Journal

Our CEO, Judy Kuszewski, also Chair of the GRI Global Sustainability Standards Board, penned a letter that was featuerd in the Financial Times that discusses why sustainability is key to financial reporting. https://www.ft.com/content/542c2b30-eb89-4ad8-bddb-ef167d26491d

Businesses are increasingly being called to account for injustices occurring in their supply chains – be that forced labour in Leicester or China, to deforestation in Brazil.  Pressure is mounting on businesses to clean up their supply chains making it increasingly important that they have oversight of who is making their products and under what conditions–right down to the sourcing […]

The simple answer is ‘Yes ……. But’. As with many complex problems that businesses need to tackle, carbon offsetting is not viable as the first or only action towards a net-zero business, and there are pitfalls to be aware of. So, if you are tasked with deciding whether your business should pay into offsetting schemes to help reach a net-zero […]

The latest edition of Food Tech Matters took place in October and its new entirely digital format did not disappoint. The well curated menu served piping hot insights and success stories, with the virtual lobby facilitating connections between both accomplished and aspiring agri-food tech entrepreneurs, corporates and venture capitalists looking for their next big investment – alongside anyone else interested […]

Welcome to this month’s Sancroft newsletter – our regular roundup of insights and events in the sustainable business and ESG space. In our experience, the months between September and the end of the year are traditionally among the busiest – a headlong dash to the festive season and a time to tie up the loose ends and take stock of […]

It seems, among many unexpected things 2020 has brought, the time of ESG may be upon us. Or at least you would be forgiven for thinking so, what with the non-stop parade of announcements, consultations and initiatives over the past few months, mainly in the world of sustainability reporting. The most substantial development, at least in my view, is the […]

Our Director Felix is featured in the September/October issue Sustainable Plastics posing that whilst businesses begin to define their post-pandemic business models, they cannot afford to forget sustainability, particularly the issue of plastics and packaging. See pp. 14-15: https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crain/sustainableplastics_09102020/index.php#/p/14

Our Director Dom de Ville is featured in issue #189 of Sandwich and Food To Go News (S&FTG) discussing how the sector can prepar for incoming plastics and packaging legislation that’s due to significantly drive up costs for business. See pp. 30-31: https://www.sandwichandfoodtogonews.co.uk/index.php/magazine/179-issue-189-september-2020

On 10th September we were delighted to share the webinar platform again with our colleagues from leading law firm Ashurst and environmental consultants RSK to explore one of the fundamental challenges of our time: the energy transition and infrastructure needed for a greener world. The panellists: Anthony Skinner, Partner, Ashurst Judy Kuszewski, Chief Executive, Sancroft Louis Jacobs, Director, RSK Group […]

The year seems to be flying by – how can it possibly be October already? Unfortunately, and predictably, the change in seasons has brought fresh concerns about virus resurgence here in the UK, as in many places. But on the other hand, we are seeing so much new activity and innovation across the sustainable business space that, even if we […]

The world’s treatment of its forests has been at the forefront of international news for some time now. In addition to the wildfires that have ravaged Australia and California, over 5,000 square miles of the Brazilian Amazon has been burned in 2020 so far, with beef companies taking much of the blame. This has prompted swathes of companies including Vans, […]

Our Director Felix is featured in the October issue (#228) of Plastics in Packaging posing that the global pandemic has caused a change in attitude in two key areas relating to plastics. See p. 29: https://plasticsinpackaging.com/online/digital-edition2/

Our Director Dom de Ville is featured in the September-October issue (#56) of Medical Plastics News discussing the imminent challenges posed by waste plastics and packaging to the medical supplies industry. See p. 21: https://issuu.com/mpnmagazine/docs/mpn_eu_sept_oct_2020

The rise of sustainable investing has been impossible to ignore, as investors increasingly look to sustainability or ESG performance to achieve better returns. The UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) initiative recorded its 500th asset owner signatory in January this year – taking the total AUM of its membership to ~US$90 trillion – and have stated that 70% of their […]

Our Director Dom de Ville was featured in Onboard Hospitality discussing the importance of proper plastics and packaging waste management to the airline industry. Scroll down to read Dom’s section. In Conversation

The fashion industry, like all others, has witnessed severe disruption as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. And the pandemic is just one of the existential challenges which is forcing a fundamental rethink. In the face of pressing global issues such as climate change and mass biodiversity loss, the industry will need to evolve if it is to survive and […]

Sancroft Consultant, Pen Stuart, is featured in Reuters Events Sustainable Business exploreing the importance of environmental, social and governance ratings, the risk of greenwashing, and what to do about it. https://www.reutersevents.com/sustainability/boohoo-and-esgs-emperors-new-clothes-moment

Sancroft Chairman, Lord Deben, is featured in Chartererd Management Institute discussing how the COVID-19 disruption is nothing compared to the widespread upheavel we can anticipate if climate change goes unchecked. https://www.managers.org.uk/insights/news/2020/august/we-must-resist-the-temptation-to-return-to-business-as-usual

Our Director Felix Gummer is featured in Materials Recycling World discussing that when it comes to pre-Covid priorities, it’s tempting to think that all bets are off – but that would be a mistake, particularly with plastics recycling. Heat still on waste strategy

Our Director Felix Gummer is featured in Packaging News discussing how plastic reduction and the setting up of a DRS are still high on the agenda, despite COVID-19. Felix Gummer | Plastics challenge remains “present and critical”

As I write this, the western US is battling hundreds of raging, fast-moving wildfires, fuelled by climate change and a decade of drought; while the Gulf of Mexico is being battered simultaneously by tropical storms Marco and Laura. The Greenland ice sheet is said to have disintegrated beyond the point of no return. And back in Blighty the late summer […]

Financial institutions are key players in the global sustainability agenda, and while environmental issues, such as climate change and water stress, have taken center stage, we are seeing greater attention dedicated to the S in ESG– to social issues. In particular, scrutiny of the financial sector’s role in preventing human rights abuses continues to grow. Critics have pointed out that […]

September 2020 will mark six months since a wave of lockdown measures were introduced across European countries, radically altering our daily lives in the process that we have yet to fully return from. It is often said that this pandemic presents a golden opportunity to build a green recovery around principles that foster a sustainable post-COVID economy. And from reviewing […]

This month the team and I have been reflecting on the changes we are seeing as we begin to emerge from the pandemic and what this means for the future.  As the scale of the economic and social damage of the crisis becomes clearer, so too does the evidence that investing in sustainability stimulates growth – and that neglecting interconnected […]