Blog Posts

Climate change poses the greatest environmental risk of our time. At Patagonia, we believe businesses have a unique opportunity to be a part of the solution in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Since our founding more than 40 years ago, Patagonia has actively engaged in efforts to protect and preserve the environment by committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, defend clean air and water and invest in clean technologies. Our commitment to these values is not what we do after hours — it is the reason we are in business and part of our everyday work. In the wake of the Governor Sandoval’s veto of a proposed increase to the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS), Nevada must double down to create a prosperous clean energy future. Here at Patagonia, we believe that the advancement of clean energy plays an essential role in our commitment to create a more sustainable future for people, the outdoors and our bottom line. A stronger RPS will drive clean energy investment here in Nevada — strengthening our economy and creating local jobs. Clean energy has a major role to play in the upcoming election. As Nevadans head to the polls this November, they will have the opportunity to weigh in on a proposal to increase Nevada’s RPS to 50 percent by 2030. For this ballot initiative to become law, voters must approve it in two consecutive elections, once this year and then again in 2020. During this time, state lawmakers also will have an opportunity to increase the RPS through legislative action. Elon Musk Promised South Australia 100MW of Batteries in 100 Days or Its Free. South Australia has suffered through six months of intermittent black outs. The failures have become a major political issue in Australia. The centre-right Federal government has been blaming the outages on the opposition-party State government's drive to install renewable energy production. Tesla's ability to deliver cheap batteries has increased since the opening of its $5 billion factory near Sparks, Nevada in 2016. The factory is expected to produce enough lithium ion batteries to store 35 gigawatt-hours of power, equivalent to all the lithium ion batteries produced globally in 2013. Video provided by TheStreet Newslook. At Patagonia, we strive to reduce our impact on the environment in all aspects of our business, from the products we sell to the resources we use at our stores and facilities. Our commitment to sustainability is not only something that our customers value, it also benefits our bottom line. For example, during 2017, we generated 120,440 kWh of on-site renewable energy at our offices in Ventura, California, and at our Reno Service Center. Through our Tin Shed Ventures Fund we have also invested in two residential solar funds, the most recent of which generates over 6,000,000 kWh per year. We are not alone in this pursuit. Nevada businesses of all sizes are investing in renewable energy at a rapid pace due to its dramatically declining costs and the state’s abundant solar, geothermal, and wind resources. Clean energy standards like the RPS create policy certainty and help attract companies that are looking to make long-term investments to achieve ambitious climate and clean energy goals. Nevada already has taken many important steps toward an economically strong clean energy future, but there is more work to be done if we are to harness the full potential of our abundant renewable resources. We are counting on Nevada’s next governor to embrace a stronger RPS and keep our state’s clean energy economy thriving. The future of our planet — and a thriving energy economy in Nevada — depends on it. Ron Hunter is Patagonia’s environmental activism manager at its Reno Service Center. Patagonia is also a member of the Ceres Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP) Network. Read the original blog here

By Alli Gold Roberts and Ellen Anderson Minnesota is a national leader when it comes to clean energy, decarbonization and grid modernization. As the state’s renewable energy market continues to develop, policymakers have an opportunity to harness the benefits of energy storage and build a secure and resilient grid while simultaneously creating jobs and strengthening Minnesota’s economy. The potential for energy storage is vast and rapidly growing. With a multitude of storage technologies now on the market and costs continuing to fall, storage is an essential tool to meet statewide energy and economic goals. However, Minnesota needs the right policy structures in place to capture these benefits. Energy storage systems ensure that we can always access clean, renewable energy whether or not the sun is shining or the wind is blowing. Increasing energy storage in Minnesota could accelerate the rollout of more renewable energy projects and decrease greenhouse gas emissions in the state — unleashing new clean energy investments and helping the state achieve its emissions-reduction goal of 80 percent by 2050. Thanks to bipartisan action a decade ago, 25 percent of Minnesota’s total electricity now comes from renewable sources, and clean energy is the fastest-growing sector of the economy, boasting more than 57,000 jobs. As investors and companies look to grow and diversify their portfolios and businesses, energy storage can bring flexibility to facility managers and new sources of revenue. Additionally, energy storage is poised to be the next phase in clean energy job creation for Minnesota, with job opportunities in manufacturing, engineering, construction and more. We know companies are increasingly looking to power their operations with renewable energy and energy efficiency as a way to save money and hedge against volatile fossil fuel prices. Energy storage is an important tool in the clean energy toolkit. Installing storage systems