Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

This week: Matt Hamilton, senior advisor for inclusive value chains at Oxfam America, highlights the key insights from Oxfam's latest behind the brands report benchmarking the activities of the world’s biggest agribusinesses, including on empowering women, land rights, transparency and accountability. He shares its findings and provides recommendations for global agribusiness, downstream companies and investors.

Plus: EY research questions credibility of corporate net zero strategies; EU’s draft energy directive pushes 2030 renewable energy target to 42.5%; Aldi's ambitious target for all LEAF-certified UK fresh produce; and, continuing accusations of “waste colonialism” with the US shipping post-consumer plastic to Mexico, in the news digest.

Host: Ian Welsh

For Oxfam's new report, click here.

Andreas Hansen, senior policy advisor of ocean and conservation finance at The Nature Conservancy, talks with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about the new UN framework to protect marine biodiversity in international waters. They discuss the potential business impacts for seafood supply chains and how the treaty recognises the oceans’ role in climate change mitigation.

In this week’s preview of what’s coming up, Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about why the World Health Organisation, celebrating its 75^th anniversary this week, is focusing on climate change in this year’s World Health Day, and business implications. They also discuss the potential implications of impending carbon tax increases in Canada and how this reflects carbon pricing trends more generally.

Plus, Innovation Forum’s Natasha Bodnar gives an update on some of the participants and discussion points on the agenda at the future of food conference on 3^rd and 4^th May in Amsterdam 

This week: During Innovation Forum’s responsible sourcing and ethical trade event in London, some of the expert participants spoke with Ian Welsh, reflecting on conversations from the conference. They discussed the continued need for multi-stakeholder collaboration, conducting deep-dive research on suppliers and ensure due diligence is not just a box-ticking exercise. Hear from Rae Lindsay from Clifford Chance, Bakkavor’s Fiona Wheatley and Phil Bloomer from the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.

Plus: Climate groups call on 30 insurance companies to stop underwriting fossil fuels immediately; UN fact-finding mission finds EU complicit in Libya migrant abuses; Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures releases its final draft framework; EU to go ahead on phase-out of internal combustion cars and vans by 2035, after deal with Germany, in the news digest with Innovation Forum’s Bea Stevenson.

Brendan May, sustainable business commentator and chair of Robertsbridge, talks with Ian Welsh about the key sustainable business trends from corporate net-zero models and evolution of how companies tackle climate change and other pressing challenges. They discuss the need for deforestation to be flagged in multilateral trade deals, the unintended consequences of regulatory tightening, why banning palm oil would be a disaster and regenerative agriculture’s potential.

We know that upcycling, recycling, and the use of recycled materials are pillars of a circular apparel industry. However, challenges to scale remain around the downgrading of recycled materials, powerful vested interests in virgin fibre production, and rapid growth in fashion consumption. Apparel brands must play a significant role in tackling these issues to limit the use of virgin fibres, and re-shape the industry. We discussed:

• What are the barriers and challenges in using and re-using recycled materials for apparel, and how can brands overcome these?
• The role of business in helping to build and scale textile recycling infrastructure
• How brands can effectively engage with consumers in circular fashion
• The tools and models available for measuring the impact of using recycled fabrics

The panel:
• Nienke Steen, global lead apparel, textiles and footwear, Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute
• Anna-Karin Dahlberg, director of sustainability, Lindex
• Steven Bethell, founder, Bank & Vogue

This webinar was moderated by Tanya Richard, head of research and stakeholder engagement at Innovation Forum.

In a preview of what's coming up this week, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about what to look out for in the UK government's refreshed net-zero strategy, and contrast it with other approaches in in the US and EU. They also discuss the first international zero waste day to be held on 30th March to raise awareness of zero waste initiatives.

And, Catie Ball provides further information on some of the discussion points coming up at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference USA on 21st-22nd June in New York City. Plus Emily Heslop talks about what to expect at the responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum in London this week.

This week: Olivier Tichit, director of sustainability at Musim Mas, talks with Ian Welsh about some unintended consequences of EU’s new regulation banning the import of deforestation-linked products into the bloc. They discuss how the development of “verified deforestation-free” programmes, with third party verification, might be a solution that keeps markets open for imports from higher risk growing regions.

Plus: the high risk of missing 1.5C or 2C warming pathways, concludes IPCC's new synthesis report; CDP's new research shows insufficient environmental impact reporting and disclosure; oyster mushrooms to consume cigarette butts in Australian trial, in the news digest.

And, a preview of what to expect from key panel sessions, and who will be taking part, at the future of climate action virtual conference in June, from Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar.

Host: Ian Welsh

Bayer’s head of ethics and social impact, Janina Lukas, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about how business can adapt and engage in changing legislation on ethics and social impact. They talk about the continued need for companies to go beyond compliance, and how regulation can create a level playing field. However, they also discuss the flaws in a “one size fits all” approach.

In a new preview of what’s coming up, Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh and Bea Stevenson talk about what to look out for in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest report summing up its recent conclusions in what should be a crucial policy document. They also discuss the upcoming UN water conference in New York where the Water Action Agenda will be launched.

And Hanna Halmari provides insights into some of the panels coming up at the sustainable apparel and textiles conference on 25^th and 26^th April in Amsterdam.