Why The World Needs Sustainability Reporting

Corporate legacy has created much of the climate issues we are facing today. For far too long, companies have been able to operate without levels of accountability. This has brought about the devastating social and environmental damages we are seeing more than ever before.

It is now more necessary than ever for corporations to be held accountable for more than mere financial performance. Consumers are increasingly no longer interested in supporting companies that are only out for their own profit margins.

Companies are also already coming up against regulatory changes, externality taxes and higher demands on corporate responsibility and transparency. As such stakeholders and investors are looking for the same level of sustainable alignment.

Why is sustainability reporting important?

●     It helps to track environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance which gives businesses a better understanding of where they need to improve

●     It promotes transparency and accountability with customer bases and stakeholders, which can also assist in building trust in the brand in question

●     It opens doorways for optimization in sustainable development, in turn changing companies and businesses into tools to positively impact our world

●     It communicates to stakeholders and investors that a corporation has intentions for long term sustainable progress

●     It ensures that the environmental, social and governance (ESG) gains are strengthened and intentionally pursued

●     It incentivises better practices by rewarding the companies that are performing strongly on corporate sustainability inclusion

●     By making sustainability a priority, companies can actually avert potential financial risk. According to the World Economic Forum Global Risks Report released in 2018, almost half of all significant business risks are environmental.

As a society we cannot improve, prevent and successfully manage that which we do not completely understand. Just like a neighborhood can’t accurately curb and assist with crime prevention if the crimes aren’t reported, so too businesses can not improve themselves if they don’t attempt participation in the conversation towards sustainable transparency.

Companies that wish to make a genuine impact and experience a truer definition of value contribution need to utilize the various sustainability reporting frameworks currently available to their advantage.

Understanding the different frameworks

According to Greenbiz, a media and events company that advances the opportunities at the intersection of business, technology and sustainability, there are five main reporting frameworks to consider:

●     CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project)

●     DJSI (Dow Jones Sustainability indexes

●     GRI (Global reporting initiative)

●     GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark)

●     SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board)

Greenbiz also put together this useful graphic on the comparisons between these different frameworks.

Still, in order for a business to provide the most efficient feedback, they need to focus on giving material clarity on aspects relevant to them.

For this the Reporting Exchange is a valuable tool.

The Reporting Exchange is a global knowledge platform and resource for corporate sustainability reporting. It was established by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in conjunction with the Climate Disclosure Standards Board and Ecodesk.

Its primary goal is to bring “coherence and clarity to the global reporting landscape” in what is still currently an emerging and multi-faceted field of complex requirements.

It levels the playing field by:

·         introducing common language and definitions

·         identifies relationships between requirements and reporting resources

·         highlights what is relevant to the specific business model

By understanding that the many frameworks available aren’t mutually exclusive but rather support each other, companies who focus on the reporting frameworks that offer material clarity to their unique operations will provide the most valuable picture of transparency.

The clearer businesses are able to communicate their sustainability impact in formats relevant to their interested parties the sooner they will be able to meet business objectives and grow as truly sustainable companies, and the sooner the collective landscape can benefit, learn and share on the exchange of experience and amassed knowledge.

Bachelor Programs in Fashion Management Studies

There is a continuous evolution in the fashion industry. Be the top person with a rational brain in fashion with a Master's degree through proper Fashion Management Education. With entrepreneurship skills you can enhance more in creativity and other crafts. Master in fashion management consists of MA, MSc, and MBA. Most people prefer MBA to improve their business. The correct guidance and background knowledge is vast requirement to grow in fashion industry.

Fashion Bachelor Programs

Bachelor programs in Fashion Management Studies are essential stepping stones to achieve a successful career here. The usual four-year program is mandatory to go for master programs.

Fashion Universities Europe concentrates on practical design techniques and knowledge as well as the creation of luxury fashion clothing. Most people think about Sustainable Fashion to note down and clarify the socio-economic aspects and the environmental impact. There is so much particular concept of sustainability in fashion. The high-quality standards and design are more successful when the rules of sustainability get fulfilled. While it is Worthing like a whopping price, master's degrees and creativity can lead you to many more opportunities. Based on your qualifications, you will get research work, business projects and many other working opportunities in fashion. In today's fast-paced business world, it pays to be up-to-date with the latest management techniques – and to be confident in your ability to apply them effectively. SUMAS short term professional courses in Switzerland aim to help you achieve that.

