Hear ye, hear ye! Climate Misinformation and the Future of Business

Hear ye, hear ye! Climate Misinformation and the Future of Business

In our LAST episode of the season, we talk to 3 change-makers about climate misinformation and what it means for business leaders. 

Stop Funding Heat, a climate campaign group, said 2021 was the worst year yet for climate misinformation spreading on Facebook with a 70.6% rise in engagement on posts containing false information about the environment. They also claimed that only 3.6% of content flagged as climate misinformation is fact-checked. In this episode, we tackle how consumers and businesses are affected by this and how we need to recognize climate misinformation as one of the biggest barriers to halting the climate emergency. 

We spoke to an academic, a journalist and an advertising professional who explained the history of climate misinformation, what it is, how it spreads, how advertising and journalism play a role and how leaders can positively engage with it.  

We chat with:

John Cook - Post Doc Research Fellow at the Climate Change Communication Research Hub

John is a postdoctoral research fellow with the Climate Change Communication Research Hub at Monash University. His research focus is on using critical thinking to build resilience against misinformation. In 2007, he founded Skeptical Science, a website that won the 2011 Australia Museum Eureka Prize for the Advancement of Climate Change Knowledge. In 2020, he published the book Cranky Uncle vs. Climate Change applying critical thinking, inoculation research, and cartoons to engage and educate readers about climate misinformation. He recently released the Cranky Uncle game, combining critical thinking, cartoons, and gamification to build players’ resilience against misinformation. He currently works with organizations like Facebook and NASA to develop evidence-based responses to climate misinformation.

Harriet Kingaby - Co Chair of the Conscious Advertising Network 

Harriet is an activist, working at the intersection of advertising, AI and misinformation. Her role at Media Bounty focuses on insight gathering and climate misinformation across a range of groundbreaking clients and projects from electric vehicles to green finance. She co-founded The Conscious Advertising Network with Jake Dubbins of Media Bounty in 2018 and has since seen it gain international recognition, work with the UN, and grow to over 150 members from O2 to Accenture Interactive. She’s a former Mozilla Fellow, working with Consumers International to map the opportunities and impacts of AI enhanced advertising, globally.

Lina Yassin - Operations Manager at Climate Tracker

Lina is a Sudanese climate journalist. She is a Master student in environmental change and management at the University of Oxford. Lina also works as the Operations Manager at Climate Tracker, where she implements capacity-building programs for environmental journalists from all over the world. Climate Tracker believes in the power of journalism, but recognizes that many young journalists don’t have the training, resources or support to identify and tell the climate stories they want to. They also recognise that this challenge is often greatest in the countries hardest hit by climate change.

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We have teamed up with our friends at Heart Mind Design to bring you an interactive event to turn the lights on purpose-driven business and start setting impactful to-dos.On December 6-7, we are hosting PurposeNOW, an international 2-day virtual gathering to discover, claim, and put purpose into practice with speakers like Afdhel Aziz and Chip Walker (StrawberryFrog) and companies like B Lab Europe, Doughnut Economics, Greyston Bakery and many more. It is FREE to attend! https://www.purposenow2021.com/

Join 1400+ purpose-driven professionals from around the world and sign up to our Business of Purpose community here. We are a fun group of change makers working together to change the future of business! 

Browse Business of Purpose’s exciting events here & come hang out with us! 

Have thoughts or feedback about the show? Don’t be a stranger! Email me at [email protected] 

Tools and resources:

• https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/disinformation-playbook
• https://consciousadnetwork.medium.com/open-letter-global-action-required-now-to-tackle-the-threat-of-climate-misinformation-and-7064278b5b77
• General misinformation on COP26: https://twitter.com/patrickgaley/status/1456603743651254277?s=20  
• The coal agreement: https://twitter.com/AdamJSchwarz/status/1460288680153829383?s=20
• https://skepticalscience.com/
• https://crankyuncle.com/book/
• https://crankyuncle.com/game/

Stats, stories and insights mentioned:

• https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/11/05/cop26-staggering-scale-of-climate-misinformation-on-facebook-revealed-in-new-report
• https://www.bbc.com/news/59147659
• https://www.npr.org/2021/11/12/1054850363/cop26-climate-summit-misinformation?utm_campaign=npr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_term=nprnews

The episode is the brainchild of TrendWatching and Business of Purpose. It was produced, written and hosted by Izzy Ahrbeck and edited by the brilliant Terence Moore. The music is by The Other Steve. Podcast artwork by Zuzanna Loch and Nikki Ritmeijer. 

