Hi Reader,
We ventured along to a large (and at times overwhelming) networking event this week. As you'd expect we had to share exactly what it is that we do several times. We described a strategic approach to business that's rooted in sustainability, using it as an opportunity to build purpose and innovate.
Great!
Now usually we get blank looks or mistaken for environmental scientists when we say sustainability. I can't lie this did of course happen. Others straight away said 'are you talking about ESG?' which was encouraging. To have people have some concept of what we're talking about was a boost too. What really floated our boat was that there were some people that not just understood, but engaged with what we were talking about.
There were people that had more questions and ideas beyond compliance and concerns for mandatory reporting.
It was encouraging to have this kind of interaction. While we've been talking about this for a few years, the confusion conversations have been there the whole time and more recently the compliance ones. So to have a switch to engagement and understanding was refreshing. It gives us fresh hope that we may not be fighting a losing battle.
Food for thought.
Adam
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Inspiring Purpose
If you're going to claim sustainability as part of your purpose, you need to be held accountable. Australian poultry producer Ingham's has put their money where their mouth is. Converting its debt to a sustainability-linked loan, the business is holding itself accountable to energy, waste and water metrics.
It's not a perfect purpose-led business model, but it's a shift from ESG reporting for the sake of it and having something on the line if you aren't getting it done. What do you think? Bold accountability or business as usual in disguise?
Business As Unusual Innovation
The waste produced as old solar panels are replaced has been raised as an unintended consequence of this type of renewable energy with concerns around how to deal with the specific waste or that they'll just end up in landfill.
Fortunately, there are some businesses that see the opportunity for recycling panels and building a level of circularity into this renewable. Solarcycle, a US company, is building a solar panel recycling plant to address the issue. Their ideal end use for the materials is for use in new solar panel production with a hope of decreasing the need for mining and increasing accessibility to solar panels.
Seeing this and emerging research improving the efficacy of panel recycling gives confidence in making renewables more renewable.
Roundup
⇨ Speaking of degrowth (in Purpose Edit edition 19), this economics professor argues that neither growth nor degrowth makes sense for Australia. Curiously absent is a comment on the potential of AI. This one has us noodling, and certainly far too short an article to argue the point. What do you make of it?
⇨ UTS Institute of Sustainable Futures released a report on the drivers of change and energy demands for AI adoption. It contains some nuggets of interest if this is your kind of rabbit hole.
⇨ By limiting operability in Australia is Tesla is seemingly only doing the hard stuff and meeting consumer demands when they're told they have too?
⇨ Just in time to honour how incredible Indigenous culture is as part of NAIDOC week, this discovery of evidence of a ritual practice that spans 12,000 years is mind-blowing. Also another reminder of who is best to care for Country.
⇨ Staying on the topic of turning obstacles into opportunities. Manuko face some challenges ahead with global cacao supply issues. Rather than panic though their excited about what they might discover as a result. Having weathered challenges they've built resilience in the face of change. Businesses are not being strategic when thinking about climate change.
⇨ This is a great article showing that, while many businesses are factoring in their impacts and planning mitigation activity, they aren't addressing (at least publicly) a need for climate adaptation. Makes us question their future fitness.
What We're Reading
Ministry of the Future, by Kim Stanley-Robinson. A beefy piece of fiction that extrapolates the harshest impacts of climate change and explores social, political and individual behaviours in crisis mode. Not the most chilled-out bedtime read 😅 but so far, gripping all the same - M
We acknowledge the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and that sovereignty was never ceded. We pay our respects to the Turrbal and Yuggera people who are the Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work in beautiful Meeanjin (Brisbane), Australia. |
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