Trellis Group

This is a round-up of our top stories about corporate sustainability and climate policy in 2024. It features deep dives on sustainability strategies of Ikea, Delta, McDonald’s, Disney, Netflix and the maker of Jack Daniel’s, along with crucial updates on standards and global regulations, how sustainability careers are shifting, executive moves and more. https://buff.ly/3VLR43W

“Dairy is increasingly part of the agenda for companies. When you look at Scope 3, if you have anything in meat, that will be the most prominent impact. Dairy will be a close second.” 📣 Shalini Unnikrishnan, global lead for societal impact, including food systems, Boston Consulting Group https://buff.ly/41GTuVp

The Energy Department has been working to speed up applications for financing clean energy projects before President-elect Trump takes office in January. https://buff.ly/4gkgUEl

Frontier will pay $32 million to CREW, a startup based in Brooklyn, New York and New Haven, Connecticut, to remove almost 72,000 tons of CO2 from wastewater. https://buff.ly/4gIODam

In recent days we have published a series of year-in-review articles to help you make sense of a turbulent year and prepare for 2025. In early January we will go deeper on major upcoming policy developments, next-generation materials poised to transform the clothing industry, the emergence of biodiversity credits and more. https://buff.ly/3ZYipm6

Old refrigerators, a higher transportation footprint and a slowdown in renewable energy expansion drive 3.9 percent increase. https://buff.ly/4iR73rl ✍️ Heather Clancy

Companies often focus first on external communications to tout sustainability efforts, but the work begins with internal alignment. It’s essential to build a culture of sustainability, impressing upon employees that it’s an embedded part of the organization’s strategy and encouraging their participation. https://buff.ly/3P3YZpM

The banned chemicals can sneak into products from black plastic recycled abroad. Because U.S. recycling plants can’t detect or recycle black plastic with their infrared scanners, companies ship it overseas. https://buff.ly/4fs4c5t

In theory, ton-for-ton carbon mitigation provides a consistent metric for measuring climate impact: one ton of carbon avoided or removed for each ton emitted. It has come under scrutiny for misleading consumers with unclear claims and underdelivering on implied climate benefits. https://buff.ly/4gCDFTV

Inconsistent and confusing public disclosures muddle attempts to assess corporate ambitions on climate. https://buff.ly/3P4JGgz ✍️ Jim Giles