can help companies control energy costs, increase reliability and maximize the value of on-site renewable energy generation. Energy storage also allows for more integration of clean energy throughout the grid — creating savings for utilities, companies and consumers. As prices continue to fall, energy storage offers a competitive and clean alternative to the natural gas plants that Minnesota currently relies on to meet peak demand. A recent report from the University of Minnesota’s Energy Transition Lab found that, if all benefits are included, solar combined with storage can be a cost-effective solution for meeting peak demand, and standalone storage could be a cost-effective option as soon as 2023. In addition, Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecasts that the global energy storage market will “double six times” from now to 2030 — growing from less than 5 gigawatt-hours in 2017 to more than 300 gigawatt-hours by the end of 2030. During this time, more than $103 billion will be invested in energy storage. Minnesota needs to be ready to capture that new investment and the jobs it will create. Policies that support the development of energy storage will send strong signals to investors and companies looking to invest in Minnesota. Currently, Minnesota does not have in place any policies to encourage energy storage or any pilot programs to explore the value of energy storage — both of which are key to maximizing the benefits of storage and launching a storage market in the state. The Legislature is currently considering several energy storage proposals that would help create the foundation for a thriving energy storage market, such as implementing a statewide cost-benefit analysis of the energy storage potential, asking utilities to consider energy storage in their planning and establishing methods for utilities to recover costs from energy storage pilot projects. Many states have already taken steps to incentivize the development of energy storage systems to capture the benefits it can bring to businesses, institutions and consumers. Minnesota has been a leader in diversifying and decarbonizing the electricity sector, and energy storage is the next opportunity. Strong policies that help foster the development of the energy storage market here in Minnesota will help ensure that the state remains a leader in the transition to a clean energy economy. Ellen Anderson is the executive director of the University of Minnesota’s Energy Transition Lab, the funding organization of the Minnesota Energy Storage Alliance. Alli Gold Roberts is senior manager of state policy at the sustainability nonprofit organization Cerese. Read the original blog on Star Tribune

Ceres is proud to partner with Sustainable Brands for the upcoming SB'18 Toronto event. The following blog was written by By Chris Librie, Head of Global Impact and Giving at eBay which is a member of Ceres Company Network. The blog was originally posted on Sustainable Brands.  "It means more jobs. People can live where they work. People can enjoy their community–and also make money–while being part of a global community and economy that’s never been possible before." That’s how Grace Kontur, founder of Kontur Wood Works, describes the impact of complementing the brick-and-mortar businesses she owns with her father and brother with selling on eBay. Grace’s family business is one of more than a hundred small businesses participating in an economic development pilot we call Retail Revival. It’s an initiative that aims to harness the power of technology and eBay’s global marketplace to support and grow local business communities.   Through Retail Revival, we are working with the city of Akron and other partners to identify promising local retail businesses and onboard them to eBay, providing store set-up support and ongoing training. The Akron pilot is our first in the U.S., but it builds on similar–and highly successful–programs we’ve executed in communities in Europe.   Selling online isn’t new. eBay has been making it happen for more than two decades. Today millions of active sellers and 170M+ active buyers transact on eBay. Technology makes it possible for people from anywhere in the world to connect with people from everywhere. This people-to-people connection is the secret sauce.     As eBay President and CEO Devin Wenig says it, "We have a humanistic vision of what technology can do. It isn’t about the drones and the robots. It’s about people. It’s about small businesses. It’s about using technology to make people competitive and vibrant and to put life into communities, and not take it out."   And that brings us back to Akron. A city known for its rich manufacturing history, particularly in rubber tires, has a burgeoning entrepreneurial community and strong downtown revitalization plan. Retail Revival aims to strengthen both, keeping people living, working and playing in Akron, while bringing Akron’s offerings–like Grace’s custom wood furnishings–to the world.   I hope you’ll join me at SB’18 Vancouver where I’ll be sharing more about how these already great local businesses are becoming even better local + global businesses—and in the process, redesigning a good life for themselves and for the people in their community. By Chris Librie, Head of Global Impact and Giving, eBay This blog post is part of a partnership with Sustainable Brands and Ceres. We hope you'll join us at SB'18 Toronto where Eliza Roberts, senior manager on the water team at Ceres, will be speaking on a panel with PepsiCo and Gap about how companies can build brand value while mitigating water risk. Join us at SB'18 Vancouver June 4-7. Read the original blog on Sustainable Brands

