Environmental Conservation in Business Practices

🔥 Climate risks are no longer abstract—they’re disrupting businesses, communities, and economies right now. The World Economic Forum’s 2024 report, "The Cost of Inaction: A CEO Guide to Navigating Climate Risk", delivers a sobering message: ignoring climate risks isn’t just irresponsible—it’s economically devastating. 🌡️ Key insights from the report: 💥 Climate-related disasters have caused $3.6 trillion in damages since 2000, exposing critical vulnerabilities in supply chains and infrastructure. 📉 Physical risks could put 5-25% of EBITDA at risk for some sectors by 2050 under a 3°C warming trajectory. 💸 Transition risks, like carbon pricing and changing regulations, could impact 50% of EBITDA in energy-intensive industries by 2030. 🌱 Every $1 invested in climate adaptation yields $2-$19 in avoided costs, while green markets are projected to grow from $5 trillion in 2024 to $14 trillion by 2030. 💡 My reflections: 🔄 Resilience isn’t enough anymore. Too often, we focus on simply "weathering the storm" of climate risk. But true leadership is about rebuilding something better—rethinking markets, redesigning business models, and creating solutions that lead entire industries forward. 🌍 Supply chain fragility is the Achilles’ heel of the global economy. A single extreme weather event can cascade across operations, grinding everything to a halt. Climate-resilient supply chains can’t just be about survival—they must be radically adaptive, decentralized, and built to thrive under disruption. 📊 Climate risk is fundamentally redefining the concept of value. Businesses stuck chasing quarterly earnings are missing the bigger picture. In a world of rising costs and irreversible climate impacts, long-term value will belong to those who embed sustainability, resilience, and equity into their strategies. The time for cautious, incremental steps has passed. How are we using this moment to transform the way we work, innovate, and lead? #ClimateAction #Sustainability #Resilience #Leadership #Innovation

$44 trillion of economic value? As natural ecosystems decline, more than half of global GDP—$44 trillion—is at risk, and with it, the stability of industries worldwide. The good news? Forward-thinking companies can turn this challenge into a competitive edge by investing in climate action and resilience. Natural disasters, driven by climate change, have increased by 80% over the past 50 years, exposing supply chains to unprecedented risk and creating a $3 trillion vulnerability in global operations. But while the cost of inaction is steep, the rewards for action are immense. Opportunities by the Numbers: • $10 Trillion in New Value: Embracing nature-positive practices could create $10 trillion in business value and 395 million jobs by 2030, benefiting every sector from tech to agriculture. • 10x Returns on Resilience Investments: Every $1 invested in climate resilience could yield up to $10 in returns, protecting businesses from climate impacts and cutting operational costs. • $98 Trillion Boost from Renewable Energy: Shifting to renewables by 2050 could add $98 trillion to the economy, create 42 million jobs, and protect companies from energy volatility. Where to Start? - Integrate Sustainability at the Core to capture investor interest, with ESG-focused assets projected to reach $50 trillion by 2025. - Invest in Green Infrastructure to cut costs, reduce risks, and build brand value. - Strengthen Supply Chains through responsible sourcing and regenerative practices to guard against climate disruptions. Companies that act now won’t just mitigate risks; they’ll unlock growth, resilience, and a competitive advantage for the future. #decarbonisation #co2 #emissions #nature #natureloss #supplychain #esg

Carbon literacy = financial literacy Both are essential for decision-making and corporate resilience. Understanding emissions is now part of governance. It helps leaders identify risks, evaluate investments, and align financial performance with sustainability goals. Climate data must guide business strategy, not remain within sustainability teams. It informs product design, logistics, reporting, and communication. Companies that use carbon data effectively are improving efficiency, reducing exposure, and earning trust. Those that fail to act are losing ground as expectations rise among regulators, investors, and consumers. Financial literacy built modern business. Carbon literacy will shape its future. How are companies preparing their leaders to manage both profit and impact?

