Sustainability Solved

On this month’s episode of the Sustainability Solved Podcast, we are talking about Britain’s favourite pet: dogs. Research estimates that there are 13 million dogs in UK homes, a number which grew significantly during lockdown; it is estimated that 3.2 million households in the UK acquired a pet during the pandemic. Despite our love for the growing canine population, we can’t ignore the environmental impacts that come with dog ownership.   

We are joined by Stephen Jenkinson, a consultant who uses applied psychology to help people like landowners, property developers, councils, and national parks to influence where dog walkers go and what they do. Stephen specialises in how to promote the good things about dog ownership and dog walking whilst minimising any adverse effects on other people, wildlife, or farm animals.  

Highlights: 

• Studies from the past 20 years have highlighted the positives of dog ownership, from better physical and mental health, to being more sociable.  
• Stephen identified a gap in the market, realising that no one was talking about dog welfare and environmental welfare collectively.  
• Stephen’s work is funded by organisations like the Kennel Club, the largest organisation in the UK devoted to dog health, welfare, and training. Their objective is to ensure dogs live healthy and happy lives whilst educating people on how to be responsible owners.  
• One of the biggest environmental concerns with ownership is dog waste; not disposing of this in the correct manner can impact the natural environment (such as change in soil properties) and makes the natural environment increasingly unpleasant especially for those with mobility impairment using wheelchairs, prams, or any mode of transport with wheels.  
• Stephen reveals that dog waste can go in most landfill waste bins, something that studies have shown more than 60% of dog owners are not aware of.  
• Signage is incredibly important when it comes to dog waste bins; making clear where and how to dispose of dog waste can reduce the unpleasant impact on the environment.   
• Making the switch to dog waste bags derived from corn-starch will ensure that your dog waste is completely compostable.  
• With many returning to the office full time, commercial and professional dog walkers are being hired to look after dogs when their owners are at work.  
• Stephen tells us about a project he worked on with Scottish Natural Heritage where he ran workshops for dog owners and commercial dog walkers, highlighting the environmental issues linked to dog walking and how to overcome this.  

Resources: 

Rights of Way Act  

One Health 

Kennel Club  

Natural England Forestry Commission 

Scottish Natural Heritage  

Forest National Park Authority 

In this episode of the Sustainability Solved Podcast, we are looking into the environmental impact of something we may not usually give a second thought to – elevators.  

Half of the world’s population lives in cities and that number is expected to increase to 70% in 2050. As pressure on city space continues to rise, we are increasingly building upwards for our office spaces and homes, meaning we need efficient vertical transportation that doesn’t cost the earth.  

We are joined by Dr Paula Casares, Global Head of ESG at TK Elevator, and Mark Bashford, director of The Lift Consultancy, who explain the improvements made in the development of elevators to reduce their energy usage and environmental impact. 

Highlights 

• Mark estimates that approximately 70% of the lifts in the UK market are using older technology and are therefore not energy efficient.  
• Elevators transport over 1 million people every day and can account for up to 10% of the energy consumption of a building. 
• Paula’s company launched a project to become the first ever organisation to retrofit an existing elevator to achieve net-zero energy.  
• Mark tells us about destination dispatch, a system where everyone going to the same floor gets in the same lift to decrease the number of stops the elevator must make, therefore reducing energy usage.  
• The elevator industry has responded to the growing need for sustainable solutions by developing elevator models that consume less energy. Additionally, new elevators are using less materials to make its construction lighter. 
• Paula explains how sustainability and digitalisation are no longer separate entities, and how TK Elevator views digitalisation as one level further in its reduction of its carbon footprint. 

Resources  

TK Elevator 

The Lift Consultancy 

EOX: TK Elevator’s new eco-efficient and digitally native elevator platform 

The World’s Cities in 2016 

Title: Taking Trees Out of the Paper Supply Chain

Story

Let’s talk about paper – a product we all use in our businesses, no matter the size or speciality. Paper use in office spaces is declining but, in the UK, we still use 9.9 million tonnes of paper every year, with every tonne of fresh pulp requiring the felling of 24 trees.

In this podcast, we explore the idea of trees being removed from the production of paper entirely and the positive environmental impact this would have. We are joined by the fantastic Adam Huttly, founder of Red Inc, a sustainable office supplies company that has teamed up with Envopap, the world’s first eco-friendly and commercially viable pulp-free paper.