Energy was a top agenda item in the General Assembly this year. Virginians have seen an increase in clean-energy investments by leading companies, which is in part driving a major shift in attitudes and momentum around energy — especially when it comes to renewable energy and energy efficiency. As a result, earlier this year state lawmakers approved the Grid Transformation and Security Act of 2018 (SB 966), which will help to modernize the grid and increase the availability of clean energy resources in Virginia. Virginia has been slow to realize the benefits of clean energy technologies — often lagging behind neighboring states like North Carolina. This session, legislators passed bills that will take meaningful steps toward increasing utility investment in renewable energy and modernizing Virginia’s framework for evaluating and approving utility efficiency programs. As companies across the commonwealth increasingly look to access clean, renewable energy as a way to save money and hedge against volatile fuel prices, Virginians should continue to do more to avail ourselves of all that clean energy has to offer and to attract corporate clean energy investments. In 2018, legislators made some important strides to help customers reduce energy waste and save money on energy bills. Sen. Glen Sturtevant (R-Richmond/Chesterfield) and Del. Tim Hugo (R- Fairfax) introduced legislation to make more energy efficiency programs accessible to residents and businesses. Conservatives for Clean Energy recognized these lawmakers with an award for championing this issue, and their legislation was ultimately included in SB 966, which Gov. Ralph Northam signed in March. The legislature passed several other provisions that make important advancements for both renewable energy and energy efficiency in the commonwealth, including: A commitment by electric utilities to invest $1.1 billion in energy efficiency programs. A requirement that utilities must spend at least half of their allowable “grid transformation” investments on clean energy. A declaration that 5,000 megawatts of solar and wind energy are now “in the public interest,” which should make it easier for these beneficial projects to be approved by regulators. An extension of the “Green Job Creation Tax Credit” for employers who create clean-energy jobs that pay an annual salary of at least $50,000. While these are positive developments, Virginia has more to do to compete with neighboring states on clean energy. It is also essential that state regulators fully understand the many benefits of transitioning to a clean electricity grid and that the State Corporation Commission allow forward-thinking clean energy investments, such as those intended by SB 966, to come to fruition. So far, multinational companies are leading the way on renewable energy investments in Virginia, demonstrating both their feasibility and cost effectiveness. In 2015, Amazon installed an 80-megawatt solar facility in Accomack County — the first of its kind for the state — and a year later announced that it would bring an additional 180 megawatts of solar scattered across several counties, enough to power 34,000 homes. Last month, Microsoft announced a new 500-megawatt solar project in Spotsylvania County, of which the company will use 315 megawatts. Importantly, the project will also allow other energy users — like business, universities, and hospitals — to purchase the remaining energy at the lower price associated with a large-scale solar project. Corporate projects like these have paved the way for Virginia lawmakers to embrace clean energy, and these projects certainly should not slow down any time soon. In Virginia, more than 30 companies are committed to powering their operations with 100 percent renewable energy, while 21 of Virginia’s 50 largest employers have set targets to procure more clean energy. Many of these companies want to access affordable renewable energy and support policies that will lead to a cleaner grid, foster local job-creation, and increase access to renewable energy. All of this will help ensure a thriving, healthy economic future for Virginia businesses and residents. This past legislative session showed that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are recognizing the economic benefits of clean energy for Virginia’s economy. Now, lawmakers and regulators alike should follow the lead of corporate leaders by building on the momentum from this legislative session to ensure that clean energy becomes an integral part of Virginia’s economy. Photo credit: Solar panels soak up the sun at the Dominion Whitehouse project in Louisa County. 2016, TIMES-DISPATCH Read the original post on the Richmond Times-Dispatch

The Ceres Conference 2018 gets underway this week with the most influential corporate executives and institutional investors gathering to focus on the need to scale up sustainability action. As it kicks off, I can say with certainty that the important work of private sector leadership in transforming the economy to build a sustainable future is marching forward and will continue to regardless of shifting political winds. The evidence is clear. The world’s greatest sustainability challenges - from climate change, to water scarcity and pollution, to human rights abuses -  are hitting the corporate balance sheet. Both investors and consumers are becoming more and more aware of these issues, and they are subsequently expecting more responsibility and more action from companies as well. Trends are moving in the right direction. We have seen changes in most sectors, changes in buying patterns and investing patterns, competitive pricing in renewable energy and newer, innovative technologies -- all of which are helping to accelerate the sustainable economy. Progress is promising, but the scale and pace of the work are not yet there. ​ Our new in-depth analysis released today highlights trends across the most material issues confronting 10 sectors, including insurance, food and beverage, financial services, oil and gas, and electric power.  