Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

Sustainable supply chains: Key trends for 2023

Supply chain sustainability is a key corporate goal. In a fast-changing environment, much business discussion has centred around the need to adapt and strive towards sustainability throughout the value chain.

In this webinar, we discussed useful insights on sustainable supply chains collected in our recent survey and hear from expert panellists in an engaging conversation analysing key trends for 2023.

The panel:
• Dr Simon Lord, expert adviser, Independent
• Dr Emily Goetsch, head of research — UK, Acre

This webinar was moderated by Ian Welsh, director of publishing at Innovation Forum.

Collaboration to drive progress on deforestation for Indonesian palm oil

Bara Robyn, partnerships and development lead at Earthworm Indonesia, talks with Ian Welsh about Earthworm Foundation's project with a palm oil business, Laot Bangko, to drive sustainability within the palm oil sector in Indonesia. They discuss the challenges of deforestation, land tenure and labour issues with Laot Bangko’s section head of the sustainability and smallholder scheme, Wahyudi Putro Widodo, and present their progress in sustainability policy development, conflict mapping and resolution, and progress on no deforestation, peat or exploitation (NDPE) palm oil production.

Weekly podcast: What business might get right on ethical trade in 2023

This week: Phil Bloomer, executive director of the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, talks about some reasons for optimism for business and human rights this year. He discusses the positive changes in public perception that are helping to drive corporate action, and why there is greater willingness from governments to cooperate on commitments such as the just transition and the outcomes from the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Plus: further proof of land conversion impacts from corporate zero-deforestation commitments from University of York; backlash from human rights groups on the continued lack of a UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner; Know the Chain's new benchmark shows continuing ICT sector’s supply chain labour rights failures; and, new UN report predicts recovery of the ozone layer hole by 2040, in the news digest.

And, insight on the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles conference held in Amsterdam on 25th-26th April from Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari.

Host: Ian Welsh

Join the conversation on sustainable supply chain trends for 2023 at the webinar on Wednesday 18^th January at 2pm GMT: register via this link.

Human rights beyond the Qatar World Cup

John Morrison, CEO of the Institute for Human Rights and Business, talks with Ian Welsh about a moment of opportunity for human rights and forced labour issues following the recent Fifa World Cup in Qatar. They discuss human rights risks and opportunities for businesses with increasing traceability, and requirements from trade and investment communities, and the growing prospects for companies engaging on human rights agenda as conversations on the just transition and green economy develop.

Weekly podcast: What to expect from the EU’s deforestation-linked products ban

This week: Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove, senior forest policy officer at WWF in Brussels, talked with Bea Stevenson about the incoming EU regulations banning imports of products linked to deforestation. They discussed the paradigm shift within the agricultural sector that this will drive, the impacts of a due diligence approach and the limitations of the new regulation.

Plus: Shell to pay €15m to Nigerian communities impacted by oil pipeline leaks in 2004; the World Bank's evolution roadmap showing lending commitment to address climate change; technology’s potential to cut 40% of costs in delivering the SDGs, according to Force for Good initiative; and, Mercedes-Benz Energy partners with Lohum to supply second-life batteries, in the news digest.

And, updates from Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop about the upcoming responsible sourcing and ethical trade conference to be held on 29th-30th March in London.

Host: Ian Welsh

UN global pact: Trying to turn off the plastics tap

Environmental Investigation Agency's ocean campaign leader Christina Dixon talked with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about the priorities for the United Nations global pact on plastic pollution, in the lead up to the first negotiation session which took place in late 2022. They discussed the shared urgency to tackle plastic pollution and the importance of having a legally binding instrument for transparent plastic production reporting, agreement on definitions and financing.

Weekly podcast: Nestlé’s focus on scope 3 emissions, and a realistic plan to end deforestation

This week: Another chance to hear the two most popular podcast interviews of 2022.

At Innovation Forum's future of climate action conference, Rob Cameron, vice-president and global head of public affairs and ESG engagement at Nestlé, spoke about why companies need to continue to focus on carbon, take immediate action at scale, and the potential benefits from regenerative agriculture. He argued that there will be no transition to a low carbon economy unless it is a “just transition”, and put the case for always following the science in corporate action on climate change. 

And, Josh Tosteson, president of Everland, spoke about the new Forest Plan to tackle deforestation at scale through rapidly developing new REDD+ forest projects in threatened landscapes around the world, and accessing the unprecedented levels of climate finance via the voluntary carbon markets. He also addressed the main criticisms of REDD+ projects; how to prevent deforestation from simply leaking outside the project boundary, and how to establish baselines to measure deforestation reduction. 

And, Innovation Forum’s Catie Ball introduces the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles USA conference, taking part on 21^st-22^nd June 2023 in New York City, including an exclusive offer for podcast listeners.

Host: Ian Welsh  

Carbon removal, conservation and community resilience: How blue carbon can deliver at scale

As the world’s greatest carbon sink, the ocean and its coastal ecosystems are an essential part of the solution to the climate emergency. Blue carbon projects protect and restore marine ecosystems, such as tidal marshes, seagrasses and mangroves – which can sequester up to ten times as much carbon as a land-based forest.

Companies have a vital role to play in blue carbon. By investing in projects, business can scale the supply of high-quality blue carbon credits and simultaneously meet their own net-zero and nature positive commitments.

In this webinar, we discussed:
• Why coastal ecosystems of mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes are imperative to reaching 1.5°C targets
• How blue carbon projects can provide income, subsistence resources, and additional co-benefits for local communities
• How will carbon accounting in blue carbon work in practice? And what is the role of business in scaling the voluntary blue carbon market?

The panel:
• Dr. Whitney Johnston, director of ocean sustainability, Salesforce
• Ben Scheelk, program officer, The Ocean Foundation
• Dr. Jennifer Howard, vice president, blue carbon program, Conservation International
• Liz Guinessey, manager, blue carbon innovation, Verra

Moderated by Ian Welsh, director of publishing, Innovation Forum

Weekly podcast: Working on the ground within Indonesia’s palm oil sector

This week: Partnerships and development lead at Earthworm Indonesia, Bara Robyn, talks with Ian Welsh about the importance of working closely with local stakeholders and highlighting their capability in driving sustainability within the palm oil sector in Indonesia. They are joined by Wahyudi Putro Widodo, section head of the sustainability and smallholder scheme at palm oil business Laot Bangko, an Earthworm partner, and they discuss conflict mapping and resolution, NDPE scoping and monitoring forest cover.

Plus: EU's new carbon tariffs on imports for decarbonisation; science-based target setting commitments from the apparel sector with Sustainable Apparel Coalition's new decarbonisation initiative; ongoing disagreement over appointing biodiversity protection funding donors and recipients at nature COP15 in Montreal, in the news digest.

And, information about the upcoming future of food USA conference to be held on 31st May-1st June in Minneapolis with an exclusive discount code for podcast listeners.

Host: Ian Welsh

What does the route to sustainable landscapes and commodities look like?

Some on-the-spot reflections at the recent sustainable landscapes and commodities forum in Amsterdam from Tesco's Anna Turrell, Anita Neville from Golden Agri-Resources, Craig Tribolet from APRIL, Glenn Hurowitz from Mighty Earth, Josh Tosteson from Everland, Patrick Houdry from Airbus, Michiel Hendriksz from FarmStrong Foundation, Eloisa Menguzzo from PGGM and Innovation Forum senior associate Peter Stanbury, talking with Ian Welsh.

They highlight the use of science-based targets and satellite monitoring, the need for transparency and sustainable sourcing, and opportunities for voluntary carbon markets and balancing between regulation and incentives to end commodity-driven deforestation.