Welcome to the inaugural #ESGNerd e-newsletter - striving to collaborate for a sustainable future. In this edition, I'll be giving you an insight who I am, and why sustainability matters. I'll be promoting some of the good work being carried out by all of you. If you like top tips, you've come to the right page. Those same tips apply to the workplace. Are you trying to make family members more sustainable? I am.
We can all do better, and that statement applies to me. None of us are perfect and it's never too late to change habits.
Remember, I am here to promote ideas and not to tell people what to do - nor am I affiliated with any organisation mentioned in this publication.
💡Tips, actions and pointers - Throughout the newsletter, you may see letters (E) (S) (G) - they refer to one or more of the three pillars of the sustainability framework (environment | social | governance).
Sustainability means different things to us all. I know some of you are advocates of a clean environment and you walk the walk because of your persistence in volunteering to pick up litter. More on that later....I am a huge advocate for the 10s (yes tens) of organisations doing their best to recover the millions of tons of plastic from our oceans. 4ocean is arguably my favourite of them all. Please check them out.
💡Check out the 4Ocean link for my post on what they are doing in the Osborne Reef.
ESG Nerd Behind the Scenes
I'm a sustainability professional and love to create visual and written content. It helps me to focus and drives away that nasty feeling, also known as anxiety. In 2013, a psychiatrist diagnosed me with General Anxiety disorder and moderate-to-severe depression (S). I recovered and studied for a Level 7 Leadership Diploma and later a Master's Degree in Business Administration.
💡I'll be discussing mental health in a later edition of ESG Nerd. 😊
I love watching and writing about football (American and the round game). Over time, I have concluded writing about sustainable actions is more important. Hundreds of thousands of folk write about sport. I'm a small voice among many. #BoltUp ⚡️
Why ESG Nerd? Well, if you read about why the Forest Stewardship Council has banned Ukrainian and Russian wood imports, then you're probably a sustainability nerd. There's nothing wrong with that. Per Interpol, forest crime is a $50bn-150bn industry, 4th only to counter-fitting, drugs and trafficking.
Recently I wrote a paper on sustainability. Nothing fancy, still it needed to be done as part of my employment application (G). Yes, there's a Segway to one of the three pillars of the sustainability framework. Governance is essential to the running of a sustainable business. Thankfully, legitimate businesses in the United Kingdom require a Modern Slavery policy. Without one, the business owner won't be trading for long. People are more educated, so they demand to see proof a policy exists. Anyone familiar with a tender submission will know how important such policies are.
⚠️The National Crime Agency promotes tips on how to spot illegal businesses. Trafficking is a big problem in the 21st century.
My submission got me thinking. There is a sustainability framework, but there are lots of rules and guidance, or sometimes, a lack of guidance, or worse still, misleading information. Recently, I read a post about a lady who challenged a fruit and veg vendor at Borough Market, London. She carried out due diligence on the 'claimed' bio-degradable shopping bags. It turns out the bags were about as eco-friendly as a bucket of single-use plastics.
Exploring the truth is vital in an era of misinformation
⚠️ In the digital age, it's easy to 'greenwash', on the flip side, it's easier to uncover the truth. Recently, a report by Changing Markets found 59% of all green claims by European and UK fashion brands are misleading. H&M and Asda's George brand were among them. A caveat, this is not a pitch to tell you what to do, or how to spend your money. Amid a cost-of-living crisis, George provides affordable clothing for thousands of families.
Through my employer, I've had the fortune, or misfortune, to drive electric vehicles (Mini and VW iD3). It horrified me to learn that the rear tyres on the iD3 had to be changed at 10,000 miles. What? The tyres fitted to the VW come with 6.5mm of tread, as opposed to the standard 8.5mm you'll find on most tyres fitted to petrol/diesel models. More on ULEVs (Ultra Low Emission Vehicles) in another issue of the ESG Nerd Newsletter.
Consumers are more aware than ever. Patagonia, PACT, Everlane and Adidas all claim to be among the most sustainable fashionable brands. Consumers might argue the sustainability of their bank balance is more important that promoting the latest fashion trends made from recycled ocean plastic. By the way, where did that chair come from you're sat on?
💡Call to action - If you're wondering how sustainable your sofa, chair or table is, you can. The Forestry Stewardship Council launched a public dashboard, displaying FSC certification for certified manufacturers.
The VW emissions scandal (G) is one of the biggest 'greenwashing' stories in history.
A software function which enables a vehicle to pass the test because it operates the vehicle in a way which is bound to pass the test and in which it does not operate on the road is a fundamental subversion of the test and the objective behind it. Mr Justice Waksman - via AutoExpress
One of the most fascinating and frightening stories is Dupont's. The company claimed their invention of Teflon would revolutionise domestic life. Yes, it certainly revolutionised our ability to fry an egg, but there was a sinister side to what the company was doing.
