Ana Almeida

🌍 Global Horizons: Social Value and Sustainability Trends Across the World I was honored to be one of the speakers at the annual conference hosted by Social Value UK (now the Institute for Social Value). It was a privilege to share the Ukrainian perspective on social value and introduce Social Value Ukraine to a global audience.  A huge thank you to the Institute for Social Value for organizing this incredible event and to inspiring speakers for their invaluable insights. It was a powerful moment to discuss the latest trends in social value and sustainability reporting, highlighting global challenges and opportunities—from fostering community resilience in Ukraine to navigating the complexities of anti-ESG sentiment worldwide.    #SocialValue #Sustainability #GlobalMovement #ImpactManagement #SustainabilityReporting #CommunityResilience  

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Some really important new research from UNEP-WCMC, showing just how valuable investing in nature can be - for the UK, it's suggested that for every £1 invested in closing the natural capital gap, £34 will be returned in benefits. This benefit-cost ratio is well above the average for the 40 countries considered.     The total potential net benefit for the United Kingdom is about £1 trillion over the period 2021 to 2030.    The potential benefits are huge, not least as these figures are likely to be underestimates. They show how much of an opportunity there is for investing in nature and the scale of rewards to us all, as we tangibly see nature's recovery over time and for generations to come. This report follows recent research from Green Finance Institute that shared nature loss could lead to an estimated 6-12% loss of GDP in the coming years, greater than that in the global financial and Covid-19 crises.  Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eGRReRPy  #Economy #NatureBasedSolutions #Investment

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A timely and important report here, from Helen Avery and her team. As well as the hard hitting data about the cost of inaction, I really liked their analysis of why we’re failing to act systematically, in what they identify as tragedies of scale and space. For me, the hottest burning platform is under agriculture, in what they could have described as ‘the tragedy of signficance’. Already this winter, we have seen the impacts of changes in weather patterns on our ability to grow and harvest the staples we rely on. A government that cannot secure food resilience for both the short and the long term will be in a very precarious position indeed. It’s time governments align around and prioritise food systems policies, to plan for and mitigate these rapidly escalating risks.

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45% of GHGs can only be tackled by changing the way we make and consume products and food. Our vision is a thriving world in which climate change is no longer a problem. We work around the globe to tackle the causes of the climate crisis and give the planet a sustainable future - in over 50 countries. Our WRAP Around the Globe event brought together all our teams to celebrate what we're achieved over the past 20 years, and to energise ourselves for scaling that work, to give the planet a sustainable future. We shouldn’t waste our natural resources. Everything we use should be re-used and recycled. Read more about our work: https://lnkd.in/eiFAy-Yn #FoodWaste #LoveFoodHateWaste Harriet Lamb #Recycle #Recycling #RecycleNow #Textiles #Textiles2030 #UKPlasticsPact #CourtauldCommitment #Courtauld2030 #CourtauldCommitment2030 #Reuse

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Whichever party wins the upcoming Election, the transition to net-zero is going to have to factor in their plans. But, in the short-term it will be costly and require co-ordination. This briefing, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and written by Patricia Sanchez Juanino analyses the current policy framework and looks at the options available to effectively handle the green transition. #ClimateChange #GeneralElection2024

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Greenwashing guides popping up. This one offers a useful global perspective of regulatory changes concernig #greenwashing. However, I am not a fan of quick checklists. 🛑There are no shortcuts; collaborating with experts on different ESG topics remains essential, which is not mentioned in this guide. #sustainability #esg

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#Forest-based #carboncredits have had a rough couple of years. Numerous academic studies and media investigations have unearthed vastly inflated #carbon savings and failed safeguards for forest communities amongst the world’s Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (#REDD+) projects, which boast a quarter of all carbon credits to date. However, a new peer-reviewed Nature study by 27 researchers across 11 institutions including the Environmental Defense Fund , The Nature Conservancy and Columbia University, has backed the industry’s scientific credentials: out of all the world’s #nature-based climate solutions, the paper found that the four leading forest-based solutions have robust scientific foundations, while the others need urgent additional research before their role as a #climatesolution is understood. The study explicitly looked at the scientific basis of, and expert confidence in, the world’s known #naturebasedsolutions (#NBSs); rather than the implementation of individual projects, carbon crediting methodologies or co-benefits. “In tropical forests, there have been complaints about whether those projects are doing what they purport to do – but that is an implementation challenge,” says Brian Buma, senior climate scientist at EDF and a co-author of the report. “For forests, we have a pretty good scientific basis and our methods just get better and more complementary. We have a lot of ways of measuring the carbon in #forests and the associated fluxes. It is much harder to do in things like #soil, for example.” To find out more, read my latest piece for Energy Monitor👇 https://lnkd.in/e_JjwXFa Many thanks for the help, insight and research: Brian Buma, Doria R Gordon, Mark Moroge of EDF, Peter Ellis of TNC, Vanessa Terschluse of Greenhouse Communications, and CDR.fyi 🙏🙏🙏

