Natalie Deacon

This Wednesday, I will be alongside representatives from Boohoo Group PLC, H&M and Oxfam on a panel in front of the Environmental Audit Committee. We will be discussing "what the environmental impact of UK fashion is likely to look like in years to come, and what progress the industry has made towards sustainability". My aim will be to highlight... >>> 1 <<< How resale is already contributing to circularity at scale, powered by: ⚡ Over 10,000 high street charity shops ⚡ £bn+ peer-to-peer apps like Vinted, Depop & eBay ⚡ Rapidly growing managed marketplaces like Thrift+ Together, we are recirculating huge volumes of clothing for a second life here in the UK. >>> 2 <<< How pre-loved / second-hand has the incredible ability to compete directly with (ultra) fast fashion - on price, choice & speed. Recently, the Sustainability Director of a fast fashion retailer told me that "Vinted is now our biggest competitor". Now *THAT* is progress. *** To the other circular economy superheroes out there - what other important messages should I try to land with our MPs? ***

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Innovation Forum insights – Have we become too carbon-focused? Raviv Turner, founding member of the Nature Tech Collective and member of the nature data working group at the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), talks with me about current trends in nature-based disclosure and highlights best practices the transition from non-disclosure to disclosure. We discuss key regulation coming up such as the EU deforestation regulation and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and about how business engagement on biodiversity could develop in the future.

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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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It’s not always easy to get good climate-related coverage in the Telegraph. But I've just spotted an example of brilliant climate storytelling in that very publication. So… why does it work?  📲 It’s about a solution. Hope-filled stories are good at engaging audiences (they’re less scary, right!) and media outlets are inevitably driven to create content that will be read and shared. This one is about a very tangible text message warning system. 🗺 It’s about particular places. Like Kilifi in Kenya. It’s hard for any of us to grapple with the implications of our changing planet in the abstract. This piece makes it specific, meaning we have more of a chance of connecting with it. 💚 It opens with an engaging human story. A farmer, Amos Kazungu, is pictured and speaks directly to us about what he has experienced. “There was so little rain that the river dried up...” 📢 It includes a call to action: "Only a fraction of Kenya’s farmers receive such support" and points to the need for governments to step up. The UK government was pushed to respond. ☀ It’s not obviously about ‘climate change’ which (wrongly, so wrongly) has become politicised, and scares some editors and alienates some readers. This story is ostensibly about drought. But it does talk about adaptation to increasingly extreme weather. So it is about climate change - but by the back door. These are my thoughts. Let me know yours! (I don't know the team behind the story - but hats off to all of them, not least journalist Peter Yeung and farmers Amos Kuzungu and Wario Hasama)

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Is it just me or is the “call for greater transparency in comms” getting even louder lately? 📣 No longer just a call for clearer sustainability reporting or financial disclosure, I’ve been noticing a significant shift in the corporate communications landscape, particularly in the UK and EU. Regulators and stakeholders alike are pushing for more honesty and clarity in how companies share their stories. This isn’t just about ticking boxes—it’s about building genuine trust and credibility. The team and I at Schon&Co. have been doing lots of work lately with clients on their corporate narrative and storytelling. What we’ve found is that starting with a focus on transparency often helps companies truly define who they are and what sets them apart. It’s amazing how a clear, authentic approach can quickly reveal the unique strengths and value of a business. Importantly, as I’ve witnessed many times in my career, transparency in comms genuinely helps foster stronger connections and trust between companies and their audiences. I think we’re reaching quite a pivotal moment in the PR industry right now - there’s lots of change taking place. But keeping a focus on transparency should be a constant. Curious about how transparency can enhance your corporate narrative? Let’s connect and chat!

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Finally - #greenwashing regulation! I was more than happy to share my views with Bloomberg, Edie, International adviser and others. In essence, fact based communication is good. Great even. No more just sounding sustainable, but more focus on the actual impact. The new rules force companies to make evidence-based product labels that clearly explain to consumers what their money is being used for. Just imaging all the court cases we could avoid by clearly communicating how and why and what a sustainable product/service is. Let's do that. https://lnkd.in/dRxe2NFq