Go Your Own Way: Alternative Ownership Models Pt.2

We are wrapping our investigation on alternative ownership models in Part 2. If you haven't listened to Part 1, give that a listen to first.

We are featuring forward-thinking business leaders who are rehauling corporate ownership. They are on a mission to are reimagine how companies can exist in our capitalist system. How can we put purpose first? How can our profits directly serve our purpose? This is where alternative ownership comes into play. 

Last week, we discovered why we need alternative ownership models, what steward ownership is and how companies are implementing these new structures. In this episode, we dive deeper into the benefits and challenges of steward ownership and where companies should start when considering alternative models. 

We chat with:

• Sarah Joannides - Sarah is the Managing Director of Alternative Ownership Advisors and leads the team as they support founders and owners of private companies in designing and implementing ownership, governance and financing solutions to protect purpose and independence. Prior to joining Alternative Ownership Advisors, Sarah spent 12 years at New Seasons Market, most recently as Vice President of Social Responsibility. She was their steward of social cause and mission-related practices, including community engagement, operational sustainability, B Corp certification and public policy.
• Patrick Boadu - Patrick is one of soulbottles' steward owners and CEO, the social enterprise from Berlin that produces the world’s cleanest drinking bottles and is on a mission to give people all over the world access to clean drinking water and sanitation. After experiencing the obstacles toward new ownership models himself, Patrick actively works with Purpose Foundation to create easy access to steward ownership for everyone. 
• Antti Virolainen - Antti is the co-founder of Sharetribe and has been building tools for a fairer sharing economy for over a decade. After co-founding Sharetribe his role has varied from technical planning and coding to finances, people operations, and company culture. In recent years he has felt most passionate about hacking capitalism with modern ownership models and improving well-being through meditation and other spiritual practices.

We have teamed up with our friends at Heart Mind Design to bring you an interactive event to turn the lights on purpose-driven business and start setting impactful to-dos.On December 6-7, we are hosting PurposeNOW, an international 2-day virtual gathering to discover, claim, and put purpose into practice with speakers like Afdhel Aziz and Chip Walker (StrawberryFrog) and companies like B Lab Europe, Doughnut Economics, Greyston Bakery and many more. It is FREE to attend! Tickets will be released on November 8th. https://www.purposenow2021.com/

Join 1400+ purpose-driven professionals from around the world and sign up to our Business of Purpose community here. We are a fun group of change makers working together to change the future of business! 

Browse Business of Purpose’s exciting events here & come hang out with us! 

Have thoughts or feedback about the show? Don’t be a stranger! Email me at [email protected] 

Tools and resources:

• https://purpose-economy.org/en/who-we-are/
• https://bthechange.com/democratizing-capital-how-alternative-business-ownership-models-could-reshape-the-world-5ee09db1f31a
• https://www.alternativeownershipadvisors.com/blog/illustrated

Stats, stories and insights mentioned:

• https://www.ecommercebytes.com/2017/11/30/etsy-gives-b-corp-status-maintain-corporate-structure/
• https://medium.com/bettersharing/steward-ownership-is-capitalism-2-0-76a1c50a6d88
• https://medium.com/bettersharing/how-to-build-companies-that-are-a-force-for-good-in-society-33163843033e

The episode is the brainchild of TrendWatching and Business of Purpose. It was produced, written and hosted by Izzy Ahrbeck and edited by the brilliant Terence Moore. The music is by The Other Steve. Podcast artwork by Zuzanna Loch and Nikki Ritmeijer. 

Go Your Own Way: Alternative Ownership Models Pt. 1

In this episode we talk to 3 change-makers about how they are reinventing company ownership for the good of the planet and company legacy. 

One of the stickiest problems social impact companies face is how to scale without selling out. In our current capitalist system, we have been taught to aim for continual growth and shareholder value maximization. But that inevitably leads to employee attrition, inequality, and resource degradation. In this short termist mindset, organizations thrive by neglecting their wider social obligations – but leaders and consumers are looking to change that to protect their company values, control and surrounding communities. 

