Circular Economy - UK, USA, Europe, Asia & South America - The Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Why we need to move toward an economy that can regenerate itself Glenn Harvey Traveling through Europe a few years ago, I met Prakash, a student from India who was studying for an advanced engineering degree in Germany. When I asked whether he had opted to learn about ecologically smart technologies, he replied, “No, India has other priorities — we are not rich enough to worry about that yet.” Surprised, I pointed out that almost half of India’s land is degraded, the nation’s groundwater levels are falling fast, and air pollution is the worst in the world. A flicker of recognition crossed his face, but he just smiled and repeated his words, “We still have other priorities.” In one quick conversation, Prakash summed up the economic story that has been circulating for decades: poor countries are too poor to be green.

H&M Foundation The H&M Foundation is an independent legal entity with no direct links to H&M Group, working beyond the company sphere. It has its own team, strategy and board. Their long-term vision is to contribute to reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. This resonates with the H&M Foundation’s focus areas: Education, Water, Equality and Planet. In addition to this, they can also provide emergency relief. How executives can help sustain value creation for the long term Ample evidence shows that when executives consistently make decisions and investments with long-term objectives in mind, their companies generate more shareholder value, create more jobs, and contribute more to economic growth than do peer companies that focus on the short term. Data also show that companies can achieve better long-term performance when they address the interests of employees, customers, and other stakeholders. But a survey of approximately 500 global executives conducted by FCLTGlobal and McKinsey shows that many continue to feel pressure from shareholders and directors to meet near-term earnings targets at the expense of long-term strategies. Video Kevin Sneader and Sarah Williamson describe insights from their report on long-term value creation.

How the homeless create homes The number of people facing housing insecurity, already on the rise, began to climb more steeply as a result of the Great Recession. This upward trend will likely be exacerbated if President Trump’s proposed cuts to food stamps, Medicaid and housing subsidies are enacted, which will force even more to make a choice between food on the table and a roof above their heads. To those who are safely housed, a homeless person is apt to inspire feelings ranging from fear and disgust to pity and guilt. Four Steps to Sustainable Business Model Innovation The power of this diagram (versus more traditional, linear depictions) comes in part from its ability to reveal where delays, rebound effects, or tipping points might be active in the system. For instance, the node labeled “environmental and recycling awareness” will influence changes in several consumer habits—but only after a delay. Such awareness cannot be seen as a quick-fix solution, but over time it will help change the dynamics of the entire system. The boxes in the exhibit represent the opportunity spaces or strategic intervention points (SIPs) that become evident during this step.

Jesus Was a Rape Baby – Sarah McDavitt Woods According to The Gospel of Mary and other early church documents, Mary, the mother of Jesus, was most likely betrothed to Jesus’ earthly father Joseph at the age of 12, though she possibly was as old as 14. The Catholic Church and Evangelical churches typically teach she was no older than 15 when she became the Mother of God. As a betrothed virgin girl, the responsibility for Mary’s care had transferred from her father to adult widower Joseph, who had legal rights over her. Long-Term Leadership: Pursuing Agility Wharton@Work It’s easy to stay focused on the external forces disrupting your business, especially when they involve a catastrophe on a global scale. But that narrow view can prevent you from correcting existing internal weaknesses that the pandemic exposed — weaknesses such as supply chains that were just one disruption away from failing. As Gad Allon, Wharton professor of operations, information and decisions, explains, companies spent years invested in efficiency above all else. “They outsourced as much as possible, moved operations off shore, and cut costs in other ways.

Yes, giving money to very poor people will make their lives better — just ask Ecuador Is eradicating poverty, a goal the United Nations’ hopes to achieve by 2030, actually feasible? New research out of Ecuador says yes – if governments are willing to pay for it. According to a United Nations University (UNU) - Merit study of Ecuador’s Human Development Bonus (Bono de Desarrollo Humano, or BDH), direct cash transfers have definitively improved social mobility, or the ability of individuals or households to move between social strata. And it has helped poor families climb out of poverty, especially when complemented by other economic-inclusion programs. Cash on hand Ecuador’s BDH is a cash transfer given to extremely poor families each month, as long as their children are regularly attending school and health clinics.

Six Steps to a Sustainability Transformation On the basis of our extensive experience working with companies and investors to drive sustainability transformations, we have identified six actions that distinguish leaders from the rest of the pack: Develop a sustainability strategy anchored in purpose.Capture business value.Build new sustainable businesses.Make the core sustainable.Build capabilities.Own the narrative, and engage investors and stakeholders. Companies that fail to take up the challenge, and instead continue to view sustainability through a compliance or ESG reporting lens, will miss the opportunity to tap into lucrative new markets and create new, winning business models. They will also see their space for creating shareholder value narrow dramatically. On the other hand, companies that execute effectively in all six areas will truly transform their business and turn sustainability into a competitive advantage.

India - World Toilet Organization In late 2011, World Toilet Organization established its SaniShop model in India to increase access of rural households to safe and affordable sanitation. On the ground, we work closely with our local implementing partners eKutir, a social business, based out of Odisha, and Sattva , a media and social business consulting firm based out of Bangalore. Our pilot project was set up in Odisha where eKutir had established its strong rural base.

Business digs deep for sustainability Changes in the business climate—and the climate—can cause leaders to rethink the ways in which value is created and lost. In July, Patti Poppe, CEO of California utility PG&E, said that the company is undertaking a US$20 billion capital-intensive effort to bury 10,000 miles of power lines. Why?

Yes, microlending reduces extreme poverty A small boost in microlending to the developing world could lift more than 10.5 million people out of extreme poverty. That’s one conclusion of my study, published last month in The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, which found that microfinance not only reduces how many households live in poverty but also how poor they are. Currently, 836 million people – or 12% of the world’s population – experience extreme poverty, living off less than US$1.25 a day. Using data from 106 developing countries from between 1998 and 2013 to examine the efficacy of microlending as a poverty-reduction tool, I found that just a 10% increase in the gross microfinance loan portfolio per client could cut this number by 1.26%. While the world has seen some progress over the past 15 years in reaching the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which placed eradicating hunger and poverty on top of the global agenda, extreme poverty remains a pressing challenge.

Call for projects 2019 - UEFA Foundation This call for projects is aimed at any organisation that shares the values of the UEFA foundation and proposes practical measures to help children, in the areas of access to sport, health, education, employment, personal development and supporting vulnerable children. Applications are invited from organisations anywhere in the world. Support is not limited to projects within Europe. A Singular Focus on Profit Is No Longer an Option Executive Summary When I began working at Sustainalytics in 2008, after completing an MBA in finance and sustainability, the business of rating companies on their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance was very much a niche field. Our company had only 20 people in a single office in Toronto, where we produced reports on 300 companies, most of them Canadian firms traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Today we have 650 people based in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia providing ESG research, ratings, and data on tens of thousands of companies.