Per this release

• 69% of consumers do not believe most sustainability claims
• 40% are not purchasing products from companies not actively executing sustainability programs
• 58% say they will spend more money for a company or brand they know is sustainable
• 74% are more likely to purchase from a company that can prove its sustainability practices
• 80% are more likely to trust a company that can back up its sustainability claims

Given that we know environment/climate is the top concern consumers have.

Given that we know consumers want to support companies that can prove they are sustainable.

Given that we know certified sustainable companies are growing materially faster than their non-sustainable peers.

Given that we know environmental activists are exposing greenwashers.

Given that we know government compliance is going to require 3^rd party verification.

Being able to prove your sustainability claims is going to benefit you.

If you are interested, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us

A new research report by Glow looks at 12 United States sectors (airlines, liquor products, quick service restaurants, fashion retailers and brands, telecom, car/automotive, banks, energy providers, grocery retailers, pension funds, general insurance and food/grocery) and arrived at the following:

• 87% of consumers consider it important that businesses act responsibly regarding society/environment
• 25% of respondents stopped doing business with a company in 2023 due to its social/environmental behavior (You might want to read this one again)
• 58% said social/economic considerations are more important today than a year ago

What did the report uncover as to how those views convert to spending?

• $44 billion is ‘up for grabs’ in these 12 sectors
• That’s the amount expected to move from vendors not seen as sustainable, to vendors seen as sustainable, as soon as clients find a vendor that is seen as sustainable

If we assume these 12 sectors are consistent with the balance of US and Global views, we see:

• $125b is currently looking to move to a sustainable vendor in the US
• $500b is currently looking to move to a sustainable vendor Globally

If you are not a certified sustainable business, you will be a Giver:

• You will be an easy mark
• You will surrender sales, profit and market share to competitors that are doing what you are doing, but doing it while also being certified/verified as a sustainable business

If you are, or become, certified sustainable, you will be a Taker:

• This might be the easiest money you will ever make
• Assuming your product/service is consistent with your competitive peers, all you have to do is say, “I do what the other guy is doing, but I am who you want to buy from as I am a Good Corporate Citizen while doing it”

Our job is to help the Takers at the expense of the Givers.  We are good at our job.

If you would rather be a Taker than a Giver, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.

2024 is nearly 20% behind us!

We all forecasted a budget for the year.

Some of us are confident….and some of us are scratching our heads, wondering where the growth is going to come from.

Per this study by University of California at Riverside, brands committed to sustainability are growing 4x faster than their non-sustainable peers.  NYU/Stern says it is 7x.  Symbola says 20x.

Further, 66% of consumers say they will pay more for sustainable brands. 

What would higher prices and 4x sales do for your 2024 plans?

If this sounds interesting, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.

Not that we don’t have enough to worry about, but this article talks about the 15 biggest environmental problems we face in 2024.

• Global warming from fossil fuels
• Poor governance
• Food waste
• Biodiversity loss
• Plastic pollution
• Deforestation
• Air pollution
• Melting ice caps and rising seas
• Ocean acidification
• Agriculture
• Food and water insecurity
• Fast fashion and textile waste
• Overfishing
• Cobalt mining
• Soil degradation

People love to say “We need to do something about this!!!”, but words have no impact on the above. 

If you want your company to be more than words, consider taking action and being part of the solution.

Watch this master class and contact us.

This global research study was just published (October 2023) and provides the following data:

81% of people around the world rate climate change as the #1 global issue, ahead of inflation, war, economy, or disease/pandemic.

• Think about that point next time you  spend money on advertising, trying to get the attention of your prospective clients.

People rate private sector companies last (behind charities, schools, transnational bodies like the UN, households and even governments) on fighting climate change.

• Think about that point next time you want to differentiate from your peers.

Approximately half the people said they would take a pay cut to work for company that has a net-zero commitment.

• Think about that point next time you are struggling to hire and retain staff within your budget.

If you see the opportunity the above presents and would like to be proactive about both your company and the environment, watch this master class and contact us.

We are often asked why the Edenark Group program has a ‘people piece’ – A Better World Starts With Me, Center For Brain Training, Gym For The Brain – and the answer includes the following:

• Every organization in the world suffers from the impact of the Big 5 (insomnia, stress, anxiety, physical pain and mental acuity) on its people. The average loss from the Big 5 is 5% of your corporate GNP (ie, profit) per year, every year.  That’s a big number.  If we can help your team become happier, healthier and more productive, that number goes down and profit goes up.

