Climate Cooldown

Going loopy in a linear world

October 2023

The Climate Cooldown newsletter is a monthly roundup that focusses on positive business and marketing-related climate news, steering away from the doom and gloom.

The last couple of weeks have been quite confusing when it comes to ‘net zero’ and sustainability policy here in the UK to say the least.

Or, as Alok Sharma said at the Swedish Chamber of Commerce sustainability summit last week, "We need a bigger response from the UK government". The COP26 president then asked businesses to hold governments accountable - wherever they are in the world.

But, trying to sit squarely on the ‘glass half full’ side, there have been some very promising announcements too.

The EU is cracking down on confusing terminology like ‘carbon neutral’ and ‘eco-friendly’ to tackle offsetting.

Why offsetting doesn't work

Buyers (and voters for that matter) are increasingly holding organisations to account. Not the least the so-called ‘green natives’ who have grown-up with the climate crisis and are demanding more from brands, suppliers and employers.

An interesting platform that is leading the way in supporting what’s ‘good and great’ out there is We Don’t Have Time.

And for or a quick reminder on why offsetting doesn't work, watch this short clip.

Take the lead, or take the hit

Combining social, tech and green, We Don’t Have Time, seems to land right in the sweetspot for what BlackRock CEO Larry Fink called out as the next generation of ‘unicorns’ (hugely attractive companies to invest in) in his now infamous letter to shareholders.

For manufacturers, that means going circular, which is not a mean feat in a largely linear world. However, the main challenge here is not technical, it’s cultural.

But, with 45% of global emissions coming from how we make and use ‘things’, this is surely a huge opportunity for businesses to take the lead. Or as the recent PwC report concluded ‘evolve or die’.

The importance of collaboration

This was also the topic for a recent webinar focusing on the built environment. The discussion was in part centred around an interesting report by waste management company Ragn-Sells, which explores what’s holding that particular sector back.

A lack of collaboration was called out as the main culprit - as is so often the case.

Planet-conscious design

One company that’s committed to tackling this head-on is flooring manufacturer Tarkett, which is also one of our clients. Working with IKEA, they removed flooring from one store and reused the materials to create new flooring for another. Genius!

'Circular-ish' over perfectionism

Something else that often comes up as a barrier to progress is perfectionism, something that Joe Iles, design lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation calls out in a recent podcast.

He believes that by giving designers more creative rein - allow them to be ‘circular-ish’ - is not just important for a more sustainable future, but also for attracting fresh talent.

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'New' isn't always best

Another strong voice in this arena is design and sustainability writer, Katie Treggiden. In her latest Dezeen column, she argues the case for reuse - and letting go of the obsession with all things 'new'.

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The transition to circularity

Speaking of driving change, the city of London is leading the way in the UK by making circularity a procurement requirement, encouraging innovation and celebrating success. They are holding their annual event between the 16th and 20th of October.

What we've been reading & listening to this month

Feel inspired: AllotMe has been called 'Airbnb for gardens' as it connects the green-fingered with those who're struggling to keep on top of their patch.

Long read: Katie Treggiden is a design journalist and advocate for all things circular. In her latest book - Broken: Mending & Repair in a Throwaway World - she's celebrating the art of reusing, repairing and repurposing. 'Make do and mend' has never looked so good!