Spring has sprung, and with it, there has been a flourish of activity on the heels of a very successful Climate Day. It is hard to imagine it was only three weeks ago that many of us were together in Anaheim. The Climate Collaborative team left Climate Day so invigorated and with renewed clarity about our key areas of focus.
Reverend Lennox Yearwood Jr. |
Reverend Yearwood, our keynote speaker, talked about the importance of making sure that we, those of us committed to climate action, are not just always playing in the same lane. I took this call to action as a reminder that we need to continue to expand our reach, seek out new and diverse perspectives, step outside of our comfort zone, and develop solutions in partnership with impacted communities. By all accounts the food industry is going through rapid change, the staggering presence of countless new plant-based food options and the incredible infusion of venture capital is an early indication of the changes to come. The question for me is, "how do we ensure that these new product offerings are developed with the climate in mind?" Our food waste webinar this week provided compelling examples of how products can be designed from the beginning to integrate upcycling, food recovery, and cross-brand collaborations that have a positive impact on both the climate and their financial bottom line.
As we plan the months ahead, we anticipate renewed efforts to encourage meaningful climate legislation in DC, new tools to help brands communicate with their customers about their climate efforts, and education that leans into some of the less visible sources of climate impacts like deforestation, transportation, and refrigerants.
For companies looking for an Earth Month activation, we've included a few partner opportunities below. They range from toolkits to public campaigns. I encourage you to check them out. As always, we have also included other resources and tools to support your climate work. Please be in touch. I would love to hear your thoughts on how we can continue to help you advance your climate commitments.
In collaboration,
Courtney Pineau
---
Executive Director
Climate Collaborative
PARTNER OPPORTUNITIES |
Ryan Martel Fellowship at Ceres
The Ryan Martel Fellowship recognizes a brilliant leader and Capital Hill champion who devoted his professional life to the pursuit of effective federal climate action. In Ryan's honor, Ceres is offering a rising star the opportunity to join Ceres for a year of impact and first-hand experience in climate policy and environmental justice advocacy in order to build a sustainable global economy. Find more information here.
Earth Day Social Toolkit from SME Climate Hub
This Earth Day, the SME Climate Hub is calling on businesses around the world to take action. Not yet committed to the SME Climate Hub? Join the Hub today and use the social media toolkit to guide the promotion of your commitment. You'll gain access to new tools for climate education and emissions measurement and reporting to build a more resilient business and planet.
B Lab U.S. & Canada announced a new toolkit encouraging business learning and action around climate justice through listening to frontline voices and leadership. Companies can download the toolkit, engage their teams in the challenge, share the assets, and encourage others to do the same. This resource is open and inclusive to all businesses, not just B Corps.
Eat the Change #incrEDIBLEplanetchallenge
In celebration of Earth Month, Eat the Change has launched the #incrEDIBLEplanetchallenge campaign. The campaign will provide daily challenges that will come to life with engaging videos and special appearances from celebrity chefs, influencers, and environmental activists. Find more information about the campaign here.
KeHE's new ECOtrade program was created to drive change within the food and beverage industry. The program will recognize and support brands that make a significant climate action commitment, such as net zero, carbon neutral, or science-based targets and bring those to the forefront for retailers and shoppers to discover.
Women Leading Regeneration Online Summit
May 3-5, Virtual
The Women Leading Regeneration Online Summit will focus on the impact of female leadership in business, policy, community care, and planetary regeneration. Join Regenerative Rising over the course of this three-day gathering to engage in wisdom-filled working sessions and invaluable networking opportunities. This summit's goal is to activate women as changemakers in the world.
2022 Food Waste Solutions Summit
May 10-12, Virtual + In Person, Minneapolis, MN
Presented by ReFED, the Food Waste Solutions Summit is the premier food waste event of the year, bringing together food businesses, funders, solution providers, innovators, policymakers, nonprofits, and more to drive the adoption of solutions to reach our collective goal of a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030.
RESOURCES FOR CLIMATE ACTION |
All of the Climate Collaborative's Climate Day sessions are now available to watch on the Natural Products Expo Virtual platform. If you haven't yet registered for Natural Products Expo Virtual, you can do so here. If you registered for Natural Products Expo Virtual 2021, your registration is valid for 2022, and you do not need to register again.
Check out the Business Carbon Calculator from Normative and Google.org to help SMEs cut emissions
The Business Carbon Calculator helps small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to track and reduce emissions for free through the UN-backed SME Climate Hub. The calculator helps SMEs measure both their direct emissions and indirect emissions that come from things like heating and cooling or are generated as part of their supply chain.
View Our March Webinar: Turning Your Food Waste into a Food Asset - Strategies for Advancing Your Food Waste Reduction Commitment
Don't miss this recording to hear from ReFED, Upcycled Food Association, and the Food Recovery Network on the latest trends and data on food waste, case studies from their work, and new opportunities to advance your food waste work. Thomas McQuillan of Do Good Foods joined to share his insights and strategies for developing innovative and profitable food waste recovery programs. Watch the recording and download the slides.
Kicking off a year-long initiative during Global Rewilding Day, Teeccino is partnering with the Global Rewilding Alliance to share a free booklet with updates about successful rewilding campaigns all over the world. Teeccino is funding a multi-year rewilding campaign with villages inside The Maya Biosphere Reserve to grow, plant, and care for ramon tree seedlings until they reach maturity. Learn more about why Teeccino is supporting this initiative here.
Check out OSC's Packaging Innovation Portal
The Packaging Innovation Portal provides industry stakeholders with the resources they need to make strategic, informed packaging designs, and help them move more quickly and with intention on their packaging journey.
CLIMATE RELATED NEWS |
How to save global food security and climate goals amid war in Ukraine
Ploughing up conserved land isn't the answer.
Fighting for climate change is fighting for existence
The Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., speaking on Climate Day, calls on everyone-not just white men-to fight for climate justice, racial justice, immigrant rights, and more.
The future of CPG: 5 takeaways from Natural Products Expo West
With 2,750 exhibitors, including 625 first timers, Expo West was the place to see what's next for the natural products industry. Here are the top takeaways that will drive responsible growth, intentional innovation and far-reaching inclusion.
INDUSTRY UPDATES |
To date, the program has prevented more than 337,000 tons of soil from erosion, resulting in nearly $3.3 million in cost avoidance for farmer partners, who supply brands like Oikos, Two Good, and Horizon Organic. The company also debuts new R3 ROI Tool to provide farmers with data on financial and environmental benefits of regenerative agriculture.
In this new section of our newsletter, we want to share out climate-related progress, announcements, and good news from our community in action. Send us an email at [email protected] to contribute to next month's section.
COMMIT TO CLIMATE ACTION |
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.