Some business leaders are reimagining how companies can exist in this system. How can we put purpose first? How can our profits directly serve our purpose? This is where alternative ownership comes into play. 

In this episode, find out why we need alternative ownership models, what steward ownership is and how companies are implementing these new structures. 

This is part 1 of 2. Stay tuned for part 2 next week where we dive deeper into the benefits and challenges of steward ownership and where companies should start when considering alternative models. 

We chat with:

• Sarah Joannides - Sarah is the Managing Director of Alternative Ownership Advisors and leads the team as they support founders and owners of private companies in designing and implementing ownership, governance and financing solutions to protect purpose and independence. Prior to joining Alternative Ownership Advisors, Sarah spent 12 years at New Seasons Market, most recently as Vice President of Social Responsibility. She was their steward of social cause and mission-related practices, including community engagement, operational sustainability, B Corp certification and public policy.
• Patrick Boadu - Patrick is one of soulbottles' steward owners and CEO, the social enterprise from Berlin that produces the world’s cleanest drinking bottles and is on a mission to give people all over the world access to clean drinking water and sanitation. After experiencing the obstacles toward new ownership models himself, Patrick actively works with Purpose Foundation to create easy access to steward ownership for everyone. 
• Antti Virolainen - Antti is the co-founder of Sharetribe and has been building tools for a fairer sharing economy for over a decade. After co-founding Sharetribe his role has varied from technical planning and coding to finances, people operations, and company culture. In recent years he has felt most passionate about hacking capitalism with modern ownership models and improving well-being through meditation and other spiritual practices.

We have teamed up with our friends at Heart Mind Design to bring you an interactive event to turn the lights on purpose-driven business and start setting impactful to-dos.On December 6-7, we are hosting PurposeNOW, an international 2-day virtual gathering to discover, claim, and put purpose into practice with speakers like Afdhel Aziz and Chip Walker (StrawberryFrog) and companies like B Lab Europe, Doughnut Economics, Greyston Bakery and many more. It is FREE to attend! https://www.purposenow2021.com/

Join 1400+ purpose-driven professionals from around the world and sign up to our Business of Purpose community here. We are a fun group of change makers working together to change the future of business! 

Browse Business of Purpose’s exciting events here & come hang out with us! 

Have thoughts or feedback about the show? Don’t be a stranger! Email me at [email protected] 

Tools and resources:

• https://purpose-economy.org/en/who-we-are/
• https://bthechange.com/democratizing-capital-how-alternative-business-ownership-models-could-reshape-the-world-5ee09db1f31a
• https://www.alternativeownershipadvisors.com/blog/illustrated

Stats, stories and insights mentioned:

• https://www.ecommercebytes.com/2017/11/30/etsy-gives-b-corp-status-maintain-corporate-structure/
• https://medium.com/bettersharing/steward-ownership-is-capitalism-2-0-76a1c50a6d88
• https://medium.com/bettersharing/how-to-build-companies-that-are-a-force-for-good-in-society-33163843033e

The episode is the brainchild of TrendWatching and Business of Purpose. It was produced, written and hosted by Izzy Ahrbeck and edited by the brilliant Terence Moore. The music is by The Other Steve. Podcast artwork by Zuzanna Loch and Nikki Ritmeijer. 

Stamp of Approval: Sustainability Labels & Certifications

In this episode we talk to 3 change-makers about how brands can use sustainability certifications as a framework to grow their social impact initiatives.

It seems like every month there's a new certification program to adhere to or another label to identify on products. At this point, there are hundreds of ways to define sustainability and consumers don’t know what to look for anymore. How do we navigate the ocean of certification programs? Are labels the best way for companies to communicate their social impact or are they just another vehicle for greenwashing?

In this episode, we filter through the ocean of certifications and talk to three certification programs that truly get it right. You will learn why companies should look to labels as a way to reach their sustainability goals, how certification programs can increase local impact and what the future of sustainability certification looks like.

We chat with:

Rebecca Quirk (she/her) is a Community Engagement Manager at B Lab US & Canada where she works with North American based B Corps to make the most of the certification and scale their impact. Certified B Corporations are a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. There are over 4000 B Corps and each is legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment.

