Businesses that rely on food, water, and energy as necessary production inputs are very sensitive and dependent on a robust supply of these resources. As such, they are exposed to risks that need to be carefully managed: physical risks related to the constraints of FWE, which can affect direct operations or supply chain; reputation risks; and regulatory risks. Sometimes the physical risks initi…
Moving towards an ever increasing urban world and the pressure and strains that richer more expectant consumers place on the worlds resources put our ecosystem and ability to provide for the populations at risk. The food-water-energy nexus is at the centre of this considered development. The three areas are intrinsically linked and underpin almost all areas of human consumption and activity. Th…
China Has Fished Itself Out of Its Own Waters, so Chinese Fishermen Are Now Sticking Their Rods in Other Nations' Seas Quartz…
Following the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, COP21 supporters seem optimistic about China’s emissions. The U.S. and China agreed to ratify the Paris Climate Agreement and sent a strong signal to other countries about their commitment to reform. Under the agreement, China must reach three concrete goals by 2030: 1) reduce carbon emissions per unit of GDP by 60-65% (compared 2005 levels); 2) reach its peak…
With so much going on in the realm of sustainability, leadership, and innovation, and only a limited amount of bandwidth for professionals in this space to keep up with the news, we have created this weekly post to news, articles, and publications that we feel are (1) important, (2) relevant, and (3) interesting in the areas of business sustainability. If you have an article that you feel needs to…
Serious water crisis due to never-ending drought struck São Paulo and, consequently, the city faces a massive problem to quench its 20 million citizens’ thirst. Similar situations are affecting cities around the world, including many Chinese cities. For nearly half a century, the capacity and number of rivers in China have decreased significantly, with a 50% reduction due to the diversion of water…
What would a summer in China be without an algae outbreak on a major body of freshwater? Would it be like a day without industrial contamination? Recent cases have only served to highlight the fact that there is a dearth of systems in place. That, contrary to the announcements of 24/ 7 monitoring of bodies of water, a system has yet to be put into place to take the measurements and do anythin…
How can we utilize the coffee grounds that we produced on a daily basis? How can we encourage vulnerable groups to be self-sufficient and reintegrate into the society? How can we help urbanite to reconnect to community and nature? Each of these questions is complicated and challenging in itself, however Xingeng Workshop, A local organization founded in 2006 with the mission of supporting sust…
Ocean conservation is one of the major themes of environmental protection, but there are very few non-profit organizations in China that focus their efforts on this topic. Shenzhen Blue Ocean Environmental Protection Association is one of the very few, and we recently had the opportunity to speak with the Executive Secretary of Shenzhen Blue Ocean, Mr. Ma Haipeng to learn more about their work.…
Last week, as part of our “Circular Economy in China” forum, we brought together dozens of young professionals and entrepreneurs to learn and share about current environment, challenges, and future trends of circular economy. To bring tangibility this topic, which is often discussed academically as a critical “path forward”, we invited three speakers, Hannah Carter, Communications & Campai…
Sustainability: The Next Trillion Dollar Economy With Every Challenge. Opportunity. About Event As the challenges of environmental, social, and economic sustainability grow more and more tangible, and calls for action growing more frequent, we would like to invite you to our March 13 event in Shanghai to learn about the trillion dollar opportunity for innovation and entrepreneurship to build…
The toxic business of ‘recycling’ China’s car batteries leads to illegal dumping, pollution and poisoned water, South China Morning Post…
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) in China is a concept that over the last 20 years has changed nearly as dramatically as its economy and skylines. Something largely seen as driven by the top, or as a result of Western influence, over the last 20 years Chinese firms have moved from follower to leader. It is a trend that has grown more noticeable as Chinese companies have begun to expand ov…
Hennes & Mauritz AB or H&M, the Swedish fashion giant, is in big trouble. According to its quarterly report released on 27 March 2018, the world's second-largest clothing retailer is now sitting on $4.3 billion of unsold garments and accessories. To reduce the stockpile, the company is planning to cut prices, slow expansion in stores, and boost its e-commerce instead. It may even get unsol…
With an exploding urban population and a rising middle-class, China is rapidly increasing material use and consumption. Alongside its burgeoning economy is a proliferation of consumer waste. While most debates are around the wastage of food or packaging materials like plastic and paper, little attention is paid to the old clothes that people clean out of their wardrobes. Chinese dump roughly 26…