It is derived from TURNING POINT: Corporate Progress on the Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability, an assessment of the progress of 600 U.S. companies against key expectations of sustainability leadership within the areas of governance, disclosure, stakeholder engagement, and environmental and social performance. The analysis shows that the ceiling is most certainly rising, with leading companies across industries striking a path forward through innovation, collaboration and more ambitious goals. But it also shows that the ceiling-to-floor gap is not shrinking fast enough. Some noteworthy findings include: Property and casualty insurers experienced record natural disaster losses in 2017, reaching nearly $135 billion. Despite the critical financial impacts of a changing climate facing the insurance sector, only 31 percent of insurers have formal board oversight for sustainability. And just 38 percent of the sector hold senior executives responsible for sustainability performance, compared to the average of 65 percent.   As the financial implications of a changing climate, increasing resource scarcity, and human rights abuses become ever more tangible, investors want and need more robust disclosure to make informed decisions. Ceres research found food and beverage companies responding, with more than 60 percent of the sector disclosing risks related to both climate change and water scarcity in annual financial disclosures. Yet only 24 percent of financial service companies disclose climate-related risks in annual financial disclosures, compared to the average of 51 percent across sectors. From California to South Africa, regions are drying up and companies have a responsibility to better manage their water resources. Yet less than half of food and beverage companies prioritize water goals within the regions of the world and the areas of their value chains facing the most severe water risks. And even fewer have evaluated the risks they are exposed to in their agricultural supply chain, where a bulk of the water risk and use lies. Among footwear and apparel companies, where water is a critical resource from raw material production to the mills and laundries, only 20 percent of the sector prioritizes water goals within the regions of the world and the areas of their value chains facing the most severe water risks. Commitments from some of the largest financial service companies in the world to invest hundreds of billion of dollars in sustainable financing, send clear market signals that social and environmental investments are not just good business, they are big business. And larger numbers of companies–from technology to footwear and apparel companies–are stepping up to take action with commitments to run operations on 100 percent renewable energy. Yet, despite the rapidly growing solar and wind capacity in energy markets, just 16 percent of U.S. utilities have public targets to increase their use or deployment of renewable energy. Most of these are driven by regulations such as state renewable energy portfolio standards. Often the most significant and complex environmental and social challenges are embedded in the broad and deep global supply chains of companies. Companies in the footwear and apparel, technology hardware and retail sectors are leading with regards to not only setting clear expectations for supplier sustainability performance–but also proactively engaging suppliers to build capacity to meet those expectations. Despite the large and complex supply chains of transportation companies, however, this sector under performs with nearly three quarters of the sector failing to engage suppliers on sustainability.  While a growing number of companies are formalizing commitments to protect the basic human rights of workers across their global supply chains, fewer extend the same protections to employees within their own corporate walls. The retail sector employs nearly 29 million people in the United States; and while nearly 80 percent of retailers have supplier codes guiding environmental and social performance, just 25 percent have formal policies protecting the human rights of their own employees. The time has come for bold and scalable solutions, not just from a few leading companies, but from companies across all sectors who need to transition from making commitments to taking concrete actions. It is time to invest in systems change, reinvent the role of the corporation and fundamentally redefine business as usual. Read the original blog on Forbes

Extreme weather events cost the global economy a record $320 billion in 2017. Food systems are experiencing more shocks than ever before, yet they also cause about one quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. Eager to slow climate change and decrease their own carbon footprints, major food companies are expanding sustainability commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their supply chains. In fact, major brands that compete in the same marketplace are transcending rivalries and increasingly committing to climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability by reducing their biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions: Scope 3. Scope 3 emissions, indirect emissions that occur in a company’s value chain, are challenging to estimate and manage. In the food and beverage sector, most Scope 3 emissions come from agriculture, so companies often achieve Scope 3 emission reductions through improved agricultural practices and efficient management systems. Here’s how six well-known rivals are committing to reducing supply chain emissions. Target and Walmart. Two of the most widely recognized brands in the U.S. retail market, Target and Walmart continue to grow as they compete for