Journal

Recent reports of food shortages in the UK highlights the vulnerability of our food systems and the urgent need to find solutions for resilience. To address these challenges, food businesses can prioritise biodiversity as a first step towards building long-term resilience. Challenges facing the food industry The term “polycrisis” made a high-profile appearance in the World Economic Forum Global Risk […]

Last month, a ground-breaking legal action was taken against Shell’s Board of Directors for neglecting to address the risks climate change poses to the oil company. The lawsuit, which is supported by institutional investors, is the first in the world seeking to hold directors personally liable for failing to prepare an adequate transition to net zero. The same month, several […]

In February, the FCA published a letter to asset management CEOs summarising the key priorities in its upcoming regulatory review of this systemically important sector. Out of the FCA’s four topics of focus, two are ESG related, including an assessment of the use of non-financial ESG data in reporting and the mis-selling of ESG products, as well as how firms […]

My passion for sustainability was born and nurtured out of an abhorrence of waste.  Waste in every sense, but particularly the systems that perpetuate wasteful behaviour and practices.  In a world where every resource, be it material, energy, human, or even goodwill is in increasingly short supply and comes at an ever-higher cost, our first priority must always be to […]

Key trends from the world’s largest annual gathering on business and human rights Human rights is fast becoming a priority for businesses, investors and regulators. While the landscape feels complex, there is increasing clarity about what corporate responsibility to respect human rights means, and how this should be achieved. What questions should you be asking about your organisation’s resilience to […]

When Lord Deben founded Sancroft in 1997 his core belief was that business is best placed to deliver the changes we need to live sustainably. Ever since then, Sancroft has been the trusted adviser for business leaders and investors who want to build profitable, sustainable businesses. Sancroft has grown from a small group of specialist consultants in a nascent sustainability […]

According to the latest UN Sustainable Development Goal progress report, more than 40,000 species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades. Many experts believe we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction in the Earth’s history. Unlike previous extinction events caused by natural phenomena, the sixth mass extinction is being driven by human activity. While climate […]

We asked the Sancroft team what they think should be top of business sustainability agenda in 2023. Here’s what they said: Penalties for greenwashing – Charlotte Miller, Consultant I predict that 2023 will see a marked increase in legal penalties associated with greenwashing (Black Mountain and Danone representing the first casualties). In the finance industry this is likely to result […]

The role and profile of finance as an essential enabler of climate action took a massive step forward at COP26 last year. This year, Wednesday 9 November – Finance Day at COP27 – presented another opportunity for global investors to come together and find ways to address climate change. With that in mind, what happened on Finance Day and what […]

For the first time at a UN climate conference, an entire day was dedicated to agriculture and food – and not a minute too soon! COP27 took place amid a global food crisis, fuelled by the war in Ukraine, extreme weather causing crop failures and food inflation rising at its fastest rate for 45 years. Food systems have often been […]

The image of world leaders at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt drew immediate questions as to where the women were. Just seven of the 110 world leaders to attend the first week of the conference were women. This contradiction (the need to talk about gender, but not bringing an equal representation of women into the conversation) is a common theme […]

By Matt Thorogood, former Senior Analyst at Sancroft. — There has never been a time when the relationship between football and human rights was more in the spotlight. What was once a minor topic of interest for some is now daily front-page news, with the FIFA World Cup in Qatar making headlines every day, from migrant workers constructing stadiums trapped […]

The climate crisis threatens widespread disruptions to business operations and supply chains, and the people and communities that business rely on. Alongside the growing urgency to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change, human rights is fast becoming a priority for businesses who are facing more scrutiny and demands from regulators, investors, and civil society. Despite the increasing convergence between […]

By Matt Thorogood, former Senior Analyst at Sancroft. — There has been growing awareness of the circular relationship sport has with the climate over the past few years. Sport contributes significantly to climate change, through stadium development, energy use, and through travel to events and matches. Climate change also poses a significant, and in some places existential, threat to some […]

Conflict around the world is rising. Civil wars have tripled over the years. Challenges such as resource scarcity, climate change and the lingering effects of the pandemic will only worsen the impact of conflicts. Businesses face an increased risk of involvement in human rights abuses, and complicity in conflict-affected contexts. These heightened risks require commensurate efforts towards due diligence. The […]

It’s official. Greenwashing is formally part of the English language. In September 2022, Merriam-Webster pronounced that ‘greenwash’ has had sufficient and consistent usage to formally earn its place in its dictionary. The dubious honour that greenwashing has been granted is not unexpected. The term greenwashing has been in use since 1986. Although sadly, the practice goes back even further and has not […]

The summer of 2022 once again highlighted how climate change will continue to affect the way we live and work. As workers sweltered in the heat and businesses shut due to flash floods, we can no longer avoid the questions:  how prepared are our buildings for what’s to come; and what can businesses do about it? What is the nature […]

The recent extreme weather across the globe is a powerful reminder that climate change will have profound implications for people and societies, in particular the most vulnerable, and that these effects are already being felt today. To ensure resilience and social license to operate, businesses and investors will need to better understand the implications of climate change on people and […]

The production and consumption of textile products continues to grow and so does their impact on climate, on water and energy consumption and on the environment. About 5.8 million tonnes of textiles are discarded in the EU every year, approximately 11kg per person, and every second somewhere in the world a truckload of textiles is landfilled or incinerated. As clothing […]

By Bhumika Pruthi, former Analyst at Sancroft. — With the onset of summer 2022, music festivals are back and in full force after two years of pandemic-related hiatus. This is a big year for festivals and one trend that has stood out is the increasing focus on the environmental and social sustainability of these events. Millions of people attend festivals […]

1970 – 2020 witnessed an alarming decrease in biodiversity. As consequences become increasingly apparent, it is clear that ending and reversing the trend is a global priority. The upcoming UN Biodiversity Conference in China will discuss a strategic vision for ecosystem conservation and management through the adoption of the Post 2020 Convention on Biological Diversity. The framework recognises the need […]

The importance of pricing in nature-related financial risks We depend upon nature whether it be through the healthy functioning of our oceans or forests, or of nature’s ability to absorb a vast number of emissions through carbon sinks. The way we have built our economy also means that roughly half of world’s GDP (£36 trillion) per year is dependent on […]

The UK Government’s Energy Security Strategy has been widely criticised for missing the opportunity to relieve pressure on families and businesses struggling with energy bills. So-called “easy wins”, such as bringing in building insulation regulations and investing heavily in offshore wind, were missed. However, despite this commentary, businesses here have an opportunity to push forward greening themselves through commitments and […]

By Matt Thorogood, former Senior Analyst at Sancroft. — The increasing popularity of ESG as a lens through which to view sustainability risks and opportunities has increased familiarity with many of the environmental, social and governance factors that affect an organisation. However, the ‘G’ is often overshadowed by considerations of climate risk and societal implications of an organisation’s operations. This […]