Right now COP23, the UN's annual climate change conference, is winding down in Bonn Germany. Although the only official U.S. event at this year's conference promoted "clean" fossil fuels, other members of the U.S. community have demonstrated strong support for meaningful climate action throughout the conference. More than 2,500 U.S. business, investment, and government leaders have now signed the "We are still in" statement supporting the Paris Agreement, and California Governor Jerry Brown has announced that the state will be hosting next year's Global Climate Action Summit. 

The conference--and the lack of U.S. leadership this year--are powerful reminders of the vital importance of the work we are doing here at the Collaborative! Thank you again for being a part of it!

Please consider signing on to our policy commitment if you haven't already done so, and I hope you'll also consider becoming a supporter of the Collaborative.

In other news, we're now accepting applications for the inaugural National Co+op Grocers Climate Collaborative awards! Learn more and make a nomination here by Friday, December 29. We will showcase the winners at a special Climate Day awards ceremony on March 7. Hope to see you there!

All the best,

Erin Callahan

Climate Collaborative Director

Welcome to the newest companies making commitments, Other Avenues Grocery Cooperative, Bi-Rite Market, and a special shout-out to The Philosopher's Stoneground Nut Butters for being the thirteenth company to commit to all nine commitment areas! Click here for a complete list of the companies that have made commitments to date.

As we look toward Climate Day 2018 and our upcoming programming plans--from webinars, to case studies and communities of practices--we'd like your input. If you or one of your colleagues are willing to provide us with feedback, please click here to complete a short, 12 question survey. All answers will remain confidential and anonymous.

The Impact of Your Cup of Numi Tea: Numi's recently released impact report looks at how the company is tracking against its climate commitments.

CO2 Emissions Were Flat for Three Years. Now They’re Rising Again: The New York Times reports that industrial CO2 emissions are projected to rise to record highs in 2017

The COP23 climate change summit in Bonn and why it matters: The Guardian reports that halting dangerous global warming means putting the landmark Paris agreement into practice – without the US – and tackling the divisive issue of compensation

The Climate Collaborative is hiring! We are seeking a part-time contractor to support the project. 

Apply for the Inaugural National Co+op Grocers Climate Collaborative Awards! We are excited to share information on nominations for the first-ever National Co+op Grocers Climate Collaborative Awards! These awards give Climate Collaborative committed companies a platform for recognizing leaders in the natural products industry as well as the opportunity to be recognized for their own accomplishments. Awards will be given out in three categories: Outstanding Company, Outstanding Value Chain Engagement, and Outstanding Influencer. Learn more and apply here by Friday, December 29.

New video: From Producers to Co-Packers: Engaging your Supply Chain in Climate Change Initiatives Speakers from Annie’s, the Sustainable Food Trade Association (SFTA), and Traditional Medicinals dig into what supply chain engagement looks like in practice, and talk through specific programs that can be developed to improve climate impacts in areas such as waste and air emissions management and packaging sustainability. Watch the recording here.

Introducing the We Mean Business Policy Tracker The We Mean Business coalition has just launched The Climate Policy Tracker—a freely available online platform designed to help businesses determine which climate policies are relevant to them across key regions and sectors. Learn more and explore the tracker here.

Upcoming webinar: How to Transition to Renewable Energy 

November 16, 10:00 AM PT // 11:00 AM MT // 12:00 PM CT // 1:00 PM ET
Join us to learn about the latest global movements in renewable energy and groundbreaking renewable energy initiatives being realized by Climate Collaborative committed companies. Speakers from the RE 100 campaign, Dr. Bronner’s, and Organic Valley will join to share practical information and case studies on how companies can ramp up their use of renewables. Register here.

Rooted Community Session 3: Building Climate Resilience with Smallholder Farmers

December 4, 11:30 AM ET // 10:30 AM CT // 9:30 AM MT // 8:30 AM PT
The Rooted Community is a practitioners group for companies committed to our agriculture commitment, designed to build capacity, knowledge, and collaboration on carbon farming commitments among natural products companies. Join us for a discussion on how to promote carbon farming with smallholder farmers across the world. This session will include speakers from Sustainable Food Lab, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, and Theo Chocolate. Find out more and register here!

Save the Date: Climate Day 2018

March 8, Anaheim, CA
We are thrilled to be putting on Climate Day at Expo West for the second time! Join industry leaders for inspirational keynotes, executive roundtables, workshops, music, networking, climate awards, a reception and more. RSVP here!

SHARE YOUR STORY

Have you had any climate impact successes you think we should know about? Send them our way and we’ll make sure that your lessons learned benefit the whole community. 

Send us any blog or social media posts your company publishes about your experience reducing your impact on the climate and we’ll spread the word!

If you haven't already made a commitment to Climate Action please visit the Climate Collaborative website and check out the nine areas in which your company can make a commitment to bold climate action.