customers in stores and online. The breadth and volume of their retail food offerings translate into tremendous potential to influence emission reductions along multiple supply chains. Through the Science Based Targets initiative, Walmart aims to reduce direct emissions by 18 percent by 2025 (from 2015 levels), reducing emissions by 4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, which is the roughly the same as taking about 900,000 cars off the road annually. But most importantly, Walmart is working with suppliers to reduce emissions by 1 gigaton (1 billion tons!) from the production and use of the products it sells between 2015 and 2030; that’s the equivalent of taking 214 million cars off the road for a year. One way Walmart intends to achieve this target is by working with farmers to use fertilizer optimization plans and best management practices on 76 million committed acres of U.S. farmland by 2025. Last year, Target committed to developing science-based targets for Scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions to align its corporate goals with the Paris Agreement. As a first step, Target set goals to reduce its absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent below 2015 levels by 2025, and to implement projects in its owned brand manufacturing facilities that will result in the avoidance of 2 million metric tons of Scope 3 emissions annually by 2022. Within a year, Target will develop an additional Scope 3 goal covering agriculture (raw materials) as one of its five focus areas for achieving the company’s commitments. General Mills and Kellogg. U.S. consumers face the rivalry of these two giants each time they buy cereal. Wheaties or Special K? Cheerios or Mini Wheats? Lucky Charms or Fruit Loops? As consumers turn their attention to breakfast products that are healthy and environment-friendly, both General Mills and Kellogg have committed to reduce Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions in their supply chains. In 2015, General Mills set a science-based goal to reduce absolute GHG emissions by 28 percent by 2025 across its full value chain from farm to landfill, with a longer-term goal to achieve sustainable emission levels in line with scientific consensus by 2050. To meet this commitment, General Mills is partnering directly with farmers to measure and reduce the impact of resource-intensive ingredients such as row crops and dairy, working to advance practical conservation practices and investing in promising long-term solutions such as regenerative agriculture and soil health. Kellogg set a third-party approved, science-based target to reduce Scope 3 greenhouse emissions by 50 percent by 2050 from a 2015 baseline, by actively promoting climate-smart agriculture initiatives with its farmers. By 2020, Kellogg aims to enable 500,000 farmers to implement more sustainable farming practices using climate-smart agriculture, support 15,000 smallholder farmers to adopt climate smart agriculture, and develop programs to help women farmers and agricultural supply chain workers. Mars and Nestlé. Mars and Nestlé compete in the confectionery market with well-known chocolate choices – M&Ms, Snickers and Dove (Mars); and KitKat, Crunch and Butterfinger (Nestlé). And their long rivalry goes far beyond chocolate; Nestlé acquired the pet food brand Ralston Purina in 2001 and Mars acquired Royal Canin in 2002. But these food sector rivals are both leaders in reducing Scope 3 emissions. Mars has pledged to invest $1 billion over the next few years to fight climate change. It aims to contribute to the 2-degree goal by focusing on its agricultural supply chain, which accounts for 80 percent of its total emissions. With its Sustainable in a Generation plan and initiatives in agriculture focusing on beef, fertilizer use, palm oil and rice, Mars has committed to freeze emissions until 2020, achieve a 27 percent reduction by 2025, and achieve a 67 percent reduction by 2050. Nestlé, the largest food company in the world since 2014, has been transparent about how climate change poses risks to its supply chain, particularly agricultural production. Having established emissions baselines in 2014, Nestlé committed to an interim goal to reduce Scope 3 emissions 8 percent from 2014 levels by 2020, and is currently developing a 2050 goal that will be in line with the Paris Agreement to limit climate change to 2°C. What is changing the competitive dynamics? Climate change will continue to shift the industry landscape, uniting competitors in establishing emission reduction targets and transcending normal jockeying for competitive advantage. Competing retail and consumer companies recognize that climate change poses significant risks to their supply chains. Because quantifying and mitigating Scope 3 emissions requires careful analysis, detailed projections and a wide range of strategies that can be implemented by large and small farmers and producers around the globe, rivals can benefit from cooperation. Rivals’ commitment to reduce Scope 3 emissions is creating a landscape for sharing, learning and cooperation to develop low-emission technologies. Engage the Chain lays out some of these options for decreasing emissions in commodities including beef, dairy, soybeans, corn and palm oil. Yes, these food companies are competitors; but they all share a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and an opportunity to benefit from more stable food systems. At the Ceres 2018 Conference, April 24-26 at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston, Julie Nash will moderate a panel on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Food Sector. Matthias Beninger of Mars Inc., Katherine Neebe of Walmart and Bill Gill of Smithfield Foods will join the panel to discuss steps they are taking to measure and reduce greenhouse gases in their supply chains. Read the original blog on Sustainable Brands

