Happy spring! As I look out my office window, I can see all the hallmarks of spring: the daffodils in bloom, the osa berry bush leafing out, and our seedlings emerging in the garden. Coming out of Climate Day and Expo West, this energy of renewal is alive in our work at the Climate Collaborative as well. 

This year, collaboration emerged as a resonant theme throughout Climate Day. It's clear that now, more than ever, companies recognize the imperative to work collectively in addressing systemic and complex climate issues. For those of you not at the event, I encourage you to check out the recordings of the sessions to learn about potential collaborations that might be of interest. Watch the YouTube video of the afternoon sessions here.

We heard from our speakers that our community needs to:

• Lean into climate actions that provide relatively quick reductions in emissions, like renewable energy and electrification.
• Engage in climate advocacy, even in this election year when the attention is focused on election politics. Keeping climate top of mind for our policymakers is crucial.
• Work to scale agricultural systems that are regenerative, just, and healthy for all through partnerships that help us achieve scale, measurable impacts, and accessible nutrient dense food. 
• Continue to engage in the vital conversation within the regenerative community about the merits of adopting a standardized state-level or national definition for "regenerative agriculture," contrasted with the belief that the essence of regenerative agriculture is inherently contextual, reflecting the diversity of the communities and landscapes where they are implemented.

In closing, I was greatly inspired by Eric Levine, our final keynote speaker for Climate Day, as he delved into how culture can serve to connect people to their passions and, through that, act as a bridge to climate action. As he mentioned to our team during the planning of the event, "Nothing is more cultural than food." He illuminated the multifaceted role of food as a catalyst and highlighted our opportunity to engage at the cultural-level to foster systems-level change.

I hope that, whether through Climate Day or by observing a beautiful sign of spring, you are inspired to discover new ways to bring this work to life.

Warmest regards,

Courtney

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In less than two weeks, we will be seeing many of you at Climate Day during Expo West, and we can't wait! So much care and intention have gone into every session, focusing on providing this community with the most relevant, up-to-date, and actionable insights to support your climate work.

If you are still on the fence about attending, here are some of the top reasons why Climate Day is relevant to everyone in the industry:

• The community of 600+ people in attendance includes brands, retailers, distributors, processors, farmers, leading service providers, and more. From CEOs to climate practitioners, the room will be filled with individuals eager to advance their climate work with relevant information, a community of peers, and solutions that help navigate the complexity of this critical work.
• Every year, we hear that Climate Day is the place to be for networking with other leading companies. We are told over and over that even the connections made in the hallways are such a valuable part of the experience.
• You will leave the day feeling informed and ready to make more strategic decisions about your climate work, updated on what your peers in the industry are doing, resourced with new tools and opportunities, and without a doubt, surprised by many of the insights and updates shared.
• Your attendance has the potential to deliver immense value. This is your chance to learn about emerging collaborations and partnership opportunities, and to sense where the industry is headed.
• Climate Day is relevant to all companies, from those just finding their footing in this work to the biggest companies in the world that have set aggressive targets and are actively working to meet them.

The day is designed as a journey, and I hope you will have the opportunity to be with us from the opening through to the cocktail reception and Resource Fair. We will explore several new themes this year, including the critical role of culture, navigating the complexities of ESG, accounting for efforts at the intersection of climate and nature, the challenges of primary data in Scope 3 reporting, opportunities for collaboration, the role of nutrient density in accelerating climate-smart agriculture, and so much more.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Warmest regards,

Courtney

In just over a month, we will be seeing many of you at Climate Day at Expo West. Climate Day is the only event in the natural products industry dedicated exclusively to advancing climate action. This year's program is shaping up to be our most engaging yet filled with a diverse lineup of influential speakers, in-depth case studies, and ample opportunities for networking to enhance your climate initiatives. Concurrent to the programming is the Resource Fair with 20+ companies eager to support you with all aspects of your climate work. The day will also include important announcement from the Climate Collaborative and other organizations about pre-competitive partnership opportunities.

I want to flag a few key items in the newsletter below:

• Certscape 1.4 Released!: Please note that we have released our updated Certscape. It now includes Regenfied and revised responses from the other certifications as well.
• Two New Accelerators: In late spring we are launching two accelerators, one focused on retailer climate action and one on communications & disclosure. Please complete the interest forms for these if you want to be the first to know when they are launched. See details below.
• Climate Day Opportunity: As part of our Climate Day panel with Dr. Leah Stokes, we are seeking stories from companies in our community on electrification. Are you electrifying your fleet or upgrading your manufacturing equipment? Share your good news with us by February 9th to have your story shared on stage. 
• Matching Funds Available: Under Partner Resources below there is an opportunity from the Wolfe's Neck Center to access matching funds to support your regenerative agriculture work.

