Month: January 2024

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

In 2005, Glenn Goodson saw a commercial about boxing and fitness, and that sparked an idea to open his own gym. He soon became the proud owner of a franchise, but the budding Denver entrepreneur had a bigger vision.

With the help of small business specialist Alexis Hiltz, business access advisor Brandon Willis, and Elavon payments solution sales rep Vianey Edwards, Goodson was able to leave his franchise and turn his gym into a beacon of hope for the greater Denver community. Today, A1 Boxing Academy uses fitness, self-defense skills and unity to keep the area’s youth active and out of trouble.

“The U.S. Bank relationship meant a lot to the gym, because it allowed youth to come in that wouldn’t normally be able to afford it,” Goodson said. “The benefits of working with U.S. Bank were their customer service and friendliness, and their ability to accommodate the needs of the gym.”

Watch the video above to learn more about Goodson and his mission to help Denver’s youth, and how the collaboration with U.S. Bank continues to turn his dreams into a reality.

Renewable energy output needs to increase three-fold by 2030 to help prevent global warming exceeding 1.5°C, with governments being urged to step up rapid action.

The United Arab Emirates’ COP28 presidency, along with two renewable energy organisations, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Global Renewables Alliance, have released a joint report which revealed capacity for renewable energy has to “reach more than 11,000 GW” by 2030.

The report has been released ahead of the COP28 climate summit, to be held at the end of November, which strives for global transformative climate action. Countries will unite en masse in the hope of striking a deal on the capacity increase during the climate negotiations, hosted in Dubai.

A total of 20 nations, including China, the United States and India, have agreed to work towards tripling the global renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade.

The 1.5°C target was implemented following the Paris Agreement in 2015 but there are still considerable gaps creating hurdles to overcome to meet the ambitious goal.

Why is the Paris Agreement important?

The agreement was adopted by 196 parties at COP21 in Paris. According to scientists, the planet will exceed the 1.5°C threshold in the coming decade if urgent action isn’t taken to reduce CO2 emissions, threatening people, wildlife and ecosystems with drastic effects from climate change.

The challenge of striking a deal between nearly 200 countries at COP28 will be immense and the report calls for strong regulatory frameworks, financial incentives, more time-focused targets and awareness campaigns, as well as doubling energy efficiency.

“Why is the Paris Agreement hard to achieve? How does COP28 factor into this?”

European nations and climate-vulnerable states have made it clear that it isn’t enough to agree to scale up clean energy if countries are not aligned in turning their backs on the polluting energy responsible for climate change.

They firmly believe a renewable energy deal at the global summit must align with a pledge to phase out CO2-emitting fossil fuels – which has faced resistance from Saudi Arabia, Russia and other fossil fuel-reliant economies.

Wopke Hoekstra, European Union climate policy chief, told Reuters: “You cannot just have the renewables goal and then call the COP a success.”

Paddy Balfour, Executive Director – Acre APAC, said: “Setting an unambiguous climate goal is one thing but ensuring that every country on board is working at their highest level to ensure the target is achieved is another. We are edging closer to the Paris Agreement deadline, time really is running out.

“We need a unanimous decision at COP28 to see climate-vulnerable nations receive the necessary level of financial support and shine the spotlight on both nature and people.

“It is therefore imperative that COP28 leads to less talk and focuses on setting the wheel in motion for more tangible, effective action.”

The UAE’s Sultan al-Jaber will lead the COP28 talks, which has been deemed a controversial decision by some lawmakers and environmentalists in the US and EU, due to his status as head of state oil giant ADNOC, and the UAE’s climate envoy.

COP28 runs from Nov 30th – Dec 12th.

About Acre

At Acre, we work with the most aspirational businesses with potential to make real change; from those who are just starting out to those who are well on the journey to crafting a legacy.

Our 18 years’ experience in sustainability recruitment, combined with our extensive global network, enables us to provide talent solutions that are designed to deliver this change.

Through our unique behavioural assessment technology, we understand the types of people, skills and behaviours required to create impact. We can develop these qualities within your existing teams too.

We find talented people and develop their skills to ensure they make a true impact in ambitious, progressive organisations.

Acre. Making companies ready for tomorrow.