Unilever and Nestlé made waves in February when they became the first global food companies to publish their entire palm oil supply chains — both their direct suppliers and the mills that indirectly supply them. Palm oil is a key ingredient for many of the companies’ products, from margarine to candy to soap and shampoo; yet, it has been a thorn in the side of their zero-deforestation commitments. Despite widespread efforts across many industry players to produce palm oil more sustainability, deforestation in palm-producing regions remains a critical concern. Forest clearing for palm plantations is still a major contributor to climate change and a key driver of biodiversity loss. By mapping and disclosing their suppliers, Unilever and Nestlé (and a handful of other companies that have since followed suit) aim to shed light on their supply chains. Such transparency and traceability, as outlined in the 2017 Reporting Guidance on Palm Oil, are essential to halting deforestation — not just for palm oil but also for other commodity supply chains such as beef and soy. But, unfortunately, not enough companies are stepping up. Ceres recently partnered with Supply Change to analyze the traceability ambitions of companies with deforestation commitments in 2018. Of the 469 manufacturers with commitments to address deforestation, fewer than half (208) had made any statement about traceability intent, and even fewer (98, or 21%) had made clear and actionable commitments to carry out traceability such as through public disclosure of their suppliers as Unilever and Nestlé have done. To combat deforestation in commodity supply chains, manufacturers need to address issues not only with their direct suppliers but also in their extended supply chains. As with many other agricultural commodities, the palm oil supply chain is highly complex. Farmers grow the fruit on palm plantations, with 40% of all palm oil estates in Indonesia — the biggest producer globally — being managed by some 2 million smallholder farmers. Those farmers sell their produce to middlemen and agents, who in turn sell to mills, where the fruit bunches are processed. The processed fruits are transported via traders to refineries for further processing. At this point, palm oil and its derivatives enter the direct supply chain of manufacturers like Unilever. Commitments to deforestation-free supply chains alone are therefore insufficient to ensure change on the ground. Companies like Unilever and Nestle know that. They understand that commitment to reliable traceability is an essential building block for mitigating risks from deforestation. As more companies step up their traceability commitments, they may want to study what other leading companies have put into practice. Supply Change and Ceres’ research found that, among the companies with the strongest traceability commitments, there were commonalities in their practices. These best practices for traceability commitments include: Commitments that are quantifiable and time-bound. Publicly declaring a commitment’s target date and establishing milestones can guide the development of an implementation plan and serve to keep traceability on the corporate agenda. Just over half (56%) of all traceability commitments analyzed by Supply Change were found to be time-bound. Commitments to traceability across all commodities. Committing to traceability for one commodity is a good place to start, but to truly make a difference, companies must implement traceability programs across all major commodities. Currently fewer than 1% of companies have traceability commitment(s) covering each of the big four commodities to which they are exposed. Commitments to reporting annually or more frequently their progress toward traceability. Demonstrating progress through public reporting is critical for reassuring investors, supply chain actors, NGOs, and other stakeholders that the commitment is alive and well. Just over half (56%) of companies with traceability commitments are communicating publicly about their progress. Commitments to tracing the supply chain to the “landscape” level (e.g., plantation, forest or ranch). This detailed level of reporting can enable companies to understand where issues are occurring at the most upstream location in their supply chains; however, it may be more practical for traders than for retailers. Currently one-third (36%) of companies with commitments report to the landscape level. More (55%) report to the level of mill or tannery. On this last score, companies have barely begun to scratch the surface. As Marc Engel, Unilever’s chief supply chain officer, acknowledged when discussing last month’s public disclosure, “This is a big step towards greater transparency, but we know there is more work to be done to achieve a truly sustainable palm oil industry and we will continue our efforts to make this a reality." Read the original blog on Food Dive

Massachusetts is a national hub for innovation in the technology, healthcare, and clean energy sectors. From world-class universities to a rapidly growing biotechnology industry and unparalleled healthcare sector, Bay State businesses and institutions are on the cutting edge. So, it comes as no surprise that a growing number of companies are investing in the rapidly growing clean energy sector and powering their operations with renewable energy and energy efficiency. As the businesses community embraces clean energy, Massachusetts must do its part to keep pace and strengthen the Commonwealth’s clean energy policies this legislative session. Read the full piece by Anne Kelly, Ceres senior director of policy and the BICEP Network, Bill Ravanesi of Health Care Without Harm, and Elizabeth Henry of the Environmental League of Massachusetts on news.wgbh.org.

