Kris Shea

📢 Incoming: Compare Ethics has consulted brands representing a total of *£151+ billion in global revenue* to create a Green Claims Data Standard. 🤔 What is it? The Data Standard is a new level of guidance on what data is needed to make green claims. It's the first free, public resource of its kind. 🔐 What does it unlock? This helps brands understand the specific data they need from their value chain to enable them to make compliant green claims. 🙋 Want be the first to see it next week? Drop me a DM and we will send it to you first. #greenclaims #sustainability #compliance #greenclaimscode https://lnkd.in/eT8hRETW

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Slowing inflation reported yesterday does not mean that consumers are seeing a reduction in prices and costs and the overall squeeze on many monthly budgets continues. New figures from KPMG show that four in ten British households are saving around £77 a month by reducing expenditure on discretionary items after two years of a cost of living squeeze caused by rising prices. KPMG said spending on restaurants, takeaways, and clothing were the biggest areas of cutbacks for savers this year, alongside beauty products and subscription streaming services. https://lnkd.in/edTSArGv #economy #inflation #spending #consumertrends

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"...in a world where capitalism often takes precedence over ethics, the term “sustainability” has been co-opted and commercialised, leaving many questioning its authenticity." My musing on the real meaning of sustainability and how it shapes my life. First of many blog posts! #sustainability #capitalism #makingchange #smallhabits #ethics

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We take sustainability very seriously at IT Naturally | B Corp | MSP and are currently trying to improve our Scope 3s - the suppliers we work with. We always ask potential suppliers for their ESG practices to see if we align before we work with them. As a B Corp with sustainability at our heart, it can be tempting to shout our green credentials from the rooftops, but we know that digital sustainability is a journey, not a destination. It's something we do want to talk about but It's a hard one to get right and this article from fellow B Corp Mightybytes, Certified B Corpon digital greenwashing is an interesting read for any business leader navigating digital sustainability: https://lnkd.in/eEbdQE5f I especially appreciate the actionable tips the author provides, like aligning with existing frameworks, using specific language, and owning your mistakes. These are principles we strive to embody every day. #BCorp #Greenwashing #Sustainability

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Does consumer action on climate matter? Are sustainable lifestyles a distraction? Since we published our Low Carbon Lifestyles guide last week I've had various comments brushing off consumer action as un-important compared to political or activist roles. I've got this my entire career, the prioritisation of the performative over the personal, of public action over private, and it's wrong on so many levels. Bluntly, it's sexist. Read my new Forbes blog on why you should respect consumer/lifestyle action if you respect women. LINK HERE - don’t know why preview isn’t working! https://lnkd.in/gjRTyQ2q

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🎙️Pleased to have delivered the opening keynote at Engage London, Acquia’s global agency event. Acquia has an inspirational mission to develop useful, beneficial and helpful technologies. My talk in typical fashion was focused on responsible AI (RAI), its principles and a RAI framework. I can’t stress this enough, if you’re planning to adopt AI applications / build AI models, or you’re already using AI technologies in your organisations, it’s absolutely crucial you include Responsible AI principles at every step of the process / ML lifecycle. #ai #responsibleai

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Driving Sustainability - Key Insights from the State of Data and COP29 As COP29 runs this week, sustainability is transitioning from a corporate responsibility initiative to a regulatory mandate, particularly in the UK. KDR’s latest "State of Data" report reveals how the rise in sustainability regulations is reshaping data strategy and tech infrastructure across industries. With data and tech professionals facing the challenge of integrating sustainability into core operations, the report’s insights provide guidance on navigating compliance and leveraging data for sustainable growth. Looking at some key sectors: Under the UK Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR), data engineering will be crucial for handling the large volumes of data needed for climate-related reporting. Google Cloud Platform (GCP) allows organisations to consolidate data, reducing the reliance on energy-intensive, on-premises data centres while using scalable tools aligned with SDR’s data demands. Companies adopting GCP for data engineering can streamline their data infrastructure and reduce carbon emissions, helping them meet SDR’s rigorous reporting requirements. Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly large language models (LLMs) embedded in SaaS applications, plays a key role in environmental impact predictions and sustainability modelling. By using LLMs, companies can detect patterns, assess risks, and simulate sustainable strategies, supporting SDR compliance and setting a global example in sustainable innovation. The complexity of UK regulations—especially SDR and TCFD—places high demands on data management. For UK companies, data management systems must be robust, transparent, and capable of delivering accurate sustainability data for auditing purposes. KDR’s State of Data report underscores the importance of data governance to ensure information is both reliable and readily available. Analytics allow digital and data teams to monitor sustainability metrics in real-time, helping businesses achieve compliance with minimal delays and helps them to maximise carbon reporting accuracy. By 2025, KDR anticipates a stronger emphasis on AI, data literacy, and data quality as businesses adapt to sustainability standards that continue to evolve. This shift points to a workforce where data professionals skilled in sustainable practices, AI ethics, and environmental analytics will be in high demand. #Sustainability #DataStrategy #AI