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a charismatic collision between two worlds not too far apart. B Corp is an experiment, a panacea to what the B Lab cofounders would say is: "a source code error in capitalism". And the backbone to the certification is a rigorous set of standards all companies meet. What's always been a question though is: where is the voice of the workers, the smallholders, the customers, and the community in impact reporting? Is there also a source code error in how we measure impact? We can ask ourselves: what in our collective work risks it becoming a trend and more vulnerable to political tides? How might we ground the data in outcomes, informed by the people whose lives are changed? While B Corps strive to improve the lives and model a more inclusive economy, these three B Corps worked with 60 Decibels to sit with truths. "We came into business with the heartbeat of those we serve. Listening leads to understanding and that builds empathy, which leads to curiosity and innovation. Listening is the beginning of all great ideas.” Safwan Shah Southern Bancorp Counter Culture Coffee Payactiv #bcorp #impactmeasurement #listenbetter

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New research from EdenLab Leo Rayman finds 61% of sustainability professionals do not believe their C-Suite is sufficiently focused on sustainable transformation, with their time overwhelmingly taken up by reporting. Now, this is not to diss legislation, we need it. We need a clear, consistent minimum underpin for the marketplace so voluntary leaders are not left at a disadvantage and so we scale, rapidly decarbonization across the economy, and in doing so secure early mover advantage in an emerging new economy – something China seems to be winning at currently. Rather, it is to highlight the much bigger issue, that today’s high carbon ‘system’ is perpetuating itself through a veneer of respectable box ticking – ‘look over here folks at my shiny new report, not over there at my business as usual, long-term corporate strategy.’ Of course, there’s a sweeping generalization in this diatribe – all companies, all leaders are on a spectrum of understanding and commitment. There are a number that are mendacious, a few that are truly committed, but the vast bulk hover somewhere betwixt and between, waiting for a clear signal, that now is the time ‘to go for it.’ That signal will come, over the next decade spiralling extreme weather events will have a shattering impact on lives and livelihoods, on societal and economic stability. But, by then it’s too late, irretrievable damage done. C-Suites need to ‘look up’ and start to transform. Not quixotically. Not alone. But, with level head certainty, granular planning and mass colleague, supplier and customer engagement. Give your sustainability team permission to be transformation agents, not just compliance officers. And, a final word for sustainability professionals too. If you want to be seen as a transformation agent act like one. We, collectively, sometimes cling to the ‘comfort blanket’ of the ‘alphabet soup’ of sustainable business making it too easy for our leaders to dismiss us as commercially irrelevant. Immerse yourself in every aspect of your value chain, understand why it is like it is, build a value case for sustainable transformation, use data not just to report but to optimize your transformation journey and support your colleagues in delivering it. https://lnkd.in/e4YCaDqf

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Great to listen to the discussion about building regenerative into short, medium and long term strategy at the #ReutersResponsibleBusiness event yesterday. The benefits of regenerative are clear, but what is absolutely critical to making regenerative practices a success are people. Without involving farmers as #equal partners and stakeholders, we won’t get anywhere. Michael Gidney, CEO of The Fairtrade Foundation, final points : 1) The importance of paying a fair price to farmers so they have the investment and resources to plan long term and implement regenerative practices 2) We must give power to farmers so they have an equal stake 3) we need to see more businesses willing to work in a pre competitive space to invest in these solutions that will benefits all of us.

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As someone who is competitive by nature, I love a good league table – especially when the project I worked on is at the top. Volans worked with Unilever on its first Climate Policy Engagement Review and it’s now official that the review has set a new best practice. According to InfluenceMap’s assessment, it is the first such review to fully meet the expectations of The Global Standard on Responsible Climate Lobbying, which is backed by investor groups such as Principles for Responsible Investment, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), Ceres, Inc. and Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR). What we need now is a race to the top. We’ve demonstrated it’s possible to score 100% for ‘robustness of corporate climate policy engagement review’, so I hope we’ll soon see more green at the top of this table. Who’s up for it? Danone Facundo Etchebehere Nestlé Rob Cameron Procter & Gamble Virginie Helias ... https://lnkd.in/eWZDJYp9

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Clarity and transparency are truly valued by the clients & audience of your brand. ✨ "The Anti-Greenwash Guide for Agency Leaders" by Creatives for Climate is an invaluable resource offering insights, case studies, and practical advice to help agencies avoid greenwashing and promote authentic climate action in their communications. As advocates for transparency and sustainability, we encourage our clients to utilize this guide to enhance their environmental messaging. 🌱 Great work by Lucy von Sturmer & everyone involved! 👉 https://lnkd.in/dMC7smh9 #Sustainability #Greenwashing #ClimateAction #EthicalAdvertising