Perflouroalkyl and Polyflouroalkyl, known as PFAS (forever chemicals) found in many products, including makeup and Teflon pans. Netflix's Dark Waters movie depicts efforts by a lawyer who takes DuPont to task over the company's extreme polluting of waters in New Jersey. ESG Nerd July 31
Food security is a complex issue, and it forms part of the first 3 United Nations Sustainability Goals. Per the UN, that means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.
Do you remember the horse meat scandal of 2013? I phoned Victoria Derbyshire's BCC 5 Live programme to speak on the subject. She asked me what was wrong with eating horse meat. I responded with a question of my own. "Why are we not talking about how the horse meat ended up in the supply chain?" Victoria defaulted back to the original question, because none of the radio producers had thought to address the root cause of the scandal.
How many times have you tucked into a meal and wondered, "Where did this come from?" Public transport gives me easy reach into Central London, However, I refuse to eat in China Town. Several broadsheets and tabloids report on restaurants still serving Sharkfin Soup (sighs). Here's a selection of good news stories.
Environmental Heroes
I spent 3 years working in the Environmental and Transport section of a Local Government Authority. Despite the best efforts of the waste collection teams, there were far too many waste issues for the finite team to tackle. Local volunteers are vital to tackling the litter problem.
Fortunately, there are people out there doing their bit to help prevent plastics and general waste from reaching the world's waterways. Individuals and small groups are Wombling around Britain, clearing up the mess from the general population. Some organisations are advocating against the ban on certain consumer goods, like disposable barbecues. Here are the Twitter handles to some of those heroes.
Thank you for your sustainable efforts.
@CavershamTidy
@SalfordHeroes
@BucksFlyTipping
@BanDisposablBBQ
@SoulBentProject
@seashorty
@rhosdking252
@ghost_Fishinguk
@TJRPitt
@PebbleMagazine
@SosSouthborough
@KittyLitterPic1
💡Check out Litter Lotto - The app, partnered by McDonald's, gives users the chance to win thousands of instant cash prizes each month, from £5 to £250, as well as the jackpot. Download the app, bin litter and win big.
👁👁 Check out Beau Miles's YouTube video, Bad River - it's mind-blowing.
Collaboration and Change is the only way to move forward
⚠️People seldom like to be told what to do. I stumbled across a tweet by @waddells74, which sums up how irresponsible people can be. I don't have permission to share their tweet. In their words, this happened when they visited the beach.
A family walked off and left these so we yelled “you forgot your children's toys !” The adult said oh!… we don’t want them anymore! So Cranberry Yelled ”you can’t leave them to wash out to Sea #BBCMakeADifference #SaveDaphnetheDolphin respect your toys..
One of my professional responsibilities is to promote the company's Net Zero efforts in tandem with educating my colleagues on sustainability issues. My approach has been to use data and case studies to promote the good work being carried out because of their positive actions. For example, the projects and operations team ensure they do not send unwanted goods to a landfill site. Those recycling matrices are vital for the business, and they reinforce our commitment to ISO 14001 (E) (G).
https://twitter.com/ESGNerd/status/1564196426883678210
💡Using emotional intelligence is more effective than telling people what to do.
For example, explaining the benefits of buying oat milk, rather than tradition cow's milk. Every oat milk container I've seen on the supermarket shelves has an FSC kite mark. That very kite mark is a benefit over buying goods in plastic containers.
That's a wrap for this edition of ESG Newsletter
🌎 We've been around the globe in the inaugural edition of ESG Nerd. There is a lot of good work being done by individuals and small groups. Collaboration is key to achieving a sustainable future. Some may argue that emissions are the only real danger to our planet. While I agree we must drive down emissions, there are many dangers facing our ecosystem and data shows plastic is one of them.
Emissions, plastic, and overconsumption is problem created by years of ignorance. The Office for National Statistics database makes for interesting reading. In 1990, electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supplies accounted for 216,597 thousand tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. The industry was the leader in Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG). Today, consumer expenditure contributes to the highest output of GHG (141,212 tonnes).
Sustainability means different things to different people. Buying organic foods in not an option for folk dealing with the cost-of-living crisis. To them, sustainability means finding the most cost effective meal possible. Many communities in third world countries strive for clean water, something we, in developed nations, take for granted.
It's been fun writing this article. Sustainability is a serious issue, yet there's nothing in the rulebook that says we can't raise a smile along the way. Thank you once again to all the litter pickers, environmentalists, mental health professionals, and to anyone else out there who is doing something good.
If you'd like to know more about how to help your business become more sustainable, or if you want to share ideas, promote the great work of someone else, please let me know.
👁👁Thank you for reading ESG Nerd. If you like this post, share it with your family, friends, and colleagues.
Find me on Twitter and Instagram - join in on the conversation - #ESGNerd
Woz - Founder ESG Nerd