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🥕 🎙 Reflecting on one of our latest Climate Careers podcast episodes, I’m inspired by the potential to reshape our food systems for sustainability. I spoke with Pete Pearson, Global Initiative Lead- Food Circularity at WWF, and Sandra Vijn, Managing Director U.S.A. at Kipster about key challenges and innovative solutions. 🗞 A standout initiative is the new Lidl and WWF partnership to create a sustainable supply chain across 31 countries. The plan focuses on biodiversity, water management, and ethical sourcing of materials like palm oil and cocoa. It shows how large retailers can drive meaningful change. 🛒 Lidl’s efforts to improve traceability, eliminate deforestation, and safeguard fishing grounds highlight the power of strong partnerships. As Christoph Pohl from Lidl said, "We can only overcome major global challenges such as climate change and nature loss by working together." Excited to follow this partnership flourish and set new standards for grocery retailers. 🌍✨ Interested in food sustainability? Tune into my conversation with Sandra and Pete by checking out the link in the comments. ⬇ ✅ #Sustainability #FoodSystems #ClimateCareers #Podcast #WWF #Lidl #SustainableSupplyChain #Biodiversity #ClimateAction #CircularEconomy https://lnkd.in/d5-c2GhC

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🌍 At our event in July, I spoke about how important it is to us, at manifesto, to consider the impact of our work on our BIGGEST stakeholder, the planet. Today, I'm happy to share more of our approach and thinking on building sustainable digital experiences. Our latest blog features an interview with our brilliant Business Design Director, Paul Peet, with tips to help you get started in managing the digital carbon footprint of your digital products and an introduction to our digital sustainability audit, if you’re ready to take it further. I'd love to hear where you're at in this journey, so if there's anything that stands out for you, do send me a message. https://lnkd.in/evajikQ6 #DigitalExperience #DigitalSustainability #EthicalDigital #manifestoForChange [Video description: Frame 1: on a lime green background is the text “making the planet a stakeholder by reducing the carbon footprint of your digital estate is about as urgent as it gets, Rebecca Hull, manifesto” with a voiceover of Rebecca speaking these words. An ambient soundtrack plays Frame 2: Rebecca is on stage in a room full of people and says “The average webpage size has increased 143% since the Paris Agreement was signed. And that’s only going to get bigger with the advent and uptake of more AI. Frame 3: Over event footage is a lilac highlight with black text: “discussing the climate impacts of digital and AI was one of the highlights from the first event in our new series”. An ambient soundtrack plays. Frame 4: Paul Clough is on stage in front of the same audience. He says “It’s estimated that every 20 to 50 queries to ChatGPT is effectively consuming a bottle of water. Okay. Because of the water that’s used to train all those systems in the data centers. And I don’t know about you but that grates on me a little bit. I’m playing around with these tools. And there are people in the world that don’t even have access to clean water. Frame 5: On a lime background is the text “have you considered the impact of digital on your sustainability strategy”. Ambient music plays over]