Highlights

· Adam founded Red Inc in 2008 with a vision: to be a disruptor in the paper industry and rewrite the rules. He wanted to create a low-impact business that was designed to innovate, create value, and make a positive difference.

· Red Inc has seen exponential growth from corporate companies targeting organisations in their supply chain to understand net-zero strategies and be aligned to science-based targets.

· Adam tells us how Covid-19 impacted the office products industry, and how being a transactional and traditional ‘pile it high, sell it cheap’ industry led to its downfall during the pandemic.

· Red Inc partnered with EnvoPAP to acquire EnvoCOPY, a paper created using a reclaimed waste product called bagasse which is a by-product of sugarcane farming. EnvoPAP have taken the by-product that would normally be burned or put in landfill and turned this into pulp to make paper.

· In 2016/2017, Red Inc started a campaign called ‘Fight Bright White’ to raise awareness to clients that insisted on using bright white paper to portray their business in a certain way, in turn rejecting eco-friendly alternatives.

· Adam explains that many organisations in the office products industry don’t know where to start on their environmental journey, let alone help their clients do their sustainability reporting. Red Inc is way ahead of the curve and passionate about continuing to rewrite the script on sustainability for office products.

Resources Red Inc EnvoPAP EnvoCopy B Corp Recycling Facts

Holidays in 2023 – should you go eco-friendly?

Story:

According to research by booking.com, 42% of people said that recent news about climate change had influenced them to make more sustainable travel choices. More than half (57%) said they wanted to travel more sustainably in the next 12 months!

In this episode of 'Sustainability Solved', we're discussing eco-friendly holidays and how to travel more responsibly. Our guests Maudie Tomlinson from The Conscious Travel Foundation and writer and journalist Holly Tuppen explain what sustainable travel looks like, and how to make informed decisions when booking your next holiday.

Highlights:

·      The Conscious Travel Foundation is a global community, initially set up by a group of industry friends during the covid-19 pandemic, uniting members of the travel industry the impact of tourism on the world.

·      Holly was inspired to write about sustainable travel after travelling around the world using slower and more environmentally friendly modes of transport such as trains, sailing, or cycling. As a result, she experienced and saw a lot more than if she had gone by plane!

·      Holly highlights that tourism can play a huge role in financing conservation efforts and nature restoration; she worked for an organisation called The Long Run who works with over 40 different lodges and travel experiences around the world to protect 23 million acres of ecosystems.

·      Maudie discusses if being more sustainable means higher costs for businesses; she highlights that reducing your organisation’s carbon footprint will save you money in the long run.

·      Holly’s book Sustainable Travel provides an array of advice for travellers looking to be more environmentally-friendly and how to make informed choices when booking a holiday.

·      The more people ask questions about sustainable travel and have this as a priority when booking a holiday, the more travel organisations will be likely to take action.

·      Holly addresses that a lot of businesses are nervous to start their sustainability journey in fear of not doing it 100% correctly and getting caught up in greenwashing claims.

·      Maudie and Holly tell us of their own eco-friendly travel plans for 2023 and give some fantastic suggestions for solo and family holidays!

Resources:

The Conscious Travel Foundation

Booking.com sustainable travel research

Green Traveller

Sustainability Hospitality Alliance

The Long Run

Holly’s book Sustainable Travel

B Corp Certification

EarthCheck

Story:

As the cost-of-living crisis bites, we ask how important environmental messaging is to consumer choice? Is sustainability a luxury for a few, or the only way ahead for brands?

We are joined by Will Thacker and Fran Docx of 20Something, the creative company behind Woolmark’s captivating Wear Wool Not Fossil Fuel campaign. In their powerful advert, figures emerge dazed from a pool of oil and strip off to reveal wool clothing underneath. The video aims to educate consumers about the environmental dangers of synthetic fibres.

Woolmark is a not-for-profit organisation working with Australia’s 60,000 woolgrowers to research, develop and certify Australian wool, and champion its eco-credentials over other materials.

Highlights:

·      Oil-based synthetics fuel the fast fashion industry. One cannot exist without the other

·      Synthetic fibres are bad for the environment because they are made from oil.

·      Woolmark’s research shows that in the 1980s, around 17%, of all fibres were synthetic fibres. By 2030, synthetic fibres will be around 80%.

·      50 million barrels of oil per year are used to source the fashion industry.

·      Fran tells us that most people know synthetic fibres are bad for the planet, but don’t make the connection with what they are wearing and the fact it comes from oil.

·      According to Natural England survey results, those with a higher household income are more likely to agree that looking after the environment is important to them.

