Responsible Production & the Circular Economy

So how about you? Do you have an idea for a biomimetic innovation that could help solve our next challenge of climate change? If so, we’d love to see you enter the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge.

“The circular economy is not an entirely new concept, but it is presently at a major inflection point. Its intellectual roots emerged from early ideas and practices of recycling and pollution prevention, life cycle analysis, eco-efficiency assessments and analysis of materials flows. In response to current sustainability challenges and business opportunities circular economy proponents are now attempting to transition it from a diverse set of individual methodologies aimed at addressing specific problems to a more integrated and systematic set of ideas to transform business strategies and operations.”

Congratulations to the 2017 Best Environmental Stewardship Finalists! The Best Environmental Stewardship Corporate Citizenship Award recognizes businesses that innovate and help create a more sustainable future. Read on to learn more about the significant, positive impacts these businesses have had in communities, locally and globally.

General Mills is working to make the cocoa sector more sustainable and to reduce child labor. In 2013, the company made a commitment to sustainably source its ingredients, with the goal to sustainably source 100 percent of its top 10 ingredients by 2020. Those top 10 ingredients include cocoa, oats, wheat, corn, dairy, fiber packaging, vanilla, palm oil, sugar cane and sugar beets, which represent over 50 percent of its annual raw material purchases.

This week Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented the 17th annual Green Power Leadership Awards, which are competitive awards that recognize organizations and individuals for outstanding commitments and achievements in the green power marketplace. Peninsula Clean Energy’s CEO Jan Pepper was honored as Green Power Leader of the Year by CRS.

Managing company water in a sustainable way can drive both business and community value. CDP, a nonprofit global environmental disclosure platform, listed GM on its Water A-List for effective water management practices implemented around the world.

Nestlé has been recognized as a global leader for its response to climate change, again earning a place in the annual CDP Climate A List.

Nestlé is among just 5 percent of participating companies to be featured on the 2017 Climate A List, compiled by global non-for-profit charity CDP. This is in recognition of action taken in the last year to cut emissions, mitigate climate risks and develop the low-carbon economy.

Climate change leadership is part of Nestlé’s purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future.

Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, a global leader in pet care, is the newest corporate sponsor of the USA Rice/Ducks Unlimited (DU) Rice Stewardship Partnership. Through a $2 million commitment over four years, Nestlé Purina’s investment will help keep working ricelands healthy, preserve wetlands and create habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife.

This commitment is part of Purina’s long-term sustainability strategy to add value to the agricultural supply chain and ensure food for people and high-quality ingredients for pets are available well into the future.

Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services, was named to the Water A List by CDP, the nonprofit global environmental disclosure platform. The A List is comprised of 73 global companies that were recognized for their efforts to manage water more sustainably. Ecolab is among 10 percent of companies participating in CDP’s water program to be named to the Water A List.

Reliance Industries Ltd. and Bechtel developed a system to create the water Reliance needs to run the world’s biggest oil refinery, despite the plant’s location in India’s arid state of Gujarat. The plant also produces enough surplus water to support a 1,600-acre ring of trees and plants surrounding the facility, as well as Asia’s largest mango farm. Without a robust water sustainability infrastructure and system, these improvements and farm would not be possible.