events
Business Declares Kx: Tickling Sharks + A discussion with John Elkington
John Elkington, Founder and Chief Pollinator at Volans, is one of the founders of the global sustainability movement, and has been a strategic partner of Business Declares since the network was first established in 2019.
In this Knowledge Xchange, we will be discussing John Elkington’s new book, “Tickling Sharks: How We Sold Business on Sustainability”, explaining how a series of societal pressure waves have instigated change in business, markets and ultimately, capitalism.
We will also have the opportunity for a wider discussion with John Elkington about his journey in sustainability and corporate social and environmental responsibility.
Watch a trailer of the new book, “Tickling Sharks”, here.
Business Declares Kx: Business Structures - Fit for the future we need?
Join Business Declares for an inspiring panel discussion on the future of business structures. We'll explore whether current models are suitable for the challenges ahead and what alternatives could be put in place.
Today’s business structures mainly prioritize financial returns and shareholder interests, which have pushed climate and nature to the brink. We've exceeded six of the nine planetary boundaries which are essential for humanity to develop and thrive for generations to come. Trends such as rising carbon emissions and ecosystem destruction continue to worsen.
Business Declares believes that businesses can still be a force for good, but our current systems often hinder the radical changes we need.
We’ll discuss innovative governance models, stakeholder capitalism, the triple bottom line approach, Impact Performance Indicators (IPIs) instead of traditional KPIs, B Corps, new financial frameworks, and the importance of integrating nature into our business strategies, even putting nature on the Board.
The speakers are:
Philip Corsano - a barrister and Independent Mediator, specialising in Climate Conflict Resolution, deep governance expertise and a belief that current ‘stakeholder capitalism’ isn’t working. He has worked as a multi-lateral banker within existing environmental and social frameworks. He supports the changes in governance recommended by the OECD and the development of specialised skills training.
Donna Okell - a B Leader and founder & CEO of UK for Good, a B Corp Certified business, committed to working with businesses to improve impact on people and our planet
Annika Schneider - the Lead for International Partnerships at Purpose Economy. At the centre of her work is the belief in ‘steward-ownership’ – an alternative to conventional corporate ownership models and shareholder value primacy.
Brontie Ansell - is a lawyer founder and co-director of Lawyers for Nature who act to represent the natural world and provide legal assistance and research for those doing this vital work. She was the lead lawyer on the project 'Nature on the Board' which gave Nature a voice and a vote on a corporate board.
People Planet Pint @ Good Company: Business Declares & Toast Brewery
Business Declares and Toast Brewery will be hosting ‘People Planet Pint’ at Good Company in London
No pitches, powerpoints or panels. Just People, Planet, Pint/s - a networking meetup, and a great place to start your sustainability journey or continue learning, and meet diverse people to chat about life and how we can sustain it.
Every job plays a role in people and the planet, so come along and learn about how you can take action, as well as what is going on locally.
Everyone is welcome, regardless of their experience or background. People Planet Pint is a space where everyone can feel comfortable learning about sustainability and sharing their ideas.
Creating a sustainable future requires connected communities - and what better way to bring everyone together than over a drink?
Register via Eventbrite below to join People, Planet, Pint from 6pm onwards.
Blue Earth Summit
Join Business Declares’ Sam Baker and Ben Tolhurst at the Blue Earth Summit - the purpose-driven event for people in business committed to positive change.
Business Declares Kx: Business Declares: 5 Years On
It has been 5 years since Business Declares was launched, during the growing wave of climate awareness and climate strikes during September 2019.
Five years on, it is clear that the combined efforts of businesses, governments and citizens have fallen well short of delivering a tangible transition to address the climate, nature and social crises.
Business Declares has felt that it is critically important to acknowledge this, by issuing a new position statement, and a renewed set of commitments which we would like our members network to take on, as we near the midpoint towards the next decade in addressing key climate-nature targets.
Come along to our Knowledge Xchange with our Director, Ben Tolhurst, as we discuss our fundamental beliefs, best practice principles which we would like to see businesses adopt in their transitions, and our renewed commitments, upon our reflection of the polycrisis thus far.
Business Declares Kx: Surviving the Polycrisis - Continuing the Conversations
This Knowledge Xchange will build on the key outcomes, insights and questions raised from our recent panel discussion with London Business School and London Alumni Club, on whether we need to change, transform or replace our economic system in order to survive the Polycrisis - here is a video recording and transcript of the event, if you missed it.
There were many questions and thoughts around implementing a fair, just, rapid and equitable transition, as well as the uncomfortable truths about the realities of the climate, nature and social polycrisis.
Join Sam Baker and some of our speakers at the event to have the opportunity to voice your questions around the polycrisis, and what our economic system(s) should look like to influence and create a better future.
Surviving the polycrisis. Do we need to change, transform or replace our economic system?
Here is a recording and transcript of the event, Surviving the Polycrisis: Do we need to change, transform or replace our economic system?
