Origin: Steibel Scope I

I’ve talked about beginning Steibel out of a desire to find and support great brands with better business practices. I’ve come to understand that to include sustainability across product, people, and the planet, but I wanted to continue research and document it in one place. I thought it may be helpful to anyone wanting to learn more about sustainability & responsible brand practices!

This interest began a few months ago when I read Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered, and was blown away by the impact of business on the planet. I remember wishing this subject had been a major in college (the closest would have probably been sustainability) because I hadn’t been taught much about responsible business practices.

I learned through both trying to find and make non-toxic coffee that it needed to be easier. It was too difficult to sift through brand communication to find trusted information. I began Steibel to support those responsible brands that share with transparency and clarity.

I remembered an old podcast episode I had listened to about Reformation’s holistic approach to sustainability (which must have really resonated). I went back and searched for the Let’s Get Dressed podcast episode with Kathleen Talbot, Reformation’s Chief Sustainability Officer. She is so well-spoken, and it’s a great introduction to sustainability in business.

She explains the time and money Reformation commits to tracking its environmental footprint and making measurable improvements to it. They actually introduced RefScale back in 2015 and plan to be Carbon Positive by 2025 (which basically means they’ll be removing more greenhouse gas emissions than they produce)! It’s a huge commitment that will hopefully become a more normalized business practice in the future.

The Change Climate Project is the 501(c)(3) non-profit that offers The Climate Label certification to help brands show third-party verification of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions. They’re evaluated through criteria involving measurement, reduction objectives, an internal carbon fee, and advocacy. It’s hopeful to see brands I already know and love involved, and although promising, not necessarily compared to those not involved in responsible business.

I hope to make it easier to shop from better businesses and will update Steibel with all the research on brands I’m already confident in. I want to continue to understand sustainability outside of the environmental context, so I’ll continue into the product and supply chain next time.

Thanks so much for being here!

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