There seems to be a flourish of activity ahead as we close out 2022. I wanted to bring to your attention some upcoming events hosted both by the Climate Collaborative and our partner organizations.
First, I am looking forward to attending a webinar this week hosted by the Yale Center for Climate Communications focused on the Health Impacts of Wildfires. My family experienced firsthand some of the worst air conditions in the world a few weeks ago, and it has me thinking more deeply about how we support personal and organizational climate resilience and adaptation while also accelerating climate action.
All eyes will be on COP27 commencing in less than a week. As we watch COP27 from afar, I encourage all of our companies to examine the key themes for the event and consider how these reflect the work that must be done at the organizational-level. For instance, how do we ensure our climate actions take into account the people that are disproportionately impacted by climate change? Are we meeting the climate commitments that we have made, and are we on track to meet our emissions reductions targets? What steps are we taking to increase adaptation, both for our organizations and our communities? How can we leverage our collective power to ensure that the corporations that you likely supply to or that you purchase from are also taking meaningful and transparent climate action. Lastly, recognizing that voting is one of our most impactful tools for ensuring that our country continues to take climate action at scale, I encourage you to consider how you can ensure that your staff have the time and support to vote.
In the coming weeks we have some very strong programming to share with you. Please take a look at the four-part webinar series we are hosting with UNFI. You can access and share the recordings from the first two webinars. I have been impressed by how these sessions have gotten into some of the specific details and questions that often stall progress. We have upcoming sessions on tying biodiversity to your climate strategy and a session on packaging in partnership with OSC2. Our team will also be attending the training hosted by the CU Leeds School of Business, and we hope to see you there.
I hope you have a fun and spooky Halloween!
In collaboration,
Courtney
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Courtney Pineau
Executive Director
Climate Collaborative
UPCOMING EVENTS |
Webinar - Biodiversity and Climate Action: How COP15 Could Inform Your Company's Climate Strategy
November 7th, 1 PM EST // 12 PM CST // 11 AM MST // 10 AM PST
The 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP15, will convene governments from around the world in December to discuss how best to protect and restore the Earth's biodiversity. We know that an increase in biodiversity can help mitigate the impacts of climate change and that many of our companies incorporate biodiversity health as an indicator of soil health. However, what are the ways companies can intentionally tie biodiversity into their climate strategy?
Join the Climate Collaborative on November 7th, where we'll hear from World Business Council for Sustainable Development, UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre, and Pure Strategies on why COP15 matters to your business and how you can tie the biodiversity framework to your climate strategy. There will be ample time for Q&A, so bring questions!
Webinar - UNFI Climate Action Four-Part Series: IMPACT
November 14th, 1 PM EST // 12 PM CST // 11 AM MST // 10 AM PST
UNFI is excited to announce the third session in their four-part webinar series. Join UNFI, along with the teams from the Climate Collaborative and Shift Advantage, to explore the steps you can take to accelerate your climate action.
These webinars, informed by UNFI's Climate Action Guide, will cover the four stages of climate action:
- MEASURE: watch recording
- COMMIT: watch recording
- IMPACT: register for November 14th session
- DISCLOSE: register for the December 7th session
These sessions are perfect for anyone on your team that wants to learn more about how to take climate action and will feature case studies of companies on the leading-edge of this work.
Attend as many as you would like, and please share this invite with your team or anyone else within your organization that might be interested.
November 15th, 1 PM EST // 12 PM CST // 11 AM MST // 10 AM PST
Join the Climate Collaborative for a special November session to hear updates and insights into the packaging landscape, with a special focus on compostable packaging. OSC's Packaging Collaborative will inform attendees about the role of LCA's and how they can help inform packaging considerations. Elevate Packaging will share insights from the field, including ways your packaging work can support your company's climate commitments.
Online Course - Climate Action for Business (In Partnership with Leeds School of Business)
November 15-16, 2022
The University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business is hosting an upcoming two-day training (November 15-16) on Climate Action for Business. This course was developed utilizing the Project Drawdown framework and will equip you to lead your organization through a complete climate strategy, from data gathering through emissions reductions to reporting, and much more.
In partnership with the Climate Collaborative, they are offering a 20% discount for five of our Committed Companies to take the course. This is a first-come, first-served opportunity.
- Learn more about the course here
- Submit an inquiry form here to initiate the registration process (mention you are a Climate Collaborative company)
In case you missed part or all of our sessions at Expo East, you can access the recordings on the Natural Products Expo Virtual Platform. Watch the recordings to learn more about investing in climate focused CPGs, operationalizing climate action within your organization, and a discussion on what makes a food climate friendly.
PARTNER RESOURCES |
Climate Solutions at Work (Guide from Drawdown Labs)
Climate Solutions at Work, presented by Drawdown Labs, is a how-to guide for employees looking to make every job a climate job. This easy-to-browse guide will help climate-concerned employees assess whether or not their company is taking adequate steps to address the climate crisis, and how they can utilize their power to push their company well beyond 'net zero'. Throughout, the guide mentions specific job functions (e.g., marketing, human resources, government affairs, etc.) that have enormous untapped potential to drive climate action.
Climate transition plans are intended to act as accountability mechanisms for companies and their external stakeholders, and they can provide a critical pathway for ensuring that companies are reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with what is needed to achieve the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. This brief focuses in on examples of companies taking actions to reduce their GHG emissions in four key areas that should be covered by a climate transition plan: growth and innovation strategy; corporate procurement strategies and supply chain implementation; operations, waste, and transportation; and customer engagement.
Guidelines for Credible, Science-driven Environmental Footprint Claims (Guidance from Quantis)
A new guidance created by Quantis, "Guidelines for credible, science-driven environmental footprint claims" provides best practices and recommendations to help companies understand and comply with existing standards and regulations when making environmental claims.
Organic agriculture holds significant and largely untapped potential to address multiple crises facing our society, including climate change, health, and struggling economies. Public policies that support expansion of organic farming and ranching across America--including substantial investments in the next Farm Bill--can unlock this potential and deliver a critical triple win for our climate future, the health of farmworkers and consumers, and prosperity in farming communities.
IN THE NEWS |
A new report suggests that the Inflation Reduction Act could be even bigger than Congress thinks. Late last month, analysts at the investment bank Credit Suisse published a research note about America's new climate law that went nearly unnoticed. The report shows how even after the bonanza of climate-bill coverage earlier this year, we're still only beginning to understand how the law works and what it might mean for the economy.
Climate Justice: UN Rules Australia Violated Islander Rights
The United Nations Human Rights Committee has found that the Australian government violated the rights of people living on four islands in the Torres Strait and has ordered it to pay for the harm caused. The committee ruled last week that the country had failed to protect islanders from the effects of climate change, making their claim the first successful one of this kind.
New Zealand to Tax Agriculture Emissions at the Farm in World First
New Zealand farmers will start to pay a levy on agricultural emissions by 2025--a move Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said would be a world first. The government will adopt the main recommendation from the He Waka Eke Noa primary sector climate action partnership to price the emissions at the farm level rather than including them in the nation's emissions trading scheme. The system will be in place in 2025, requiring farmers to start paying a regulated price for their methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions.
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.