesses-wherever-you-are" target="_blank">This Fast Company article from 2020</a> offers a strong starting point. Further, if you’re throwing a holiday-themed gathering, consider trying a new caterer or venue for that party. <a href="https://www.eatokra.com/" target="_blank">Eat Okra</a>, which <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/eatokra/id1175921760" target="_blank">runs an app</a> that at last check says has been downloaded by at least 330,000 diners, could offer new culinary ideas and a way to keep those dollars circulating within your local community.

<h2>There’s a fundamental need for Giving Tuesday: fighting hunger</h2>

If your approach to Giving Tuesday, or the donating of funds throughout the year, is to address the most fundamental needs of your neighbors, then food banks must top your list this holiday season. The need is especially dire this fall and winter, as the continued surge in both food and housing prices are making it more difficult for families to get by and buy the bare minimum. 

The news on food insecurity in the U.S. alone is bleak: Most food banks coast-to-coast are struggling to meet demand. The D.C. region’s Capital Area Food Bank, for example, reported to <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2021/11/19/dc-capital-area-food-bank-fights-food-insecurity">Axios</a> last week that it will distribute about 45 million meals by its fiscal year-end, a huge jump from the annual 31 million meals in the pre-pandemic days.

To be clear, a donation to a food bank doesn’t mean going through your cupboards or pantry – the best thing to give is cash. “Cash donations also go much further as food banks across the nation can turn one dollar into four meals due to partnerships with food manufacturers or farmers to purchase food at cost or wholesale,” wrote <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/delta-variant-food-banks/727406">Richelle Noroyan</a> for 3p earlier this year.

<h2>Remember your LGBTQ neighbors</h2>

While corporations love to change their logos and express their standing by with the LGBTQ community during Pride Month, the reality is that year after year, in the grand scheme of things, corporate financial support for this community is <a href="https://lgbtfunders.org/donate/giving-tuesday/" target="_blank">quite paltry</a>. The pandemic was also brutal to local LGBTQ centers, many of which were shuttered for months on end due to restrictions to combat the ongoing public health crisis. Now, the rise of anti-transgender legislation and the politicization of LGBTQ-themed literature in public schools make many wonder if we’re living in 2021 or 1961.

This Advocate <a href="https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2019/12/02/8-overlooked-lgbtq-groups-donate-giving-tuesday#media-gallery-media-8" target="_blank">article from 2019</a> offers a few ideas on where you donate spend your dollars. The <a href="https://www.horizonsfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Horizons Foundation</a>, which organizes an annual “<a href="https://www.giveoutday.org/giving-events/giveout21" target="_blank">Give Out</a>” day, is worth considering; if your focus is more on supporting human rights for the international LGBTQ community, New York City-based <a href="https://outrightinternational.org/about-us" target="_blank">Outright</a> has launched its own Giving Tuesday campaign. To help LGBTQ youth in crisis, <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/crisis-services/" target="_blank">The Trevor Project</a> is another organization deserving of donations.

Image credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/fvpgfw3IF1w" target="_blank">Kelly Sikkema</a> via Unsplash

Five Ideas to Help Make Giving Tuesday 2021 Count

As Black Friday approaches, many retailers are sweating it out as they keep scrambling to find temporary workers who can stock items, fold clothes and run the cash and credit registers. 

To that end, Macy’s isn’t taking any chances. Although the department store leader last reported a healthy quarter – <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/now/macy-inc-raises-outlook-strong-121452871.html" target="_blank">as in $345 million in net income</a> – year-over-year sales have overall been in decline as the pandemic exacted its own shocks while American shopping habits continue to change. With Black Friday just a week away, the retailer is asking its corporate employees to step up, as in stepping into its stores to help out.

According to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/11/17/macys-holidays-labor-shortage/" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>, which was able to get its hands on some of the company’s internal emails, the company is asking employees is asking corporate employees to join its retail workers in making sure its stores can function during the upcoming holiday season.

“As a company, we understand that business continues to be different, and where we can, we want to influence our high traffic moments, finding ways to elevate the customer experience,” explained one email. In other words, start by helping to clean up those dressing rooms and move items from the back storerooms.

