Published on January 6, 2023

Giles Gibbons

Founder and CEO, Good Business

147 articles Following

1. (Re)fill your pockets

We like to start the new year with some good news, and Asda’s recent ‘Refill Price Promise’ is just that. This promise guarantees that any refill product, from cereals to pet food, will always be cheaper than purchasing a pre-packed product, even if the pre-packed option is on promotion. A good deal that has also a positive impact on the planet? We’re in.

Supermarkets are among the biggest contributors to the plastic pollution horror story, with leading UK brands producing billions of single use plastic items every year. In 2018, the big four UK supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury's’s, Asda and Morrisons) made a pledge to slash plastic from their stores. Unfortunately, progress has been slow, and it’s still hard to avoid plastic packaging in your weekly shop.

The light at the end of the tunnel may come from one solution: the refill system. Small businesses offering a zero-waste shopping option are popping up with increasing frequency, encouraging consumers to bring their own reusable containers to pick up their essentials. However, while refill shopping is becoming more widespread, the higher cost and greater inconvenience of this option are a deterrent at the best of times, not to mention the limited number of these stores. While some will pay more for sustainability, as the cost-of-living crisis continues, sustainable choices are often the first thing to go.

The ability for everyone to access sustainable options without spending more or going out of their way will be key to shifting consumer behaviour towards a circular economy, so we’re thrilled to see Asda committing to an affordable and convenient refill system. We hope this sets an example of how mainstream businesses can drive sustainable consumption habits and encourages other supermarkets to follow suit. In the meantime, see you in Asda!

2. Trouble brewing

BrewDog has long been something of a sustainability maverick, never one to shy away from controversy with its novel initiatives and bold claims.

And in the wake of the exposé of the “culture of fear” and “toxic attitudes” at the company, BrewDog is in the news again as it has recently lost its B Corp status. Although the details are hazy, it seems that B Lab, the organisation behind the B Corp UK certification, asked for further measures from BrewDog, following an investigation to determine whether the B Corp community values had been breached, and that BrewDog decided as a result of this to “step aside from B Corp certification”.

It sends two important messages. First, B Corp certification isn’t something you just do once. You need to maintain high social and environmental standards consistently (and report on them annually). And second, B Lab is prepared to scrutinise and act to ensure that its standards are upheld. And this has broader implications for other sustainability certifications, which require companies to align with best practice rather than see certifications as boxes to tick.

If there was any doubt whether B Lab’s rigour was being lost as the number of certified B Corps grows rapidly, this suggests otherwise. Sustainability standards have the perpetual challenge of trying to being rigorous while being accessible. B Lab has navigated this challenge well and we support B Lab’s efforts to ensure that its standards are high and its certification does drive genuine progress.

3. A process for purpose

What’s the point of purpose? And how does an organisation put its purpose into practice?

Big questions, but if you’re looking for a way to understand purpose, you could do a lot worse than read a recent blog from our good friend Polly Mackenzie, Chief Social Purpose Officer at the University of the Arts London.

Polly’s approach is creative and pragmatic, and her observations on what purpose means for a university apply outside the further education sector. She defines the purpose movement – broadly – as “insourcing externalities and building capital in the systems that surround [organisations] rather than depleting it”. And that holds true for any organisation, whether it is profit making or not. In the end, capital in all its forms is finite, and long-term success (truly sustainable success) is predicated on ensuring that organisations maintain and enhance the social, natural and human capital that allows them to generate financial returns.

For those who think this sounds like a big task, she points out that being purpose-driven doesn’t mean you are on the hook for delivering all possible positive outcomes for all people and for the planet. But rather that you need to think about what your role – your specific and unique role given who your organisation is and what it does – in doing that, and how you optimise it.

And for those who worry about the impact on financial returns she has further words of reassurance: “You don’t need to bankrupt yourself to save the world. In fact, if your contribution is net positive, then you have an obligation to maintain your financial sustainability so that you can continue to make that contribution”.

It’s a motivating and inspiring read, and sheds a lot of light on some of the really thoughtful and detailed work that is going on in organisations around the world to figure out how to put purpose into practice. If your New Year's resolution is to make the most of your organisation's purpose in 2023, start the year right and take a look at what Polly has to say.

 4. Too late for Tuvalu?

Tuvalu is a small island nation in the Pacific – palm trees, white sands, aqua blue seas, coral reefs and close-knit communities. But behind its beauty lies a dismal future: #tuvalu could disappear off the map before the end of the century.

Adverse impacts of climate change such as sea level rise and coastal erosion are swallowing up Tuvalu’s low-lying islands, creating an uncertain future for its people. Tuvalu’s foreign minister, Simon Kofe, delivered his COP26 speech knee-deep in seawater, offering a stark reminder of the reality of climate change, but has had to turn to alternative action as a last resort (or final plea).

In response to the existential threats posed by climate change, Tuvalu is set to create digital replicas of its islets in the metaverse. These digital replicas would serve as a "digital twin" of Tuvalu, allowing the nation to preserve its territory, culture, and sovereignty in a virtual space. This scenario, while technologically viable, is a desperate attempt to cope with a tragic situation in which Tuvalu's rich culture and history are at risk of being lost to rising temperatures and sea levels.

Kofe’s unsettling proposal would keep Tuvalu’s culture and heritage safe in the digital space and ‘remind their children and grandchildren of what their home once was’. It is a way to draw attention and awareness to the impacts of climate change, but not a solution.

The reality is that thousands of Tuvaluans will be displaced as sea levels rise. The metaverse may be the only means by which the beauty, languages, norms and customs of Tuvalu can be remembered – especially sad for a nation that has done little to contribute to climate change but is one that is most vulnerable to its impacts. 

The Goods: Ripple

Want to reduce your carbon footprint whilst lowering and stabilising your energy bill? Ripple lets you do just that.

Ripple Energy is providing the public with the opportunity to own a small part of a wind farm, through a co-operative. Owning a wind farm alongside thousands of others gives consumers direct access to the UK's cheapest source of electricity. Helping to reduce the cost of electricity bills as well as the associated carbon emissions.

So how does it all work?

First, you decide how much you want to invest, which is determined by the percentage of your energy consumption you want to be covered by the wind farm’s generating capacity, with a minimum investment of £25. Once you’ve done this and are a certified Ripple member, the electricity generated from your wind farm is supplied to the grid. Provided your energy tariff is with one of Ripple’s partnering energy suppliers, your wind farm savings (the difference between the wholesale market electricity price and the wind farm's low and stable running cost) will be credited to your account. Therefore, high wholesale electricity prices mean bigger savings. Lower prices would reduce your savings.

Ripple’s second wind farm offering is sold out and construction will soon be underway. But don’t worry, their next project is coming very soon. You can reserve your spot for £25 to avoid missing out.

Published by

Giles Gibbons

Founder and CEO, Good Business