Boots, Buses, Air NZ, Lying & thelittleloop
Giles Gibbons Good Business - Sustainability | Strategy | Impact
1. Advantages for health
It’s no secret by now that businesses are sitting on vast gold mines of data on the nations shopping habits, gathered via the loyalty programmes they offer to their customers. Every purchase, every swipe of a loyalty card, generates valuable insights into consumer behaviour. While this kind of data gathering is often perceived negatively, when used responsibly, it can have huge potential for positive use beyond marketing and sales, including opening doors to advancements in healthcare – something high street health and beauty retailer Boots is looking to capitalise on.
Through its Advantage Card programme, used in around half of all transaction at Boots, the retailer sits on a veritable treasure trove of data on the nations spending on healthcare products. By partnering with research institutes and healthcare companies, Boots is planning to use anonymised shopping habits of its customers to aid them in identifying and recruiting suitable participants for clinical trials. The initiative demonstrates the immense value that thoughtful use of data can bring to society and how businesses can ethically leverage data for good. It’s also a great example of a business putting its purpose into practice – in Boots’ case, being at the forefront of care.
Boots is proving that business and benevolence can go hand in hand, treading a path that could see other businesses following suit, using their own data gold mines to contribute to global health. So next time you're swiping that Advantage Card for a pack of paracetamol, remember: you might just be part of the next big medical breakthrough.
2. Transporting sustainably
In Africa, where the region’s urban population is increasing by 3.5% each year, a growing number of countries have invested in a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, as an effective high-capacity transport service which runs on dedicated lanes to provide fast journey times, and helps to relieve pressure from city infrastructure.
But in West Africa, a more sustainable BRT system is being adopted. In response to the declining quality of their public transport services, Senegal launched its first BRT system in January, a fully electric 18.3km bus system across Dakar, using solar generated renewable energy. Following their lead, the Ivory Coast has announced the launch of their own BRT line in Abidjan, a 20km system connecting two councils with a combined population of over two million. The line will consist of 100 fully electric buses, described by the Prime Minister as offering ‘better air quality and cutting-edge technology’ to commuters.
Senegal and the Ivory Coast’s embrace of an energy efficient BRT signals an exciting step towards a more modernised urban transport system, sustainably relieving pressure from their infrastructure system, while paving the way for others to follow their lead. For more news on often underreported sustainable development stories in Africa, be sure to check out Afrik21.
3. A bumpy flight
Air New Zealand Zealand has scrapped its goal of cutting emissions by 29% by 2030, abandoning the Science Based Targets initiative and choosing instead to develop a more realistic short-term target. The company blames limited availability of new, fuel-efficient planes, the high cost and scarcity of alternative jet fuels, and weak regulatory support.
And they’re not wrong. The aviation industry, accounting for roughly 2.5% of global emissions, faces some major challenges to decarbonise.
Despite stating that Air New Zealand remains committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, an industry-wide goal, the slashing of short-term targets reflects a broader struggle in the industry. The current infrastructure and technological progress aren't keeping up with ambitious carbon reductions, leaving carriers overly reliant on offsets to meet targets. Concerningly, the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that by 2027, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production will barely scratch the surface of demand, making the transition even tougher, a challenge we wrote about in a previous Friday 5.
Without serious investment and stronger policies, there's a risk that more airlines will step back from their sustainability goals. And while there is something commendable in ensuring targets are pragmatic rather than blindly sticking to a target which will not be met, this must be a last resort after exhausting all options. We hope this is warning sign and encourages concerted action from the industry and governments to fast-track sustainable solutions, but we’ll have to wait and see.
4. Pinocchio in politics
In a groundbreaking move, the Welsh government has committed to make lying illegal for members and candidates of the Senedd. Isn’t it already? You might well ask, but in other UK parliaments is it a matter of Ministerial Code and procedure (as a certain Boris Johnson would be able to tell you) rather than the rule of law.
This decision comes in response to a significant decline in public trust, with only 9% of British adults believing that politicians tell the truth. Compassion in Politics, an advocacy group, has long campaigned for criminal penalties for political dishonesty. Now, with the Welsh government supporting the idea, there's speculation about whether Westminster and other governments will follow suit (especially given Keir Starmer's pledge to rebuild trust in politics).
We’d love it to take hold in the US, where lying is a particularly poignant issue. Fact-checkers at the Washington Post reported that Donald Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims during his presidency, averaging an astonishing 21 lies a day! More recently, there have also been concerns over the use of AI to influence voters with misinformation in the run up to the US election. Earlier this week Elon Musk, a known Trump supporter, shared a manipulated video on X that convincingly imitated Kamala Harris’ voice. The AI-generated voice said “I, Kamala Harris, am your Democrat candidate for president because Joe Biden finally exposed his senility at the debate”. The video claims Harris is a “diversity hire” and she doesn’t know “the first thing about running the country.” Musk’s post, which including the caption “This is amazing” but failed to mention that it was a fake, reached over 130 million views.
There is no doubt that restoring public trust in politics (both in the US, Britain and around the world) is crucial. We hope the Welsh commitment to making lying illegal for politicians and candidates can help set a precedent globally and drive positive change.
The Goods: thelittleloop
thelittleloop is a circular clothing sale platform for kids’ clothes, where parents can buy second-hand from ethical and popular brands such as Grass and Air, Lindex, Baby Mori and much much more. The platform also allows you to trade-in old clothes for money and they donate unbranded and wearable items to baby-bank partners.
Even better, this week thelittleloop has launched a 12 month pop-up in John Lewis Oxford Street: bringing pre-loved items from ethical brands to the high street. So, if you’re in need of some kids clothes and baby gear, head down between 12pm and 6pm (Tuesday to Sunday) and check out all they have to showcase.
As their CEO, Charlotte Morley puts it, thelittleloop is breaking down barriers to accessing sustainable consumption, and we’re looking forward to paying the pop-up a visit soon.