Sustainable Hospitality and Why It Matters

“The hotel industry must reduce its carbon emissions by 66% by 2030 and 90% by 2050.” This was the finding of a study commissioned by the International Tourism Partnership in 2017.

The study highlights the urgent need for the hotel industry to drastically reduce carbon emissions in order to align with science-based targets to keep global heating below the 2 ̊C threshold and avoid run-away climate change.

Historically, the hospitality sector has had a substantial environmental footprint not only through its energy and carbon impact but also through water consumption, as well as the use of consumable and durable goods and hazardous waste creation.

According to Dana Communications “Hotels consume energy for HVAC operations, lighting, fuel and other power needs. Water is used for bathrooms, F&B [food and beverage], and laundry, as well as other general operations (irrigation, cleaning and maintenance). Waste is generated by the disposal of paper, batteries, bulbs, furniture, equipment, appliances and more.”

As such, there is an evident and increasingly urgent need for sustainable hospitality practices.

What is Sustainable Hospitality?

According to André Harms, sustainability consultant, founder of Ecolution Consulting and recent SUMAS guest lecturer: “Sustainable hospitality means rethinking hospitality as a sustainable practice. It means that every aspect of the hospitality industry is considered through the lens of sustainability. From design to construction/refurbishment to operation both internally in terms of consumption and behavior as well as externally in terms of procurement communications and commitments, etc.”

Harms were the lead sustainability consultant for one of the greenest hotels in the world: Hotel Verde based in Cape Town, South Africa. The hotel is the first hotel in the world to have been certified by the United States Green Building Council with a Double LEED platinum certification for both design + construction and operation.

“Hotel Verde has a vast array of passive, technical and operational interventions which make it more sustainable,” says Harms. These include:

• Energy efficient design
• 220 Solar panels
• 3 vertical axis wind turbines
• A highly efficient HVAC coupled to a geothermal loop system which draws energy from the ground
• Regenerative drive elevators and
• Grey water recycling system
• Low-flow tap fittings and showerheads
• Waterwise landscaping and drip irrigation
• An operational materials management plan (for more sustainable procurement and waste reduction) coupled to strict waste separation and upcycling, donation, composting and recycling practices. The hotel diverts over  5% of waste from landfill on average
• Sustainability interwoven into all hotel standard operating practices/procedures
• Biodiversity management and eco pool
• Employee engagement programmes
• A carbon neutral hotel experience to guests by offsetting the remaining impact on behalf of the guest.

“Hotel Verde really is a prime example of what can be achieved when it comes to Sustainable Hospitality” says Harms, who lectured as part of the SUMAS Sustainable Hospitality Management programs. “As the need for more urgent sustainable action becomes increasingly prevalent, it is my hope that the best practices that have been achieved with Hotel Verde will soon become standard practice for hotels all around the world.”

Sustainable Hospitality at SUMAS

If you are interested in a career in sustainable hospitality, SUMAS offers a variety of programmes. Browse the programmes below or contact us today for more information.

• BBA in Sustainable Hospitality Management
• MBA in Sustainable Hospitality
• MAM in Sustainable Hospitality

Why The World Needs Sustainability Reporting

Corporate legacy has created much of the climate issues we are facing today. For far too long, companies have been able to operate without levels of accountability. This has brought about the devastating social and environmental damages we are seeing more than ever before.

It is now more necessary than ever for corporations to be held accountable for more than mere financial performance. Consumers are increasingly no longer interested in supporting companies that are only out for their own profit margins.

Companies are also already coming up against regulatory changes, externality taxes and higher demands on corporate responsibility and transparency. As such stakeholders and investors are looking for the same level of sustainable alignment.

Why is sustainability reporting important?

