Week in Review

Stories discussed this week (9:30).

• Why every C-suite officer should care about plastic waste
• To reduce deforestation, we must get serious about environmental crime
• Why “regeneration” is generating business buzz

Features

Bank of the West’s checking account for climate (23:40) 

In July, Bank of the West, part of BNP Paribas, announced a partnership with 1% for the Planet to launch a checking account designed for climate action. Joel Makower, chairman and executive editor at GreenBiz, speaks with Ben Stuart, Bank of the West’s chief marketing officer, about how the account works and the company’s motivations and goals for the effort.

Behind the scenes of Generation Green New Deal (32:35)

The upcoming feature documentary Generation Green New Deal tells the story of how young people are pushing climate change to the center of American politics. Julian Brave NoiseCat, vice president of policy and strategy for Data for Progress, is one of the young people who has played a critical role in shaping the Green New Deal. Shana Rappaport, vice president and executive director of VERGE at GreenBiz, sat down with NoiseCat. They discussed the biggest misunderstandings about the Green New Deal that are important to demystify and role companies can play in taking climate action. You can read a longer excerpt from their conversation here.

*Music in this episode: “Curiousity” by Lee Rosevere;  “Guitalele’s Happy Place” and “Arc de Triomphe” by Stefan Kartenberg; “Two Guitars” and “Confederation Line” by AdmiralBob77

Resources galore

ESG values and a sustainable future. Why placing environment, social and governance principles at the center of COVID-19 recovery places makes sense for resilience and the bottom line. Sign up for the interactive session at 1 p.m. EDT Sept. 15.

Action plus ambition. How leading companies, including Microsoft, approach audacious sustainability goals. Register for the discussion at 1 p.m. EDT Sept. 17. 

Safety and performance in recycled plastics. UL and HP Inc. share strategies and insights in this conversation at 1 p.m. EDT Sept. 22.

Inside The Climate Pledge. Senior executives from Amazon, Global Optimism and Verizon share insights on why collaborative corporate action on the climate crisis is more critical than ever. Join us during Climate Week at noon EDT Sept. 24.

Clean air in California? It’s easier than you think. Hear from the California Air Resources Board, the city of Oakland and Neste in this session at 1 p.m. EDT Oct. 1.

State of the Profession. Our sixth report examining the evolving role of corporate sustainability leaders. Download it here.

The State of Green Business 2020. Our 13th annual analysis of key metrics and trends published here.

Do we have a newsletter for you! We produce six weekly newsletters: GreenBuzz by Executive Editor Joel Makower (Monday); Transport Weekly by Senior Writer and Analyst Katie Fehrenbacher (Tuesday); VERGE Weekly by Executive Director Shana Rappaport and Editorial Director Heather Clancy (Wednesday); Energy Weekly by Senior Energy Analyst Sarah Golden (Thursday); Food Weekly by Carbon and Food Analyst Jim Giles (Thursday); and Circular Weekly by Director and Senior Analyst Lauren Phipps (Friday). You must subscribe to each newsletter in order to receive it. Please visit this page to choose which you want to receive.

The GreenBiz Intelligence Panel is the survey body we poll regularly throughout the year on key trends and developments in sustainability. To become part of the panel, click here. Enrolling is free and should take two minutes.

Stay connected

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What physical attributes must be considered and prioritized when designing circular products?

When creating circular products, businesses face a daunting task: They must balance product performance, health and safety, regulatory compliance, cost, and a host of physical criteria (such as durability, repairability and modularity) to name a few of the countless considerations — along with frequent barriers. With an ever increasing demand to deliver products to market with speed, effectively evaluating and prioritizing these attributes is a critical yet challenging hurdle. This discussion explores how businesses have balanced physical criteria when creating circular products.

Speakers

• Joel Makower, Chairman & Executive Editor, GreenBiz Group 
• Sripriya Narayanan, Product Manager, Cisco
• Lauren Smith, Product Sustainability Manager, Columbia”

How can companies establish efficient reverse logistics to reclaim products and enable more circular outcomes?

Product take-back programs are commonplace at retailers keen to have customers walk their used printers and sweaters back into the store. Manufacturers commonly offer mail-in programs, and even cosmetics brands have begun accepting empty packaging for discounts on the next purchase. But all this is very old fashioned, and oftentimes the path of used items is not circular, or even sustainable. This discussion examines efforts to modernize take-back and reverse logistics to forge stronger links in a circular supply chain.

Speaker

• Katie Fehrenbacher, Senior Writer & Analyst, Transportation, GreenBiz Group 
• Ezgi Barcenas, Global VP of Sustainability, Anheuser-Busch InBev
• Crystal Lassiter, Senior Director of Global Sustainability, UPS

What are the implications of building long-lasting, durable products, and what opportunities arise from keeping products in service?

“They don’t build things like they used to…” This age-old lament seems aptly fit for our era of single-use disposables and planned obsolescence. For the nostalgic, the quality conscious and the eco-friendly consumer, product longevity is a desirable trait. But when competing with lower production costs and repeat purchase revenue, durable doesn’t always add up to the financial value of disposable. How can you make a financial case for durability? What metrics should you weigh when considering it? Can you build customer loyalty by building to last? This discussion explores these questions as it builds the case for durable design.

• Deonna Anderson, Associate Editor, GreenBiz Group  
• Christine Riley Miller, Director of Sustainability, Samsonite
• Lauren Smith, Product Sustainability Manager, Columbia Sportswear