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This year Baku will host the 29th CoP… so 30 years since anthropogenic climate change was recognised by the UN and its over 190 participating national members as sufficiently important to meet annually to address.
And yet greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, and with them global temperatures; destroying the lives and livelihoods of some, disrupting many, and threatening us all. At the same time, we see a 70% reduction in wildlife over the last 50 years, unmanaged pollution at record and accelerating levels; and staggering levels of inequality with the world’s richest 1% having more than twice as much wealth as 6.9 billion people.
Our economic system, with its relentless quest for growth, is clearly complicit if not a primary cause of these crises aka the polycrisis. Whilst the benefits of the system are unevenly distributed, the system does indeed deliver positive outcomes too.
Can our growth-led, capitalist-shaped economic system help us out of our current predicament? Or do we need to replace it?
Come and participate in an evening of expert opinion, debate and interaction as we develop these themes and seek conclusions. London Business School, the LBS Alumni and Business Declares are hosting an evening for all those concerned about the status quo and wanting to influence the future.
This session will be chaired by Sam Baker, Strategic Advisor of Business Declares, with speakers and panellists including:
Speakers
Simon Sharpe is Managing Director of S-Curve Economics, a new non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing understanding of the economics of the low carbon transition. He is also Director of Economics for the Climate Champions Team, and author of Five Times Faster: Rethinking the Science, Economics, and Diplomacy of Climate Change, which was listed by the Times and Financial Times as one of the best environment books of the year 2023. Simon was previously Deputy Director of the UK government’s COP26 Unit, where he led international campaigns on energy, transport, land use, science and innovation. His other roles in government included leading international climate change strategy, developing the approach to clean growth in the UK’s industrial strategy, and serving as head of private office to Ministers of State for Energy and Climate Change. He also served on diplomatic postings to China and India. Simon has published academic papers on climate change science and economics, and policy reports on climate change risk assessment, economics, and diplomacy. His paper ‘Upward-scaling tipping cascades to meet climate goals: plausible grounds for hope’ was the most widely read paper in Climate Policy journal in 2021.
Book website: fivetimesfaster.org
Project website: eeist.co.uk
Michael J. Albert is a Lecturer in Global Environmental Politics at the University of Edinburgh. His research explores the global politics of climate, energy, and food system transformations from a world-systems theory perspective. While primarily based in the subfield of global environmental politics, his work is transdisciplinary - i.e. indifferent to disciplinary boundaries. His first book - called Navigating the Polycrisis: Mapping the Futures of Capitalism and the Earth - brings complexity theory and world-systems thinking together with insights from the earth system sciences, ecological economics, energy studies, and critical security studies to investigate the possible futures of the world-system. His work has appeared in Global Environmental Politics, Review of International Political Economy, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Global Policy, Globalizations, Theory & Event, and Review of International Studies.
Panellists
Dominique is a Youth Climate Justice Activist, Global Speaker, Writer, and a recent graduate of Political Science student and International Relations in the U.K. She works on uniting people for climate action, speaking to world leaders, intersectional climate justice, making environmental spaces inclusive, and using creative means and the arts to create a cultural shift for our protecting our earth. She is also an advocate of sustainable fashion and has modelled for earth focused campaigns.
Rachel Donald investigates why the world is in crisis—and what to do about it. She's the creator of Planet: Critical, the podcast and newsletter for a world in crisis. With 12,000+ subscribers in 164 countries, Planet: Critical connects the dots of science, art, language, politics and power to reveal the big picture. Rachel speaks internationally on this ecosystem as an independent researcher and writer, and collaborates on crisis initiatives around the world. Her investigations into climate corruption have been published internationally and she was the first journalist in the world to break the stories on the resource wars driving the genocides in Palestine and Sudan. She is currently writing her first book on violence.
Tim is a bookseller, regenerative business designer and rebel economist on a journey to understand his role in the great system of life.
Having previously established England’s only carbon negative Local Industrial Strategy whilst working as Head of Economic Policy, he now specialises in regenerative businesses transformation.
Through his practice Tim cultivates an emotional connection with this pivotal moment for life on Earth to create change and transformation that comes from the heart not just the head. Because of this work, the Doughnut Economics Action Lab have, very kindly, called him a thought leader, though he prefers to think of himself as a thought weaver.
Tim is currently working in the role of source for the Piʌot project – the people powered movement for regenerative transformation.
He also works as a consultant, facilitator and public speaker on regenerative design, and runs a monthly book subscription, Adventurous Ink, which helps people reconnect with themselves and the wider world.
Connect with Tim on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timfrenneaux/
Hans is the Chief Economist of Triodos Bank NV, Europe’s leading sustainable bank. In this role, he is responsible for economic and sustainability research and for Triodos Bank’s impact strategy. He initially joined Triodos Investment Management, the impact investing arm of Triodos Bank, in 2017 and prior to that has over twenty years of experience as an economist, working on different fields of macroeconomics, long-term forecasting and scenarios, strategy and circular business models. Before joining Triodos, he worked at Rabobank as chief economist, CPB (the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis) and labour union ABVAKABO. Hans studied Economics at Maastricht University. He writes a weekly column in Dutch newspaper, Het Financieele Dagblad (The Dutch Financial Times).
