Escape the City, Lobbyists, Money, Japan & E-waste

1.?Good Business is a great business

When you’re called “Good Business”, you’ve got to get it right. We think we do, at least some of the time, but it’s always nice when others agree. This week, we’re delighted to have been ranked 44th in Escape the City ’s list of the top 100 purposeful organisations “to escape to” in 2023! We’re in great company, and proud to be ranked alongside other mighty purpose-led organisations.?

The platform judged over 14,600 nominated organisations through a rigorous process that assessed them across six criteria: Impact, People, Mission, Planet, Innovation and B Corp, as well as (importantly) through reviews submitted by employees.??

This award means a lot to us because it reminds us that our hard work is all heading in the right direction. In a world where demand for sustainability services is growing, and people have lots of choices about where and how they work, it is important that we have a team that care passionately about the work we do and how we do it.??

For us, this will always be the key ingredient to great service for our clients. Every idea, every piece of client work, and every initiative that creates positive change is a collaborative effort. It comes from smart, passionate people working together, challenging each other, and thinking of innovative ways to create transformational change. It lets us create lasting relationships with our clients that are built on the trust and knowledge that we will get the job done brilliantly (and it helps us win awards!).??

From the impact we deliver through the amazing clients we work with to our wonderful team and partners that make it all happen, we can’t wait to deliver more positive change around the world.?

So, if you want this excellent team to help on your latest project do get in touch ([email protected] ) or check out our Escape profile to stay informed about future vacancies.?

2. Friends of friends

At Good Business we love a long read, and none more so than those that shine a light on responsible business practices. So it was with interest that we dug into the Guardian’s investigation into the client overlap of US lobbyists this week.??

In short, the article reveals that more than 1,500 lobbyists in the US are working for fossil fuel companies while also representing liberal-run cities, universities, technology companies, and environmental groups that claim to be addressing the climate crisis. While there are no regulations prohibiting lobbyists from representing clients with conflicting interests, lobbyists with such diverse and contrasting client lists raise questions about the integrity of the service provided. And for their sustainably minded clients – who are presumably working hard to uphold transparent and ethical practices across their supply chain – being seen to share a service provider with big oil is not a great look.??

The investigation is an interesting extension of the scrutiny that is applied to businesses’ supply chain partners – and a welcome one. If, in response, businesses begin asking their lobbyists, agencies, and other service providers about other clients or sectors they represent, it will force a greater examination by these providers about who they work with and who they don't. And if that ultimately means that businesses with vested interests in advancing high carbon or environmentally destructive agendas have trouble getting their voices heard in government circles, well, that’s life.??

That said, we do, as ever, believe in the need for nuance. And in the interests of full transparency, although we don’t do lobbying, at Good Business, our overarching criterion for taking on new clients has always been "is this client committed to positive transformational change through their work with us?" So, while we don’t outright exclude anyone on the basis of their sector (with a small number of exceptions) we do take care to ensure that we’re only ever doing what we’ve set out to do: make good things happen.???

Our advice for companies looking for service providers to partner with? Choose your friends wisely.?

3. Making money matter

A few weeks ago we recommended the Southbank Centre's ‘Planet Summer’ events and this week we practiced what we preached, attending a hard-hitting sustainability double-bill of impact investor and former governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney and Richard Curtis, celebrated screenwriter and co-founder of Make My Money Matter .?

Carney’s talk leaned heavily on the idea of re-investigating the free-market theories of Adam Smith, who he told the audience has been somewhat misunderstood. Smith believed that moral sentiments and values need to be imposed on markets, as they are not inherent to their operation. Carney applied this thinking to the current need for trillions of pounds of investment to reach net zero. The markets, with their emphasis on innovation, investment and profit, are an integral driver for meeting environmental goals. The key, he argued, is to create a market where operating a low-carbon business is a profitable competitive advantage, and the way to do that is to set a clear societal goal to be sustainable above all else. By setting this goal, the market will adjust itself to achieve it, ensuring that it is profitable to be part of the solution and costly to remain part of the problem.?

Enter Richard Curtis with his NGO hat on, who told the audience how, as individuals, we can help steer society and the market towards setting and meeting that goal of becoming more sustainable. The key is to ask questions: to your pension provider, insurers, and bank. By interrogating the investments they make, we can assess whether our money is working to fund the kind of society we want to create. As more individuals align their finances with their values, the market will follow suit, reflecting a broader societal consensus in a sustainable future. It’s a small ask for a big impact.?

We still recommend taking a look at the upcoming ‘Planet Summer’ talks. Tickets still remain for the likes of Greta Thunberg and Mariana Mazzucato on 30th July – see you there!?

4.?Japlanning ahead

Travelling to Japan and unsure how to fit your duffle coat into your case? Stressed about the carbon emissions associated with your flight? Not sure how many pairs of trousers to bring??

Japan Airlines has the answer for you, through the launch of ‘Any Wear, Anywhere’ , a clothing rental initiative that allows passengers to rent a selection of clothing for their trip and save on having to pack a suitcase. Travellers have options over the number of tops and bottoms, size, and dress-code they select, with prices ranging from ￡22-￡38 depending on the size of the wardrobe chosen. The clothing will be delivered to passengers’ accommodation upon their arrival, and will be collected, laundered and recycled after their departure.?

The initiative is designed to encourage light travel, in recognition of the added fuel consumption and carbon emissions associated with the baggage of each passenger. It’s estimated on a flight from New York to Tokyo, a 10kg reduction in luggage is estimated to result in a 7.5kg reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. By reducing the luggage on board, Japan Airlines has ambitions to make air travel a hint more sustainable.?

Beyond reducing emissions, and saving you the hassle of packing and choosing what to wear (not to mention saving you the horror that is washing when you return home from a trip), the initiative also promotes a more sustainable and minimalist approach to fashion, with the clothing offered being sourced from second hand or excess stock, limiting you to a pretty non-descript yet functional wardrobe.?

It’s a slightly ludicrous, but certainly imaginative approach to making travel (and fashion) more sustainable. Just don’t expect it to be your most fashionable trip.?

The Goods: E-waste not, want not

Did you know the UK produces the second highest amount of electrical waste per person in the world (after Norway)? And at the same time, an estimated 1.5 million households are digitally disconnected and have limited access to devices, an issue that is holding back some of the most disadvantaged families in the UK.??

In response to these twin issues, Virgin Media O2 and the environmental charity Hubbub have teamed up to launch the Time After Time fund , a partnership that enables community groups and charities to apply for a share of ￡500,000 to address the nation’s digital divide and growing e-waste problem.?

With research showing there are more than 19 million unused smartphones and laptops gathering dust in homes and garages across the country, there is certainly plenty of technology that has the potential for a second life with those that most need it.?

The initiative forms part of Virgin Media O2’s sustainability strategy, the Better Connections Plan , and will play a vital role in helping the company reach its goals of supporting people to carry out 10 million circular actions to tackle e-waste by the end of 2025 and connecting 1 million digitally excluded people across the UK through free and affordable connectivity and services.??

So, if you know a charity, social enterprise, local authority, or community organisation running e-waste or digital inclusion initiatives then point them to the Time After Time fund to help turbo-charge their impact. Applications are open now .??

When it comes to sustainability, where do we go next? Hear our?CEO, Giles Gibbons , give his?take on the progress that’s been made over the last 20 years and the challenges that lie ahead on?Matthew Gwyther 's podcast - Doing It On Purpose. Listen to the podcast here .