The organizations co-hosted an intimate evening amid Climate Week NYC to spotlight sustainability ambitions.
Cascale joined the global climate community in New York for Climate Week NYC, attending member events and activations throughout the week and co-hosting an executive dinner with Worldly, the compliance and sustainability platform, on Tuesday, September 22.
Across the Week
Cascale maintained a visible presence throughout Climate Week NYC. Team members attended events hosted by members including Nike, Levi’s, Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), and Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), as well as broader programming at the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Media Zone.
On site, Cascale’s CEO Ying McGuire; Howard Kwong, senior manager, public affairs, APAC; Ashley Buchalter, manager, global membership development, Americas; and Kaley Roshitsh, editorial director, represented the organization. Kwong also took part in the week as a Richard Rockefeller Fellow at Columbia Global, representing Cascale’s public affairs team.
One Word for the Future
Cascale and Worldly convened 24 guests and team members, predominantly Cascale members, to continue the dialogue that began at the Cascale Annual Meeting in Athens, Greece earlier in the month. The evening also marked a unified presence for Cascale and Worldly during one of the year’s premier climate gatherings.
Cascale CEO Ying McGuire opened the evening. “This week is super busy for all of you. There are 1,500 events and you chose us tonight. I feel so special you chose Cascale and Worldly.” She then challenged the room to name their hopes for the future of sustainability.
The relaxed dinner setting encouraged candid conversation, and attendees remarked on the importance of gatherings that get the right people in the room. Members also expressed interest in Cascale’s system map, content opportunities, and the “Source of Good” podcast as ways to share their work especially as 2030 commitments are around the corner.
Themes From the Week
Several themes emerged across the week. Attendees discussed the challenge of mobilizing teams beyond sustainability, such as sourcing, compliance and operations, to act on the work that moves progress forward.
Growing consumer expectations and shifting regulations also came into play. At a Nike event, the future of sport was questioned amid the threat of a changing climate. At a separate circularity event with Pact Collective, Credo Beauty, Pentatonic, and Ulta Beauty, panelists discussed the importance of collective action in facilitating data-driven consumer takeback schemes.
Manufacturers, meanwhile, emphasized the value of bringing their expertise into the global conversation and of showing up together at major international forums. At the U.N. SDG Media Zone, fashion diplomacy (or the use of fashion as political communications) was presented as a way to promote change and rehumanize design for makers and manufacturers.
Across the week’s festivities, industry attendees noted the need for a clearer proofcase on how sustainability ambitions drive business improvements.