Aparajita Bhalla is the Senior Director of Markets Transformation at the Rainforest Alliance, an international NGO on a mission to create a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities. She leads Rainforest Alliance's corporate engagement portfolio, which focuses on influencing corporate policy, resources, behavior and practices for the betterment of farmers and forest communities across the globe. 

Kate Williams is CEO of 1% for the Planet, a global movement that inspires action and commitment so that our planet and future generations thrive. 1% for the Planet’s global network of thousands of businesses and individuals have given $100s of millions to environmental partners to date.

Join 1300+ purpose-driven professionals from around the world and sign up to our Business of Purpose community here. We are a fun group of change makers! 

Browse Business of Purpose’s exciting events here & come hang out with us! 

Have thoughts or feedback about the show? Don’t be a stranger! Email me at [email protected] 

Dive deeper into TrendWatching’s Label-Led MakeShift issue & make sure to check out our monthly MakeShift issues here. 

Check out Brandon Stover’s podcast, Evolve with Brandon Stover. He has lots of cool guests on there! 

Tools and resources:

• B Impact Assessment
• Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Program
• 1% for the Planet Business Membership

Stats, stories and insights mentioned:

• Swedish labeling scheme
• Capgemini survey
• BrewDog employee letter
• Follow the Frog campaign
• Colombian coffee study & other insights
• 3% of philanthropy goes towards environmental causes

The episode is the brainchild of TrendWatching and Business of Purpose. It was produced, written and hosted by Izzy Ahrbeck and edited by the brilliant Terence Moore. The music is by The Other Steve. Podcast artwork by Zuzanna Loch and Nikki Ritmeijer. 

Bonus Episode: The B-sides, Bloopers & What's to Come

You thought we would leave you on hold until September?! You thought wrong... 

We are doing a quick check-in to summarize what we learned in the first 3 episodes, which quotes & insights we couldn't include, and what listeners think so far. Oh, and we added a cheeky blooper reel for you. 

Thanks for the kind words: Judit Saez, Jennifer Yepez-Blundell from Merida Consulting, Angelica Rizzo from B.COME, and Stacy Neier Beran from Loyola University.

A recap of our guests so far:

• Nina Rauch is the social impact coordinator of disruptive insurtech company, Lemonade. They donate leftover insurance premium dollars to nonprofits of the customers’ choosing.
• Lawrence Zikusoka is the co-founder of Gorilla Conservation Coffee based in Uganda. They donate $1.50 per kilo to conservation efforts through their award-winning organization Conservation Through Public Health.
• Annika Brümmer is in charge of Marketing and PR at Berlin-based beer company, Quartiermeister. They support neighbourhoods by funding local community projects with 10 cents per litre.
• Deevee Kashi is the CEO and founder of social impact and volunteerism platform, Deed. Deed uses technology to connect employees and consumers to good causes where they can donate their time, money and skills.
• James Bartle is the founder and CEO of B Corp certified denim brand, Outland Denim. They were founded as an avenue for the employment of women have experienced sex trafficking and other backgrounds of injustice. 
• Eric Vinsonneau is the company director of Clean Collective, a Berlin-based cleaning and home help service which provides respectable employment to those with migration backgrounds. 
• Joseph Kenner is the president and CEO of Greyston Bakery, a B Corp that hires based on their Open Hiring® staffing model. All of their bakers are hired without background checks, interviews, or resumes. 
• Monica Barzanti is the head of International Relations at San Patrignano, Europe’s largest drug rehabilitation centre where the residents produce award-winning products to keep the recovery program free for all.
• Christian Sarkar - co-founder (with Philip Kotler) of The Marketing Journal and co-author of Brand Activism: from Purpose to Action and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar of global management thinkers primarily for his work on brand activism. 
• Lynn Johnson - award-winning speaker, “Best for the World” entrepreneur, producer, marketer & organizational development consultant. She is the co-founder & CEO of Hella Social Impact.
• Paul Schoenmakers - head of Impact at Tony's Chocolonely, a Dutch confectionary company that exists to revolutionize the chocolate industry and make 100% slave-free the norm in chocolate worldwide. 

Next full episode comes out in September! In the meantime, give me a shout: [email protected] 

The podcast is the brainchild of TrendWatching and Business of Purpose. It was produced, written and hosted by Izzy Ahrbeck and edited by Terence Moore. The music is by The Other Steve.