I look forward to seeing many of you in Anaheim in just over one month!

Warmest regards,

Courtney

Happy (almost) New Year! Like every year, 2023 has had its share of wins and losses, or as we say in our household, roses and thorns. On an organizational level, we've experienced significant growth in our programs and offerings and have formed many new partnerships—a true rose. We are already exploring ways to expand our pre-competitive collaborations in 2024.

Our recent Tracking Progress Report makes it clear that while companies understand the importance of reducing their climate impacts, they are often under-resourced when it comes to achieving their set targets—a thorn in our collective work. We believe that through pre-competitive collaboration, companies can partner to effectively navigate the complexities of climate work.

As COP28 demonstrated, we must move from promises to performance, and we can't get there if we continue to fund the very activities that are leading to climate change while under-resourcing the development of the infrastructure and support mechanisms needed to transition away from an inherently extractive economy. As they say, talk is cheap, and as we head into an election year, it is going to be so critical that we keep climate front and center as a critical issue. 

We are so thankful to the community of organizations and leaders that went to COP28 to bring voice to the need to protect and support those most impacted by climate change, to end the burning of fossil fuels, and to continue to build a food system in alignment with the flourishing of our planet. One of the biggest roses in this work are the incredible people working tirelessly, often behind the scenes, in support of the climate.

As we close out the year, I want to reiterate our commitment to our mission of activating climate action in the grocery industry and acknowledge the hard work and dedication of each member of this community. Let us carry this momentum into the new year with unwavering focus and a shared vision of a healthy, just, and regenerative future. Together, we'll celebrate our successes ('roses') and tackle our challenges ('thorns') with determination. And perhaps we can take a page from the book of my 8-year-old, who wisely observes that most thorns are merely weeds — a bit troublesome, maybe, yet often hiding a benefit just waiting to be discovered.

Wishing you a year filled with inspiration, collaboration, and meaningful progress on your climate commitments.  

Warmest regards,

Courtney

In a few days, global leaders will convene in Dubai for COP28. Alongside other businesses and non-profits, the Climate Collaborative has made an appeal to these decision-makers to halt the unchecked burning of fossil fuels. The moment has come for us to shift from pledges to palpable progress, from stated intentions to tangible outcomes. As the adage goes, actions speak louder than words, and the toll of the slow progress on climate action is a cost that we are all collectively bearing. 

The Climate Collaborative staff and Board hold ourselves to the same standard, constantly asking: Are we making a measurable impact on our mission to accelerate climate action within the grocery sector? This year, we've made a strategic shift, embracing more fully our belief that pre-competitive collaboration stands as one of the most effective ways to assist businesses in their climate journey—especially when resources are tight. Coinciding with the initiation of COP28, we are launching our Organic and Regenerative Transition Community of Practice. Looking ahead to 2024, we are excited to announce the launch of an additional community of practice along with several more accelerators, each designed to catalyze and amplify our collective climate endeavors.

The foundational theory of change driving these pre-competitive collaborations rests on the understanding that by working together, companies can increase their capacity for action, going further faster together. It's the belief that collective endeavor, not solitary effort, will lead to significant strides in navigating the intricate and often unclear path of climate action.

Here are ways you can support this work:

• Please consider including the Climate Collaborative in your year-end giving
• Reach out if you would like to help underwrite our upcoming Climate Communications or Retailer Action Accelerators
• Join your peers in an upcoming pre-competitive collaboration 
• Update your climate commitments and prioritize climate action in 2024

We look forward to working with you in the coming year! If you need support as you plan your climate action, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

Our deepest thanks,

Courtney

I wanted to share a quick policy update with you. As the year draws to a close, the likelihood of a one-year extension to the Farm Bill is increasing. In the House, the release of the Farm Bill draft is pending the Speaker's scheduling of legislative discussions, which was delayed during the process of selecting the new Speaker, Mike Johnson (R-LA). Speaker Johnson hopes to allocate floor time for the Farm Bill in December, contingent on Congress's ability to pass a stop-gap measure for FY24 spending bills. Meanwhile, in the Senate, partisan divisions on key issues persist, delaying the release of the Farm Bill draft.

One of the most significant points of contention between Democrats and Republicans is the allocation of funds designated for climate-smart agriculture and climate change mitigation from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Democrats advocate for keeping these funds within the Conservation title, earmarked for climate mitigation, while others propose using a portion of funds more broadly within the conservation title or for other priorities, such as commodity support, research, or risk management. 

In state news, California's Governor Newsom recently signed an important climate disclosure bill into law! The Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253) requires the state board to develop and adopt regulations requiring specified partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies, and other business entities with total annual revenues in excess of $1 billion and that do business in California to publicly disclose to their scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions to the newly created emissions reporting organization. Learn more about the bill, including the timing for implementation, here. Our partners at Ceres are hosting a webinar on October 31st to help companies better understand the implications. You can find more information below. 