●     It helps to track environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance which gives businesses a better understanding of where they need to improve

●     It promotes transparency and accountability with customer bases and stakeholders, which can also assist in building trust in the brand in question

●     It opens doorways for optimization in sustainable development, in turn changing companies and businesses into tools to positively impact our world

●     It communicates to stakeholders and investors that a corporation has intentions for long term sustainable progress

●     It ensures that the environmental, social and governance (ESG) gains are strengthened and intentionally pursued

●     It incentivises better practices by rewarding the companies that are performing strongly on corporate sustainability inclusion

●     By making sustainability a priority, companies can actually avert potential financial risk. According to the World Economic Forum Global Risks Report released in 2018, almost half of all significant business risks are environmental.

 As a society we cannot improve, prevent and successfully manage that which we do not completely understand. Just like a neighborhood can’t accurately curb and assist with crime prevention if the crimes aren’t reported, so too businesses can not improve themselves if they don’t attempt participation in the conversation towards sustainable transparency.

Companies that wish to make a genuine impact and experience a truer definition of value contribution need to utilize the various sustainability reporting frameworks currently available to their advantage.

Understanding the different frameworks

According to Greenbiz, a media and events company that advances the opportunities at the intersection of business, technology and sustainability, there are five main reporting frameworks to consider:

●     CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project)

●     DJSI (Dow Jones Sustainability indexes

●     GRI (Global reporting initiative)

●     GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark)

●     SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board)

Greenbiz also put together this useful graphic on the comparisons between these different frameworks.

Still, in order for a business to provide the most efficient feedback, they need to focus on giving material clarity on aspects relevant to them.

For this the Reporting Exchange is a valuable tool.

The Reporting Exchange is a global knowledge platform and resource for corporate sustainability reporting. It was established by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in conjunction with the Climate Disclosure Standards Board and Ecodesk.

Its primary goal is to bring “coherence and clarity to the global reporting landscape” in what is still currently an emerging and multi-faceted field of complex requirements.

It levels the playing field by:

• introducing common language and definitions
• identifies relationships between requirements and reporting resources
• highlights what is relevant to the specific business model

By understanding that the many frameworks available aren’t mutually exclusive but rather support each other, companies who focus on the reporting frameworks that offer material clarity to their unique operations will provide the most valuable picture of transparency.

The clearer businesses are able to communicate their sustainability impact in formats relevant to their interested parties the sooner they will be able to meet business objectives and grow as truly sustainable companies, and the sooner the collective landscape can benefit, learn and share on the exchange of experience and amassed knowledge.

Interview with Miruna Manole, a SUMAS graduate in Sustainable Luxury

The sectors of luxury fashion and hospitality can wield massive influence over their customers, who in many cases can be fairly influential in their own capacities. How-ever both these industries rank high as significant contributors to unsustainable environmental practices.

Integrating responsible leadership in the sectors of fashion and luxury is crucial to a world where the use of luxury brands doesn’t come at the cost of our environment. SUMAS graduate programs in Sustainable Fashion Management and Sustainable Hospitality Management, offer cutting-edge curriculums aimed at doing just that:

• MBA in Sustainable Fashion Management
• MBA in Sustainable Hospitality Management
• MAM in Sustainable Fashion Management
• MAM in Sustainable Hospitality Management

Miruna Manole is an MA in Sustainable Luxury Management graduate from SUMAS currently working as a Non-Financial Analyst at The CSR Agency (Bucharest, Romania)

She’s also achieved a First Class Degree with Honours in BA Fashion Management & Marketing from the University for the Creative Arts, UK.

Here, she shares what motivates her towards positive change, her views on youth lead climate action and how to navigate things when it feels overwhelming.

Give us a little background on how or why you chose to pursue the MAM in Sustainable Luxury and what that is for people who aren't familiar with the field?

While working on my final major project for my bachelor, I did a lot of research and learned that the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Given the state of the planet, I realised that I could not create a business plan that would have a negative impact on the environment, hence I decided to focus on creating a sustainable business.

This is how I discovered it was a passion of mine, while the real need for this subject was confirmed by me winning the New Business Award at Graduate Fashion Week, in London.

I decided to further my knowledge on the subject and pursue the MAM in Sustainable Luxury at SUMAS.

As one of my professors at SUMAS put it, sustainable luxury is luxury that blends ethics and aesthetics.

Therefore, it is represented by beautiful, high-quality products that are created without compromising the health of the people and environment which contribute to their creation.

