Millennials Want Sustainable Development Goals
Businesses are talking a lot about the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). What’s needed to shift businesses to action, as the Millennials want?
Impact Investing by Larger Organizations: Current Trends
The Social Capital Markets conference in San Francisco featured a number of great panels on impact investing. One in particular that caught my eye was called “Unearthing impact investment: how major institutions are deploying capital for good.” The panel was advertised to cover topics we “don’t normally think of as impact investors” and how they “are leveraging their assets and capital – all with the purpose of covering their bottom line while doing good.” “Impact investing has gotten so broad…
What is Jeffrey Hollender up to these days?
Jeffrey Hollender is the author of 7 books, a serial eco-entrepreneur, co-chair of the American Sustainable Business Council, and teaches at NYU. He may be best known for his role in co-founding Seventh Generation, one of the pioneers of greener and healthier household cleaning products. Recently, I had a chance to catch up with Mr. Hollender at the Wanderlust Yoga Festival in Squaw Valley, CA, where he gave a talk for the “Speakeasy” sessions offered at Wanderlust. I also asked…
How to Green a Burrito or Fresh-Mex Restaurant: Top 10 Sustainable Strategies
Want to green your Fresh-Mex or burrito place? There are some sustainable strategies unique to both restaurants in general and those which serve cuisine like burritos, tacos, and nachos. Here are the top 10: Organi-fy your staples. Beans and rice are a staple on most Mexican/Fresh-Mex menus, and represent the grand majority of the calories you’ll be delivering. The great news is that this is an easy thing to get organic without breaking the bank. At our local food co-op,…
How to Adopt Carbon Neutral Practices for Your Small Business
Many businesses go the extra mile of trying to measure and offset their carbon footprint for all the benefits it brings–customer loyalty, employee engagement, brand reputation, free PR, word-of-mouth buzz, and the like. Given the widespread adoption of some, if not all, good sustainability initiatives, it’s clear to see that businesses are seeing the benefits outweigh the extra work. But as a business owner, you need to understand what your negative externalities are. A good case in point is Monsanto (not exactly…
Which Sustainable Companies Are the Best for the World?
Originally published on Green Living Ideas. By Andrea Bertoli Who are the companies that are changing their business model for a better world? Sometimes it’s the smaller companies you’ve never heard of that slowly shift the paradigm of business as usual, while other times it’s large multinational corporations changing how business is done at the top. But it’s difficult to find a definitive rating. Some surveys will look at only environmental criteria, while others will take components like social justice,…
Each of These Ethical Wedding Rings Gives 2 People Clean Water for Life
Jewelry meant to celebrate one of the most joyous moments in a couple’s life shouldn’t be contributing to global conflicts and environmental destruction, but all too often, wedding rings can have a shady history full of dirty mining practices and blood diamonds. It doesn’t have to be that way, though, as this wedding ring company, which is committed to social change and a high standard of ethics, aims to help those tying the knot to choose an ethical wedding ring…
Consumer Education is Key Factor in Sustainability Success
More and more, big companies have a growing responsibility, not just to help their bottom line, but to promote significant positive behaviors that contribute to a healthier world. That often means going above and beyond company-wide sustainable initiatives—it means committing to consumer education programs and encouraging audiences to be a part of the responsibility we all bear for protecting the environment. As Vice President of Sustainability at Levi Strauss & Co., it’s my job to make sure our company acts…
Harley-Davidson to Plant 50 Million Trees by 2025
The iconic motorcycle company Harley-Davidson, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), aims to plant 50 million trees by 2025 as part of its Renew the Ride initiative. Considering the media stereotype of the average Harley rider, it might surprise you that this American classic motorcycle company is interested in planting trees, but with a little thought, it’s almost a no-brainer for companies that promise a great outdoors experience as part of their brand’s appeal to support conservation and reforestation…