What can business schools do to address climate change? One place to start is learning from elementary schools. A few days ago, Andy Hoffman wrote an op-ed in FT. In it he lambasted business schools for being too obsessed with producing obtuse theory and not focused on the existential challenge of climate change. He gives some suggestions for the kind of knowledge which business schools should produce if they want to take on the challenge of climate change. You can read the article here: https://on.ft.com/44cTvyQ There are lots of good ideas in the article, but one thing he says little about is educational strategies. This led me to ask myself: what are the most effective methods for teaching business school students about climate change. I found this meta-analysis of effective climate teaching methods in primary and secondary school: https://lnkd.in/enduZCKN The article found that two strategies really worked: making a lesson personally relevant to the student and using interactive techniques. Four other methods were useful: deliberative discussion, interacting with scientists, addressing misconcepts, implementing school and community projects. So if business schools were to learn from elementary schools - what should they do? 1. Start where students are at. Get a sense of which industry problems, community problems or personal problems related to climate impact them right now. You might be surprised. 2. Ditch the lecturing. I'm sure we've all been lectured about the deviating effect of climate change. It usually ends up making you depressed. Try doing something interactive instead which gives folk in the classroom some agency. For eg. ask them to find 10 things companies can do to reduce carbon emissions. 3. Get a proper discussion going and teach your students how to collectively test out claims. Deliberation means people can bring multiple views to the table. The trick is learning how to respectfully test claims. A great question is 'You are on the board of a pension fund and want to reduce carbon emissions. Should you stop investing in oil and gas companies'. Many will say yes. Then present the research here and see what they say: https://lnkd.in/euuNHS8Z 4. Bring scientists into the class. Instead of bringing in an exec with a business problem, bring in a scientists with an environmental problem. Have them educate students about the problem. See if the students can use some of their business skills to address it. 5. Get people to surface their assumptions. Have them post assumptions anon. Then have students check: are they right or wrong? or don't we know. 6. Do something practical. Often students learn the most from actually implementing a project. Ask them to implement something in their community which addresses climate issues.

ExpectAI - Profitable Climate Action - Net Positive AI If the energy transition is to succeed, it must make economic sense. This applies to businesses making investment decisions, shareholders directing capital, and customers choosing where to spend their money – for example whether or not to buy an electric vehicle – or how to heat or cool their premises. Words are nice but economics drive choices. This is one of the reasons I said yes when Anand Verma (Dr.) – the Founder and CEO of ExpectAI - asked me to become Chairman. ExpectAI’s mission is clear “Higher Profits, Lower Emissions”. Let me explain a little bit about what we do. Believe it or not - there are over 330 million small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) globally. These SMBs represent over 40% of corporate emissions – and yet attract little attention or support. SMBs are unlikely to have a Chief Sustainability Officer. They certainly will not be hiring an expensive management consultant to help them figure out how to reduce their energy costs and their emissions. And let’s face it – it’s a really complex space with different regulatory and incentive schemes depending on where you are in the world. And here is where ExpectAI comes in. We use artificial intelligence and public data to help these companies grow their profits and reduce their emissions – profitable climate action! Our AI super agent, Una, is a brilliant advisor. Una makes tailored recommendations on how the SMB can lower its energy costs and take advantage of subsidies and incentives. It then matches users with local suppliers (think roof solar panels) and simplifies filling out all the forms. Over time we can imagine ExpectAI to provide the SMB with financial support – either through a relationship with a lender or a dedicated SMB fund. Una also helps with compliance and reporting (of which there is a lot!) and effectively acts as a business’s Chief Sustainability Officer. This is what net positive AI is all about. How to make sure the benefits of AI vastly outweigh the downsides. At Prometheus Hyperscale our goal is to build sustainable date centres and minimise energy (and water) use. Minimising the negative. At ExpectAI, we’re on the opposite side of the equation, using AI to help SMBs grow profits while lowering emissions. Maximising the positive. Now we need to go and make it happen. Watch this space! https://lnkd.in/eipSenZE

Climate change isn't just an environmental issue. It's a critical business requirement. According to new research, businesses face significant risks from inaction, potentially losing 5-25% of their 2050 EBITDA. But here's the game changer: strategic climate adaptation could generate returns of $2 to $19 for every dollar invested. Key Takeaways: 🔹 Physical climate risks affect supply chains and operations. 🔹 Transitioning to a low-carbon economy provides opportunities. 🔹 Unprepared companies risk significantly higher cost pressure from carbon pricing or regulations. 🔹 Mitigation and adaptation strategies offer critical pathways to business resilience. 🔹 Companies must integrate climate strategy into their core business plans. Companies that actively manage climate risks will not only survive but thrive in a rapidly changing world. Are you prepared? World Economic Forum Boston Consulting Group (BCG) #sustainability #esg #climatechange #climateaction

Carbon removal certification framework trilogue – we have a deal! You’ve heard of monologues and dialogues, but in Brussels we also have trilogues. Sounds odd? Maybe. But it’s an important part of how the three main EU institutions negotiate the legislation that will impact the lives of citizens and the way we do business across our continent. As a Minister, I experienced negotiations that led to trilogues, but yesterday was my first trilogue as Commissioner. We managed to strike a deal on a voluntary certification framework for carbon removals and carbon farming halfway through the night. Let’s explain what this all means. First of all, as the name indicates, a trilogue is an interinstitutional negotiation bringing together three parties: representatives of the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the Commission. They aim at reaching a good compromise text. New rules that have a lot of consequences for citizens and businesses are decided during these interinstitutional negotiations. With yesterday’s agreement, we’re creating the first EU-wide voluntary framework for the certification of high-quality permanent carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products. Carbon Farming is a new way of farming to increase carbon in the soil, such as afforestation or rewetting of peatlands. Some more examples include managing forests better to that they can absorb more CO2, using wood in construction to lock carbon up or using technologies to store carbon underground.  These new rules will significantly improve the EU's capacity to quantify, verify and monitor high quality carbon removals and agriculture emission reductions. In addition to clear benefits for climate, this framework will foster sustainability. For example, carbon farming will create new business models for farmers and foresters and should at the same time benefit biodiversity. In particular as the EU wants to reach climate neutrality, it will have to scale up the removal of carbon from the atmosphere to balance out emissions which cannot be eliminated. This is an important step forward for citizens and businesses for a more predictable and sustainable future. 