That request, or thinly-veiled demand, may come as a shock to someone who hasn’t worked a Black Friday or a very late Friday night in December since their college days, but it’s not the most absurd request on the face of the earth. Macy’s is, after all, in a long-term struggle, and analysts are in general agreement that this holiday season will <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/macys-m-q3-2021-earnings.html" target="_blank">help shape</a> the company’s long-term fortunes – a mantra that has been <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-27/-soon-we-ll-be-looking-at-a-black-quarter-black-friday-update" target="_blank">repeated</a> over the <a href="https://fortune.com/2017/11/20/macys-black-friday-christmas/" target="_blank">past several years</a>. “With your support, our store colleagues will be able to stay focused on elevating the customer experience — helping them check every gift off their list, and maybe a few for themselves as well,” said another recent Macy’s internal email.

While we’re on the topic of elevating anyone’s experience, there’s another important reason why Macy’s “all hands-on deck” strategy could pay off. Yes, it’s that important Macy’s customers have a decent experience in their stores – it’s one reason the department store chain is in business. But there’s a potential teachable moment here.

Retail workers have been <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/karens-retail-workers/120861" target="_blank">taking it on the chin</a> (sadly, too many <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/customer-is-always-right-etail-worker-violence-harassment-2021-9" target="_blank">literally</a>) over the past year and half, which has led them fueling in part the “<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/dark-side-great-resignation/730736" target="_blank">Great Resignation</a>” we’ve been hearing about so much the past several months. Nothing is guaranteed, but there is a chance that what white-collar workers see and feel on the shop floor at Macy’s could help on the empathy front, and gain buy-in for policies and programs that will help them retain these employees.

While a boost in pay to $15, $17 or even more surely helps, as does a commitment to tuition reimbursement, retail workers have also been screaming for something that is also important: being treated with a certain level of dignity and respect. 

Throwing corporate employees out to the wolves is nothing new: For decades, many corporate rotation hiring programs, which lured new graduates out of colleges or business schools, had long adopted that tactic in part to offer these new hires a better understanding of the companies’ business. And last month, Louisiana-based Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/09/business/raising-canes-employees/index.html" target="_blank">deployed a program</a> similar to that of Macy’s in a move to tackle the ongoing shortage of workers. The chain had trained its corporate employees on tasks such as operating cash registers and deep fryers while boosting pay for its restaurant workers.

Who knows, this Black Friday roundup lends an opportunity to learn new life skills, such as this ingenious <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpJ6_NZMw4w" target="_blank">Japanese method of folding shirts</a> that makes tidying up a clothing display so much easier.  

Image credit via <a href="https://www.macysinc.com/_assets/_e3f00606080c42cfc5c24e1e83f5dc72/macysinc/db/414/7602/image.jpg" target="_blank">Macy’s</a>

Department Store Enlists Corporate Employees for the Black Friday Front Lines

Over the past two decades, the United States and Europe, and especially the United Kingdom, have shifted away from the use of coal for electricity generation. The closure of over <a href="https://coal.sierraclub.org/campaign" target="_blank">340 coal plants</a> in the U.S., and its <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/death-uk-coal" target="_blank">rapid fall in usage</a> in the U.K. are often shown as examples of how we can quickly shift towards cleaner alternatives and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But, at least in the case of the U.K., the alternative, it turns out, isn’t that much better, especially from a climate perspective. The U.K. is now the biggest burner of wood biomass for electricity, with several formerly coal-firing power plants <a href="https://www.counterpunch.org/2021/11/15/the-woody-biomass-blunder/" target="_blank">now burning wood</a> pellets, emitting nearly as much CO2 as coal. The source? One area is the southeastern United States, where companies like Enviva have set up wood pellet factories and export facilities, aiming to supply not only the U.K., but also Europe, Japan, and South Korea as those regions transition away from coal.

“Because of all the commitments to net zero that many countries are making, they're seeing biomass energy as some sort of component of that,” said Peg Putt, coordinator of the Forests, Climate and Biomass Energy Working Group at the Environmental Paper Network, who are concerned about the push to burn wood for electricity generation.

