II: it’s cool to be responsible (in business)
We spoke about the Climate Positive certification in Orgin: Steibel Scope I beginning into the world of environmental sustainability, but we also need to dive into product and supply chain traceability.
If a business sells a product, raw material and production are included within their supply chain which calls for brand transparency as growers (farmers, miners, etc.) and producers (factories, textile mills, etc.) become involved.
It is complex which makes supply chain traceability difficult, but the general layers include: Growers → Producers → Brands → Retailers → Consumers. If a brand sells product direct-to-consumer, they’d bypass retail and ship directly to the customer. Brands can also bring production in-house, etc. but again, these are the general layers.
planned obsolescence
It can be expensive for brands to invest in a responsible supply chain, but it’s a necessary balance as it’s become too easy to sell obsolete product. I admire entrepreneurship and the grind to build from nothing. It requires great effort, so why wouldn’t you invest in better impact?
Planned obsolescence is a business strategy in which the product is designed for a shorter lifespan. It’s meant to sooner rather than later be discarded and replaced. It takes investment to create a product of quality and be involved in the conversation of circularity. Sustainability thus is a responsibility to sell quality product.
I found this podcast episode by Fashion Our Future to be a great introduction to regeneration, circularity, and supply chain infrastructure in business:
It’s hosted by fashion influencer Andrea Cheong in conversation with Lucy Siegle, sustainability journalist and author of To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World? Fashion Our Future is a really interesting podcast about the fashion industry, but takeaways can be applied across business in general.
b corporation
Commonly, supply chain information is kept internally within a business to maintain competitive advantage, so I still appreciate that third-party certifications exist, and that B Corp certification evaluates social impact alongside environmental. This is important because many business certifications will evaluate product ingredients or environmental impact independently, as working conditions are difficult to monitor.
It’s managed by B Lab, a non-profit network that works to “shift the behavior, culture, and structural underpinnings of capitalism” by helping businesses balance profit with business impact. I also love their podcast Forces for Good for informational conversation around business impact:
B Corp is one of the more trusted systems, but it’s also important to note that as a whole business certifications are not perfect. They can be expensive and hyper-niche, but still a small brand with multiple certifications can show financial commitment. They’ve begun investing to understand the impact of their supply chain. It requires patience to change standards, and perfection is too high a barrier to entry, instead we need continued interest, conversation, and growth.
Founder of BNEF, Michael Liebreich, has a great article series out debunking the assumption of defeat by climate realists, and highlighting the need to consume research-based news. It’s important to challenge feelings of hopelessness and understand the need for both urgency and patience in sustainability. It’s easiest to stay educated through neutral research. Speed & Scale has another great email newsletter and TedTalk podcast I’d recommend, but I’ll also continue to give recommendations.
As always, thank you guys for reading, and don’t forget to shop Steibel Scope for responsible brands. We will continue into product ingredients that impact the people and planet next time
Thank you for the support to continue growing this publication! xx
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