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If you're looking to start your career in sustainability or transition into the space, join this Second Nature Sisters | Org webinar in 30 mins, where I'll be sharing my advice on how to get started! The good news is green jobs are a plenty! In the UK, green jobs on LinkedIn have increased by 46% in the last year! Come hear about figuring out your green career strategy, framing your existing skills as relevant to the green transition, and how to start getting some sustainability experience under your belt. See you there! #greenjobs #greenskills #sustainabilityjobs

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🚀 Cultivated Meat: could it be the game-changer for our food system? 🥩🌍 As the UK rethinks its food policies, cultivated meat offers a unique opportunity to lead in sustainable food innovation. The benefits are clear: ✅ Lower environmental impact: Significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and land use compared to traditional animal farming. ✅ Resource efficiency: Uses less water and agricultural inputs. ✅ Animal welfare: Provides high-quality protein without animal suffering. ✅ Food security: Scales efficiently to meet global demand without crossing planetary boundaries. It’s time to embrace this future-proof solution! 🌱 #SustainableFood #Innovation #CultivatedMeat #FutureOfFood

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This is an impressive read...well done to everyone involved! Here's to 2025 and continuing to see Reading lead the way in their Climate Change efforts and Net Zero goal. Tomato Energy are excited to be able to support these ambitions with our plans for the next year and beyond... *Empowering communities to power themselves!* 🍅 Introducing 'Tomatopia' - our vision for residents, businesses, schools, community centres (or any roof able to house solar panels!) to come together to create sustainable, self-sufficient communities as micro-grids. 🍅 Offering cost effective ways for residents and businesses to become more sustainable with our solar panel and battery storage packages. (No upfront costs, installation or maintenance fees and setting bills over a 5 year term!) 🍅 Working with local authorities, social housing providers, developers and private landlords on decarbonisation projects. 🍅 Working with charities, community centres, places of worship etc on projects to get energy bills as low as possible by offering place based energy options. 🍅 Keeping energy tariffs flexible, smart and affordable. 🍅 Offering energy as a 'service'. 🍅 Supporting our local good causes, charities, schools, community events and sustainability campaigns. 🍅 Working with and partnering up with our local community and stakeholders. #tomatoenergy 🍅

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🚨 New Guide Drop: “ARR Carbon Projects and Their Role in Carbon Markets” In the fast-changing world of carbon markets, ARR projects are pivotal. Not only do they sequester CO₂, but they also bring powerful co-benefits like biodiversity restoration, and community engagement. But do you know how to properly assess their risks, ensure their long-term impact, and evaluate their true effectiveness? That’s where our new guide comes in. Our latest guide, “ARR Carbon Projects and Their Role in Carbon Markets,” provides an in-depth look at: • The current state of ARR carbon markets—exploring their risks, rewards, and evolving dynamics. • The newest Verra methodology (VM0047), highlighting its improvements and potential areas for refinement. • How Orbify helps streamline project evaluation and monitoring, ensuring long-term environmental success. 🌍 Ready to dive deeper? Download the guide now! 🖇 http://orbi.fyi/Fymk #Sustainability #CarbonMarkets #ARRProjects #ClimateAction #CarbonCredits #Reforestation #Afforestation #ClimateTech

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👀 Well, this is interesting. Over 250 businesses, financial institutions and NGOs represented in Business For A Plastics Treaty coalition have signed the Bridge to Busan Declaration. 📣 The group "urges policymakers to ensure plastic production remains in scope for the treaty" The declaration calls on governments to commit to: 1️⃣ achieve sustainable levels of production of primary plastic polymers; 2️⃣ ensure transparency in the production of primary plastic polymers, and 3️⃣ agree to a global objective regarding the sustainable production of primary plastic polymers. 🤔 Given who is in this Coalition*, it becomes an increasingly unsustainable position for countries to oppose dealing with production in the #PlasticsTreaty negotiations. *of course I take all corporate commitments with a very large grain of salt but let's not underestimate the power of a collective industry voice calling for dealing with this critical issue https://lnkd.in/enYzcfw7

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I had a quick read through this recently-published Low Carbon Lifestyles Guide earlier today - I like it. There are always risks in focusing too much on "individual behaviours" - but the things we each do in our daily lives do still matter. What we eat, how we live in our homes, how we get around, the stuff we buy. I like the way they've explored this in the Guide - focusing on 33 things of the most impactful things we can do - based upon work from the IPCC and Project Drawdown. Exploring the benefits of these actions - "functional", "emotional" and "social" benefits - is good. The focus on "Values-Action Barriers" - ie the external factors that make it difficult for us to do the right things - is welcome too. Too often there's an implication that people don't follow up on what they say they're going to do (the "attitude-behaviour gap") because of personal failings. Often it's more because businesses and governments make things more difficult for us than they should be. It's easy to see why it's often more attractive to tell a story about citizens/consumers being the ones who are getting in the way of making things better. It can let businesses and governments off the hook. There's a link to the Low Carbon Lifestyles Guide below - I'll stick a link in the comments too. #climateaction #behaviourchange #systemschange #climatechange

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