This has been quite the month for climate. Despite the apparent gains from the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act, we quickly learned in its aftermath that to win Senator Manchin's vote Senator Schumer agreed to a "dirty deal" to pass separate legislation that would among other things, speed approvals and permitting of fossil fuel infrastructure. Let's be clear, we can never have a meaningful and sustaining impact on climate change if we continue to permit legislation that emboldens polluters, and at the same time disproportionately impacts the people who are already bearing the brunt of our dependence on fossil fuels: communities of color, low-income communities, and other marginalized groups.
My hope is that we can continue to create pressure and momentum around the solutions that enable us to have a just transition that operate in service to all. To that end, we were thrilled to see so many Climate Collaborative committed companies and partners were recipients of the USDA's Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Funding. Developing regenerative farming systems that increase soil health, and thereby reduce emissions and increase drawdown are an absolutely critical climate solution.
Last week, we witnessed climate change take center stage at the UN General Assembly. Conversations centered on addressing the needs of under-resourced nations experiencing the worst impacts of climate change and the role of the nations that are responsible for the bulk of the world's GHG emission. These preliminary conversations are a precursor for what's to come in November at COP27. For the Collaborative, it's an ever present reminder that climate justice needs to be at the forefront of our work, and that we need to continue to be vigilant about policy that disproportionately impacts our most vulnerable communities, while letting polluters off the hook.
We hope to see many of you in person at Natural Products Expo East this week. We have a fantastic line up of panels on Friday, September 30th. We'll be diving into case studies highlighting the value of investing in climate-focused CPGs, operationalizing climate within your organization and hosting a conversation on what makes a product climate friendly. I look forward to seeing familiar and new faces in Philadelphia!
In collaboration,
Courtney
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Courtney Pineau
Executive Director
Climate Collaborative
ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPCOMING EVENTS |
The Climate Collaborative is proud to announce that we are recipients of a grant from the Clif Family Foundation. The grant will support the update of the Climate Collaborative's Commitment Program. We are deeply appreciative of their support.
Climate Collaborative Policy Advisory Committee
Is your company passionate about climate policy and advocacy? The Climate Collaborative is creating a Policy Advisory Committee to advise the Climate Collaborative Board and staff on strategic climate policy priorities and initiatives. If you are interested in serving on this committee or want to learn more, please contact Caitlin Oleson at [email protected] by October 8th.
One Step Closer to Zero Waste Campaign 2022 Impact Report
This summer the OSC Packaging Collaborative culminated their first ever ONE STEP CLOSER TO ZERO WASTE Campaign. Developed to create a platform for action and generate inspiration for the reduction and elimination of single use plastics in our products, packaging, and personal lives, the campaign was a 7-month long journey that consisted of numerous events & webinars, policy & advocacy pathways, consumer-facing activations, brand storytelling and more. This year's campaign highlights have been captured in a comprehensive report that details how OSC leveraged inspiration & empowerment to mobilize stakeholders along the packaging value chain.
Climate Collaborative Programming at Natural Products Expo East
September 30th, 2022, Philadelphia PA
Expo East is just around the corner, where we hope to see many of you in person. We’re hosting three climate focused sessions with New Hope Network on Friday, September 30th. Join us 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.
October 3rd, 4:00 pm EST
The groundbreaking Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the largest federal investment ever made in combatting climate change. With historic levels of funding now going towards clean energy solutions and American communities, Ceres will deliver a business-focused analysis of the IRA's effects on transportation, agriculture and environmental justice.
OSC University Presents: A Tool for Understanding & Monitoring Sustainability
October 11, 10:30 am PST
In this session, Dr. Samar Habib, Director of Research at Fair Trade USA, will provide an introduction to the theory of change methodology used in development programs across the world, and discuss how Fair Trade USA leverages their Theory of Change to continuously improve its programs in promoting workers' rights globally.