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Whatever you think about the contents, this approach to communicating Unilever's new Climate Transition Action Plan is well worth a look. Rather than simply using a talking head video of their CEO, running through the new plan that the the board have literally just approved, Louise Phillips' Unilever comms team chose the more personable format of a video conversation between Unilever's (brilliant) Head of Sustainability, Rebecca Marmot and CEO Hein Schumacher, helping to bring the new plan to life. A smart move. What this shows me in terms of best practice for sustainability comms is the following. 1. Unilever (and Hein) trusts and values Rebecca's experience and knowledge and Hein is comfortable empowering others to be the centre of attention 2. Unilever knows that showcasing experts directly, rather than asking them to brief another (perhaps less knowledgeable) executive makes the organisation appear stronger, more unified and more informed 3. Unilever knows that there has been some public criticism about their latest their plan, and is using this a smart way to address these head on. Note how in this conversation Rebecca states "but there is still more to do..." For full transparency I should admit that I trained alongside Rebecca in my (our) first ever job at a London agency, we even worked on a couple of client accounts together back in the day, and so I feel bizarrely proud of her work today and the way that she communicates complex sustainability issues in plain English. A skill that is much, much harder to master than anyone ever imagines, and certainly much harder than Rebecca makes it look here. So what you ask? Well, if you want to know more about how to make sure your sustainability communications is as effective and engaging as it can be just get in touch! I'd love to chat about how I could help you to subscribe to the school of best practice for sustainability comms too. Meantime take a look at this for some inspiration.

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Reading the attached link from greenwash.com about The Good Refill? While it may appear to be an eco-conscious step forward, The Good Refill has misleading claims like TerraCycle® recyclability, further highlight the greenwashing at play. Reliance on non-recyclable plastic pouches and the lack of a truly circular system make it clear that this is far from a genuine solution to the plastic crisis. Profits Vs Planet: Can they co-exist? True sustainability demands eliminating single use plastic waste, not repackaging it. #Sustainability #Greenwashing #DemandBetter https://lnkd.in/g6YBCkX4

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Fascinating discussion on Green Alliance's webinar on what people really want from a greener fashion industry and what this means for government and business, alongside Libby Peake and Alex Proudfoot, and chaired by lucy siegle. We covered two pieces of research from Green Alliance's Circular Economy Task Force and PwC, which between them covered two key topics for progress to be made in this area 1. What the public want from industry and government 2. How reuse can be economically viable My key takeaways from the session were 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 The public want change and made it clear through Green Alliance's research that reuse and reduction targets are more important then recycling to them. Which shows that people can see beyond recycling, and understand that we need to change our consumption habits, and want government and brands to help them. 👕 An item can retain more value depending on how it's resold - platforms that include processes of quality checks and repairs generate up to 5 x more value for the same items. However 📈 We are owning more pieces of clothing and using them less. Despite 25% of our clothing being reused in some way in the UK, the global growth of clothing production has outstripped GDP, and the average number of times an item is used is falling. We discussed the roles and levers that both government and brands have when it comes to create a more circular and sustainable approach to our clothes, BUT it was great to hear that most of the changes brands have and are making to bring more reuse and repair into their offer, are the result of what their customers are asking of them. People power in action! 🙌 If you want to catch up with what you missed on the webinar, links to the You Tube video as well as links to both the reports are below ⬇ 📺 Catch up on the webinar here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ejwNi4yr Read the reports 📗 Changing fashion: what people want from a greener clothing industry https://lnkd.in/e5AVJsFW 📕 Circular fashion: making resale a reality https://lnkd.in/euyHyfEm #sustainablefashion #circulareconomy #producerresponsibility

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What's been going on in sustainable fashion this week? ⬇ 1) Following on from stark warnings from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) that the world is dangerously close to its 1.5°C climate threshold - we are starting to see more businesses make rapid cuts to help halve global emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2050. Last week we saw New Look and River Island commit to a number of long term and short term emission reduction targets which have been approved by Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). 2) Last week the CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive) was finally approved by EU Parliament - meaning companies will be liable for the human rights and environmental impact in their supply chains. The CSDDD was originally intended for companies with 500+ employees and €150M+ in revenue, however the thresholds have been increased to 1000+ employees and €450M+ in revenue. The directive still needs to reach final approval in May before it will be enforced, and then member states have 2 years to incorporate the new rules into their national laws. For your step by step guide to Legislation in the fashion industry, join Sustainable Fashion School NOW! 3) British heritage knitwear brand John Smedley Ltd is reopening its factory in the UK for the first time in more than 40 years. In partnership with The Board of Trade, The British Fashion Council, and the UKFT Association, the initiative aims to encourage brands to bring knitwear manufacturing back to UK shores. 4) British luxury brand Chinti & Parker have launched its first collection of Digital Product Passports powered by Fabacus. Customers can access detailed information across approximately 100 data points, about materials used, production processes and the environmental characteristics of each garment. 5) On 1st May '24, eBay UK will be launching their first EBAY LIVE, hosted by comedian Katherine Ryan and Ebay's Pre-Loved Style Director Amy Bannerman. Items available will include pieces worn by Katherine, or from her hit show 'The Duchess'. All funds raised will be donated to the Women's Heath Information and Support Centre. 6) TikTok Tok have launched their 'Pre-Loved Luxury' category on its channel Tik Tok Shop, allowing users to browse and purchase second hand luxury pieces from within the app. The category will launch in partnership with Luxe Collective Fashion, Sellier, Sign of the Times, Hardlyeverwornit.com and Break. Archive 7) Circularity platform Recomme.co and ACS (Advanced Clothing Solutions) have joined forced with the UK Fashion and Textile Association to launch 'Repurpose'. Repurpose will facilitate a 'one-stop-shop' circular solution, to ensure unwanted and damaged products are sent to the right place to maximise their value - whether it be resale, rental, or recycling. The initiative will provide brands with the data to scale solutions and reduce the complexity of working with multiple third party platforms.