·      Fran comments that people on lower incomes are forced to overuse resources to survive and are more likely to be impacted by the effects of climate change.

·      Sustainability matters more to consumers when they are purchasing products that are consumed or put on their body.

·      There are two forces at play in the young consumer market. An increase in interest in sustainable brands and the second-hand fashion market, but also a desire to wear different outfits via TikTok and other social platforms.

·      Will Tacker explains that greenwashing in the apparel industry is rife, so consumers have a responsibility to do their homework on brands.

·      Will Thacker talks about El Alto, sustainable outdoor clothing brand, who boycotted Black Friday by closing its stores and encouraging employees to get outdoors.

Resources:

Woolmark – Wear Wool Not Fossil Fuel

Natural England survey

addresspollution.org

El Alto | Socially Responsible Outdoor Clothing

This month on the Sustainability Solved podcast we are delving into the topic of last-mile delivery, the final stage of an order process where an item is transported from a warehouse or fulfilment centre to the final delivery destination. 

Our cities are packed with commercial vehicles that pollute our local areas and make it increasingly dangerous to navigate our streets. As cities move towards reducing CO2 emissions and air pollution, the commercial vehicle sector needs to be at the forefront of the movement to make way for a greener future.  

We are joined by Chris Benson, CEO and Founder of Oxford-based Pedal and Post, and Co-founder of Pedal Me, Ben Knowles, who are both at the forefront of the greener delivery movement. 

Highlights:

• Studies with the University of Westminster found that cargo bikes could do 60% more deliveries at the same time as commercial vehicles on most shop deliveries around London.
• On top of working with national parcel carriers, Pedal and Post specialise in medical deliveries. They pioneered the first delivery service that delivers chemotherapy medication in Oxford. 
• Larger companies can see that the future is going towards cargo bikes but have not been able to achieve the kind of scale of operations that will make a difference. 
• Sustainable deliveries can work out-with cities. Ben highlights that there may need to be some changes to the design of the bikes to cover ground quicker.
• With the increase in climate awareness, consumers are increasingly looking for organisations to deliver on sustainability commitments, and businesses should be helping to educate consumers on greener delivery. 
• Ben tells us of the positive reaction received by consumers when they see a cargo bike instead of a commercial vehicle, especially when he delivered a 15ft pink dodo sculpture!

Resources:

Pedal Me

Pedal and Post

University of Westminster cargo bikes research overview

Ultra-Low Emissions Zone

On this month’s episode, we're joined by Victoria Cushing, Product Director at KMI Brands. We take a look into their cosmetic brand Plantopia, a pending B-Corp that uses adaptogens and essential oils in its products to create positive change for people and planet health.

Victoria takes us on a journey through Plantopia’s pursuit of a sustainable production process, and the processes and outcomes of its comprehensive lifecycle assessment conducted by Green Element. Victoria gives some fantastic advice for organisations looking to improve their sustainability and production processes.

Highlights:

·      The team at Plantopia spent four years developing their brand to achieve recognition as one of the most planet-friendly and people-friendly cosmetic brands.

·      Plantopia became a member of the UEBT, Union of Ethical Bio Trade, to ensure from the very beginning that it had traceability of its raw ingredients, and that the team understood their entire supply chain.

·      For Plantopia, transparency is key, and a very important aspect for its consumers. Plantopia conducted a survey with over 1000 of its customers to identify what mattered to them and included that in its published manifesto.

·      With the help of Green Element, Plantopia conducted a comprehensive lifecycle analysis, which allowed their team to identify key areas where reduction was required.

·      Victoria talks about some of the obstacles the team experienced during this process, and that working closely with their suppliers was key in the success of their environmental journey.

·      Due to the success of the first life cycle analysis process, Plantopia now aims to conduct a life cycle analysis on all its products by the end of 2030!

Resources:

KMI Brands

Plantopia

Union of Ethical Bio Trade

Green Element’s Life Cycle Analysis Service

In this month’s episode, we are joined by Ian Riley, CEO of the World Cement Association, to discuss sustainability in the construction industry.  

With a significant impact on pollution and energy consumption, the construction industry is often under the environmental microscope. Ian brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the floor to unravel this complex topic.  