Partner Event: The New York Times - A New Climate
October 12, San Francisco, CA
Join The New York Times as they gather pioneers in technology, business and the arts to examine our collective response to the climate challenge. Hear from tech leaders, New York Times journalists, engineers, musicians and creative pioneers. See what happens when ideas and expertise from different disciplines collide. Understand the role we can all play in this increasingly urgent crisis.
Use code CC20 for a 20% discount.
Partner Event: UNFI Webinar Series
October 17th, 1 PM EST // 12 PM CST // 11 AM MST // 10 AM PST
UNFI is excited to announce an upcoming Climate Action Webinar Series. Join UNFI, along with the team 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, commit, impact, and disclose. They 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. Register now to attend or to receive the recording for the October 17th session.
Partner Event: Sustainable Refrigeration Summit
October 24-28, Virtual
The North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC)'s free virtual summit will bring together the stakeholders needed to solve the puzzle of sustainable refrigeration in supermarkets - including food retailers, manufacturers, service contractors, engineers, consultants, government agencies, policymakers, utilities, energy, and environmental stakeholders. Hear the latest regulatory and industry trends and learn from leading food retailers, industry experts, and policymakers.
Partner Event: VERGE 22October 25-27, 2022, San Jose, CA
VERGE 22 convenes thousands of leaders working together to address the climate crisis across six strategic areas: clean energy, sustainable transportation, carbon removal, regenerative food systems, net-zero buildings and the startup ecosystem.
Register today and use the code CLIMATECOV22 at registration for 10% off of the pass type of your choice.
IN THE NEWS |
France becomes the first European country to ban fossil fuel ads. Although, it does allow for ads for gas as well as ads in other circumstances like sponsorship of events.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Michael S. Regan and Minister of the Environment, Japan Nishimura Akihiro met in Tokyo, Japan for a high-level bilateral dialogue. The ministers met to discuss accomplishments, including the historic climate investments from President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act and priorities for continued international, regional, and bilateral cooperation on environmental protection.
Food Systems: A Watershed Moment At COP27?
Food may be the solution to some of our most pressing environmental and social challenges. But right now, our food and agriculture systems are broken in multiple ways. Food and agriculture are responsible for more than one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions and is the primary driver of biodiversity loss. At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in November, the world has an opportunity to implement solutions that can be a win-win-win-for the environment, for solving hunger, and for promoting more sustainable economies.
How to Stop Cities and Companies Causing Planetary Harm
Researchers must help to define science-based targets for water, nutrients, carbon emissions and more to avoid cascading effects and stave off tipping points in Earth's systems.
A science-based understanding of climate change and potential mitigation and adaptation options can provide decisionmakers with important guidance in making decisions about how best to respond to the many challenges inherent in climate change. This white paper provides an evidence-based heuristic for guiding efforts to share science-based information about climate change with decisionmakers and the public at large.
INDUSTRY IN ACTION |
Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Funding Pool: Congratulations to CC Companies!
USDA is investing up to $2.8 billion in 70 selected projects under the first Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding pool, which includes proposals seeking funds ranging from $5 million to $100 million. Congratulations to the following CC companies who are the designated Lead Partners and Major Partners in multiple grants:
Danone North America, General Mills, Kimberton Whole Foods, Organic Valley, Stonyfield Organic, Lundberg Family Farms, Bob's Red Mill, Quinn Snacks, Maple Hill Creamery, and Whole Foods.
Seventh Generation Launches Comprehensive Framework for Calculating Corporate Climate Impacts
Seventh Generation launched its Climate Fingerprints report, which showcases a new framework and approach to comprehensively measuring corporate climate impact. The framework goes above and beyond individual business operations to factor in the impact of all areas where the company has influence and invests resources--including banking, marketing, insurance, investments, advocacy, philanthropy, tax dollars and corporate governance, for the betterment of society and the world we live. Simply put, this approach acknowledges the impact that corporate cash has on supporting the fossil fuel industry and follows the money to understand how to better drive change and measure Seventh Generation's impact on the environment beyond its traditional metrics.
15 Brands on a Mission to Improve Soil Health
Regenerative agriculture is just one method these brands employ to restore soil's good health and help mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration.
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.
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