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It should be as simple as this. Most agencies don't know enough to steer your sustainability communications safely. Get advice and direction from the trusted authority on business sustainability - ask me.💚https://lnkd.in/eferuTnw #sustainabilitycommunications

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Sustainability and comms need to go hand in hand as David Willans so correctly points out. You’ve got to think of all the audiences who need to be engaged, from employees, partners, investors, suppliers, customers, regulators, media, and more. And then find and craft the stories that’ll excite and influence them. And then meet them where the conversations are taking place. It’s not one-size-fits-all. Just writing a report and sticking a pdf online for people to read is not going to cut the mustard. In fact it’s both a risk and a missed opportunity.

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Reloop has been working with Dominic Hogg on a series of recommendations for the text being negotiated, at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) #PlasticsTreaty. 🍁 Some of our recommendations on problematic and avoidable plastic products, including short-lived and single-use plastic products and intentionally added microplastics include: 1️⃣ Negotiators should tackle beverage containers, which make up over two-thirds of the world’s most littered items by weight, with specific targets for short-lived and single-use plastics. 2️⃣ Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) and phasing out production of certain plastic products will help to reduce plastic pollution. Negotiators should include ambitious targets for return rates and recycling/reuse rates. 3️⃣ Countries should be obliged to survey plastic pollution on rivers and beaches, highlighting items that account for at least 70% of litter. They should then be required to address these items through elimination or phase-out strategies, including certain taxes and DRS for beverage containers.​ Our treaty text recommendations would prohibit the production, use, sale, & distribution of intentionally-added microplastics, which pose a threat to human health and the environment. See Reloop's recommendations 👉 https://lnkd.in/eM-Z_FHA #Target90 #Microplastics #BeatPlasticPollution #INC4

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Avery Dennison recently teamed up with Forbes to produce a report looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities businesses will face in the next decade. One outstanding data point is that 68% of CFOs plan to increase ESG and sustainability initiatives in the next 12 months. This is exciting to see, particularly when so many businesses are grappling with how to fund sustainability amid existing cost pressures. It strikes me that #CFOs have a crucial role to play in sustainability across the enterprise. ESG factors are directly related to financial performance and many CFOs are starting to see sustainability as a natural extension of their focus on long-term value and performance. Welcome your views on whether you think the remit of a CFO is widening? Read the Avery Dennison and Forbes report here: https://lnkd.in/eF6R77Da #leadership #MakingPossible

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Hot off the press 🔥 The most frustrating thing when you’re doing everything you can to live more sustainable - is when you notice the rediculous amount of wrapping and excess plastics. Everywhere! 🗑️ Personally, this took me on quite an interesting journey years ago where I explored different ways to avoid packaging. Which led to making more food from scratch (groceries are heavily wrapped!) - I even make my own homemade skincare!🧴 Now - EU just released new rules that addresses this enormous problem by reducing, reusing and recycling packaging. Some examples: 🍽️ buy take-away and get it in your own containere that you brought 💦at least 10% of bottles should be made of reused materials and in a circular cycle 📏 size, weight and layers of packaging should be minimal ♻️ all plastic packaging shall be possible to recycle Great to see that this gigantic problem is getting attention. Question is: is it enough? 🤔 #sustainability Photo: Adobe stock

