Hannah Furlong
Sustainable Brands
Ontario, Canada
Contact Hannah
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Past articles by Hannah:
Dove, Nike, Hershey’s Among Millennials’, Gen Z’s Most Trusted Brands
The erosion of trust among consumers — and especially young consumers — is top-of-mind for brands fighting for brand loyalty in a world with the highest youth population in history. Are young people finding the authenticity and trust they seek from brands? The short answer is yes, and according to a new ranking from Ybrands, Dove, Nike and Hershey’s are the top three “most trustworthy” brands… → Read More
The Importance of Truth, Redefining 'The Good Life' Among Ford's Trends for 2017
The newly-released Looking Forward with Ford report finds consumers at a crossroads. People are reassessing how they define 'the Good Life,' value material possessions, and use their time. They are placing greater accountability on brands to be transparent and truthful, and to act in the best interest of both individuals and society overall. The world seems to be in a perpetual state of flux,… → Read More
Report: 2020 Deforestation Goals Are Unlikely to Be Achieved, Companies Need More Help
The 2016 results from the Global Canopy Programme's 'Forest 500' have been released, and they don't bring good news. The deforestation policy analysis of the world's most influential powerbrokers, including companies, financial institutions, and countries, reveals that targets for 2020 and 2030 are unlikely to be met at the current rate of progress. 57 percent of companies in the Forest 500 have… → Read More
Trending: This Black Friday, 550+ Orgs to #OptOutside with REI, Patagonia to Donate Its Profits
Last year, REI closed its 149 stores on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, paid its employees to take the days off, and encouraged its employees and customers to enjoy the great outdoors with their loved ones. REI is running the “Opt Outside” campaign again this year, and it has enjoyed even more traction. Patagonia is taking a different approach: Its stores will be open, but it will be donating… → Read More
New Platform Helps Companies ‘Trase’ Deforestation in Their Supply Chains
Commodity production drives two-thirds of tropical deforestation worldwide, and tracing those commodities has proven difficult. With this in mind, the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Global Canopy Programme (GCP) have launched an interactive online platform called Trase – Transparency for Sustainable Economies – that allows companies, financial institutions, governments and others… → Read More
Trending: Global Commitments to Renewables, Climate Solutions Swell Following Election, COP22
This year, the U.S. election fell in the midst of the United Nations climate negotiations (COP22). While the results have led to some unease and uncertainty, they certainly haven’t halted commitments and funding for renewable energy and other climate change solutions. Numerous announcements have been made in this vein over the past two weeks, from companies such as General Motors, Dalmia Cement,… → Read More
One Simple Action: How FSC, Kimberly-Clark Are Engaging Consumers in Sustainable Forestry
FSC's “One Simple Action, One Profound Impact” campaign marks the first time that six publicly traded companies – some of which are competitors – have come together to promote the FSC directly to consumers. The unprecedented corporate-NGO partnership includes FSC, WWF, HP Inc., International Paper, Kimberly-Clark, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble and Williams-Sonoma, Inc., all of which sell… → Read More
adidas, Parley Unveil First Performance Apparel, Footwear Made from Ocean Plastic
Today, sportswear leader adidas and environmental organization Parley for the Oceans unveiled the first football and running performance products made from upcycled marine plastic waste recovered via Parley’s interception and cleanup operations in coastal areas of the Maldives. → Read More
Report: Forest Protection Pledges Have Surged, But Progress Has Been Mixed
Research groups have released what they are calling the most comprehensive and detailed look at private sector progress on forest commitments. The report analyzes 600 companies engaged in the production of the “big four” globally traded commodities responsible for 40 percent of deforestation — palm oil, wood, cattle and soy. While forest protection commitments have surged, the report details… → Read More
Dannon's Non-GMO Commitment Garners 'Unfounded Accusations' from Farm Groups
Earlier this year, yogurt giant Dannon announced new sustainable agriculture and non-GMO commitments. Now, farm organizations have decided that food companies 'jumping on the anti-GMO bandwagon' cannot go unchallenged, and has launched a new campaign arguing that GMOs are safe and that not using them would mean losing 20 years of beneficial progress. Dannon maintains that it agrees that… → Read More