Can you tell us a little bit about where you're currently working and how sustainable luxury plays a role?

I currently have the role of Non-Financial Analyst at The CSR Agency, a consultancy company that focuses on sustainability. I work in sustainability reporting, so while the role is not strictly related to sustainable luxury, the courses I undertook while studying at SUMAS prepared me for the job, especially ‘Responsible Management’, where I learned about CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and CSR reporting.

You wouldn't have chosen this field if you didn't have hope for a positive long term outcome to the environmental crisis. Can you speak to what it is that gives you motivation and belief in change?

There is a quote by Barack Obama that really spoke to me when I first read it: “We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change and the last generation who can do something about it.” The situation regarding climate change is serious and we have already started seeing the effects. It’s so serious in fact, that it has been suggested to use the term ‘climate emergency’.

However, scientists are telling us we still have time to act in order to make sure the future generations can enjoy good, healthy lives. I do have hope for a positive long term outcome, because we can already see people changing habits, companies responding to increasing pressure from consumers and governments coming together and collaborating for this cause.

My motivation is earth. We live on a beautiful planet and I hope we get to enjoy it for as long as possible.

What are your thoughts on the youth taking leadership on Climate Action?

I admire my peers and the younger generations for their determination. The youth is going to be most affected by the effects of the climate emergency, so I completely understand their anger, when they see the older generations not acting up fast enough and, in a way, stealing their chances of a good future life.

Were you involved in the initial or any following #ClimateStrikes and if so to what degree?

I have been following Greta Thunberg since the beginning of Fridays for Future and have attended the Climate Strike whenever possible, while I was living in Geneva. The turnout was impressive and we can already see that these actions are bringing positive results, including raising awareness.

What outcomes were you hoping for, specific immediate ones as well as ongoing ones?

The first result is raising awareness, which we still need to continue doing. Others include creating policies aiding the move to a more sustainable version of our society, regulating some of the largely used products and encouraging the shift towards alternatives, which can only happen with the support of the authorities.

Do you believe that youth-lead strikes are the most powerful way to motivate authorities to take notice on this issue?

Considering that Greta Thunberg started these strikes alone and is now giving speeches at important events regarding the issue, which comes as a result of millions of people joining her movement, we cannot deny that they are a powerful way to motivate authorities. In the end, authorities are there in the interest of their people and when they forget that, it is no surprise that people feel the need to remind them of this.

What is your take away advice to anyone who feels the climate crisis is an insurmountable issue?

My advice is to start small through individual positive changes. I believe this will inspire people, which in the end will put more pressure on authorities and companies. I also suggest reading positive news regarding the issue, which is increasingly present worldwide.

In the end, if we all try to lead better lives, no matter if the issue is indeed insurmountable, we can be satisfied that we have lead our lives being kind to each other and our home.

And I believe that is quite an important feeling to have.

If you are interested in studying in the area of sustainable tourism or sustainable fashion, take a look at some of our available courses and degrees.

Nine Sustainable Innovations set to Improve our Futures

As the battle on climate change increases, more and more overwhelming statistics and foreboding scientific data fill our feeds. Feeling despondent to it all is an understandable side effect.

However, on the flip side of potential environmental catastrophe lies the innovation that could bring it, and therefore us, back from the brink. Here are 9 sustainable innovations in food waste, ocean pollution, water-scarcity and plastic manufacture set to shape our lives and improve our futures.

Cleaning up our oceanic act of unkindness

It is estimated that close on 13 tons of plastic pollution is dumped into our oceans each year, causing harm to not only our own health, but that of marine biodiversity too. These ocean-geared innovations are combatting the plastic soup.

1.    Boat-fixed turbines collect plastic en-route

By far the biggest portion of plastic waste is dumped in rivers. A young Ecuadorian innovator, Inty Grønneberg, has designed turbines capable of filtering and collecting plastic waste before it ends up in the ocean. Installed on any boat, they are able to collect up to 80 tons of plastic during navigation. His innovation is focused on not requiring new infrastructure and vessels but rather to make the most use of as many existing boats as possible.

