The climate has already changed and crises around the world lay wrath with undying calamities, here we outline sustainability and environment-friendly initiatives by brands contributing towards climate action as they mirror the consumers' growing concerns towards climate change.
These sustainability initiatives highlight various ways corporations and brands can alter manufacturing, packaging, or transit to reduce their carbon footprint and adopt strategies and policies that are not harmful to the environment.
Consumers Drive Sustainability
With the generational differences becoming more prevalent than ever, the difference of opinions and values have increased visibility with social networks but the beliefs relating to climate emergency are not just public expression; consumers have also been an integral factor in driving sustainability in developed and developing economies.
A global report (2021) from The Economist Intelligence Unit, commissioned by WWF, spanning 54 countries that hold 80% of the world's population, shows a 71% rise in online searches for sustainable goods globally over the past five years. The number of posts related to nature loss and biodiversity on Twitter has increased by 65% since 2016.
In 'The State Of Fashion 2020' Report by Mckinsey, 66% of all respondents, and 75% of millennial respondents, said they consider sustainability when making a purchase. A 2020 IBM report on consumers driving the change, of respondents worldwide 81% belong to one of two shopper segments: value-driven consumers (41%) who want good value and purpose-driven consumers (40%) who seek products and services aligned with their values.
This drive is not restricted to a particular industry, as it's not product-centric or brand-centric, it's value-centric. Apparel, F&B, Personal Care, Automobile, Home Decor, consumers in all sectors are driving sustainability.
Research also shows consumers are willing to change their consumption habits to reduce negative environmental impact or pay a premium price for products and brands that show similar concern and are aligned with their environmental values.
Sustainable Cocoa Sourcing - Mondelēz India
Mondelēz India, the manufacturer of Cadbury Dairy Milk launched the Cocoa Life programme for sourcing sustainable cocoa to produce chocolate in India and support farming communities in six key cocoa-growing regions, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Indonesia, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil, along with India.
The company introduced cocoa farming in four states of South India – Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, & Tamil Nadu, with over 100,000 cocoa farmers. All chocolate produced through sustainable cocoa will now also have the Cocoa Life logo on the front of its packs.
The programme enables the multinational corporation to source cocoa requirements indigenously and supports farmers by upskilling them in cocoa farming and improving their understanding. Currently, 68% of the company’s total cocoa volume is sourced via Cocoa Life, and Mondelēz International plans to expand this to all chocolate brands by 2025.
Offset Emissions - Etsy
In 2019, Etsy, the global marketplace for creative goods with a presence in India announced that it became the first global eCommerce company to offset 100% of carbon emissions generated by shipping. The company also achieved the goal of running zero waste operations globally in 2018, two years ahead of schedule, and with the use of renewable energy, solar farm, and panels, their operations including offices have been functional on eco-conscious levels.
In February 2021, Etsy pledged a new goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2030. The objectives are to follow protocols of the Science Based Targets Initiative and will include a 50% absolute reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions and a 13.5% absolute reduction in Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions.
Josh Silverman, Chief Executive Officer, Etsy also stated, "We’re committed to holding ourselves accountable and maintaining transparency as we push toward a net-zero 2030", during the announcement.
E-Delivery - Flipkart
Starting off as a pilot project in 2017, delivery by electric vehicles has now become Flipkart's major sustainability program as it add more eBikes and eVans to its delivery fleet, and after starting off in Mumbai the program was then expanded to Bengaluru, Delhi, and Hyderabad.
Presently, the company has deployed EVs Jaipur, and Bhubaneswar and expanded their EV fleet in Pune, Kolkata, and Lucknow, and has set up necessary charging infrastructure to construct this as an established solution.
Moving forward, in August 2020, Flipkart announced a transition to 100% adoption of electric vehicles by 2030, as a part of its contribution to The Climate Group’s global electric mobility initiative - EV100, that summon organizations dedicated to transitioning to electric mobility.
Ecoz Collection - Mochi
Mochi launched a new product range called Ecoz Collection, footwear made from recycled PET bottles. Polyethylene Terephthalate or PET is a substantial part of the plastics used in everyday life. Used in packaging such as bottles, or used for automotive parts or electronics or fabrics, it generates a considerable amount of recyclable waste.
The brand used this material to manufacture its footwear range made from plastic obtained from discarded PET bottles that are converted into recycled yarn used into fabrics for these shoes.
The launch of this product range was initiated with a UGC campaign. The brand hosted a contest repurposing the #FlipTheBottle challenge and encouraged users to post the video tagging the brand to win a reward of vouchers for the Ecoz Collection.
You can do your bit too, use sustainable products, ban single-use plastic, reduce your carbon footprint, segregate your waste, support small businesses manufacturing eco-friendly products, use energy-efficient appliances, and spread awareness. The Earth will save itself, these efforts will save us.
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