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Watch the latest Two Sides Insight Interview With Sarah Lesting! Ian H Bates, Marketing and Partnership Director for Two Sides interviewed Sarah Lesting, Head of Sustainability Solutions Consulting at LEIPA Group and Managing Director for Leipa UK, in the latest Insight interview. “I’d like to introduce you to our guest, Sarah Lesting, Head of Sustainability Solutions Consulting, Leipa Group and Managing Director, Leipa UK. Starting at LEIPA aged just 19, her job was supposed to be a year to kick-start her CV, but similar to a lot of people in this industry, you don’t just fall into it, you also stay in it! She is bi-lingual in German and English working at what was then, a very German centric company, she took advantage of the Mill training and excellent relationships forged with different disciplines including technical and production. Spreading her wings in her career with Smurfit Kappa Recycling gave her first insight into waste as a resource and experience in closed-loop operations. She then returned to LEIPA and growing into a position for GmbH, as well as their UK business, means she now communicates with brands and users of Leipa’s materials worldwide. Acting as a LEIPA brand ambassador and a huge supporter of the paper and packaging industry as a whole, Sarah enjoys getting involved in promoting what is an ever-changing, but therefore ever-exciting industry!” Questions Asked: 1. Leipa is one of the leading paper mill groups in Europe with its headquarters based in Germany employing over 1,700 people specialising in the manufacture of over 1.5 million tonnes of waste paper fibre into magazine papers and a wide range of specialist packaging materials. Sarah, what do you think makes Leipa stand out and makes it such a successful company? 2. Often we’re challenged as to why many paper products are not made from 100% recycled materials. Can you explain why this is not possible? 3. How important is sustainability in today’s hierarchy of decision-making given the economic turmoil and pressure on organisations to reduce their carbon footprint? 4. Why do you think only about 15% of people (consumers) believe forests are growing in Europe and that the rest either don’t know or perceive they’re shrinking in area and what can we do to change these misconceptions? Watch the full Insight Interview here: https://lnkd.in/dd7DhpYW

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COP16 focused on tackling biodiversity loss and promoting nature-based solutions. Despite high expectations, the summit raised more questions than it answered, highlighting gaps in commitments and practical action. The summit reaffirmed the goal of protecting 30% of global land and sea by 2030, but concrete plans to achieve this remain vague, and binding agreements are lacking. Developing nations stressed the need for fair financial support, sparking discussions on a Global Biodiversity Fund but revealing disagreements over funding and accountability. Emphasised as essential for climate mitigation and ecosystem restoration, these solutions face challenges in policy integration and monitoring. Concerns were raised about the lack of strict timelines and reporting mechanisms, risking unfulfilled targets. A positive takeaway was the recognition of Indigenous communities' role in conservation, though ensuring their support and rights remains critical. Achieving meaningful progress requires collective action at all levels: global, national, corporate, and personal. Leading by example can inspire broader participation. 📩 Read the full article using the link in the comments. If you enjoy this content be sure to subscribe to Responsible Planet for content every Monday and Thursday.

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Unilever is among 27 companies deemed to be the strongest corporate advocates for ambitious climate policy worldwide, according to research from InfluenceMap. 🌍 How and why are we stepping up our climate advocacy? 🗣️ In 2023, Unilever signed an open letter calling on policymakers to triple global renewables capacity by 2030, and this was agreed by heads of state at COP28. This kind of policy change will help us transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030, and also help our suppliers to decarbonise their own operations. It’s critical that we raise awareness of the challenges among external stakeholders. So, we recently hosted a panel event in Brussels – bringing together EU policymakers, and trade union and industry representatives – to discuss the policy interventions needed to reduce emissions from chemical ingredients. For our advocacy to be effective, we need support from other powerful actors to whom governments will listen. That includes cross-industry coalitions seeking to pioneer net zero pathways. 🤝 #UniquelyUnilever #Unilever #CSR #SDGs #NetZero

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Evolving B Corp Standards: A New Chapter for Impact B Lab is embarking on an exciting journey to evolve the B Impact Assessment (BIA) standards. This signifies a significant step forward in measuring and driving positive impact. While the transition is underway, existing B Corps can continue their journey under the current standards. We're committed to supporting the entire community through this process. The updated standards will introduce a more robust framework for assessing a company's social and environmental performance, allowing B Corps to demonstrate even greater impact. We believe this evolution will further strengthen the B Corp movement and drive positive change. Stay tuned for updates as we navigate this exciting journey together. #bcorp #bcorporation #bcorps #goodbusiness #goodbusinessesdogood #goodbusinesspractices #good4business

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