2.    Bins for emptying ocean trash

Surfers, Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinski invented the Seabin, submersible bins with fitted pumps capable of sifting the water and trapping the floating pollutants like plastic, detergent and oil. The bins only need to be emptied once per month.

Food industry transformations through AI and intelligent plants

Half the world’s food harvest is wasted due to fruit and veg being so susceptible to pathogens. Take into consideration the greatly reduced pollinating powers of our declining bee population and you could see where, without innovative thinking like this, we would be facing an increased severity of food shortages and waste.

1.    Droid bees doing the heavy lifting pollination

Researchers at the University of Warsaw have created robotic bees, or B-Droids, who could help in boosting the bee population by taking up the tasks of low-nutritional and high-labour pollinating. Their concept is a managing platform and ‘swarm’ of autonomous and semi-autonomous robotic bees, who could identify crops and pollinate them effectively.

2.    Blockchain eliminating food waste

Part of IBM’s research arm, ‘5 in 5 innovations’, works on 5 AI technologies that can be implemented in the next 5 years. One of these innovations calls for a future where blockchain, AI and IoT devices work together to eliminate the costly wastage and losses in the food supply chain. By collecting and sharing this data within the grocery supply chain, planting, ordering and shipment can be calculated to exact quantities, resulting in reduced waste and fresher food for the consumer.

3.    Plant-based preservative cuts out cold storage

Demetra, founded by Italian start-up Green Code, is a 100% plant-based preservative that not only improves the shelf life of fresh produce but could also eliminate cold-storage during transit, thereby simultaneously saving on energy.

Intelligent plastics made from waste and wasteful emissions

Scientists estimate that there may be around 5.25 trillion macro and microplastic floating in the vast oceans. While arising technologies that sifon out this harmful plastic solve one half of the problem, other innovators are creating better plastics that will prevent it from occurring again in the future.

1.    Bio-plastic from the humble avo-pip

Mexican chemical engineer, Scott Munguia, has engineered a plastic from a biopolymer he’s discovered inside the pip of an avocado. The single use cutlery made from his bioplastic biodegrades in 240 days. Most notably, this bioplastic is not only manufactured from a previously discarded food item - an estimated 300,000 tons are discarded annually in Mexico alone, but also not manufactured from a food source crop like corn, cassava or sugarcane.

2.    Greenhouse gases become profitable plastics

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology makes it possible for carbon to be captured and compressed at the source, where it can then be moved to storage. While this technology can significantly reduce green-house gasses, it is now also being used profitably to make products.

AirCarbon is a verified carbon-negative material that can be used to manufacture everyday products that would have otherwise used fossil fuels and oil, by combining the sequestered carbon with oxygen. The entire manufacturing process is carbon negative.

Water-wiser engineering

30-40% of the world will face water scarcity by 2020. As a climate-change exacerbated reality, 1.8 billion people will live in regions of water scarcity by 2025. This not only affects fresh drinking water but the ability to grow food. This innovative thinking could help.

1.    Growing plants in the desert

The Groasis Waterboxx makes growing crops in an intelligent plant device that germinates, incubates and waters saplings possible. It also has a 90% less water requirement than traditional methods.

2.    Drinking water from clouds

For coastal and mountainous areas with less access to clean drinking water, a 3D mesh innovated by CloudFisher can convert the fog into safe drinking water while withstanding winds of 120 kmp/h. The design is an improved-upon innovation on the first fog collectors installed in Eritrea in 2007.

Leading the Way in Sustainable Fashion

Clothes are an everyday necessity and for many a central part of self-expression and creativity. Fashion, however, is a dirty business. The current fast-paced production of clothes is incredibly resource intensive, wasteful, exploitative and pollution-heavy.

According to the United Nations “the fashion industry, including the production of all clothes which people wear, contributes to around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions due to its long supply chains and energy intensive production. The industry consumes more energy than the aviation and shipping industry combined.”

Besides the emissions associated with today’s fashion industry, every item of clothing comes with a cost - both environmental and social.

According to the documentary film River Blue, one fashion brand will use over 28 trillion gallons of water every year. In addition to the actual use of precious drinking water, clothing manufacturers are dumping toxic chemicals into nearby rivers which are killing off animal life, contaminating water and sky-rocketing occurrences of death and disease in affected people.