How Oslo Plans to Achieve the World’s Most Ambitious Emissions Targets
Oslo, Norway has a much more ambitious plan than most when it comes to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The city plans to cut its emissions in half compared to 1990 levels, in only four years – faster than any city or country has made changes in the past. At the same time, if we want to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, it’s the pace we need. → Read More
Champions 12.3 ‘Progress’ Report Details Why We Must Target, Measure, Act on Food Waste
One-third of all food produced is never eaten by people, and this food loss and waste is responsible for $940 billion in economic losses and 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. If SDG Target 12.3 to halve food waste and reduce food loss by 2030 is to be achieved, a recent report says that every country, major city and company involved in the food supply chain needs to set reduction… → Read More
GRI Launches World’s First Global Standards for Sustainability Reporting
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) released new global sustainability reporting standards, which it says will enhance corporate transparency worldwide. The standards give companies a common language for disclosing non-financial information, and will help firms “make better decisions” and contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). → Read More
Trending: New Cross-Sector Collaborations Delve Into Circular Packaging Solutions
Newly-formed groups in Europe and Canada are working to deliver a circular economy for packaging materials: PlasticsEurope has created a Plastics Packaging Circular Economy Group to maximize resource efficiency across the plastics value chain; and Ontario’s Circular Economy Innovation Lab is hosting a series of workshops as part of a Printed Paper and Packaging Rapid Lab. → Read More
Changing What We Eat: The Role of Junk Food in Our Global Food Crisis
Millions of people struggled to afford traditional staple foods like maize, rice and wheat when global food prices spiked between 2007 and 2011, and a recent study found that in 10 countries studied, they switched to western-style processed “junk food” alternatives high in sugars, fats and salt. Junk food is also still prevalent in the United States, where over a third of adults 20 years and… → Read More
Trending: Target, Green Alley Offering Pilot Opportunities, Cash Prizes to Disruptive Startups
Waste-reducing apps, a food packaging system, and a CO2-absorbing urban “tree” are among the finalists for the third Green Alley Award, a prize that rewards business models and products that can improve resource conservation. Stateside, Target recently launched a new website that invites pitches from early-stage companies who are interested in runner pilot programs with the big-box retailer. → Read More
KnowTheChain Taking Food, Beverage Brands to Task for Failing to Address Forced Labor Risks
Every day we eat and drink products tainted by forced labor, a new report has found. Agricultural workers in particular, including migrants and women, are some of the poorest paid and most exploited workers in the world. According to KnowTheChain’s latest industry benchmark, the 20 largest global food and beverage companies are failing to address these risks, with an average company score of 30… → Read More
Giant Coffee Cup Bins Offer Paper Cup Recycling in New Social Experiment
Eleven bins shaped like giant coffee cups have popped up along one of Manchester’s busiest streets, Oxford Road. They’re part of a new campaign and social experiment from environment charity Hubbub that aims to give paper cup recycling #1MoreShot. It has been estimated that 2.5 billion paper hot beverage cups are thrown away in the United Kingdom each year – and less than 1 percent are recycled. → Read More
MSC Continues to Make Waves: Sustainable Wild-Catch Grows to 10% of Global Market
Sustainable fishing practices are having lasting impact on fish stocks and marine ecosystems, in part due to successful voluntary certification schemes such as that of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The organization’s latest Annual Report, released today, highlights growth in MSC-certified fisheries and supply chain. → Read More
Study: Companies Failing to Report Their Impact Against Planetary Boundaries
Companies have begun to recognize that climate change is occurring and that it poses a significant risk to their business. However, new research suggests that companies are not reporting how planetary boundaries and social thresholds inform their environmental and social targets. → Read More