EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT...
Climate change £42.6bn
With the UN holding its summit on climate change from 2 December, leaders discuss what they’re doing to protect the environment and ensure the sustainability of their businesses
NATSAI AUDREY CHIEZA Founder and director of Faber Futures (
faberfutures.com), a biodesign studio and consultancy
E
nergy and transport tend to be the most commonly named and shamed sectors
as the biggest polluters in business. The fashion and textiles industry rarely gets a mention, yet it emits more CO2 than the total produced by global air travel and shipping combined. Washing clothes is a
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director.co.uk
particular bête noire, releasing 500,000 tonnes of microfi bres into the oceans every year. I’ve tried to address the problem by developing a biofabrication system for dyeing fabrics that uses natural dyes excreted by bacteria. It doesn’t require synthetic chemicals and it uses 500 times less water than the
conventional process would consume. I’ve spent eight years on this, but I’m no scientist – I have an architecture degree. The climate emergency requires radical solutions. If my story shows anything, it’s that “cognitive diversity” – ie, hiring people with a variety of skills who think differently from you – is imperative. My company realised this when consulting fi rms in the biotech and fashion sectors. Collaboration between people who wouldn’t normally interact can bring about real innovation and a mindset shift. Too many fi rms are waiting for legislation to kick in – there are many such laggards in the fashion industry, for instance – but we all need a long-term innovation strategy. We’re at a point where the climate crisis is starting to bite economically. Companies will soon start failing because of it. Having said that, I am still optimistic. The latest generation of entrepreneurs have a visible sense of purpose in their work. They are eschewing Silicon Valley’s “move fast and break things” ethos in favour of rebuilding and rehabilitating.
It’s not only about making materials less harmful to the environment. Firms should adopt an all-systems approach where sustainability touches all facets of the business model, from governance to growth strategies. Yes, it’s a tough task, but it’s not a restructuring. It’s a state of mind and an investment strategy that will give any enterprise lasting resilience.
natsaiaudrey.co.uk
The estimated annual turnover of the UK’s low-carbon economy.
TARGET: NET ZERO
The environment is a hot topic, figuratively and literally: Greta Thunberg, Extinction Rebellion, fires in Amazonia and the war on plastic all hit the headlines in 2019. Businesses – among the world’s biggest polluters – are key to hitting the goal set by the UN’s Paris climate accord of limiting global warming to 1.5ºC. L’Oréal, Nestlé and Nokia have
committed to net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 – and UK firms will have to follow suit, given the recent amendment of the Climate Change Act 2008 to adopt the target of bringing all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. The measure is expected to boost the number of “green- collar jobs” in the UK to two million.
The IoD has created an online hub packed with resources designed to help directors to support sustainable enterprise. Visit
iod.com/
sustainablebusiness to find out more.
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