Originally published in Dow’s 2022 INtersections Progress Report

At Dow, we are committed to advancing inclusion, diversity and equity (ID&E) for all. Our long-term business growth and success is only achievable with a diverse team and an inclusive culture where everyone can grow and thrive. Our ID&E strategy, ALL IN 2025, focuses on leading with inclusion, elevating our focus on diversity and embedding equity into our practices, policies and processes to deliver breakthrough results by 2025.

OUR APPROACH: DOW’S ID&E STRATEGY

How We’re Doing It: Driving Accountability and Alignment Throughout Dow

Top-Down Commitment

Board and Leadership Team OversightChief Inclusion OfficerInclusion Councils: President’s Inclusion Council, Senior Leaders’ Inclusion Council, Joint Inclusion CouncilThe Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) NetworkDow Company Foundation Board

Bottom-Up Alignment and Action

Inclusion metrics included in our Annual Performance Award program for approximately 3,000 people leaders and senior leadersAnnual employee survey includes ID&E questions to track and drive progressVolunteer-based employee resource groups (ERGs)Team Dow engaged and empowered to advance inclusion around the Dow world

2022 Progress 

Best-in-Class ERG Participation 57.3% of employees participate in at least one of our 10 ERGsERGs Driving Engagement ERG participants reported 13% points higher overall satisfaction with Dow than non-ERG participantsImproved Workforce Diversity Representation U.S. ethnic minority representation increased to 27.5% in 2022 from 26.0% in 2021. Global representation of women improved to 29.5% in 2022 from 28.9% in 2021 and global representation of women in leadership increased to 36.3% in 2022 from 35.3% in 2021Increased Certified Diverse Supplier Spend Surpassed $245MM target, achieved ~$275MM spend globally and retained 84% of diverse suppliers

Recognized Externally as a Leader in ID&E 

Best Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production™ by Great Place to Work® and Fortune • 2022 PEOPLE Companies that Care by Great Place to Work®Top score on Disability Equality Index® and recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion” #15 on 2022 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list • Named one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality” by Human Rights Campaign#1 on 2022 DiversityInc Top Companies for Executive Diversity Councils list5-Stars in the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility Corporate Inclusion Index™ for Employment and Governance

Meet Our New Chief Inclusion Officer 

In 2022, Dr. Alveda Williams was promoted as our new chief inclusion officer.

A Ph.D. scientist turned human resources leader, Williams spent the first decade of her career as a researcher and technical leader at Dow. While still working in Research & Development (R&D), Williams created Dow’s BEST (Building Engineering & Science Talent at Dow) Symposium, which introduces under-represented minority Ph.D. talent to careers in industrial research. In 2009, she was named global strategic university leader for Dow’s R&D function. Recognizing her passion for people and talent development, she accepted a role as an associate Human Resources director in 2012.

Williams has previously served as corporate director of Inclusion. In this role, she was responsible for driving and implementing the company’s global inclusion strategy and institutionalizing inclusion into the overall employee experience. This included maximizing employee resource group engagement, diversifying Dow’s supplier network and driving efforts that enable a culture of trust.

Under Williams’ leadership, Dow has moved the needle on key inclusion and diversity performance indicators, ascended to the #15 spot on the 2022 DiversityInc Top 50 list, and been named for the first time to the Great Place to Work® and Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For List.

“We’ve made so much progress, but we still have more work to do. Together, we will continue to build on our accomplishments and accelerate our progress toward a more inclusive, diverse and equitable Dow,” Williams said.

Read more

Sustainability goals are at the heart of every organisation’s business targets, particularly as we move swiftly toward 2030 and the deadline for the EUs sustainability targets, including emission reduction and increasing renewable energy.

Understanding how individual businesses can contribute towards these lofty goals can be difficult, and very rarely can such targets be achieved in isolation. Partnerships are required to fully understand how and where companies can have an impact on their environmental footprint, and ultimately meet their own sustainability goals to the benefit of the greater good.

One example of such a partner company is Lenovo, whose solutions help customers at every level of their sustainability journey. A 360-degree approach to sustainability services includes everything from comprehensive analysis of a customer’s requirements to packaging, sustainability workshops and carbon offset services, to ethical and responsible asset recovery. Lenovo’s TruScale Everything-as-a-Service can also help, delivering a no-risk, no-surprise, pay-as-you-go model that can help to eliminate over-provisioning, optimise consumption, and mange carbon footprint of technology.