Lastly, our friends at the Organic Farming Research Foundation are asking companies to contact their congressional representatives to express their support for the Strengthening Organic Agricultural Research (SOAR) Act in the House and the Organic Science and Research Investment (OSRI) Act in the Senate. We've included two toolkits below with a template email you can use to contact your congressional representatives. 

We thank you for your ongoing involvement and advocacy in this important piece of legislation and will continue to share timely calls to action as they arise in the coming months.

In collaboration,

Courtney

We are just days away from September and it feels like fall is already in full swing. Just in time for back-to-school season, we have some new tools and offerings to share with you.

First, in the next few weeks we are releasing our long-awaited Climate Action Catalyzer Tool. This tool will help connect you to potential collaboration partners and service providers and will also provide you a customized report detailing resources specific to your climate needs. For the reminder of 2023, the tool will be free to our community as we continue to refine the content, connections, and resources. We can't wait for you to give it a try! 

We are also planning to release our Service Provider Membership Program in late September. We know there are so many of you in this community that are eager to connect your offerings with brands and retailers looking for solutions. Keep an eye on our website and newsletter for more details on how to sign up for this program.

In October, we are launching our Regenerative and Organic Transition Community of Practice. This year-long program brings together a skilled facilitator, experts in regenerative and organic agriculture, and a committed community of companies to work together to activate solutions in support of an organic and regenerative transition. Please see details below. Our deep thanks to the UNFI Foundation and Good Earth Natural Foods for supporting this critical work. 

I look forward to seeing many of you at Expo East! The Climate Collaborative has robust programming at the event, you can see the full description of our five sessions below.

In collaboration,

Courtney

Last week, an airport in coastal Iran recorded a heat index of 152 degrees Fahrenheit, nearly intolerable for human or animal life. They are not alone. Countries around the world are experiencing record-setting temperatures challenging the capacity of infrastructure and the limits of livable conditions. A crisis at this level of magnitude feels insurmountable, even to those of us that do this work every day, and yet we DO have the capacity to shift the direction of the crisis. So we take a collective deep breath, we fortify ourselves, and we keep going...

Several months ago, our team went through strategic planning with our Board, and there was deep alignment that one of the keys to unlocking climate action is through pre-competitive collaboration. In September, we will be unveiling the Climate Action Catalyzer, a new tool to help facilitate connections between companies. Then in October, we are launching a Community of Practice to support CPGs working on organic and regenerative transition.

In case you missed it, earlier this month, we sent out our sixth annual Tracking Progress Survey for companies that have made Climate Commitments through the Collaborative. Your completion of the survey provides accountability in our program, tracks your climate action, and assesses the climate progress of the grocery industry. New this year, companies that complete their Tracking Progress Survey are also eligible for UNFI's Climate Action Partnership. This provides you with more tools and visibility for your climate work. The deadline to submit your organization's update is August 18th. Please reach out if you have any questions about the Commitments your company has made.

Thank you for being an integral part of our vibrant community. We deeply appreciate your engagement in this work. 

In collaboration, 

Caitlin

There is a language to business. A lingo that most of us use. We can talk about our "value proposition" or our "ROI" and most of us have some sense of what someone means. Obviously, there are nuances in definitions from organization to organization, but these terms play a role in framing how we think and how we approach our work.

Abigail Prout, a leadership coach in my region, recently shared a social post asking, "What if ROI stood for ripples of impact?" This creative reframing of ROI made me think about how our business structures (vocabulary, frameworks, certifications, etc.) create boundaries to our thinking that we are often not even aware of. 

"Stakeholders" is another term we frequently use that informs how we think about who is invested in the outcomes of our business. We tend to think about our team, our board, our customers, but who else has a stake in the outcomes of our work? How about the communities surrounding our facilities, or the people impacted by our waste stream? Can we go so far as to think about nature being a stakeholder?

If we considered nature as a stakeholder, it would impact everything from our operations to our product design. At the Climate Collaborative, we see this start to come alive in our forest commitment. Keeping forests intact and thriving is a critical climate solution. Whether you source directly from the forest or utilize row crops, you need to be considering how the land and forests are being managed. Forests are a critical stakeholder and are integral to our planet's wellbeing. 

If you want to learn more about the why and how of a forest commitment, I encourage you to listen to the webinar we hosted earlier this month with Quantis and Tony's Chocolonely. It did a fantastic job framing a path for companies to take meaningful action on their forest commitment. 

Keep an eye out for an invitation to our Forest Summit at Expo East in September!

In collaboration, 

Courtney