Generation Fairtrade: Bridging the Trust Gap

As Fairtrade celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, what does the future look like in the hands of the generation who have grown up with Fairtrade? Following on from our first blog on young consumers’ demand for sustainable products and their views on the future for Fairtrade, we switch focus now to look at young people’s expectations of business. The infographic below highlights some of the findings from our recent study with UK teenagers (aged 13-20 years old) focused on the role of companies in … “Generation Fairtrade: Bridging the Trust Gap”

Changing Food Habits: Conflicted Consumers Greendex Segment

Segmenting the Market Using the 2014 Greendex Data This is the third in a series of four short articles that examine the potential for more sustainable consumer behavior within the food category. Again, we draw on the Greendex 2014 study of consumers in 18 countries, conducted with National Geographic, to mine for insights to help governments, companies and NGOs unlock further change. Our first installation of the series described the “Moveable Masses” segment, largest of the five groups that our analysis has … “Changing Food Habits: Conflicted Consumers Greendex Segment”

Upcoming GlobeScan Radar Webinar: State of the World – Progress and Purpose

GlobeScan’s co-CEO, Chris Coulter, will moderate a lively discussion with a number of GlobeScan colleagues who will present our most insightful findings from 2014 to help us prepare for 2015. Femke de Man, Caroline Holme, James Morris, and Eric Whan will draw on our greatest insights from our ongoing public and stakeholder trends, as well as our custom work to help us understand challenges and opportunities for leadership in 2015, including how to rebuild trust, how to engage and mobilize consumers and stakeholders and … “Upcoming GlobeScan Radar Webinar: State of the World – Progress and Purpose”

Companies Take Note: Consumers Trust Climate Change Warnings

It made the news, yet it wasn’t really news to those paying close attention. The world’s leading international body on climate change, United Nations offshoot the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, recently proclaimed that human-induced warming of the climate system is unequivocal and increasingly likely to result in permanent damage. Specifically, the IPCC warned, “[C]ontinued emission of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and long-lasting changes in all components of the climate system, increasing the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts … “Companies Take Note: Consumers Trust Climate Change Warnings”

Climate Change Mobilization – The Role for Business to Engage Consumers

A few weeks ago I moderated a lively discussion with four thought leaders working on the front lines of business’ role in mobilizing action on climate change. Steve Howard (Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA), Niall Dunne (Chief Sustainability Officer at BT), Paul Dickinson (Executive Chairman at CDP) and Edward Cameron (Director of Partnership Development and Research at BSR) each shared their views on the challenges and opportunities for business to play a more active role in engaging the public in … “Climate Change Mobilization – The Role for Business to Engage Consumers”

Net Impact 2014: The Future of Sustainability Leadership

Sometimes, the present bodes well for the future. Last week I attended the 2014 Net Impact conference in Minneapolis, and it was a buzz of energy and enthusiasm: everywhere one looked there were high-caliber students and “professionals” in CSR and sustainability wanting to forge greater connections to deliver impact. The energy in the sprawling Convention Center was contagious, with professionals feeding off the ambition and enthusiasm of rising leaders in the room. While the focus of this event tends to be … “Net Impact 2014: The Future of Sustainability Leadership”

BSR 2014: Five Quotes to Make You Think

I had the pleasure of attending the 2014 BSR Conference last week, and was blown away by the number of interesting, thought-provoking speakers the event featured. There were many inspirational moments during the three days of convening, and so I thought I’d share my top 5 quotes from the conference. These comments not only sum up some of the key themes that ran through the entire event, but are also great food for thought for the GlobeScan nexus of brand, … “BSR 2014: Five Quotes to Make You Think”

Changing Food Habits: Motivated Greens Greendex Segment

Segmenting the Market Using the 2014 Greendex Data This is the second in a series of four short articles that examine the potential for more sustainable consumer behavior within the food category. We draw on our recently published Greendex 2014 study of consumers in 18 countries, conducted with National Geographic, to mine for insights to help governments, companies and NGOs unlock further change. Our first installation of the series described the “Moveable Masses” segment, largest of the five groups that our … “Changing Food Habits: Motivated Greens Greendex Segment”

Aspirationals: “Engage and collaborate with us!”

In my last blog, I argued that publishing sustainability reports does not equal stakeholder engagement, and that reporting is instead an important preparatory step towards stakeholder engagement. In this blog, I wanted to share some good news for reporters and sustainability communicators who are keen to engage with their stakeholders. Our data shows that, despite traditionally low levels of trust in companies, there is a growing number of the general public who want to engage with companies. GlobeScan, in collaboration … “Aspirationals: “Engage and collaborate with us!””

State of Sustainable Business – Perspectives from Current and Future Sustainability Leaders

For the past six years, GlobeScan has partnered with BSR in conducting the annual State of Sustainable Business survey. This survey gleans insights from professionals within BSR member organizations on emerging trends, priorities, and practices across a range of environmental, social, and governance issues. In 2014, for the first time, some of the survey questions were extended to undergraduate and MBA members of Net Impact (read the report). The goal was to measure the ways that current and future sustainability leaders view … “State of Sustainable Business – Perspectives from Current and Future Sustainability Leaders”