​Cape Town may reach “zero water day,” this June and literally turn off the spigot for some four million residents. Prolonged drought in South Africa is a major factor in the city’s water crisis, which is a foretaste of what other municipalities around the world may face--that is, unless  companies, investors and governments step up their stewardship of the world’s finite water resources. I am hopeful that Cape Town will continue to stave off its impending water emergency, as it has been able to do these past few months, through both urgent and longer-term actions to ensure more sustainable water supplies. In fact, Cape Town’s approach to solving its water crisis is one of four positive trends that keep me going in the face of mounting challenges. On World Water Day 2018, I’d like to highlight these positive trends. The Food and Beverage Sector Continues to Lead A recent Ceres analysis, Turning Point, found that more than half (55 percent) of the 600+ largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. have at least general commitments to manage water resources through efforts such as water efficiency. Among those companies, the food and beverage sector outperforms, with 100 percent of companies committing to water conservation. Setting broad-based water management goals is an essential first step for companies in water-intensive sectors, like the food industry, but they need to go further. They need to set time-bound targets in parts of the value chain with the highest water risks and pollution impacts. Here again, food companies performed better in our analysis than other sectors, with 57 percent taking this step in comparison to just 15 percent overall. Agricultural supply chains are where food companies need to do the most work. It’s where the vast majority of their water risk lies; yet few have acted in a robust manner at this level. General Mills is a stand out example for managing water risks across its agricultural supply chain. The food giant worked with The Nature Conservancy to complete a global water risk assessment of all its production facilities and growing regions, identifying eight high-risk watersheds--such as the Ganges River in west-central India.  Among a range of steps to address its water impacts, the company committed to sustainably source 100 percent of its top 10 ingredients (palm oil, fiber packaging, wheat, oats, sugar beets, vanilla, cocoa, dairy, corn and sugarcane) representing more than 40 percent of annual raw material purchases, by 2020. General Mill's Applied Sustainability Manager Jeff Hanratty meets with farmers in Madhya Pradesh region in west-central India.   Portfolio Water Footprinting Gains a Foothold Water footprinting helps to identify water use patterns. Until recently, the analytical tool was most commonly used by companies to assess the amount of water used to produce specific goods or services. Now investors are adapting the tool to identify water risks across entire investment portfolios. And while methodologies are still evolving, it’s an important development that can help focus investor attention on the sectors and companies most exposed to water risk. The Dutch asset manager ACTIAM and Florida’s State Board of Administration (SBA) are pioneers of this emerging trend. Florida SBA, which manages the country’s fifth largest public pension fund, developed a water footprint analysis by combining external data sets with its own internal portfolio information. The water footprint, also called a heat map, shows Florida SBA’s water risk exposure within a $15 billion passive portfolio, with investments in 11 sectors of the economy. The heat map provides portfolio managers with a quick visual of where the greatest water risks lie, by illustrating where the portfolio has large sector holdings (size of the square), and which holdings within a sector have the greatest potential risk (color, with red being highest).  Portfolio managers can then drill down further to the holding level. Analyses like these can help investment teams to develop quick assessment capabilities, while supporting and identifying priority areas for further research, integration of water risks into buy-sell decisions and direct engagement with poor performing companies. Water risk heat map of a public pension fund's $15 billion passive portfolio. Red equals high risk, black is medium and green is low risk. Size of the square reflects size of the holding.   Animal Feed Sustainability is Gaining Steam Animal production consumes a lot of water globally, and the vast majority of that water is used to irrigate feed crops, like corn, soy and alfalfa.  In fact, the irrigation of feed crops consumes 12 percent of the world’s groundwater and surface water. What’s more, feed crop production contributes substantially to water pollution as fertilizers used to boost production spill into local waterways, causing algal blooms and dead zones worldwide. Water use and pollution are not the only sustainability concerns associated with animal feed.  A growing movement that seeks to comprehensively address animal feed’s impacts—from water quality to greenhouse gas emissions to competition for land and biodiversity loss —offers a lot of promise.   Food company-NGO collaborations like Protein Challenge 2040 are seeking to innovate new types of animal feed that would, not only reduce the amount of land devoted to feed crops (about 50 percent of total agricultural land) but also help address the global water crisis.    One such solution is to diversify into other protein-rich feed crops, like legumes or oats. Rotating corn and soy with oats, wheat, barley, rye or triticale, for example, can also help to reduce the use of fertilizers, while improving soil health and productivity--and ultimately water quality. The British supermarket Waitrose is participating in the Sustainable Forage Protein project, a 5-year collaboration between eight of Waitrose’s commercial farms, researchers and processors to reduce the dependency on imported soy protein. Farmers are growing protein-rich forage crops on their own farms, as chicory, lucerne and red and white clover. They are also experimenting with fava beans as a long-term soy replacement for chicken, pigs, ducks and salmon.     