The companies pushing for increased use of wood biomass see it as part of the solution, both for forest owners, and transitioning away from coal. Coal-fired power plants can, relatively quickly, be converted to burning wood biomass, making it a quicker alternative than renewables like wind and solar, which can take far longer to bring online. In fact, the biggest wood biomass burning plants in the world, run by Drax in north England, used to be coal plants.

“We believe that bioenergy is a vital part of an all-in strategy to reduce carbon emissions and displace coal,” said Kim Cesafsky. director of sustainability at Enviva at a press conference. “Scientists and leading authorities on climate have all concluded that bioenergy is an essential part of the climate solution."

But is burning wood really better? Science, as we know, is often evolving. A cautionary tale might be the expansion, in the 2000s, of biofuels as an alternative to petroleum. Both corn-based ethanol and palm oil-based biodiesel were seen as climate solutions because they came from plants, which absorbed as much carbon as was emitted when they were burned, making them carbon neutral. It’s a similar argument being put forth by the bioenergy industry, which claims that forests will regenerate fast enough to offset any emissions from burning wood.

But, as it turned out, biofuels' climate impact was more complicated. When other factors were considered, such as transport emissions, land-use change, and peat emissions, it turned out that not only were biofuels not carbon neutral, they were, in many cases, <a href="https://www.climatecentral.org/news/study-biofuels-worse-for-climate-than-gasoline-20634" target="_blank">responsible for more emissions than the fossil fuels</a> they replaced. Wood biomass, Putt argues, is the same.

“Treating burning wood from the world’s forests as anything other than another source of carbon pollution that damages forest carbon storage [is] a false climate solution,” said Putt “Claims that burning forest wood is sustainable would be laughable if policymakers were not so prone to falling for biomass industry propaganda.”

Enviva argues that it only uses debris and low-quality wood, but Derb Carter with the Southern Environmental Law Center says that’s not what his organization, and allies, have found.

“We investigated that with some of the organizations we work, and verified that the primary emphasis then, as it is now, is utilizing whole trees to supply the biomass,” said Carter. There are allegations that clear-cutting of forests is becoming increasingly common as Enviva seeks to expand wood pellet production for export, and if so, means the environmental impact is far greater than is being advertised.

In fact, <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/news-insights/biomass-energy-climate-solution-or-potential-catastrophe/" target="_blank">the science</a> on wood biomass’s climate impact <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/sasha-stashwick/what-ipcc-really-says-forest-biomass-climate-change" target="_blank">remains uncertain</a>, though the industry will have you believe that the issues that plagued palm oil and corn biofuels don’t apply to their industry. At the same time, is using wood biomass instead of coal really the optimal solution? Shifting away from coal is good, as it is the most polluting and climate-intensive fossil fuel, but “less bad” doesn’t make biomass an ideal solution. There are real clean energy solutions – solar, wind and geothermal – that can play a bigger role with more focused government and private sector support. 

There is some action on this front, as last month, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/oct/19/drax-dropped-from-index-of-green-energy-firms-amid-biomass-doubts" target="_blank">Drax was dropped</a> from an index of green energy firms, showing that climate financiers, at least, are no longer willing to accept burning wood as green energy. In Japan, seen as a future growth market as it aims to shift away from coal, <a href="https://www.foejapan.org/en/forest/201203.html" target="_blank">a new coalition</a> is pushing against biomass imports, citing concerns about its environmental impact on forests and greenhouse gas emissions.

We need to continue to shift away from coal as quickly as possible – but make sure that the alternatives are also better for the planet and people too. Increasingly, wood biomass doesn’t seem like the green solution it has been advertised as, like palm oil and coal biofuels before it.

Disclosure: The author received a fellowship from the National Press Foundation that focused on exploring biomass and climate change.

Image credit: Sydney Clark via National Press Foundation

Is Wood-Based Biomass Energy a Viable Alternative to Coal?

Life for Sewedo Mautin looked very different when he was growing up in Nigeria. He didn’t have a reliable toilet in his home for the first 22 years of his life. He would either go to a neighbor’s house or travel nearly three-quarters of a mile to use a toilet. When he became homeless as a young man, finding a safe, clean toilet became even more of a challenge. Today, Mautin lives in Finland and works for Kimberly-Clark as a product engineer developing baby and childcare products for emerging markets in the Middle East and Africa. 