Shaking up the data centre industry

Responsible Compute, one of Lenovo’s customers, is looking to revolutionise the data centre industry. Data centre computing currently generates around 2% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, putting it on par with the airline industry. Ever-growing demand for computing by data-intensive, power-hungry applications is only accelerating this trend, and could easily propel carbon emissions far beyond the current levels if left unchecked.

By utilising Iceland’s plentiful hydro and geothermal energy sources to power its infrastructure, Responsible Compute offers cost-effective, carbon-neutral hosting that enables clients to run data-intensive workloads in a sustainable and responsible way. This is sustainable HPC (High Performance Computing) without compromise, and at Responsible Computing, it runs on Lenovo infrastructure.

“We saw that there was a growing problem with the way the HPC market operates. The tide of data, power consumption, and emissions only continues to rise, at a time of unprecedented energy crisis and environmental damage. With Responsible Compute, we aim to offer a better way to deliver on the demand for HPC, without detrimental environmental impact,” says Kristján Hafsteinsson Managing Director at Responsible Compute.

High-density Lenovo ThinkSystem servers sit at the heart of Responsible Compute’s sustainable HPC hosting infrastructure, specified to customer needs depending on their workloads. The flexibility of being able to specify according to customer needs enables Responsible Compute to pair the hardware supplied by Lenovo with software in an optimal way.

It all adds up to an extremely compelling value proposition: Responsible Compute’s customers can power world-class HPC while cutting their costs and carbon footprint, helping lead their businesses into a successful, sustainable future.

“We aim to provide a truly sustainable solution, one that allows our customers to reduce their carbon footprint, evaluate their emissions evolution, and take appropriate steps to further their journey towards carbon neutrality,” Hafsteinsson concludes.

Striving for more climate-friendly operations

Bertelsmann is a global media, services and education giant with 145,000 employees, and the company turned to Lenovo to help meet its ambitious environmental goal of hitting climate neutrality by 2030.

Having chosen Lenovo’s innovative CO2 Offset Service for all new ThinkCentre and ThinkPad devices, Bertelsmann also extended the service to its large installed base of Lenovo endpoints.

As a result of the partnership, Bertelsmann has already successfully offset around 38,000 metric tons of carbon emissions, with more to come. The company has also participated in a Lenovo Sustainability Solutions Workshop, and the two companies will continue to work on initiatives to further manage Bertelsmann’s carbon footprint.

“We see Lenovo as a trustworthy partner to accompany us on our journey to becoming climate neutral by 2030. It was definitely the right decision to work with Lenovo on this initiative,” concludes Dirk Kunz, Senior VP, Head of Group IT Sourcing at Bertelsmann.

Slashing environmental impact through ARS, Support Services and bulk packaging

Debeka Group is another company who benefitted from its choice of technology partner, not only when it comes to the technology itself, but also with regards to sustainability. The group is a leading financial services company in Germany and one of the top-five players in the insurance sector.

As part of its wider workplace modernisation strategy, Debeka aimed to reduce the weight of the equipment that staff carry around, while ensuring its people have everything they needed to facilitate productive conversations with customers and prospects. The company also wanted to reduce the need to print paperwork and contracts by expanding and simplifying its use of digital signatures.

This led to Debeka rolling out Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga laptops across the business, working with Lenovo and partner Radiodata AG to equip its employees with lightweight, high quality and affordable devices.

With an eye on sustainability, Debeka worked closely with Lenovo and Radiodata to cut the environmental impact of its packaging by 87%. It did so by switching to a single cardboard box for eight devices, cutting down on the packaging materials needed. By delivering the laptops by train rather than airfreight, Lenovo helped the company reduce the CO2 emissions of the shipping process by 94%.

As part of the partnership, Debeka opted for Lenovo’s Accidental Damage Protection (ADP), helping to extend the usable life of devices through easy repairs and fixed costs. The proactive implementation of Lenovo’s Asset Recovery Services (ARS) further supports Debeka’s sustainability goals, providing an effective end of life IT strategy for devices that are no longer viable.

“Working with Lenovo and Radiodata, we enjoy 360-degree customer service throughout the entire laptop lifecycle, Marcel Wirth, Team Lead Lifecycle Management for Client Devices at Debeka explains. “On top of that, we are very proud that we have implemented a customised and very sustainable technology solution that reduces waste and helps to reduce our environmental impact.”

