Sustainable Markets Initiative

Yesterday, we and several of our members joined our founder His Majesty King Charles III as he hosted the COP Troika at Clarence House, including COP28 President, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, COP29 President-Designate, Mukhtar Babayev, and Brazil’s National Secretary for Climate Change, Ana Toni. The event was an opportunity to review the progress made since COP28, understand the ambitions for COP29 and COP30, but most importantly for us, remind the leaders of the critical role the private sector plays in creating a sustainable future.

Much of Uganda's discarded plastic is abandoned and burned in open land, causing damage to the environment and people's health. Eco Brixs has come up with a solution ♻️ As CEO and Founder Andy Bownds explains, they have created a closed loop recycling system that empowers the community. People are given job opportunities to collect plastic waste which is then recycled into useful products like fence posts and paving slabs. These items are sold locally – usually at a lower cost than their non-recycled competitors. Since we filmed with them back in April 2021, Eco Brixs has continued working towards their vision of a waste-free world. To mark Plastic Free July we're revisiting the RE:TV contributors innovating solutions to the plastic crisis around the world. Watch their case study films to learn more 👉 https://lnkd.in/enZUYjRQ #plasticfree #plasticpollution #climatesolutions

"The good news is that farming, having been part of the problem for most of my farming lifetime, could become part of the solution." As Patrick Holden from Sustainable Food Trust explains, modern agriculture has become disconnected from the natural world. Our current methods are highly industrial and extractive – but there is another way. Farming in harmony with nature has a positive impact on both people and the planet 👩🌾🌍 RE:TV’s month-long season dedicated to #RegenerativeAgriculture is still underway. To learn why transforming the way we farm is essential to global food security, watch the extended interview with Patrick on our hub full of films and reports 👉 https://lnkd.in/eWg5eSsX

Informative sessions on a range of relevant climate topics!!

#Naturebasedsolutions will play a crucial role in climate mitigation and adaptation efforts in support of meeting 2030 Paris Agreement targets. Join Ermelinda Gisela Manhiça Sitoe & Telio Murrure on Tuesday 23 July at 15:00 CET for a one-hour session titled: Tree plantations and reforestation: A Mozambique Case Study This is the second module on nature-based solutions delivered through our recently launched Climate #Training Programme. If you missed module 1 on "Catalysing large-scale nature-based projects: observations from a Project Developer’s perspective", you can watch the recording here: https://lnkd.in/eHzZNBEP (Note: Register on the platform for access) The Climate Training Platform is a great resource for building base-level knowledge on a range of climate-related topics. Sessions are hosted each Tuesday and Thursday, and all recorded sessions are archived so you can access them at your convenience. Register for the platform and check out the full calendar of course offerings: https://lnkd.in/eDieVi7M

The #space environment provides countless benefits and capabilities, from connectivity and communication to enabling applications that can help address the effects of climate change. But if we don’t take care in how we explore and operate in this unique environment, we put our ability to access space at serious risk – for ourselves and future generations.   Last week’s 6th Annual Summit for Space Sustainability hosted in Tokyo by Secure World Foundation brought together industry, government, and multilateral organisations with a focus on the opportunities and challenges for a rapidly growing space economy.   Questions like: ➡ how to ensure equitable access to space for all countries, especially those that need solutions from space to combat the effects of climate change; ➡ how to balance the rapid growth in commercial space activity with a default sustainable mindset; ➡ and how to tackle the issue of space debris, including manage existing debris, and minimising creation of debris in future... These were just a few of the topics covered in a series of engaging and thought-provoking sessions.   In line with our #AstraCarta mandate, SMI's Space Sustainability Task Force is exploring tangible ways the private sector can help enable and accelerate solutions to support sustainable use of space. The conference was an important chance to learn new insights, make new connections, and importantly, bring private sector perspectives to the conversation.   Pictured: SMI Chief Impact Officer Angelie Moledina on a panel discussing the important role of multilateral organisations and collaboration for success.

Nature is our planet’s life support system, underpinning every aspect of our society, economy, and wellbeing - yet biodiversity is declining faster than at any time in human history. At a Goals House event during London Climate Action Week, the Sustainable Markets Initiative highlighted how we can not only protect and restore Nature but unlock and harness its economic value. Members showcased the work they were doing to progress and campaign for greater financing mechanisms, tools & measurement, and wider cooperation to drive capital into Nature. Backing this up, they provided tangible examples of their work driving investment into sectors with the most opportunity to restore and harness Nature, such as agriculture and infrastructure. Thank you to our moderator, Diana Callebaut, Managing Director & Global Head of Investments at Pollination, and panellists Ronald O'Hanley, Chair and CEO of State Street; Charlie Nunn, CEO of Lloyds Banking Group; Laura Barlow, Group Head of Sustainability at Barclays; and Robert Spencer, Global Head of ESG Advisory Services at AECOM. To learn more about the Sustainable Markets Initiative, please visit: https://lnkd.in/d3PYeKA

This week the Sustainable Markets Initiative announced the shortlisted finalists of its global competition seeking student-led, high-impact solutions to the climate and biodiversity crisis – the Terra Carta Design Lab.   Entries from the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad, Rhode Island School of Design and the Royal College of Art include a biodegradable alternative to micro-plastic made from fish scales, a speed detection system for animal road crossings, and an affordable early wildfire detection solution.   Eight winners will be chosen later this year following a judging process led by Sir Jony Ive, with all receiving funding and mentorship to further develop their innovations and enable them to be scaled and taken to market.   Reflecting on the competition, SMI CEO Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, M.V.O., MBA said that the entrants’ “work exemplifies what is possible when we put design, engineering, innovation, technology, art and global experience at the heart of systems-level change.”   Read more about this year's entrants here: https://lnkd.in/eiAKxPHf

"We need to move towards a regenerative system which produces food in harmony with nature". As Adele Jones from Sustainable Food Trust explains, #RegenerativeAgriculture offers a way of producing healthy, nutritious food for everyone at the same time as restoring ecosystems, reducing emissions and removing carbon 🥬 It’s the beginning of RE:TV’s month-long season dedicated to Regenerative Agriculture. To learn more about what farmers can do to help tackle the climate crisis, watch the extended interview with Adele on our new hub full of films and reports: https://lnkd.in/eWg5eSsX There’s plenty of food for thought!

We proudly celebrate the incredible women within our membership who are driving innovation and shaping a sustainable future across diverse industries, not only today on #internationalwomeninengineeringday, but recognising the value they bring everyday. From renewable energy pioneers and sustainable urban planners to cutting-edge technologists and environmental advocates, our women engineers are not just breaking barriers; they are creating lasting, positive change for our planet. #INWED24 #enhancedbyengineering