Terrafiniti
Sustainability Consultancy, Sustainability Consultants, Sustainability
On the 28 November 2023, the first long-haul passenger plane powered with ‘sustainable’ air fuel took off. SAF offers an ostensibly attractive path for decarbonisation for the airline industry – the lifecycle greenhouse emissions can be up to 70% lower than conventional fossil-based fuels.
While this in many ways represents a significant breakthrough (SAF is currently perhaps 0.1% of global aviation fuel use) there are major challenges ahead.
Dramatic changes are needed in business and industry to head off coming poly crises and build a prosperous future for the growing global population.
But plans for this ‘sustainable transition’ are few and far between and often lack credible substance to bridge the link between ambition and action. Indeed, many appear to rely upon an unspecified magical transformative ingredient that will make it all happen – the underpants gnomes.
This article highlights how concerns are mounting about the gap between high level commitments and real change, how action can lag behind the rhetoric of some sustainable transition approaches and explores the essential components of a plausible plan. (you can also find out what an underpants gnome is…).
From avoiding greenwashing to facing soaring business costs, 2023 is set to be a challenging year for most business leaders to navigate.
Regulators, customers and consumers have increasing expectations for good quality, consistent information on sustainability. Communication must be accurate and meaningful because greenwashing is getting more dangerous.
Inflation and the cost of borrowing have the potential to push action on climate and sustainability down the agenda, but this is balanced by new regulation for 2023 that will help keep sustainability at the forefront for many business leaders.
As in previous years, the climate and nature crises, new regulations, geopolitical turmoil, and declining biodiversity are not going away. Sustainable business ambitions and plans are indeed facing challenges from fast-changing global conditions.
Terrafiniti’s partners Dominic Tantram and Joss Tantram share insight and opinion on the trends to watch for 2023 –the good, bad and the ugly.
Understanding the relationship between your organisation and the wider world, and identifying which issues, trends, dependencies and risks are material (important) to your business future is critical. Not just for measuring and managing impact, but also for developing resilience and responding to the changing requirements of clients, investors and wider stakeholders and ultimately maximising the opportunities for sustainable value creation.
Many people and companies fear and resist change due to uncertainty and perceived higher risks. But the risk of not adapting can be higher - what biases are involved and how do we move forward?
Intent in sustainability can be the difference between differentiating a strong (if nascent) approach from a shallow one.
But intent can be difficult to demonstrate to a cynical world.
While we've been concerned with action on climate and tied up with Covid19, a larger, related crisis is brewing. Businesses are waking up to the need for action on biodiversity.
Biodiversity is one of many issues organisations should consider when developing (or reviewing) sustainable business strategy. Many organisations have biodiversity-related dependencies and impacts stemming from their location, supply chains, products and services.
An IMF report this week (6th October 2021) suggests the fossil fuel industry receives subsidies of $5.9tn per year – or a more understandable $11m per minute. The climate crisis is already big enough – why are we stoking the fire?
Biodiversity is one of the current buzz words in corporate sustainability. What is it, what does it mean for you and is it time for a radical reappraisal?
A sustainable future depends upon our ability to perceive the limits of certainty, and to embrace the uncertainty that has always been there.
The motivation behind multi-capitals approaches is to highlight their value to the economy. Why not focus upon the value of the planet as a going concern?
Defining and delivering true social utility requires a fundamental perspective and approach to assessing the purpose of enterprise in the first place.