These are just three examples of how partnerships can make a big difference when it comes to meeting your sustainability targets. Companies like Lenovo can support your business whatever the industry, wherever you are on your sustainability journey, providing the track record, expertise and a broad portfolio of solutions that can drive the best possible sustainability outcomes. Not only will this help your business, it will help society at large as we head towards 2030.

When employees at Gilead’s recently opened New Jersey office need a place to meet, the “Cara” conference room is one such place they gather. Given the room’s namesake, it’s especially fitting when the topic at hand is the company’s oncology work.

A Pennsylvania mother of two young children, Cara was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in 2018. She learned the following year that it had metastasized to her brain. But Cara says she isn’t just surviving with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer – she’s thriving and using her diagnosis as a way to help others.

After developing a passion for patient advocacy, Cara became president of 412Thrive, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that provides care packages for breast cancer patients as they navigate challenges like chemotherapy and radiation.

“The best thing from this whole diagnosis is that I’m able to volunteer my time to help others,” says Cara.

The room in the Parsippany, New Jersey office was named after Cara to honor her perseverance and commitment to helping others. Each conference room on the two floors was named after a patient or advocate – serving as a visual reminder for Gilead employees of the communities they serve.

“It’s such an honor because I feel like I’ve done some great advocacy work,” says Cara. “It makes this journey so much more to know that I’m making a difference.”

Watch the video above to see Cara’s full story.

Originally published by Gilead Sciences

Originally published on Built From Scratch

The paint department at The Home Depot is a dynamic place. It’s always changing and always busy. From improved paint formulations to evolving color palettes and even the cans themselves, a lot has happened in the last decade.

No one knows this better than Chris Waits, Vice President of Merchandising for Paint. A 32-year veteran of The Home Depot, Chris first worked in the Paint Department in the 1990s, and now he’s back to ensure the department has a sound strategy for the future. Chris shares the strategy and roles that innovation and sustainability play in the world of paint.

What are shoppers looking for when they come into Paint? What are their big concerns?

The biggest concern our customers have is picking the right color. The average shopper spends around 90 to 100 days to choose a color. It’s a very DIY-friendly project, but it’s a commitment. Color is subjective and personal. Plus, there are so many choices. Shoppers want to choose a color that’s on-trend. They want the right finish, and they want their project to go well. Most of the time, they will live with that color until the next time they paint.

We’ve really tried to take a lot of the guesswork out for the customer. For starters, we update our color palette every year with the most popular trending colors. Our 2023 color palette, for example, was handpicked by our trend design team who travel around the world to ensure our colors reflect current trends.

There are so many different variables that influence trends. We’ll see color trends start in fashion and textiles. Then they infiltrate the hospitality industry with high-end hotel and restaurant designs. Then they carry over into residential designs. When we introduce our color palettes for the year, we are doing the work for our customers so they can feel confident and inspired with the color and paint they buy.

Does the paint team engage in forecasting to make DIY painting projects easier, better and more sustainable?

Absolutely we do. One thing is for certain: paint is constantly changing. If you haven’t been in the paint department for a year or so, you’ll be surprised at the new technologies and products that are available. The merchant team is constantly working with suppliers to keep a pipeline of innovation going from year to year.

Every year, we examine all of our products closely in cooperation with our suppliers. It’s our job and that of our suppliers to be true paint experts. We look to our supplier partners, companies like BEHR Paint, during that process to tell us what they are working on, whether it’s a new technology, a newly identified chemical of concern or a sustainability enhancement.

We know that customers expect us to be the paint experts, so it’s our job to take concerns off the table before they become concerns for shoppers. For example, all of our indoor paints are low- or no-VOC.

Most customers don’t come in asking about VOCs. But we know that they can impact indoor air quality, and our suppliers know. So, we’ve worked together to remove them. We didn’t make that change because shoppers asked for it. We did it because it was the right thing to do, and because our shoppers count on The Home Depot to be the experts they can trust.

Now we are focusing attention on making the experience of painting better. The advancements in paint technology over the last five or so years are just unbelievable. We have one-coat coverage now. That’s a game-changer!

There’s also super-high scuff resistance and durability in paints. Remember how old flat paint would shine if you tried to clean a spot on your wall? Well, now we have BEHR Scuff Defense. You can scrub it with a Brillo pad, and it won’t impact the finish.

Are there any other product innovations that shoppers should be on the lookout for?

