SUSTAINABLE LIVING
News
Stay up to date with the latest news, events and articles about sustainable living that support and inspire real change.
Cutting Your Digital Footprint
REAL Sustainability attended the Business Declares and Tech Nation webinar Inspiring Action. The event considered the environmental impact of the digital sector in particular emissions which correspond roughly to the contribution from Germany (ranked #7 in the world). Speakers talked about how to account for emissions, ideas for reducing emissions and offsetting with a particular focus on remote working.
Defining a Global Net Zero Standard
REAL Sustainability attended SBTi webinar launching a public consultation process on net-zero criteria. SBTi drives the adoption of science-based targets based on Paris Agreement goals. The current initiative seeks to ensure a common understanding of net-zero in terms of boundaries, definitions, timeframes, and mitigation strategies. It covers emission reduction in line with a 1.5oC pathway and neutralisation of residual emissions.
Fashion’s Circular Future
REAL Sustainability attended the Vogue Business webinar “Fashion’s Circular Future”. The industry is currently embedded in a linear system. Cheap fossil fuels and labour facilitate fast fashion. A circular system eliminates waste and retains resources for subsequent use. We need to move to value-added chains and products to protect workers. We also need to look at business models.
Creativity Isn’t Neutral
REAL Sustainability attended the webinar Creativity Isn’t Neutral hosted by Futerra and Clean Creatives. The climate emergency is a creative emergency. The advertising and PR industries are able to influence behaviour. Fossil fuel campaigns drown out the green industry’s voice. But change is coming: 300 agencies and individuals have signed the Creative Climate Disclosure letter.
Why Support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill
REAL Sustainability attended the Business Declares webinar Why Support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill. This private members bill, tabled by Caroline Lucas MP, now has the support of nearly 100 MPs. The event brought together Caroline with pioneering leaders from Bates Wells, Ecotricity, Riverford and Body Shop to discuss the bill and what they are doing to be regenerative
Restorative 20s
REAL Sustainability attended the Sustainable Brands webinar on Regenerative Business. Regeneration goes beyond being sustainable not just restoring a system but improving its ability to restore itself. Representatives from fashion brand Timberland, food company General Mills and HowGood talked about some of the issues particularly regenerative agriculture.
Plastic Free Campaign
Mia Hadrill, anti-plastic pollution campaigner and creator of Aim Plastic Free talks to Safia Minney of REAL Sustainability.
Business Meets the Doughnut
Doughnut economics is a model based on ensuring all people get the essentials of life within planetary boundaries. Kate Raworth, who pioneered the approach, talks about how business needs to be distributive and regenerative to do the doughnut. This requires consideration when designing the purpose, networks, governance, ownership and finance of enterprises.
Circular and Fair Business Models
REAL Sustainability attended the webinar to launch the Circular Economy report Avoiding Blindspots: Promoting Circular and Fair Business Models. The circular economy has the potential to conserve materials and resources and thereby significantly reduce emissions and biodiversity loss. To make this happen, there needs to be change to business and economic models.
Measuring the Environmental Impact of Your Products
Carbon Intelligence (CI) supports businesses with their strategies to net zero through life cycle assessments (LCA). LCA is a science-based methodology for measuring the environmental impacts of any product or service. CI determines the best type of LCA to align with clients’ objectives. Policy, finance, consumer pressure and technology mean that product will be the focus for the next decade.
Debt, Inequality and COVID
We are seeing increased inequality due to COVID-19 with particular issues for women and the BAME community. There is a need to connect this issue with others such as the climate crisis. With growing debt in the global south, we need to consider financial transfers and reparations. The current crisis provides an opportunity to make demands which seemed politically impossible.
Earth Logic
REAL Sustainability joined the webinar “Earth Logic – Grow out of Growth” part of the Copenhagen Fashion Summit. Less, or de-growth, requires transformation of mindset and culture. To produce less, we must view having less work as a positive outcome. There needs to be greater value addition from the global South and a change in the media narrative.