How much digital clutter are you holding onto and at what cost? ➤ It’s easy to overlook the carbon footprint of our digital lives. Sending emails, sharing photos, and saving files may seem harmless, but they produce CO₂, contributing to global warming. Small actions like sending fewer emails or clearing out old files can make a surprising impact. As a sustainability professional, I’ve started paying closer attention to my digital habits. ✔️I think twice before hitting “send,” compress attachments whenever possible, and unsubscribe from newsletters I no longer read. It’s not just about decluttering it’s about reducing unnecessary energy use. 💎 Did you know that a single email can generate up to 50 grams of CO₂? 💎 Multiply that by the billions sent daily, and the environmental toll adds up. 💎 According to a study by Shift Project, digital technologies now account for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions that’s nearly double the aviation industry! ➤ Here’s what I recommend: 1-Pause before you send. ⤷Could a phone call or an online collaboration tool replace that email chain? 2-Lighten your digital load. ⤷Use hyperlinks instead of bulky attachments and compress file sizes when sharing. 3-Delete the unnecessary. ⤷Old photos, documents, and apps take up space and energy. 4-Streamline subscriptions. ⤷Unsubscribe from emails that no longer serve you. 🚨 We don’t often think of deleting emails or files as climate action, but it’s a simple, accessible step everyone can take. Imagine the collective impact if each of us reduced our digital waste by just 10%. Today, I challenge you: how many emails, photos, or files will you delete? Let’s start small, but aim big. What’s your favourite tip for reducing your digital footprint?

For anybody looking to certify or re-certify as a B-Corp from later this year will have to make clear climate goals. There's a lot to cover, but let's look at an overview.👇 Under the new standards, climate accountability is no longer optional. Every B Corp must now take clear, measurable steps to address its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: 📏 Companies must annually measure and report their full Scope 1, 2 (location-based and market-based), and all relevant Scope 3 categories. That goes 🎯 They must commit to limiting global warming to 1.5°C by setting near-term and net zero targets, aligned with the latest climate science. This is one I feel might not be the best fit for all companies, but it's an important ambition. 🧭 Implement climate transition plans with: clear mitigation actions, budget allocations, stakeholder engagement, board-level approval, progress tracking in CO₂e and % change from baseline. 📢 All climate data and targets must be made public, and large companies must get third-party verification of their GHG inventories. B-Corp has taken a bit of stick over the years for being a box ticking exercise in the environment department, from me too. But V7 of the standards really helps drive forward B-Corp and the commitment to being a great purpose led company. I'm keen to know if anybody thinks they've gone too far?

The Climate Heroes You're Not Hearing About: Local Businesses While headlines focus on corporate sustainability pledges, I witnessed something remarkable yesterday: over 100 small business owners and local officials gathered at San Francisco’s Fort Mason — proving that climate action isn’t just for Fortune 500s. I’ve watched this quiet revolution grow at the San Francisco Environment Department: ✅ 2004: Just 7 SF businesses certified ✅ 2024: Nearly 1,000 certified — with verified impact Last year alone, our San Francisco Green Businesses delivered: 🌱 102,200 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions eliminated (like planting 767 trees) ⚡ 80,686 kWh of electricity saved (enough to power 7 homes for a year) 💧 333,256 gallons of water conserved (in drought-prone California, every drop counts) How did we get here? Through strong partnerships with the California Green Business Network, we’ve made it easier for small businesses to lead by: 💸Covering upfront costs through pre-bates 💰Offering mini-grants for equipment upgrades ✅️Launching a tiered certification to meet businesses where they are The strength of the climate movement doesn’t come from boardrooms — it comes from our neighborhoods and communties. CAGBN founder Jo Fleming, and current co-chairs Lacey Raak, and Maria (Corona) Corona have built something powerful over the last decade. Let’s give small businesses the spotlight they deserve. 👉 Know a local business making climate strides or doing something cool? Tag them so we can amplify their story. #SmallBusiness #ClimateAction #GreenBusiness #LocalImpact #sanfrancisco #california