The Business & Climate Monthly Newsletter (June 2024)

Our round up of this month's HOT NEWS on business, sustainability, carbon and climate over the last month

OK, so we know that ZeroBees becoming B Corp wasn't the only news in June, but we're really proud to have finally join the B Corp community! Beyond that, it was confirmed that the last 12 months have all been over the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees of global warming. In good news - market signals suggest ESG is being taken more seriously in the M&A arena and Portugal's leading the way with renewable generation.?Here's our selection of the top climate and business stories...

1. In a year of elections and potential far-right resurgence, there were two early wins for the planet?

With Mexico electing their first woman President - a climate scientist and contributor to two major IPCC reports - and Iceland electing the former B Team CEO Halla Tomasdottir as President. Both bode well for sustainability policies nationally.?

2. Large companies increasingly abandoning acquisitions over ESG concerns

Sustainability considerations are becoming increasingly central in the mergers and acquisitions deal-making process, with more than 70% of M&A leaders reporting abandoning potential acquisitions over ESG concerns, according to a new survey released by Deloitte. Read more here.

3.?UN Chief calls for ban on fossil fuel ads

UN secretary-general António Guterres slammed coal, oil and gas corporations as the “godfathers of climate chaos” and called for a clampdown on their advertising. The backlash against oil and gas ads and connections is only set to grow.?More here.

4. Top 1% of UK earners cause seven times more transport emissions than average

A "small minority" are behind the bulk of emissions from cars, trains and planes, a report by thinktank IPPR found. It found the highest earning 1% - those who earn at least ￡160,000 a year - emit at least seven times more from their transport than average earners, and 13 times that of the lowest earners.

5. Renewables are meeting 95% of Portugals' electricity needs

Portugal has made huge progress in renewable power, up from 27 per cent in 2005 and 54 per cent in 2017. Portugal generated an ‘historic’ 95 per cent of its electricity from renewables in April, according to the network operator REN.

Quote of the month

“We do have a choice: Creating tipping points for climate progress – or careening to tipping points for climate disaster. This is an all-in moment. The United Nations is all-in – working to build trust, find solutions, and inspire the cooperation our world so desperately needs. It’s We the Peoples versus the polluters and the profiteers. Together, we can win. ?But it’s time for leaders to decide whose side they’re on. Tomorrow is too late. Now is the time to mobilise, now is the time to act, now is the time to deliver.”

-?António Guterres. United Nations Sectretary-General on Earth Day, 5th June 2024. Read his full speech here.

Jargon busters

We're jargon busting to make sure climate impact is accessible and as simple as possible, one topic at a time.

What is a B Corporation?

B Corporations are organisations that are reinventing business for the benefit of all people and our shared planet.

Verified by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, becoming B Corp certified demonstrates that an organisation meets high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability alongside a commitment to goals beyond shareholder value.

B Corp Certification assesses the entirety of a business’ operations and currently covers five main impact areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. The certification process is rigorous, with companies required to reach a score of 80 points in the B Impact Assessment while providing evidence of responsible practices relating to energy supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity, and corporate transparency. A business must also legally embedded their commitment to purpose as well as profit in their company articles.

The B Corp community now has over 8,000 certified businesses globally. The B Corp community in the UK is one of the largest and fastest-growing in the world, with over 1,700 companies spanning a range of different industries and sizes. Names include The Guardian, Innocent Drinks, Patagonia, Tony’s Chocolonely, The Big Issue, Finisterre, Elemis, and Sipsmith Gin. Read more here.

Get in touch if you'd like some support from us for your organisation to become B Corp!?

ZeroBees News

ZeroBees is now a Certified B Corp

This means we've joined a growing movement of companies - including many of our amazing clients - that are reinventing business for the benefit of all people and our shared planet.

Read more here.

Sustainability for outsiders

Our founder, Toby, was asked to talk about sustainability and the outdoors by our partner (Aspire PR). Read Toby's interview on sustainability, sports and open water swimming here.

Have you tried our freemium platform?

Want to test-drive the ZeroBees carbon platform for free, and get your Scope 1 and 2 results today?

The free version of our platform to help everyone get started with their climate journey is here.

That's all for this month! Do let us know any feedback, topics you'd like us to cover or visit us at ZeroBees.com

#sustainability #decarbonisation #smallbusinessowners #business #netzero #zerobees #eco #climatecrisis #regulation #bcorp