Green Bonds Can Help Cities Finance Sustainable Water Infrastructure Green bonds are a financial instrument for earmarking private financing to fund environmental projects, like sustainable water infrastructure projects. Their issuance has steadily grown over the past decade, reaching about $160 billion in 2017, and they are poised for further growth. Just this week, former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres, along with Ceres and other NGOs urged cities, governments and large companies to join a new Green Bond Pledge that seeks to boost green bond issuance to $1 trillion a year by 2020, to mitigate climate and water impacts. The Climate Bond Initiative (CBI) is also helping grow the green bonds market by developing certification standards, such as for water infrastructure projects, to ensure that any bonds labelled as green are indeed financing projects with robust environmental outcomes. Cape Town was one of the first cities in the world to issue a CBI-certified green bond for water infrastructure. This is why I am hopeful that the city will emerge from its short-term water crisis to become a model for other cities with urgent water infrastructure needs. Issued last summer, the bonds will help fund and refinance the city’s emergency water-supply schemes designed to address the severe water shortage, such as: upgrading reservoirs, implementing pressure-management systems with zone and valve metering, transforming wastewater into potable water, and replacing and upgrading sewers and sewer pumps. Medium- and long-term programs financed by the bond include encouraging new design, innovation and technology in public infrastructure and private households to save water, while also embracing more fully small-scale, decentralized water augmentation schemes. Thus far, the short-term schemes appear to be making a difference. From green bonds to portfolio water footprinting to efforts by food companies to tackle agricultural water sustainability, these emerging trends offer me hope that a more sustainable water future is within our grasp. Read the original blog on National Geographic

In January, I spent a day in Richmond meeting with lawmakers to share why clean energy matters to Mars Inc., and to emphasize our support for access to renewable energy and efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Together with other Virginia-based companies, we outlined the value of clean energy and emission-reduction policies for companies like Mars that are looking to grow their business and invest in sustainable solutions that provide mutual benefits for customers and communities. As a family-owned pet care, confectionary and food company with headquarters in Virginia, Mars is all in when it comes to addressing climate change and promoting clean energy. We have committed to power our operations with 100 percent renewable energy. We have also set a science-based target to cut carbon emissions across our full value chain by 27 percent by 2025 and by 67 percent by 2050 as part of our Sustainable in a Generation Plan. We value access to affordable and reliable clean energy to help us cut energy costs and do our part to keep the planet healthy. Renewable energy and energy efficiency are good for our bottom line, and our commitment to clean energy over the last several years has actually saved us money! The cost of renewable power has fallen dramatically in recent years, while customer demand for clean, affordable energy has soared. From manufacturers to tech companies, service providers and others, companies are increasingly looking for ways to meet pollution reduction and renewable energy goals. We’ve joined our peer companies in the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance to outline the needs of corporate buyers seeking access to renewable energy and helped launch both Renewable Energy (RE) 100 and the Renewable Thermal Collaborative. As a member of the Ceres BICEP Network, Mars advocates for stronger climate and clean energy policies to increase the adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency, drive investments in a clean energy economy, and support climate change resilience. Like us, many BICEP member companies have operations and employees in Virginia and are committed to growing Virginia’s clean energy economy. Beyond the direct economic benefits, cutting carbon pollution and investing in clean energy helps address the very real threat of climate change — making our economy more resilient and prepared for future changes. Climate change poses real risks for our business and the planet. Mars has factories and service sites throughout the United States and around the world that are being impacted by the storms and other extreme weather events that climate change will only make worse. Virginia is already experiencing rising sea levels and more frequent and intense storms along its popular coastal areas. We need to act now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Major U.S. companies are taking bold action on clean energy and climate change because they understand the risk climate change poses to their customers and bottom lines. In fact, 63 percent of the Fortune 100 and nearly half of Fortune 500 companies have set goals to reduce emissions and invest in clean energy solutions. It is encouraging to see companies set such ambitious goals, but addressing climate change is not something companies can do alone. In order to set clear rules and incentivize action, we need strong policies that support clean energy, as well. Cutting carbon emissions and embracing clean energy is an economic imperative. Clear, market-based policies can help foster renewable energy and energy efficiency investments, grow our economy and keep our planet healthy. These policies are the right choice, not only for Virginia businesses, but for its citizens and our valuable natural environment. We encourage lawmakers to advance clean energy solutions in Virginia, and we call on companies to join us in the effort to take action on climate change. Allen is the Climate and Land senior manager at Mars Inc., which is based in McLean. Read the original article on The Roanoke Times.