• For most companies, their biggest cost, risk, time-consumer and opportunity area, is their people. If an organization helps them become ‘greener’ but does not help their people become healthier, happier and more productive, are they really providing a complete sustainability service?  We do not believe a sustainability program is complete if it does not address the people.

• People in pain are typically inwardly-focused and do not have the energy or interest to help others; while people that are happy and healthy are typically outwardly-focused, wanting to help others. If we can help people feel better, they will want to do more for others, and the planet.

• Finally, as this article states, besides the physical impacts of global warming, we are seeing psychological impact (stress, anxiety, even death) from climate change. The hotter it gets, the more we stress about it, leading to mental and physical damage.  We believe mental illness will continue to increase as global warming increases.  As such, we repeat our first point – a sustainability program that does not have a people-piece is not a complete sustainability program.

If the above makes sense to you, review the organizations in the above links, watch this master class, and contact us.  The planet will be healthier and happier, your team will be healthier and happier, and your company will be financially better for it.

Per this article, gone are the days of sustainability being a public relations supplement to annual reports.

The First Wave – CSR

• The foundation of sustainability reporting goes back to CSR (corporate social responsibility). It was a way for companies to do some good.  But those efforts were detached from the company’s core operations.

The Second Wave – ESG

• About 20 years ago, as companies started to realize risk-management was linked to environmental and social practices, CSR evolved to ESG and sustainability became aligned with a company’s corporate strategy.
• The upside was sustainability was now sitting at the board table and performance data was gathered, stored and reviewed.
• The downside came when the financial markets tried to make money off ESG by promoting and selling ESG funds that were not truly ESG funds.

The Third Wave – Regulations

• We are now shifting from voluntary to mandatory reporting.
• Non-compliance will have negative consequences.
• Consumer demand is pulling governments forward and rewarding companies that act.

If you recognize the path we are on, this post explains what we believe a sustainability program should include.  This master class explains why you should consider it.

If this makes sense to you, contact us.

Since 1971 we have been consuming more than the Earth can produce each year.  

To make matters worse, our consumption has been increasing.

Last year, on August 2, we had consumed all the Earth could produce in 2023.  After that date, we were consuming into future years.

We are currently consuming 1.7 earths every year.  

We have been efficiently over-consuming for 53 years.

What do you think the date will be in 2024?  Will it be late July?

Give us your guess.

Per this article, Keurig Canada will pay a $3 million penalty for greenwashing claims – saying its K-Cup pods can be recycled.

Besides the penalty, the company has to change its packaging, publish notices about the changes on its websites, social media and in local and national outlets, as well as include information in packaging for new machines, and send an email to subscribers.

Ouch!

Why did they do it?   It might be due to knowing the environment is the #1 issue in the world and 7 out of 10 consumers will leave their existing vendor if they find a vendor that they believe is sustainable.

But the damage to the Keurig Canada brand is obviously far greater than the $3 million penalty.

Don’t do it.

Either a) make no environmental / eco / sustainability / Green claims; or b) become certified sustainable via a globally-recognized program with 3^rd party validation, and have them help you make claims that are consistent with your certification achievements. 

Environmentally certified sustainable companies are growing up to 20x faster than their non-certified peers.

Here is what you want in a certification program.

Contact us to discuss.

The Corporate Knights Global 100 (the top ranked sustainability companies) turned 20 this year.  This gives us 20 years of comparative data to consider.  This article covers the following points:

• As you would expect, the Global 100 earns more of its revenue from sustainable solutions. In fact, compared to the average large public company, the difference is 3x
• As you would also expect, the Global 100 invests more in sustainable solutions. Also 3x the average large public company
• This focus has proved wise, as the Global 100 has outperformed the average large public company by 6% in total returns
• When we move away from the Global 100 and just look at all companies, sustainable capital expenditures grew 2x general capital expenditures
• Again, looking at all companies, sustainable revenue grew 2x general revenue

Net, even if your company is not one of the world’s top rated sustainable companies, you should be seeing revenues from sustainable programs/products growing twice as fast as revenues from non-sustainable programs/products.

If you are a SME, this gap should be even wider, as the competition is less fierce (97% of large companies have sustainable programs but less than 1% of SMEs have sustainable programs, allowing certified sustainable SMEs to more easily create competitive differentiation via sustainability certification).  Studies show certified sustainable SMEs are seeing 7x – 20x growth versus their non-certified peers.

If you are not enjoying this level of growth via your sustainable efforts or versus your competition, you might want to consider a new strategy.

This post explains what sustainability program you should have and this master class explains why you want this.

Contact us if this is of interest.