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Saw this today and it really resonated. Fantastic insight into the elite mindset of Roger Federer. Video is attached, around 13 minutes in for the speech. “Perfection is impossible. In the 1,526 singles matches I played in my career, I won almost 80% of those matches. But what percentage of points did I win? - 54% In other words, even top ranked tennis players win barely more than half the points they play. When you lose every second point on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot. You teach yourself to think: ‘Okay, I double faulted...it's only a point.' 'Okay, I came to the net and I got passed again...it's only a point.' Even a great shot, an overhead backhand smash that ends up on ESPN's top 10 playlist – that too is just a point. Here's why I'm telling you this… When you're playing a point, it has to be the most important thing the world. And it is. But when it's behind you, it's behind you. This mindset is crucial – because it frees you to fully commit to the next point with intensity, clarity, and focus." #ecommerce #projectmanagement #highperformance #mindset #stepbystep

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🌱 Amazing news to share on Nice | B Corp™'s progress towards their sustainability goals! Read on to see Nice's fantastic work and how the partnership with Zevero helped support their company's accomplishments for the planet 🙌 🌎 #emissionsreductions #sustainability #impactreport

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🌍 Proud Moment for Futureproof and for Me Personally 🌍 This Living Wage Week, I’m thrilled to share that Futureproof has partnered with the Living Wage Foundation to simplify the path to Living Wage certification for businesses across the UK. At Futureproof, our mission is to build a future everyone wants to live in—a future that starts with fair wages and a commitment to social equity. This partnership is a powerful step towards achieving that vision, and I’m incredibly proud to be part of a team dedicated to making sustainability accessible and impactful for companies of all sizes. Through this collaboration, we’re not only helping businesses become certified Living Wage Employers more efficiently, but we’re also encouraging them to explore broader ESG initiatives. As part of our commitment, we’ll be donating a portion of our fee to support the Living Wage Foundation’s mission for every Living Wage Employer who joins our platform. 🌱 A huge thank you to Sebastian Bachelier-Chancerel and the entire team at the Living Wage Foundation for joining forces with us on this journey. Together, we’re empowering businesses to build fairer workplaces, improve employee well-being, and create sustainable impact from the ground up. Here’s to the positive ripple effect this partnership will create! ✨ #Futureproof #LivingWage #ESG #Sustainability #SocialImpact #LivingWageWeek

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Every so often an AI use case creeps up and takes us all by surprise. Many of us are fascinated by behavioural science - since it can predict so many positive outcomes for us, both individually and as business leaders. That's why I was so intrigued learning about Psych-101. And why this deep dive provides such a fascinating glimpse into a missing piece of the marketing jigsaw. https://lnkd.in/d5PGp8Ci

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#oldfindsnewstories Many thanks to Adam Bastock of Small99, and to Small Business Britain of course, for yesterday's "Carbon-Cutting 101" webinar. Such an interesting hour, with plenty of food for thought, and action. Two ideas I particularly enjoyed hearing: >put sustainability second in our marketing, i.e. talk about other benefits of what we do, or offer, first; >be honest about the challenges we're facing as we work to cut our carbon emissions. I listened to the webinar while parked in my (admittedly, diesel) car. Getting the train to meet up with friends later in the day felt wholesome; alas, schlepping preloved goods to and from a shipping container on a farm still needs my trusty Skoda. My first van, as I expand the business, might have to be diesel or petrol too; but the next one a hybrid? That's the carbon-cutting plan, amongst many others. Image credit: Mylene2401 on Pixabay #sustainability #CPD #bizdev #thinkingtime #thankyou

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This is why marketing + sustainability teams need to work TOGETHER on green claims 🤝 👇 A recent Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) poll found that 9 in 10 UK marketers want global guidelines to help brands communicate sustainability efforts without risking greenwashing accusations. 📊 They found: • 64% say their companies or clients aren’t doing enough to communicate ESG targets and progress. • 66% think leadership teams are holding back on ESG messaging for fear of greenwashing claims. Guidelines like those released by CMA to help fashion and apparel companies comply with Green Claims Code (released in September) do provide much-needed clarity. But here’s the critical piece: ❌ A green claim isn’t compliant without data to back it up. ❌ But a well-founded green claim is still non-compliant if it isn’t communicated accurately. How do we ensure that we tick both boxes? ✅ Robust data. ✅ Cross-functional strategy. ✅ A trusted compliance partner. At Compare Ethics, we support an all-round approach to green claims: • Verification powered by AI: Our platform enables rapid, detailed checks of all documents and products—without significantly increasing headcount and costs. • Cross-team collaboration: We also work closely with marketing communications to ensure claims are communicated compliantly. Want to learn more? Let’s chat—drop me a message. _____ ➕ Follow Abbie Morris for posts about sustainability, policy, and startups. 📧 Drop me a DM if you want to learn more about tackling the mountain of sustainability regulation facing the retail industry.

