Friday 5 from Giles Gibbons
Boat race, green skills, Oatly, CopenPay & Naked Paper
Giles Gibbons
Good Business - Sustainability | Strategy | Impact
May 23, 2025
1. Power2 Paddle
Last week, Team Good Boatness (see what we did there?) swapped laptops for paddles and took to the water for Power2’s annual Dragon Boat race.
As proud partners of Power2, a charity helping children and young people to build confidence, feel connected and engage with their futures, we were thrilled to be part of a brilliant team day out with a powerful purpose: raising funds to support their vital work.
Despite the chilly weather, spirits were high as we stormed to victory in our first heat! But our winning streak didn’t last forever as we were narrowly outpaced in round two by the formidable Bearded Dragon Boaters, and Macquarie Group claimed the trophy for the second year running. But let’s be honest, the real win wasn’t about medals.
More importantly, together with the other teams we raised enough money to support an entire Power2 Teens and Toddlers programme for young people who need support with their mental wellbeing. This programme pairs secondary school students with nursery children to foster a sense of responsibility, empathy and self-worth, all while receiving mentoring and support from Power2.
A huge thank you to Power2 for organising a brilliant day out, and for giving us a great excuse to wear matching sailors’ hats.
Here’s to racing for a reason and maybe training a little harder before next year… watch this space!
2. Children of the green revolution
A recent global survey by Capgemini and UNICEF reveals a generation ready and raring to lead the green transition but in need of the skills to do so.
Globally, 53% of young people want green jobs, 70% want to shape climate policy, and 72% believe there’s still time to act on climate change. Yet only 27% feel their education equips them with the necessary skills, from technical expertise like renewable energy installation and sustainable agriculture, to softer skills like project management, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
The picture is rosier closer to home. In the UK, two-thirds of young people feel confident they already have green skills to succeed in today’s green workforce, higher than most global peers. However, only 45% believe developing green skills will open new career opportunities, the lowest in the global north. Barriers like a lack of green jobs, unclear career paths, and underinvestment in sustainable sectors persist. Meanwhile, six in ten UK youth feel businesses and governments aren’t doing enough on climate – a clear call to action.
UK businesses have a unique opportunity to not only close the skills gap but also create clear pathways into sustainability careers, harnessing the optimism and ambition of young people. This involves offering tangible pathways like apprenticeships, internships, and entry-level roles that promote career development. It’s also crucial to broaden the definition of “sustainability jobs” to include roles like supply chain managers and operations directors, where sustainability plays a key part, even if those roles don’t initially appear “green.” To fully tap into youth potential, the most ambitious businesses could invite young voices into sustainability discussions, giving them a real role in shaping strategies and driving innovation. Whitney Houston said it best – ‘the children are our future’.
3. Increasing emissions? We'll allow it...
What if not every business needed to focus on reducing its carbon emissions? It feels strange to say in a world where our bread and butter is helping organisations to reduce their carbon emissions. However, we’re not talking about moving away from Net Zero, in fact, we’re talking about leaning towards Global Net Zero.
The Exponential Roadmap Initiative (ERI) is a climate initiative looking to halve emissions by 2030 by uniting climate solutions. They define climate solutions providers as those companies which replace existing carbon intensive activities with low/no-carbon alternatives, which can be scaled rapidly to reach global net zero.
Oatly is the first food and drinks company to be defined as a Climate Solutions Company by the ERI. The idea being that, as oat milk is a replacement for the emission intensive dairy alternative, the greater growth Oatly achieves, the greater the decarbonisation globally as people move away from dairy. This doesn’t mean Oatly can just sit back and not think about its own emissions. In fact, the criteria for becoming certified as a climate solution are strict. Among other things, Oatly must still report emissions, have targets in place and a carbon action plan. It’s just that their plan is all about reducing emissions intensity per litre of milk rather than overall total emissions.
So what does this mean for most companies? Not a huge amount! Long-term SBTi targets may still need to be absolute. However, integrating more climate solutions within your direct operations and value chain may make them a little easier to meet!
4. CopenPay
A newly launched initiative in Copenhagen is encouraging travellers to adopt more sustainable habits while exploring the city. The timing is particularly apt, as concerns over overtourism continue to grow in holiday hotspots across Europe.
Copenhagen’s ‘CopenPay‘ scheme is smart yet simple, setting out to reward tourists for making more sustainable choices. Think a free glass of wine if you cycle instead of drive, 50% off lunch at the Copenhagen Pier Bar (Marriott Hotel) for litter picking, or an open water swim and sauna session at Copenwater, purely for rocking up on foot.
Beyond the obvious perks of the scheme, it demonstrates how initiatives like this can be adopted and steered by hotels and others in the hospitality space to engage with guests and guide them toward more sustainable, eco-conscious options in the local area. What better way to show, rather than tell, your guests that you’re committed to improving your sustainability impact than to tempt them with eco-perks while you work away at the core stuff as well?
It does become a whole lot easier when there’s a tangible incentive involved. Whether a glass of wine, a discounted lunch or free access to museums and activities, these rewards are a win-win solution to nudge tourists in the right direction
5. Loo roll fit for a King
We’re always on the lookout for the most sustainable toilet paper, and we think we’ve finally found the crown jewels of loo roll. Naked Paper (formerly Naked Sprout) is officially fit for royalty after winning a King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development in this year’s awards – one of only 27 companies to receive the honour in this category.
The King’s Awards for Enterprise are among the UK’s most prestigious business accolade, recognising companies that aren’t just doing well, but doing good, through innovation, trade, social mobility, or environmental sustainability. Winners in the Sustainable Development category must demonstrate that they’ve made environmental responsibility a core part of their business and delivered measurable positive outcomes.
Make from fast-growing bamboo instead of forests, Naked Paper | B Corp™ is plastic-free and bleach-free, comes in compostable packaging and has a fully traceable supply chain. They also have a handy index explaining and evidencing all their green claims (take that Green Claims Code). It’s easy to see why this TP trailblazer was recognised.
So, if you want to help save the planet (and feel like royalty) with every trip to the bathroom, get hold of some Naked Paper now.
