Find and see the best corporate environmental sustainability news, posts and stories here, at Edenark Group’s “IN THE NEWS.” Let us know if you have environmental sustainability news you would like us to add.
Consumers’ Sustainability Demands Continue to Rise
Per this article by Harvard Business Review,
- Millennials and Gen Z will soon pass Boomers in purchasing power
- A highly trusted company outperforms its peers by up to 400%
- Sustainability promotes trust with these younger consumers
If you want to win these younger consumers, you need to be a certified sustainable company.
If you are interested, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.
Employees Turned Off by Weak Corporate Sustainability Plans
Many companies that do not have sustainability programs, or that have weak ones, are experiencing the impact (either via employee exits or reduced employee enthusiasm) of not being part of a recognized and respected sustainability certification program.
Bottom line – If you do not have a credible sustainability program, the majority of your workers are not happy.
This article talks about a recent study that suggests that workers have left and will continue to leave companies that do not have a credible sustainability program:
- 69% of respondents are anxious about the future of the planet
- 67% are not satisfied by businesses’ efforts to tackle environmental and social challenges
- +75% said employer values and commitment to tackling environmental and social challenges were key when they selected a job; but 68% say their company is not meeting their expectations
- 45% say they would consider resigning if their employer does not improve and align with their values
- +33% have already quit a different company due to this
This is costing you in reduced production, vacancies, new hire costs and training.
If you are interested in addressing this, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.
Would you like to grow 2.7x faster than your competitors?
Per this article discussing a study by NYU/Stern and the IRI/NPD Group data firm, if you want to grow 2.7x faster than your competitors, you might want to think about your company becoming verifiably (ie, certified) sustainable.
The study says sustainability “has become a lasting priority for consumers” as 93% of consumers have either increased or maintained their sustainable purchase habits over the past year.
77% of consumers believe sustainability is an important factor in deciding which products to purchase (up from 69% the year before).
When shopping online, the above 77% goes to 84%.
Think about the impact on your attempt to differentiate from your competitors by promoting on your website and your marketing materials that you are a certified sustainable business.
If you are interested, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.
United Nations sounds the Red Alert on Rising Temperatures
After the record-setting heat of 2023, we are facing a potentially hotter year in 2024.
There is a 62% chance it will be moderated by a transition to La Niña. This is good! But even if moderated, there is the chance we absorb it and keep on getting hotter.
It is generally assumed we passed the 1.5C degree threshold that we were trying not to cross, last month (February 2024).
Per this video, the UN is sounding the alarm.
Mother Earth is not a sports car. She does not turn on a dime. This is not something we can easily or quickly dial down.
There have been five mass extinctions over the past 500 million years. She is going to be fine. We might not be.
Strap in. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.
Haymarket Media, Inc. Renews its Environmental Sustainability Certification through 2024
Haymarket Media, Inc. has renewed its Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification through 2024 for its New York City offices.
Haymarket Media, Inc. is the US division of global media company Haymarket Media Group, which is internationally recognized for its environmental commitment and is ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 accredited in its UK offices.
The ISO 14001 is the world’s premier environmental sustainability certification and Edenark Group’s certification program allows SMEs (small to mid-sized enterprises) to attain the world’s most popular environmental certification standard via a program designed specifically for them.
Edenark Group also helps clients pursue carbon neutrality and ESG compliance, using the ISO 14001 as a foundation for long-term compliance. The program helps organizations define how they interact internally, externally and with the environment, and focuses on its continual improvement in these areas.
“As a business we recognize our broader responsibility to society and our brands regularly cover topics of corporate purpose, positive impact, and work hard to use their influence for good. Renewing the ISO 14001 is a sign of the US business of Haymarket continuing its sustainability commitments,” said John Crewe, Data Protection Officer, Haymarket Media, Inc.
“Much has happened in the past year, including climate change becoming a growing global concern, carbon emissions reporting becoming a compliance requirement by many governments and Scope 3 becoming a discussion point with suppliers. Not only do we want to do the right thing for the environment in our own offices, we also want to lead by example for other organizations in the United States and around the world.”
The certification incorporates energy/waste/water, employee health and performance enhancement, community involvement, procurement and suppliers, compliance and regulations, emergency/security, and stakeholder engagement. Benefits include creating a culture of continual improvement, stakeholder engagement, lower costs, higher revenues and profits, improved employee performance, and doing the right thing for the environment and current and future generations.
“When an organization pursues, attains, then renews, the Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification, they are setting a higher bar for their organization and sending a signal to all those around them,” said David Goodman, CEO of Edenark Group. “They are agreeing to adhere to the world’s gold standard for sustainability certification; are choosing to be a leader and part of the solution; and are joining an elite community of over 300,000 organizations, in over 150 countries, that have committed to continually improving in every way.”