Highlights:  

• The World Cement Association was set up in 2016 to be a voice for the independent players in the industry. 
• Ian discusses the term ‘carbon negative concrete’ and explains how the carbon footprint of concrete is broken down and calculated. 
• Businesses in the construction industry are increasingly under pressure to ensure circularity and pay close attention to the full lifecycles of their materials.    
• Ian discusses the need for collaboration across the supply chain to fully understand organisation’s full environmental impact, especially when calculating Scope 3 emissions. 
• Ian tells us about technologies that can help in making the industry less wasteful and more sustainable - and the difficulties in adopting these new technologies.  
• The construction industry is playing an essential role in allowing countries to develop and urbanise, especially in developing countries. So, the real challenge for the industry is to find new ways of operating in a more sustainable way. 
• Ian expresses his optimism for the future of the construction industry and shares some invaluable advice for organisations looking to become more sustainable. 

Resources:  

World Cement Association 

The Chancery Lane Project (TCLP) is a pro bono legal initiative that brings thousands of legal professionals together to help businesses fight the climate crisis and achieve net-zero carbon emissions. Managing Director Becky Clissmann joins us to talk about TCLP’s legal clauses that lawyers can use in contracts to help businesses deliver climate targets.

We are also joined by John Perkins, Director, and Senior Corporate Counsel at Salesforce – someone who has used TCLP’s clauses to great effect.

Highlights

·      TCLP clauses are free for all of us to use, so lawyers can use them in contracts to help businesses deliver climate targets.

·      TCLP is rolling out its clauses to the global community, ensuring that teams all over the world can start to use them in their jurisdictions, as well as undertaking a carbon needs analysis to pinpoint the areas of focus such as built environment, finance sectors, and energy transition.

·      John talks about how he first came across TCLP when researching for Salesforce’s sustainability initiative – an initiative that requires suppliers to establish a science-based target to a definitive evaluated approach to mitigating emissions.

·      Salesforce used 2 TCLP clauses in the development of its new sustainability initiative: Teddy’s Clause, which is regarding supplier environmental threshold obligations, and Jessica’s Clause, which is more about emissions reporting and climate remediation.

·      John explains that supply chain sustainability is a priority for Salesforce as it produces the largest level of emissions. 

·      John discusses 2 exciting outcomes of implementing TCLP clauses. 1. Their clauses have received a positive reception from suppliers and have boosted cooperation. 2. Salesforce has started to see other corporates, big and small, adopt the same approach.

·      Becky highlights the importance of TCLP in allowing lawyers in-house and law firms to do something with their everyday work to really make a difference in the climate crisis.

Resources

The Chancery Lane Project: The Chancery Lane Project

Integrating Sustainability into Salesforce's Supply Chain: https://tinyurl.com/SustContracting

Sustainability Terms from Scratch: https://tinyurl.com/SustFromScratch

Sustainability and Third-Party Assurance: https://tinyurl.com/ThirdPartyAssuranceProviders

IPCC: IPCC — Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Science Based Targets initiative: The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) | World Resources Institute (wri.org)

As London Fashion Week comes to an end, we are unpacking the fashion industry and its poor reputation when it comes to its carbon impact. In this episode, we are joined by Alicia Thew, Climate Analysis Manager, and in-house expert on all things sustainable fashion. Alicia has worked with multiple organisations in the fashion industry, helping them to decarbonise their supply chains and product practices.  

Highlights:  

• Alicia discusses just how big an impact the fashion industry is having on our planet, with the fashion industry being responsible for 10% of global emissions.  
• Alicia talks about companies that have acted already to reduce their carbon footprint, such as Levi Strauss and H&M, who have estimated that around 20% of their total carbon footprints actually down to the consumer use and the disposal of clothing. 
• She discusses tackling the mindset of consumers when it comes to our relationships with clothing, and normalising the reuse, repurposing, and refurbishing fashion garments.  
• A company’s own operations are usually where they have the most control over what can be measured and changed to reduce environmental impact.  
• Alicia talks about the importance of getting suppliers and distributors involved in the sustainability journey as they are a huge part of a fashion organisation’s scope 3 emissions.  
• Decarbonisation of the supply chain is the only real way to tackle the carbon footprint of the industry, with carbon offsetting acting as a quick fix that is not scientifically proven.  
• Alicia talks about Science-based Targets and the benefits of setting them within the fashion industry.  

Resources: 

Fashion Declares: Fashion Declares | Home (fashion-declares.org) 

Energy Saving Trust: Energy Saving Trust 

McKinsey: fashion-on-climate-full-report.pdf (mckinsey.com)  

Smart Freight Centre: Smart Freight Centre  

Science Based Targets initiative: Ambitious corporate climate action - Science Based Targets