We are very excited to share that our Global Impact Database data has been used for the visuals in the FD (Dutch Financial Times) series where executives of large retail companies are questioned about their climate goals and performance. There are many bumps between good intentions and implementation. This series aims to address the dilemma between a company’s and consumer’s responsibility.
Read the interviews of the sustainable retail series here:
UNILEVER
The first article of the series is an interview with Unilever’s president of global foods Hanneke Faber. She says Unilever talks about climate change every day and have constructed sharper goals to address it. Hanneke describes how the idealistic DNA of the company requires ambitious goals in relation to climate change, but at the same time, the company must make sure it outperforms competitors. She believes that the company’s investments pay off in the long run, but a key issue is to monitor the whole value chain.
Our Global Impact Database provided data to compare Unilever’s climate impact with the impact of the average of its sector:
Read the full interview here.
IKEA
The second article of the series is an interview with Ikea’s CEO and CSO (Chief Sustainability Officer) Paul de Jong. He talks about Ikea ambitious goal of being climate positive by 2030 and, by that time, all furniture must be made from recycled material or raw materials that you cannot exhaust. At the same time, with its cheap products, Ikea has become a symbol of overconsumption and the disposable society. The CEO of Ikea Netherlands wants to help customers live more sustainably but places the responsibility of recycling on them.
Our Global Impact Database provided data to understand where the company stands compared to the average of its sector:
Read the full interview here.
PATAGONIA
The third article of the series is an interview with Patagonia’s European Director Matthijs Visch. He says if partners don’t have the same ideals, they walk away. Even when it comes to millions of dollars in income. He talks about the company’s aims to be climate neutral by 2025 and has a simple solution to the climate problem: repair more and produce less.
Our Global Impact Database showed how Patagonia performs compared to its competitors:
Read the full interview here.
KRUIDVAT
The fourth article of the series is an interview with Kruidvat’s CEO Ed van de Weerd. At first glance, the red–yellow stores may not seem very green due to their “buy this and take this with you” deals that encourage “treasure hunting” which leads to overconsumption. However, Van De Weerd says they are working towards greening and aim to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Our Global Impact Database shows Kruidvat’s emissions:
Read the full interview here.
ZALANDO
The fifth article of the series is an interview with Zalando’s sustainability director Kate Heiny. She brings up how Zalando wants to have fewer unnecessary returns but free returns are a part of them. She emphasises Zalando has had its climate goals scientifically validated by the science-based targets initiative (SBTi) of the UN and requires partners to set climate targets.
Our Global Impact Database shows Zalando’s climate impact compared to its Dutch competitors:
