The Cool Down

When it comes to major #sustainability trends, the uptick in customers choosing healthier, planet-friendly goods and services is only part of the story. Employees want in on the action too. Plus, companies are starting to see that a meaningful sustainability strategy can be a powerful retention and recruitment tool, especially for younger employees who see right through team yoga. ?? ? So how can companies build successful “green teams”? Get the deets in this edition.

We're hiring for a freelance writer! TCD is on a mission to help more Americans feel connected to the cleaner, cooler future that's being built around us every day. We're looking for a pencil-sharp writer to join our crew — someone who's passionate about the climate space, writes a mean lede, and firmly believes in the Oxford comma. Know you'd be an asset to the team? We encourage you to apply ?? [https://lnkd.in/eNrrNjCT]

?? Trend roundup for the week of Oct 7-11 ?? Here’s what our 35M+ monthly audience keeps clicking on this week. ?? Readers can’t look away from insurance companies that are discontinuing coverage —> This story about State Farm dropping coverage for ZIPs in California has racked up hundreds of thousands of page views already [https://lnkd.in/eg8A5TcB] ?? Homeward Bound part 2: These species are making a comeback, and we’re all here for it —> Pronghorn in Yellowstone [https://lnkd.in/e_-bm-Zr] —> Gray wolves in California [https://lnkd.in/eyhQWnyp] ?? Mulch volcanoes. Correct, this is a thing. —> TCD’s audience always loves a gardening hack - or a full-on gardening fail in this case. [https://lnkd.in/eTmY7crw] For deeper dives into the trends we're seeing at The Cool Down, sign up for the free Business Edition newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eHirU2Yg

What does is take to mainstream sustainability? Recently, we asked industry leaders for their hot takes ... "In general we all should be connecting, ‘How does being more sustainable save you money? How does being more sustainable make your life actually better and more fun and more beautiful?’ That’s how we're going to make sustainability more mainstream.” ?? Veekas Ashoka at Rewiring America sticks the landing there. ?? Thanks to Chris MacAulay, Mary Jacques, Scott Heid, and Sarah Lazarovic for their stellar advice to boot. What tactics have worked for you and your org? #climatesolutions #marketing #sustainability #climateweekNYC

? ? How do we?reconcile the tension?between climate disasters like Hurricane Helene & Milton with the climate hope we felt during #ClimateWeekNYC? In this week’s Business Edition (https://lnkd.in/euPQj_2V), we went off-piste from our usual format to understand the massive incongruity between enthusiasm for climate solutions and the current extreme weather we keep facing. One key takeaway? Tragic events like these must serve as catalysts to move even faster. As Anthony Leiserowitz from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication said during a full-house Climate Week event on extreme weather, these are “teachable moments.” These “unnatural” disasters are destroying what we love — if this is the reality with 1.2 degrees of warming, what will that look like with the 3 degrees we’re?currently tracking toward? “We’re not lacking in solutions,” Leiserowitz said. “We’re lacking public and political will.” The confluence of Climate Week and Hurricane Helene only increases the urgency to use public engagement and awareness to motivate companies, governments, and individuals to do better, faster. Here are a few ways to put that into action: ?? Send thoughts, prayers, donations, and support to the victims of Hurricane Helene (options for businesses and individuals here: https://lnkd.in/eFJsj4Un). ?? Educate ourselves about what causes climate change and then talk with friends, family, and neighbors about it. (Here’s an explainer on handling?convos with your kids: https://lnkd.in/e4xTfv7N). ?? Vote for climate candidates up and down the ballot in November. ?? Get the full story here, including advice from industry leaders on how to keep moving forward: https://lnkd.in/euPQj_2V

?? ? The through-line we pulled from this year’s Climate Week was #engagement — from C-suiters, to nonprofit leaders and middle managers, to interns and, most important of all, consumers. Events were sold out and dialed-in, including one co-hosted by The Cool Down and Zeno Group featuring speakers from the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Procter & Gamble, with nearly two dozen other brands represented as well. Our focus was to take Climate Week *beyond* Climate Week — a key priority for business leaders to help supercharge their efforts to shift consumer spending in a sustainable direction. And a collaborative spirit is a huge unlock for how we get there. ?? Thanks to everyone who joined us, and a big shoutout to Scott Heid at P&G, Kathy Behrens and Annie Horn at the NBA, Alison DaSilva at Zeno, Chris MacAulay at Too Good To Go, Melanie Chow Li at Danone, Sarah Lazarovic and Veekas Ashoka at Rewiring America, Mary Jacques at Lenovo, Suzanne Roshto Rigdon at LG Electronics, and many many more. ?? Peep the video below to get the full event download ?? And don't forget to sign up for this week's Business Edition newsletter for more ways to take Climate Week beyond Climate Week [https://lnkd.in/eHirU2Yg]

?? Trend roundup for the week of Sept 30 ?? Here’s what our 35M+ monthly audience keeps clicking on this week. ??? Enthusiasm with all things clean energy, especially solar —> This article on the incredible side effects of traditional solar panels did numbers for us? [https://lnkd.in/euVQd-kj] —> As did the story of a Kansas company that has created a revolutionary new car engine with 'unprecedented' efficiency [https://lnkd.in/e2vsMcgS] ?? Readers are raising a glass to companies prioritizing conservation —> The parent company to Jack Daniel's is fighting to save white oaks through a nonprofit seed fund.? —> “No one cares about regeneration until you tell them it will impact their bourbon," said the fund’s executive director.? [https://lnkd.in/etZZHkUC] ??? Sleuthing to uncover mysterious EV vandalism —> Tesla owners have caught people keying cars while they’re charging — but the motives behind the vandalism are still unclear. Harriet the Spy, you available for a project? [https://lnkd.in/eKdfXBEd] For deeper dives into the trends we're seeing at The Cool Down, sign up for the free Business Edition newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eHirU2Yg

Congrats to the EnergySage team for bringing these solar insights to light (so to speak, sorry). Very cool to see that: ?? Solar prices are rapidly decreasing ?? And battery installations are rapidly increasing "The combination of near-record low prices and more consumer-friendly financing options is creating new opportunities for wider adoption,” notes Spencer Fields, Director of Insights at EnergySage. We're seeing that same solar enthusiasm with our 35M+ monthly audience at The Cool Down. In fact, one of our top-performing articles *just today* was on the incredible side effects of traditional solar panels [https://lnkd.in/euVQd-kj]. Let's keep riding this wave ??

"Companies should talk about what they're doing around circularity, with a focus on transparency --> the next-generation customer wants it, but companies have to walk the walk."

?? Here's how we can help those affected by Hurricane Helene ?? Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eFJsj4Un