He has leveraged both his life experience and professional expertise in his work to mentor entrepreneurs in the pilot phase of the <a href="https://www.toiletboard.org/how-we-work/projects-2/innovation-labs/" target="_blank">Women in the Sanitation Economy Innovation Lab</a>, a partnership between Kimberly-Clark and its foundation, the company’s Kotex brand, and the Toilet Board Coalition, a public-private partnership that brings businesses, investors and governments together to scale market-based solutions for sanitation issues. 

<h2>“We spent a lot of time sharing experiences” </h2>

During the six-month pilot, five female entrepreneurs in the sanitation space from the U.S., U.K. and Kenya participated in the Innovation Lab’s <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/women-entrepreneurs-sanitation/728901" target="_blank">mentorship program</a>, which featured 11 Kimberly-Clark employees from around the globe who served as mentors to the entrepreneurs. Mautin was intrigued by the program and applied when he learned that the lab was looking for a mentor for entrepreneurs in Kenya. 

He was accepted into the program and partnered with Maureen Amakabane and her Kenya-based company <a href="http://usafisanitation.com/" target="_blank">Usafi Sanitation Limited</a>, which markets, sells and installs low-cost handwashing stations, biological waste digesters (bacteria that breaks down waste), and eco-friendly toilets that run without chemicals, electricity or water. 
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="Maureen Amakabane, head of Usafi Sanitation Limited" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="973f2238-c6f0-4464-9d01-44b300e38319" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Maureen%20Amakabane.png" width="575" height="475" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Maureen Amakabane, head of Usafi Sanitation Limited.</figcaption></figure>Mautin knows from experience that waste management is a daily struggle in parts of Kenya, and helping entrepreneurs from the region on these issues held personal significance. Both he and Amakabane experienced periods living without access to any sanitation. "We spent a lot of time sharing experiences,” he said to TriplePundit in a recent interview. “These types of experiences in your life really affect your future and how you view the world.”

<h2>Paying it forward as a mentor </h2>

When Mautin was doing his technical study in Nigeria, his wages weren’t enough to meet his daily needs, and he became homeless. “I continued with my education,” he explained, and help came unexpectedly. He met a man (Kunle Olaide) in his church who gave him temporary accommodation until he was able to finish his studies. 

“Today, the guy who helped me has become family,” Mautin said. “He gave me a lifeline.” It was that experience that made him want to pay it forward when the opportunity arose to become a mentor. 

<h2>Pushing Usafi’s sanitation solution to the next level </h2>

Mautin mentored Amakabane with one of his Kimberly-Clark colleagues who helped Amakabane with her marketing skills, and Mautin focused on business plans and partnerships. They were fortunate as well that Amakabane has been in business for about 10 years, so she had already developed proficiency in areas like market needs and product development. 

Mautin helped Amakabane to connect with the Technical University of Kenya and look for ways to collaborate on the production of handwashing stations and waterless toilets. Mautin previously worked with a university in Finland, and he brought his experience to bear when navigating the academic landscape. 

“We reviewed the entire process together – who to approach at the university and the best way to do so, in addition to walking through intellectual property issues,” Mautin explained. "We talked about what to discuss [with the university] and how she should position her business needs and overall vision.” 

Amakanabe also noted that relationship-building was a key element of the mentorship. “[Mautin] helped me curate the technical bit of the business model,” she said to 3p. “We polished the idea of partnering [with the university].” 

<h2>Solving global challenges through mentorship</h2>

According to the World Health Organization, <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sanitation" target="_blank">2 billion people</a> do not have access to basic sanitation like toilets or latrines. Over 800,000 people die every year because of inadequate sanitation and hygiene services, including nearly 300,000 children. Further, health is not the only factor at play. Safety is a serious concern as well, <a href="https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/gender/" target="_blank">especially for women and girls</a>, who are more prone to attacks and harassment when they lack access to reliable sanitation services and are forced to seek relief in the open. 

