Various groups around the world, such as the ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India) are publishing guidelines for advertising making environmental / green claims.

In effect, they all cover the same points.

Here is a simple guideline –

• Any claim that a company, product, service, package has a neutral or positive impact on the environment, or is less damaging to the environment than a previous version of the product, or is less damaging than competition, or has special environmental benefits; regardless of if the claim is explicit or implicit; needs to be substantiated by 3^rd party validation tied to a globally-recognized standard.  

If your company is becoming more environmentally friendly because you know it is the right thing to do – Wonderful!!  Congratulations!!!  Keep it up!!!!

But the minute you start talking about it, you need that claim substantiated by 3^rd party validation tied to a globally-recognized standard.

If not, odds are, you will be exposed for greenwashing and your brand will suffer.

If you want to protect your brand, but benefit from consumer demand that you become environmentally friendly, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “The Early Bird Gets the Worm!”

Do you run your business like an Early Bird or do you prefer to let your competitors get the worm?

Per this article, 90% of the world’s economies have made pledges to slash planet-warming emissions.

Yet, the article says that voluntary compliance is not addressing the problem fast enough.  To that point, we know that roughly 50% of the world’s economies already have developed regulations with some teeth.  This will expand quickly and more regulations will occur.

So, back to the question – Will you be an Early Bird or only come ‘kicking and screaming’, when forced?

Per studies from many groups, we know that 7 out of 10 consumers will move their business if they find a certified sustainable company:

• The Innovators (25% of consumers) have already made purchase decisions based on sustainability
• The Early Adopters (20 – 43% of consumers) are in play right now

These are the worms the Early Birds, who have already become certified sustainable, are getting.  Soon, they will be getting the Early Majority.  This is why the Early Birds that became certified sustainable companies are growing up to 20x faster than you are.

Unless your target market is the Late Majority and Laggards, watch this webinar and give us a call.

The biggest concern we get from prospective clients is the perception that the Edenark Group ISO 14001 application process will be painful and take a lot of staff time.

In point of fact, Edenark Group does the vast majority of the application work for its clients.

This video is of an Edenark Group ISO 14001 client and provides an answer to this concern.

As an aside, not only did this client, Wholesale Payroll, become environmentally certified sustainable under the Edenark Group ISO 14001 program in 2022, but they also renewed their certification for 2023 and 2024.

Per this article in Food & Beverage, small to medium sized businesses that fail to prioritize sustainability risk losing lucrative contracts from governments and large businesses that are vetting the green credentials (ie, legitimate claims) of their supply chain.

Further, SMEs that are slow to move on sustainability risk losing employees, customers and contracts to competitors who have been more proactive in proving they are legitimately (ie, certified) sustainable.  

“The combined pressure from consumers and investors and stricter regulations has changed business partnerships. Supply chain management is emerging as a key factor in the sustainable business movement, with larger entities changing the way they engage with suppliers and distributors…..those that start now will be well-placed to maintain existing contracts, tender for new ones and be ahead of the impending regulatory curve to manage new requirements that are likely to be placed on businesses in the future.”

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

Per an updated study by the S&P on S&P 500 companies

• 35% have compensation for employees tied to emission reduction (up 17% from 2021)
• 27% of senior executives have comp tied to emission reduction (up 42% since 2011)
• 15% of CEOs have comp tied to emission reduction (up 67% since 2021)

As to energy companies

• 48% of CEO comp is tied to emission reduction (up 118% since 2021)

As to Net Zero / Scope 3 commitments

• 45% have net zero commitments (impacting you, their vendor)

So, how does this impact you?

• If their compensation is tied to reducing emissions and if nearly half of them have net zero commitments, they are going to want/need sustainable vendors
• If you are part of their supply chain, odds are, you will either need to become sustainable or face being replaced by a sustainable vendor
• If you want to be part of their supply chain, waving a flag saying you are certified sustainable is a good strategy

You can either ignore or be proactive. 

If you wish to be proactive, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.

What is your company planning to do for World Environment Day, Wednesday, 5 June, 2024?

A few weeks ago, many companies around the world celebrated Earth Day, on 22 April, 2024.

CPL Group USA, which is an environmentally certified sustainable company and has been able to successfully respond/benefit from client Scope 3 letters, celebrated Earth Day by having staff participate in an Earth Day Scavenger Hunt outside their office building.  The purpose of the event was to stimulate environmental ideas that could be implemented inside the business.

Ideas that came out of the event, which have been incorporated into the CPL Group USA Sustainability Project Action Plan for 2024 include:

• Shutting off the all the lights and electronics at the end of each day.
• Some departments are able to turn their lights off in the afternoons, saving an additional 2+ hours.
• Decreased brightness on all monitors.
• Investigating the possibility of transitioning all soap to Castille Soap (no animal fat).
• Investigating a compost for waste.
• Investigating more home-based work days, to reduce travel.
• Investigating no paper and transitioning to tablets.

The above are in addition to the work the team has already done, over the years, as part of being environmentally certified sustainable. 

The team had fun and their new ideas will help the environment AND lower company costs.

Your company could do a fun event for World Environment Day that mirrors the CPL Group USA Earth Day event.  It would be fun, help the environment and help your company’s bottom line.