Uplift Lifts & Bits - November 2022

November 2022 - In This Issue:

• What Your Company Can Do to Recycle and Reduce Your Plastic Use

• More Isn’t Always Merrier During the Season of Giving

• Is Home Composting Environmentally Friendly?

• What’s Inspiring Us:

  • ESG Regulations Unfolding

  • Insights on COP 27 - What Your Company Can Do Now

• Uplifting News:

  • Uplift’s Jerome Tennille Launches Volunteer Engagement Book

  • Welcome Dwayne Ferguson - New Sustainability Specialist

Lifts & Bits

While November brought us into the holiday season and a period of reflection and goal setting, it also has brought a big focus on the environment. For two weeks in early November, there was an abundance of media coverage surrounding the intergovernmental meeting on the UN Convention on Climate Change, known as COP27. While most people - and companies - don’t focus much on this event or the commitments made by the governments that attend, it gives us the chance to pause and rethink how we as companies approach our own environmental and social commitments.

Every year, consumers become more engaged on environmental and societal issues and take into account corporate commitments to these issues when they make decisions about where they spend and invest their money. This trend is likely to continue as younger generations see the future of the planet in peril. Which means that companies are walking a tightrope when they tell their environmental and social impact stories and announce big goals before they actually put into place a solid strategy to achieve their commitments. The upside to greater external scrutiny is that it puts corporations in a place to reflect on how they can move forward with their corporate commitments in a realistic and achievable way.

Be sure to also check out the video below from our own Deon Glaser breaking down what to expect - and what not to expect - to have come out of this year’s COP 27.

Corinne Graper, CEO Uplift

What Your Company Can Do To Recycle and Reduce Your Plastic Use 

When “Behavior change is not simple for companies or consumers,” writes our Brie Welzer.

“Plastic has been convenient, cheap, and high performing. But for our climate, environment, and health, we can and should adjust and innovate.”

So what can companies and households do to address plastics?

Check out this article from Uplift’s Director of Sustainability and Responsible Sourcing, Brie Welzer, to see what you can do as a consumer or a company to help reduce plastic use.

Read the article: Here

More Isn’t Always Merrier During the Season of Giving

Americans love giving during the holidays. And while the holidays and other culturally significant days differ across the globe, here in the United States it’s November through January that has become known as the “season of giving.”

Beginning around Thanksgiving, many nonprofits see an influx of support that persists well into January. But in addition to financial donations which are of course always welcome, many nonprofits also receive so much support in the form of volunteer inquiries and offers of in-kind donations that they end up having to politely decline much of what’s offered, in many cases even turning away well-intentioned volunteers.

Check out this article about the “season of giving” and considerations you can make before you give: Here

Is Home Composting Environmentally Friendly?

Can compostable plastics from Thanksgiving go in your backyard compost❓No!

We all want to lower our environmental impact but certain statements on product labels can be confusing. 

Want to know a common misconception about home composting?

Uplift's Director of Sustainability and Responsible Sourcing, Brie Welzer, shares tips for reducing our waste at home that you can consider during a season with many shared meals. 

Check it out: ➡️ Here

EU Regulations Continue to Unfold

We were inspired by the conversations and leadership of companies standing up for gender equality at side events during this year’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).Regulations continue to unfold for ESG reporting in the EU. Is your company ready?

The EU Parliament voted to strengthen companies’ obligations to disclose information on their sustainability risks and impacts, meaning it is now mandatory for companies doing business in the EU to adopt these standards. 

The new standards are designed to: 

✅ Improve the quality, consistency and comparability of sustainability disclosures

✅ Help root out widespread greenwashing practices

✅ Be instrumental in fulfilling the commitments of the Paris Agreement and other commitments set by the EU

What you need to know: 

1️⃣ The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Member States must then align with the new regulations in their national frameworks within 18 months and report on what they need to change before January 2024.

2️⃣ All large EU companies (public and private, including EU subsidiaries of non-EU parent companies) will need to gather information during 2024 and report according to the new guidelines beginning in 2025. Additional criteria: Here

3️⃣ To avoid risk exposure, it is advised that your company starts taking immediate steps to determine how to comply with these guidelines. 

Check out this article to help you learn more and prepare for your new transparency obligations ➡️ Here

 Insights on COP 27 - What Your Company Can Do Now

With COP having just wrapped up in Egypt, here are 3️⃣ things your company can do now to reduce emissions ➡️

In this video, Deon Glaser, the Uplift VP of Sustainability and ESG discusses how your company can make meaningful and immediate commitments as the 27th UN Conference of the Parties (COP 27) takes place.

A few observations: 

🌎 Only 12% of participating countries have submitted new plans since last year’s conference,

🌍 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the increased risk of recession have had ripple effects that are threatening to undermine global progress on climate change, and

🌏 With emissions now projected to rise 10.6% by 2030, we don’t have time to wait on political leadership.

We need meaningful and immediate commitments from the business community to cut emissions now.

Watch the full video here.

Uplifting News:

Uplift’s Jerome Tennille Launches Volunteer Engageme

We are excited to congratulate Uplift’s Director of Social Impact and ESG on the release of his work in the book, “Transforming Disruption to Impact.” The book brings together voices from across the social impact space to move society forward in this rapidly changing world. 

The book features a collection of essays highlighting how disruptions felt throughout all aspects of volunteer engagement can actually lead to greater innovation, new strategy and practices and greater impact. 

“An important guidebook to rethinking volunteer work in the 21st century."—Kirkus Reviews

Congratulations, Jerome!

Learn More: Here

Uplift Welcomes Dwayne Ferguson

We are excited to congratulate Dwayne Ferguson on his promotion from master's degree intern to a full-time role as Uplift's newest sustainability consultant. In his role on Uplift's Sustainability and ESG team, Dwayne will help conduct research & analysis and support the implementation of client GHG emissions inventories, material and waste audits, product LCAs, waste and water usage, and sustainabiility reporting. 

Visit our Teams Page