http://www.justmeans.com/press-release/edf-unveils-crowdsourced-platform-to-accelerate-corporate-sustainability
While seeing an increasing demand from clients to reduce their climate and chemical footprints is definitely a step in the right direction, it can also become overwhelming to manage. As sustainability professionals we know you need the best tools that can support you while also supporting your efforts on behalf of clients.
And there is good news on that front, too. Last month a new platform launched to help fill a roll in supporting sustainability efforts and showcasing results in order to help address the impact supply chains are having around the world.
To date, nearly half of all Fortune 500 companies (currently 48%) have at least one climate or clean energy target and the Supply Chain Solutions Center, designed by the Environmental Defense Fund (in collaboration with over 10 organizations), is here to help guide sustainability professionals in managing these efforts.
This is no small feat. Did you know that consumer packaged goods supply chains are currently responsible for more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions and two-thirds of tropical deforestation? Those numbers have got to be reduced.
“Our goal is to make finding sustainability solutions as easy as finding a movie on Netflix or a song on Spotify,” said Elizabeth Sturcken, managing director of EDF+Business. “Global supply chains can be massive and opaque, but when every node of the chain has a lighter footprint, the economic and environmental rewards are huge.”
The website’s tools (which feature hundreds of sustainability resources on an easily searchable interface) includes case studies, templates for building sustainability plans, and opportunities for connecting with NGO experts, among other features. The site covers six key areas: agriculture, energy, chemicals, waste, forests, and freight. Some of the resources available include:
Beginner, intermediate, and advanced guides for understanding the six sustainability areas noted above, how to best create a sustainability plan and work to achieve corporate goals.
Case studies from companies including Smithfield Foods, IKEA, and Panera Bread Company that highlight how each company has accomplished the environmental goals they’ve set.
Model corporate chemical policies for retailers, grocers, or brands that can show a public commitment to safer chemicals, improve supply chain transparency, cultivate informed consumers, and embed safer product design.
Laura Phillips, senior vice president for global sustainability at Walmart, Inc. said, “I commend EDF for creating a resource that provides access to meaningful information for companies to learn more about best practices and initiatives that can aid them as they seek to advance their sustainability efforts. Integrating sustainable practices into our operations and supply chain has enabled Walmart to lower costs, spur innovation, inspire customer loyalty and help reduce impact on the environment.”
The site also offers an assessment, which allows businesses to evaluate their sustainable efforts so far then work to draft a tailored profile to ensure more positive efforts in the future. Contributors to the site currently include Conservation International, CDP, BSR, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, The Sustainability Consortium, ReFED, Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, Further with Food, Shelton Group, and GreenBiz.
Having such a valuable resource at our fingertips can no doubt help inspire and guide clients as they move forward to make bigger and broader changes to their environmental efforts and there is nothing better than that!