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Helpful share from Marion Cardona and Adwanted UK: 5 ways to cut emissions from your [programmatic] festive ads... 🎄 "...by automatically identifying times of the day when ads use up less power, targeting users who are less carbon-intensive (such as those using Wi-Fi) and prioritising formats, lengths and ad placements that are more energy-efficient, you can reduce the environmental impact of your programmatic campaigns by as much as 20% (source: Impact Plus)." 👏 https://lnkd.in/eg38h3BR

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What is an LTO? In this great article, the amazing Simon Sikorski goes into a fascinating level of detail about what a video ad tech company like our partner XR Extreme Reach can do to achieve net zero. Well done Simon and Emma Horton for putting together such a comprehensive strategy. Spoiler: LTO = Linear Tape-Open (LTO), a magnetic tape data storage technology used for backup, data archiving, and data transfer. Read the article if you want to know more about the role of LTOs in Net Zero!

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Well here we are at the Google Accelerate Performance Summit 📈Amazing turn out from customers across many industries, big and small. Some great new research from BCG and loving the conversation about how do we keep up with the pace of AI change, where to next to grow. Lots about capability, mindset, experimentation and carving out new relationships with business finance, DPOs, business analytics data teams to align on cross organisational growth goals. Great quote from @nicoladutton from The Very Group when asked the question about whether to prioritise short or long term marketing investments ‘It’s both. You have to do the Long AND the Short of it. If across the business, you have aligned on shared growth goals, that makes it easier to make difficult decisions knowing the implications of those decisions.’ To add I think there is no silver bullet, test, learn, fail, test again and scale! And this is important because you can’t cost cut your way to growth. But you can experiment and scale your way to growth.

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Are you looking to make your Christmas just a bit greener? 🎄 Here are 12 tips for a more planet-friendly festive season: 1. Buy locally made gifts - markets are a great place to find unique products that support your community too 2. Avoid plastic gifts because they don’t biodegrade 3. Buy things that are recycled, recyclable or biodegradable. Buy from BCORPs like Bared Footware https://lnkd.in/gTDCQppq 4. Reduce the carbon miles that gifts travel by having them sent directly from the retailer to your recipient as many offer gift wrapping and a gift message 5. Wrap your gifts in recycled wrapping paper or follow the Japanese tradition and wrap them in reusable fabric eg a lovely tea towel. Nice recycled wrapping papers in Australia (you can find them in your country too if you live outside Australia from shops like Etsy) https://lnkd.in/geYWgGcn https://lnkd.in/gJbfexNz 6. Buy a real Christmas tree instead of a plastic one, or rent a live one in a pot like these in London: https://lnkd.in/g3y356sy 7. Use solar powered fairy lights instead of electric ones 8. Make your own Christmas tree decorations using locally sourced materials like twigs, shells and seed pods and brown string instead of plastic ones. If you paint them with gold paint, try to find an eco friendly, non toxic paint that’s made in your country. What a lovely project to bring people together. Buy timber decorations if you don’t have time to make your own. 9. Buy pre-loved gifts from op shops. You will be surprised what you can find. Make it a family tradition for everyone to buy at least one gift from a second hand store. This is also a great idea for the office Kris Kringle. 10. Buy your alcohol from your local wineries, breweries and distilleries and preferably try organic and biodynamic ones from shops like www.organicwine.com.au/ 11. Eat more plant based dishes than last year. https://lnkd.in/gX4NvCs8 12. Make a donation as a Christmas gift to a charity that is trying to save the planet eg https://lnkd.in/gjimJhsi These are all little things we can try to do and there are so many more. Ideas please! No one is perfect at being green but we can all try to be a bit greener each Christmas. Every little choice counts and consumer behavior is very powerful in making a better world. Individually, our choices may seem small; however together, we can make a big difference! 🎄🎁🏡🌏🍁🦌🌲