#BIsNotForTurning, Minecraft, Food, Redonda & Foraging

1. #BIsNotForTurning ?

After the government’s u-turn on net zero a couple of weeks ago, businesses have been busy discussing the policy change amongst themselves. The verdict? Overwhelmingly negative, with many demanding the government play its part in the fight against climate change.

This week, we wanted to call attention to a request from B Lab UK and our fellow B Corp members. We believe the network of like-minded businesses is the greatest strength of the B Corp movement.? We have always admired how much certified B Corps do within their own organisations, but also how much they do outside of their organisations and the support they provide to one another. There’s no lack of healthy challenge and differences of opinion, but we all share a commitment to businesses acting as a force for good.

And this week, the B Corp movement has come together to speak with one voice to say that business is not for turning on commitments to people and the planet. Last Friday, B Lab UK’s Executive Director Chris Turner shared a video message on LinkedIn to this effect, and now B Lab has asked business leaders for follow suit: recording and posting videos, signing and sharing petitions and asking government to play its part on climate.

We’re using our channel – Friday 5 – as part of our efforts in this regard. And if you are the leader of a business, B Corp certified or not, please read B Lab's Executive Director, Chris Turner's message and share it with your networks, or post your very own message and share this brief with your networks.

2. Learning block by block

If you think Minecraft is just a game, think again. The best-selling game of all time is diving into the world of education, becoming a building block for wider social and environmental change.

For those not in the know, #Minecraft is a sandbox video game developed by Mojang Studios (owned by Microsoft), allowing players to create, explore and survive in a world of their own making, made completely of blocks. Minecraft Education, a separate arm of the business, provides educational content for schools globally, helping students learn about a wide variety of subjects via creative gameplay.

And now, in collaboration with The Crown Estate, it is using immersive and interactive game-based learning to inspire and engage the next generation of ‘green’ professionals, through the release of two new worlds to explore.

The Offshore Wind Power Challenge tasks students with powering a coastal village by designing and building an offshore wind farm, whilst balancing the needs of marine life and fisheries – providing much needed insight into the value and challenges of producing renewable energy. And in the Conservation Quest at Windsor Great Park, students become a conservation apprentice at one of the UK’s most renowned environmental and ecological sites, which is also one of The Crown Estate’s most iconic locations. Through a series of quests, students manage the needs of wildlife species spanning approximately 4,500 acres, and in doing so learn about the water cycle, the food chain, the conservation code, and environmental management.

This a fantastic example of how educating people in a medium they are familiar with, and most importantly enjoy, can be an incredibly powerful tool. Kudos to Microsoft UK and The Crown Estate for this thought-provoking collaboration!

3. Food for Thought

Major global events of the last few years, from Brexit, to Covid-19, to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have hit the food and beverage industry hard. Not only have supply chain shocks caused by these events resulted in rising costs of produce, but they have also meant more food isn’t able to reach its intended destination. This means more waste, and even more financial pressure on businesses in the industry that have to dispose of it.

Fortunately, our friends at City Harvest identify a key solution to this problem in their latest report: how the simple of act of redistributing the still edible elements of food waste can generate benefits across the food industry value chain. Redistribution reduces emissions (food waste contributes around 10% of the worlds greenhouse gas emissions), eases financial strain on businesses in the industry, and contributes to combatting food insecurity by ensuring that surplus food reaches those in need. It’s truly a win-win situation, and by partnering with organisations such as City Harvest the food industry can integrate this step seamlessly into its value chain.

This is just one example of the way in which the food sector holds significant responsibility for climate change and has a vital role in addressing various social challenges. This raises the stakes on innovations in the sector that will help us get to a more sustainable future. If you’re interested, we recommend checking out next week’s panel discussion on this very topic. Part of the Sustainability Network Speaker Series hosted by Cranfield School of Management, you can attend the event online or in person at 5:30pm on 11th October. Find out more and register for the event here to discover how the industry is forging ahead on the path to a more sustainable and responsible future.

4. Redonda’s Makeover

A tiny Caribbean island has had a makeover. #Redonda, the third isle of Antigua and Barbuda, has been transformed into a wildlife haven. In just a few short years, environmentalists from the Environmental Awareness Group, working hand in hand with the government and overseas partners, have coaxed greenery back to life, cultivating impressive biodiversity and welcoming home endangered species.

In 2016, locals referred to Redonda as a ‘rock’ or ‘moonscape’ as invasive black rats ruled the island, preying on reptiles and birds’ eggs, while goats, introduced by colonizers, devastated vegetation. Redonda serves as a crucial nesting sanctuary for migratory birds and hosts a diverse array of unique and endangered species, including the Redonda ground dragon. It is enveloped by an extensive 30,000-hectare seagrass meadow and coral reef ecosystem.

There was no time to spare so environmentalists got to work. Invasive species were shown the door, and even the goats received an unexpected first-class ticket back to the mainland. As the greenery returned, so did the island's unique and endangered inhabitants. With its newfound protected status, Redonda has become the largest marine protected area in the Eastern Caribbean, helping Antigua and Barbuda achieve their '30x30' goal – a global commitment to conserve 30% of the Earth's surface by 2030.

Redonda may be small, but its impact is mighty, exemplifying what is possible through collaboration and dedication and giving us hope for a greener future, one island at a time.

5. It’s good when it’s free

Food prices dropped in the UK for the first time in September since 2 years. You think that’s not enough? Nature offers you food for free! All you need is a basket, good shoes, and a few tips to know the good foraging spots around you. And as John Wright said to The Guardian, “bountiful autumn is the highlight of the British forager’s year”.

The foraging expert explains how all kinds of landscapes offer interesting wild food, from the chalk downland of West Dorset to the hedgerows of the Channel Islands. Even cities present opportunities, as you can find horse mushrooms or sweet chestnuts in London parks and cemeteries, or parasols in Leeds. The article also provides a whole list of items you can find far and beyond mushrooms, how to cook them and some guidance to avoid poisoning yourself with dangerous species.

Not all of us are big fans of sea beet or stinging nettles. But we can appreciate the extent to which foraging can set us back into the place and times we live in. The food you’ll get will have the smallest carbon footprint record, from the bush to your mouth. This also allows us to think about the season we’re in: in the foraging world, you can’t eat strawberries in December: each season has its own exclusive set of ingredients to offer.

The heatwave forecasted for this weekend might not make you feel ready to connect with the calendar season, but we hope it makes the perfect opportunity for a tasty walk!