Amakanabe’s business aims to reduce this inequality, which aligns perfectly with Kimberly-Clark’s <a href="https://www.kimberly-clark.com/en-us/esg/2030-ambition" target="_blank">global ambition</a> to improve the lives and well-being of 1 billion people in underserved communities around the globe by 2030 – with the smallest environmental footprint.

Mautin was animated when speaking about the mentorship. He gained a lot from it himself while knowing that what he was doing was also helping Amakabane take her business to the next level. “I came to appreciate more about what I do,” he added. “It led me to appreciate my job more and see myself as an 'intrapreneur' at Kimberly-Clark – not just an employee. It helped me think beyond this program and start reflecting on how I can help others who don’t have access to toilets.”

Mautin already told the mentorship organizers that he would like to continue his work with the program, and he also feels his work with Amakabane is not quite finished. “We had a major focus on the university partnership and the technical aspects, so it felt more like we had just planted a seed…there’s more growth to come,” he said. 

<h2>The bottom line: What makes mentorship work</h2>

Mautin’s biggest piece of advice for other mentors and mentees is to set expectations from the beginning. “We need to understand from day one what to focus on and make it clear what is possible and what is not,” he said. “Shared objectives need to be well sorted from the start.”

In the end, Mautin felt empowered by the mentorship experience and thought it tied closely with his work and with Kimberly-Clark’s goals. “When I look at some of my colleagues, we have a lot of technical experience and commercial expertise to support this program,” he told 3p. “The Innovation Lab magnified how my personal purpose ties into Kimberly-Clark’s purpose of Better Care for a Better World.” 

At the end of the day, however, it was about people connecting with each other to improve lives. For Mautin, he knows the power that one person can have on someone’s life – like the man who helped him get back on his feet when he was homeless. 

He’s grateful for the opportunity to now leverage his strengths, skill set and life experiences to help others through programs like the Innovation Lab. Mautin and Amakanabe agree that mentorship is powerful – its impacts can extend far beyond the mentee and mentor while positively impacting communities for generations to come. 

Image credit via WaterAid/<a href="https://wateraid.assetbank-server.com/assetbank-wateraid/images/assetbox/3193d347-1e23-46f8-9168-b5fbbc9e7460/asset172156.html?tc=true" target="_blank">Eben Liebenberg</a>

This Engineer Once Lived Without Access to a Toilet — Now He’s Helping Entrepreneurs Provide One for Others 

Military veterans who return to civilian life can face a battery of hurdles. Many employers have responded by engaging in new programs to hire veterans. That is all well and good, but much less attention has been paid to the challenges faced by military spouses seeking civilian jobs. That is a yawning gap that no single employer can fill.

<h2>One paycheck is not enough</h2>

Anthony Noto, CEO of the financial services firm SoFi, pinpointed <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/11/perspectives/sofi-ceo-veterans-financial-future/index.html" target="_blank">the military spouse problem</a> in a recent op-ed for CNN. “Serving our country can cause unique financial challenges down the road,” he wrote “For some, these financial limitations last far beyond their initial transition into the post-military working world. Frequent moves can make it difficult for military spouses to find jobs that offer a steady, second source of income, limiting families to one paycheck.”

Noto’s piece focuses specifically on helping veterans plan for retirement. However, his mention of military spouses deserves closer attention, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/dark-side-great-resignation/730736" target="_blank">forced more women and other family caretakers</a> to leave their jobs and tend full-time to the needs of their children and other dependents.

When a military family moves, a working spouse loses more than a job, even in the best of times. They can also be cut off from their caretaker networks including family, friends and neighbors. When they do find work in their new location, they may need to rely more heavily on paid caretakers. That can have a significant impact on their take-home income.

<a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2017/hire-more-veterans-starbucks-did-and-never-looked-back/18611" target="_blank">Much has been made</a> of the <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2019/veterans-theres-hiring-and-then-theres-meaningful-hiring/85621" target="_blank">job-ready skills</a> acquired by military veterans, which help them take advantage of employment opportunities in new growth areas like the <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2018/why-us-army-looks-wind-energy-veterans-jobs/11091" target="_blank">wind energy</a> and <a href="https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2019/how-solar-power-heats-competition-hiring-veterans/85661" target="_blank">solar energy</a> sectors. However, their spouses bring no such training to the table. Military spouses also face difficulty in continuing their education or training for new skills, limiting their opportunities when the family transitions to civilian life.