BEHR is an amazing partner overall. It’s no surprise to see that they are an Eco Actions Partner. They’ve recently converted all their cans to recyclable plastic, made from recycled material. All their products are water-based and high-performance. Also, we’ve been able to remove a lot of oil-based paints, interior stains and polyurethanes because BEHR has developed water-based formulas.

Every year, The Home Depot recognizes innovation among suppliers with our annual Innovation Awards, and last year’s overall winner was Glidden Max Flex Spray Paint. It was a big advancement for paint because Max Flex allows users to complete exterior spray paint projects faster, with an ultra-durable finish and on a wide range of surfaces, including exterior fabrics like vinyl, leather, rugs and more.

There is always something new to see in the paint aisle at The Home Depot.

*Editor’s Note: This interview was originally published on Eco Actions website. Click here to read the full story, and visit here to learn more about The Home Depot’s commitment to sustainability.

Keep up with all the latest Home Depot news! Subscribe to our bi-weekly news update and get the top Built from Scratch stories delivered straight to your inbox.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., January 10, 2024 /3BL/ – Discovery Education, with support from Discover Financial Services, released a new whitepaper – It’s Time to Prioritize Financial Literacy in K-12 – highlighting the urgent need for financial literacy for school-aged children in the United States. The paper is the latest content from the Pathway to Financial Success in School program created by Discovery Education and Discover more than a decade ago to empower students, educators, and families with a variety of resources to foster understanding of financial concepts.

The It’s Time to Prioritize Financial Literacy in K-12 whitepaper provides educators with the latest research landscape of financial literacy in the United States. Insights address student, educator, and family perceptions of the topic, the impact of financial literacy education, and the need for local and national support to prepare students for life. Right now, 41 states have financial literacy bills pending and six states added a graduation requirement. This movement to better integrated financial literacy supports the findings that 90% of adults believe personal finance education should be required in high school. According to the research, 80% of educators rate personal finance education as extremely important, and 75% of parents feel personal finance and money management is the best education. Read the report here.

This research informed the creation of new resources for high school students, including self-paced modules, classroom activities, family connections, educator guides, and student interactive activity sheets. The content empowers students to move through financial concepts sequentially or through self-directed learning. For example, the Growing and Protecting Your Finances unit provides students with the tools to understand how to invest responsibly to grow and protect their finances. Accompanying interactive student activities allows each student to capture knowledge and drive a deeper understanding of financial topics. Additional educator resources, including on-demand professional development masterclasses, ensure that educators have what they need to incorporate financial literacy concepts into any lesson plan or learning environment.

“The collaboration between Discovery Education and Discover on Pathway to Financial Success in Schools offers schools and teachers a program and materials that can help overcome that barrier,” said Abbe Kalina, Community Affairs Director at Discover. “The program offers new resources for high school students, including self-paced modules, classroom activities, family connections, educator guides, and interactive student activity sheets.”

Pathway to Financial Success in Schools offers free, standard-aligned, digital resources for middle and high school students to use inside and outside of the classroom to build their knowledge of personal finances. Learn more about Pathways to Financial Success in School at pathwayinschools.com or within Discovery Education Experience, the award-winning K-12 learning platform.

“Financial literacy is one of the most important life skills for students to learn before graduating high school. Financial education is proven to help students make better financial decisions throughout their lifetimes and is tied to indicators of overall well-being,” said Amy Nakamoto, General Manager of Social Impact at Discovery Education. “With these engaging resources in hand, all students in the United States now can maximize their financial literacy.”

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

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About Discovery Education 
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and social impact programs, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

Contacts 
Grace Maliska 
Discovery Education 
Email: gmaliska@dicoveryed.com

HORSHAM, Pa., January 10, 2024 /3BL/ – Sofidel, a leading global provider of paper for hygienic and domestic use, today announced that it has been named a winner in the 2024 BIG Innovation Awards presented by the Business Intelligence Group for its Papernet powered by HyTech Seas dispensers.

The dispensers for restrooms enable users to dispense paper products while simultaneously helping build a better future for our planet. Manufactured with recovered ocean plastic waste, these innovative dispensers are a sustainable, long-term solution for facility restrooms.

“We’re honored to be recognized by the Business Intelligence Group for our HyTech Seas dispensers,” said Fabio Vitali, Vice President of Marketing, Sofidel America. “One of Sofidel’s core values is innovation, which is why our research and development team is constantly striving to provide customers with the most innovative products for sustainable hygiene in the restroom.”