About Haymarket Media, Inc.
Haymarket Media, Inc. is an award-winning specialist content and information company. With 24 market-leading media brands, Haymarket offers unmatched expertise and insight through balanced, relevant, original content across a spectrum of media channels. Haymarket is home to highly regarded health care professional brands such as The Clinical Advisor, Dermatology Advisor, and MPR (Monthly Prescribing Reference) among a portfolio of HCP-focused, specialty-specific websites, as well as the esteemed business media titles including PRWeek, MM+M (Medical Marketing + Media), Campaign and McKnight’s Long Term Care News.
Haymarket Media, Inc. is the US division of Haymarket Media Group, a privately-owned media, data and information company, producing remarkable content for specialist audiences across the world. The company has 1,500 employees across offices in the UK, US, Hong Kong, Singapore, India and Germany. Haymarket’s portfolio consists of more than 70 market-leading brands including What Car?, Campaign, MyCME and Asian Investor. Through live, digital, print, education, data, tech services, video and audio, Haymarket’s brands inspire, inform and empower clients and communities internationally.
About Edenark Group
Edenark Group provides the world’s premier environmental sustainability certification / carbon neutral / net zero / ESG services for small to mid-sized enterprises.
Media Enquiries
Haymarket Media, Inc. (www.haymarket.com) – Corporate Communications at [email protected].
Edenark Group (https://edenark.com) – can be reached at +1 844.722.3937
Switzerland Found in Violation of Action to Fight Climate Change
Per this article, on 12 April 2024, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights issued a landmark judgement against the country of Switzerland for a lack of action to protect human rights against climate change.
The case was brought by a group of older women and their association who alleged that the State was not doing enough to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The Court agreed and found that Switzerland failed to act in time and in an appropriate and consistent manner to devise, develop and implement relevant legislation and measures to mitigate the effects of climate change.
To put this into context for you, Switzerland sits squarely in the middle of the world as to per-resident carbon emissions. This chart has it at 89 out of 219 countries. It is not the most carbon-free per resident, but it is certainly not the most carbon-producing per resident.
Point is, most of you reading this are living in countries that have higher per-resident carbon emissions than Switzerland. If it can happen to Switzerland, it can happen to your country, your state, your city and your business.
As you run your business, there are a few ways to respond to this:
- It is only happening in extreme situations and to high-profile entities. It will never impact me
- If it does reach down to me, I will address when forced
- The trend is clear and I want my company to be, and be seen as, part of the solution
If you are part of the third group, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.
United Tech Employee Management Celebrates Earth Month with Energy-Saving Projects and Community Outreach
United Tech Employee Management, a Palm Beach, Florida-based, family-owned, employee leasing company that handles payroll, workers’ comp, and unemployment administration became environmentally certified sustainable under the Edenark Group ISO 14001 environmental sustainability certification program in 2022. The company then re-opened its corporate office at the end of Earth Month 2023, after a major energy-saving remodel and retrofit. The energy-saving retrofit included new insulation, a smart NEST A/C thermostat, new water-efficient toilets, a new low-energy refrigerator, and new LED lights.
The company renewed its certification for 2024.
To celebrate Earth Month 2024, the company will expand on the prior work and also focus on community/peer outreach for sustainability.
“We are a family-owned business, and we care about our community. Serving people and protecting future generations is at the core of our culture. We decided to upgrade our corporate office to be as energy-efficient as possible,” said Kristina Smith, President of United Tech Employee Management. “We will use our new corporate office to present the benefits of environmental sustainability to our guests, including vendors, prospects, clients and community colleagues,” added Smith.
United Tech Employee Management can be reached at +1 561.594.4892
2024 Business Person of the Year
Every year, the 8 million members of the Alignable business platform vote for their favorite business leaders, by city.
We are honored to have won the 2024 local business person of the year award for our Edenark Group operation in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
- Edenark Group also won in 2020/21 and 2022.
We are equally honored to win the 2024 local business person of the year award in Jupiter, FL for our A Better World Starts With Me operation.
We thank Alignable, our business peers, and the local community, for recognizing the work Edenark Group and A Better World Starts With Me is doing to improve our local and global communities.
5 ways to tell when a brand or company is greenwashing
This article gives five things to look for to determine if a brand or company is greenwashing:
- Vague or ambiguous claims
- Lack of third-party certification
- Contrary practices
- No transparency
- Narrow sustainability focus
Obviously, we are biased. However, if you are certified under a legitimate program, it will help address the other four. If you are not certified under a legitimate program, the other four often occur.
If you want the market benefit of consumers rewarding you for being sustainable without the risk of being called out for greenwashing, become certified sustainable.
If this makes sense, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.