People are also affected in the way of workers exploitation. Garment workers are forced with unsafe working conditions and being paid far below a living wage.

But there is hope. The Fashion Transparency Index reports that there’s been a “280% rise in tier-one supplier transparency from fashion brands since 2016.”

We are seeing greater pressure and demand to transform the fashion industry to be ethical and sustainable whilst incredibly innovative and exciting transformations are already afoot.

Here are just five examples of trailblazers in the sustainable fashion space.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation - Promoting a shift to circular economy

In 2010, Dame Ellen McArtur launched the foundation to promote a paradigm shift towards a circular economy, particularly in the fashion industry. The circular economy looks at moving away from the current linear model of our economy which is to take-make-dispose. Circular economy transcends our current extractive industrial model by “gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources, and designing waste out of the system.”

Circular economy is underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources and building rather than depleting natural and social capital. It is based on three principles:

●     Design out waste and pollution

●     Keep products and materials in use

●     Regenerate natural systems

Fashion Revolution - Ending exploitation and ecological damage caused by fashion

Fashion Revolution is a group of “designers, academics, writers, business leaders, policymakers, brands, retailers, marketers, producers, makers, workers and fashion lovers” who aim to “unite people and organisations to work together towards radically changing the way our clothes are sourced, produced and consumed, so that our clothing is made in a safe, clean and fair way.”

Fashion revolution hosts a number of online and offline events all over the world, including the annual Fashion Revolution Week which put pressure on brands to reveal #whomademyclothes.

The organisation has released a manifesto with ten principles to which the fashion industry should uphold itself and are engaging with top fashion brands through their transparency index.

Patagonia - Subscribing to activism as a modern clothing brand

As far as large clothing brands leading the way on sustainable fashion practices go, Patagoina comes out top. Patagonia proudly markets themselves as an “activist company” and attempts to transparently prove why they deserve that name. Patagonia actively practices responsible resource management whilst promoting longer-use and better care of their products in order to reduce consumerist impact.

The company transparently communicates their journey to improve their supply chain and reduce their carbon footprint whilst even taking part in direct action and activism. Their central focus is on the lives of their workers. Considering the current environmental crisis we face currently, we need more companies to take an active stand like Patagonia has.

Kye Shimizu - Using technology and tradition to decrease fashion waste

According to Sustainable living platform Twyg Mag, “Kye Shimizu is not a fashion designer, but his Algorithmic Couture project has created a new convention for fashion,” using code to eliminate waste and make fashion sustainable.”

Kye is the co-founder of Synflux, a Tokyo-based research collective that focuses on design research and fashion design. Together with is co-founders Yusuke Fujihira, Kotaro Sano, and Kazuya Kawasaki, they developed a system which has taken the concept of traditional Japanese straight-line pattern cutting and combined it with technology,

The Algorithmic Couture project:

●     captures body measurements and data of a customer,

●     then creates a 2D zero waste digital patterns using straight lines;

●     outfits are designed using these straight line patterns in collaboration with a designer;

●     the customer is able to customize color and fabric type;

●     outfit is made to fit the consumer whilst avoiding fabric waste.

Forum for the Future - Open source information for the future of fashion

In partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at the London College of Fashion and with support from C&A Foundation, Forum for the Future has launched Fashion Futures 2030, “an open-source learning toolkit to help fashion businesses plan for future scenarios with sustainability in mind.”

The toolkit uses four vivid scenarios which explore topics such as:

-          climate change

-          resource shortages

-          population growth

-          And other factors that will shape the world of 2030 and the future of the fashion industry.

The next 10 years are going to be some of the most important in the entire human history. All individuals, governments and industry will have to make widespread unprecedented changes if we are to avoid climate catastrophe and further devastating biodiversity loss. Embracing sustainable and ethical fashion practices is one of the most important ways of doing this.

Do you want to make a difference to the fashion industry?

Sumas offers a range of sustainable fashion courses and degrees:

●       BBA in Sustainable Fashion

●       MBA in Sustainable Fashion

●       Master in Sustainable Fashion

●       Online MAM in Sustainable Fashion

●       Online MBA in Sustainable Fashion

Contact us on info@sumas.ch to find out more.