The dispensers help to remove plastic waste from the ocean as this waste greatly harms fish and mammals that rely on marine habitats. Sofidel has recently set challenging targets for minimizing plastic waste in its operations and products as well. By 2030 Sofidel is aspiring to reduce by 50% the use of plastic in its packaging compared to 2013 levels and Hytech Seas aligns with this goal.

“Innovation is driving our society,” said Maria Jimenez, chief nominations officer of the Business Intelligence Group. “We are thrilled to be honoring Sofidel as they are leading by example and improving the lives of so many.”

Organizations from across the globe submitted their recent innovations for consideration in the BIG Innovation Awards. Nominations were then judged by a select group of business leaders and executives who volunteer their time and expertise to score submissions.

For more information about Sofidel, visit www.sofidel.com.

About The Sofidel Group

The Sofidel Group, a privately held company, is a world leader in the manufacture of paper for hygienic and domestic use. Founded in 1966, the Group has subsidiaries in 13 countries – Italy, Spain, the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Romania, and the USA – with more than 6,800 employees. A member of the UN Global Compact, the Sofidel Group considers sustainability a strategic imperative and is committed to promoting sustainable development. For more information, visit www.sofidel.com.

Media Contact:
Brianna Fitzpatrick
Mulberry Marketing Communications
bfitzpatrick@mulberrymc.com 

About Business Intelligence Group

The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry award programs, these programs are judged by business executives having experience and knowledge. The organization’s proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.

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54% consider the future of the planet when making food choices.70% say that healthy products shouldn’t harm the environment.

Consumers are now actively considering the environment alongside their individual health when buying food, according to the latest Tetra Pak Index. These environmentally conscious consumers labelled ‘Climatarians’ are willing to alter their eating habits to protect the planet.

The market for healthy foods is already well established, as consumers actively seek products that will have a positive impact on their physical wellbeing. But a significant majority now take a more holistic view: 70% say that healthy products should not harm the environment, while another 54% are willing to take responsibility for the planet and change their diet to contribute to a better world.

This dual focus is reflected in the rising number of consumers consciously reducing the amount of meat they eat, known as “flexitarians”, with nearly half of all consumers saying they are reducing meat intake or excluding meat altogether. The Tetra Pak Index, based on a survey conducted in ten countries around the world by global market research firm IPSOS, found that this trend towards meat reduction is a global phenomenon. 56% of respondents cite health reasons for adopting a flexitarian, pescatarian, vegetarian or vegan diet, but over a third (36%) specifically cite the environment as their primary motivator.

The research also reveals that convenience is no longer king. In a marked shift in long-prevailing attitudes, 70% would sacrifice convenience for healthier products. The drive for health is also unaffected by the cost-of-living crisis, with only 17% willing to sacrifice food and drinks with health benefits in the current economic climate.

A rising trend

The climatarian trend is expected to grow, as the effects of climate change are felt more widely; with consumers expecting food manufacturers to deliver products that are both healthy and sustainable.

Adolfo Orive, President and CEO at Tetra Pak, comments: “The findings of this year’s Index are reflective of the direction we have taken in the last few years, to decarbonise the food industry and make food systems more resilient and sustainable. In many parts of the world, people rely on products such as milk and juices for their daily nutrition, so it is critical to optimise their value chain with innovations in sourcing, packaging, processing and distribution, which is where we have been playing an active role together with our customers and suppliers.

In addition, considering that the world will need 60% more food by 2050, we are complementing these efforts through technologies that can help explore new sources of nutrition – ranging from new plant-based sources to alternative proteins produced with biomass and precision fermentation. Both these areas are critical to contribute towards food system sustainability.”

The potential of new food

Breakthrough new food innovations can play a strong supporting role in delivering products that are not only tasty, but also resource efficient. The good news is that consumers are ready to embrace innovations that improve how we live and eat, with 62% believing that technology has a role to play in a more sustainable future. At the same time, some consumers are concerned that such innovations may not be as natural as fresh, unprocessed food – so finding the right balance will be key.

“This area is developing quite rapidly, and it is difficult to predict when and to what extent it will succeed; but it is only through continued efforts and leveraging collaboration to explore every potential opportunity, that we will find solutions to the current food system challenges” says Adolfo.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Henry Stout
Tetra Pak

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