The employment challenges faced by military spouses impact the entire household. Maintaining a family on one military income can be difficult under the best of circumstances. The high cost of rent and other expenses in some military communities has long created additional pressure on household incomes. The pandemic and the current inflationary environment have exacerbated the situation, leading more active-duty families to <a href="https://feedingamericaaction.org/blog/military-families-food-banks/" target="_blank">rely more on food banks</a> and other sources of social support than ever before. 

<h2>Employers need to recognize that student loans are a serious problem</h2>

Employers may have limited avenues through which to provide assistance directly to military spouses, but Noto advises that employers can at least help provide significant assistance to military families by enabling more veterans to save for retirement.

“Recent research has confirmed veteran families struggle to maintain adequate <a href="https://militaryfamilyadvisorynetwork.org/emergency-fund/" target="_blank">emergency savings funds</a>, with nearly half (49 percent) of those who receive no pension reporting they have less than $500 in their emergency savings (and nearly one in four families who receive a pension reporting the same),” Noto observes.

Noto suggests that employers can start by educating themselves about the financial situation of the individual veterans they hire, especially in the area of student loans. He points out that many veterans start their retirement plan only after they finish their education through their GI Bill benefits, which means they get a very late start on saving. Paying off student loans can further delay retirement savings.

<h2>Standard retirement plans don't cut it either</h2>

Employers that offer standard 401(k) plans are not helping employees who are so burdened by student debt that they cannot afford to contribute to a retirement plan. Employers need to be proactive and pursue solutions, such as an IRS Private Letter Ruling. Noto also indicates that lobbying in support of <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1443" target="_blank">proposed federal legislation</a> in that area would enable employers to accommodate student debt in their 401(k) plans more easily.

He also urges employers to understand that many veterans do not pursue or finish a college education, placing them at risk of falling behind their civilian counterparts. A holistic “well-being” program would address the cost of education from the past to the present, and into the future. These programs account for student loans, current tuition and college savings plans for dependents where applicable. 

<h2>Other ways to help veterans and their families</h2>

Noto also encourages employers to provide educational resources and guidance that can help veterans with bad credit records avoid similar mishaps in the future.

Handing veteran employees a pile of brochures and a list of links can be a good start, but Noto urges employers to connect veteran employees with financial planners who can give them individual, personalized attention.  

“As the colliding worlds of work, company culture and education continue to evolve, our definition of well-being — and efforts to support veterans' unique needs — will need to do the same. In the meantime, ensuring resources are allocated toward programs that provide a mix of short- and long-term impact, while also delivering measurable, mutual benefit to both employers and employees, will foster a brighter financial future for all,” Noto concludes.

The missing link in all of this is the military spouse. They face unique challenges in the civilian workforce, and those difficulties are compounded when children and other dependents are members of their household.

Corporate leaders from Etsy to Microsoft, Patagonia and Seventh Generation understand how the lack of <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/08/12/fact-sheet-build-back-better-investments-in-care-will-boost-economic-growth-and-help-businesses-thrive/" target="_blank">affordable child care</a> holds back families and businesses. As members of the Care Can’t Wait Coalition, they have been lobbying for more federal support for both <a href="https://www.carecantwait.org/" target="_blank">child and family care services</a>.

Access to child and family care also impacts access to affordable higher education and job training, two other key areas that could be addressed through federal action.

As originally conceived, U.S. President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill would go a long way toward filling these gaps in social policy. Unfortunately, as of this writing the bill is at risk of dying on the vine. If it does survive, its family care provisions and other social spending are all but certain to be whittled down to provide less help to fewer people.

Corporate leaders who profess to support veterans can pick up the slack by lobbying for additional federal child care, family support, education and job training programs that pick up where Build Back Better leaves off and provide more resources for military spouses as well as veterans.

Image credit: George Pak/Pexels (<a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-military-dad-playing-with-his-son-7983836/" target="_blank">1</a> and <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/parents-parenting-a-childs-7983807/" target="_blank">2</a>)

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