Responsible Production & the Circular Economy

The Sustainable, Responsible Impact Investing field has grown from $639 billion in assets in 1995 to $8.72 trillion in 2016. It will be very surprising if the next decade does not bring continued expansion in assets and in the types of investors who control those assets, as well as further growth in the products and services available.

We need to consciously shape a revolution in the way we do business and govern and organize societies if we are to build a sustainable capitalism capable of delivering inclusive growth. We will need a "Sustainability Revolution" equal in significance to the Industrial Revolution that ushered in the modern period.

My Green Lab is pleased to announce the launch of ACT, the first environmental impact factor label for laboratory products. ACT (accountability, consistency, transparency) is designed to provide critical information on the environmental impact of laboratory products.

Hear from workers at Wholesum Harvest's Amado farm about what Fair Trade means to them and how they are using their Community Development Funds to address their most pressing community needs.

Every day, we make choices. We choose what to wear to work, what to eat for breakfast, and which blanket to curl up under at night. Each one of these decisions has the power to improve the world when you choose items with the Fair Trade Certified seal. That's because every time you do, it sends money directly back to the farmers, workers, or fishermen who produced that item for you, which they invest back into their own communities. This October, making the commitment to choosing Fair Trade products has never been easier.

Today we release a powerful 5-minute documentary video to kick off the Fair Trade Difference campaign and pledge drive. The purpose of the video and two-week campaign is to tell the story of Fair Trade in full color, and to inspire commitment to shopping Fair Trade by signing a pledge.

Because of innovative work we are doing at our Murfreesboro, Tennessee, plant, General Mills was invited to be included in “WASTED! The Story of Food Waste,” a documentary making its debut in theaters and online today.

Since August 2015, our Murfreesboro plant has been processing leftover whey from Yoplait Greek lines to produce 10 percent (1.6 megawatts) of the plant’s electrical needs.

In addition, excess heat from its biogas generator has reduced the plant’s natural gas needs by 10 percent.

This week, Cone headed to the MGM National Harbor in Maryland to participate in this year's COMMIT!Forum – a two day conference focused on the role of the corporate responsibility practitioner as companies aim to make their voices heard. The theme of the conference was "Brands Taking Stands" – certainly apropos given today's business and political environment. As the conference wraps, we're leaving with a renewed energy and commitment to the field but also a few important takeaways.

As a responsible participant in the world’s seafood supply chain, Aramark (NYSE: ARMK), a global provider of dining solutions to businesses, schools, universities, hospitals and stadiums, is making significant progress toward its 2018 commitment to purchase 100% of its U.S. contracted seafood from sources that meet Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch® program recommendations. Today, 90% of the company’s frozen finfish and 100% of canned tuna purchases meet the Seafood Watch recommendations and by the end of 2018, the company expects to have transitioned all salmon and shrimp products to Seafood Watch “Best Choice” and “Good Alternative” categories.

Bill Randall is working hard to sustain the 400-acre family farm he inherited from his father. “A village idiot can have anything given to him. It takes a genius to keep it,” Bill jokes. The Sappi Forestry program is helping Bill manage the land for the long term.