Each week, the Erb Institute shares a collection of news and updates regarding business sustainability. This month, the Erb Institute blog and social media are focusing on one of the Erb Institute thought leadership areas: Global change.

Sustainable Business News – 3/31/2018 – 4/6/2018

Global Change

Why do automakers support climate rollbacks?

GreenBiz

“In a press release for its annual sustainability report, Ford Motor Company quoted Executive Chairman Bill Ford: ‘We know climate change is real and a critical threat, and we will continue to work with leaders around the world in support of ambitious global greenhouse gas reduction targets.’

Similarly, in an October 2016 press release, GM wrote, ‘The company believes there’s economic opportunity as well as a social imperative in lowering emissions and addressing climate change.'”

Report: Unilever, Tesla, Nestlé among biggest corporate advocates for climate policy

Sustainable Brands

“Companies including AppleGoogle and IKEA earned top spots in a new ranking of the top 20 business leaders calling for more ambitious climate policy across the globe. To make the A-List of Climate Policy Engagement, companies must showcase sectoral leadership, be vocal in calling for ambitious policies and align these calls with their own strategic activities.”

Mark Carney warns of climate change threat to financial system

The Guardian

The governor of the Bank of England has warned of the “catastrophic impact” climate change could have for the financial system unless firms do more to disclose their vulnerabilities.

Telling banks and insurers they would need to provide more information about the risks they might face from climate change, Mark Carney said failure to do so would have damaging effects for financial stability.”

Patagonia vs. Donald Trump

GQ

“Patagonia was built in the image of its founder, Yvon Chouinard. In late January, when we met for the first time, that image included a flannel shirt, beat-up trousers, and flip-flops. Chouinard is an unlikely nominee for wealthiest man in the room. He walks with an air of deflection, as if to duck attention. ‘It’s funny, the first time I met him,’ the celebrated mountain climber Tommy Caldwell told me, ‘I walked into the cafeteria at Patagonia, and I was like, ‘That guy looks like a homeless dude.””

Trending: £25M investment scheme, climate-positive sack will reduce packaging waste

Sustainable Brands

“Plastics and packaging are ubiquitous and leading to major problems both for waste management and ocean pollution. While many companies are committing to reduce or eliminate single-use plastics, there is still a lot of work to do on all fronts.

For its part, the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) has launched a project to determine viable strategies for recycling multi-material flexible plastic packaging currently being discarded as hospital waste. Working with researchers at the Plastics Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell), the project will involve blending trials and material analysis as well as identifying potential end-market applications for the resulting recycled products.”

Economic inclusion becomes a sustainability imperative

GreenBiz

“Around the world, people of color, rural communities and women feel the worst effects of climate change and pollution, including the risk of becoming climate refugees — having to migrate to other countries to escape flooding, droughts or other climate-born disasters. A recent partnership between IKEA and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees helped provide solar panels and biodigesters to refugee camps in the Middle East, literally empowering communities living on the edge.”Do you want to contribute to the conversation? Tweet us @erbinstitute!