In November 2023, Triodos presented its Economic Outlook for 2024. Hans Stegeman said: “Both the ongoing ecological degradation and the rising inequality stem from the relentless pursuit of economic growth. Therefore, a discourse on growth itself and the exploration of alternative routes to a flourishing and future-proof society should inherently form a core aspect of a long-term vision for an institution like ours, which champions the transition to a sustainable economy.”
Business Declares Kx: Digital - No free pass
It’s been 3 years since we collaborated with Wholegrain Digital to create the Digital Declutter Toolkit. Since then, the industry has been growing at over 6% pa and this growth is accelerating - doubling in size in under 10 years, driven by multiple factors including AI, Blockchain and Digital Transformation. The FT reports that data centres alone could drive a rise in the world's energy usage of up to 6%.
Bill Gates is telling us not to worry... Should we? Come and listen to, and engage with, Rafi Addlestone and Randy Adjei on two fascinating perspectives on the digital industry and the ramifications for organisational and personal use.
Rafi has worked at the intersection of technology and sustainability with both Deloitte and Amazon Web Services and will cover industry growth, the hyperscalers' record on emissions and disclosure, how this plays into the polycrisis and what you should be thinking about as a user-business.
Randy will draw on a new report which takes a hard look at one of the most significant environmental challenges of our time, e-Waste. Africa, the focus of the study, is challenged by the import of obsolete electronics and informal recycling practices. He will reflect on the feasibility of circularity and what we should do to reduce the harm we are responsible for.
Business Declares Kx: Tales from the 10th International Degrowth Conference
Come and hear Ben Tolhurst discuss the key outcomes and points of interest from the recent 10th International Degrowth Conference in Pontevedra with participants. Over 1,200 people attended and over 950 abstracts were presented.
Topics to cover include: how degrowth interacts with other disciples e.g. ecological economics, inflation and the green transition, the role of innovation/ entrepreneurship/ technology in a degrowth world, textiles as a case study of regulatory corporate capture, and whether or not advertising has a place.
The participants, including Sam Baker our strategic advisor who's fresh off the 33-hour bus journey, will be asking you to mark your diaries the 11th Conference to be held in Oslo next year.
Nature's Workforce: Continuing the Conversations
Nature's Workforce is a fantastic resource and tool kit to help people in your company to take action on restoring and protecting nature. It all starts with having conversations in teams, employee networks and there are plenty of tools and ideas to help. However, maintaining momentum can be a challenge when everyone is busy. To help you support others in the journey, we are offering an action learning online session to share learnings between those leading this work from employee networks across different organisations.
We can benefit by learning more together across different organisations by sharing with each other on what's working, what may be challenging and how to take next steps.
Join Business Declares (as host) for this conversation, on July 4th for a 1-hour lunchtime session 12-1pm to share how your company is using the toolkit and learn from others in a supportive discussion process.
Aims
To meet people from other companies who are using Nature’s Workforce, or starting to think about using it
To share progress and challenges
To learn from each other and share tips for getting engagement
Business & Nature: Achieving meaningful engagement in nature projects
Join us and hear from three of our business members - Kingsdale Head, Brabners LLP, and Great Dixter Charitable Trust - on how your business can get more involved, and achieve meaningful engagement, in nature projects.
This session will delve into the importance and benefits of nature and nature projects to business, the need to shift emphasis away from solely decarbonisation efforts and towards nature, and the challenges around nature projects to consider, including: verification & monitoring; meaningfully defining the investment & returns of nature projects; and why Nature projects should not be seen as an offsetting vehicle.
Speakers:
Tim Yetman - Kingsdale Head
Catherine Bryan - Kingsdale Head
Simon Lewis - Brabners LLP
Carol Joughin - Great Dixter Charitable Trust
We will also highlight two specific nature projects, and the benefits to both business and nature in these projects. We will hear from:
Brabners LLP, why they engaged with Kingsdale Head for nature restoration, the nature of their relationship, and the benefits of this collaboration.
Great Dixter, the importance of a biodiversity audit, their nature project of restoring flower meadows, and a reminder of the importance for business to engage with nature.
This session will be hosted by Ben Tolhurst, Director of Business Declares, and we will also have opportunities for questions during the session, and the last 30 mins of the session for an extended Q&A.
Restore Nature Now
Business Declares is an official partner of the Restore Nature Now march in London on the 22nd June.
This event is led by Chris Packham and is non-political, peaceful, legal and family-friendly, with over 200 partner organisations including the RSPB, National Trust and WWF, and will include activities for families and children.
Aims
The purpose of the event is to raise awareness about the plight of nature and biodiversity in the UK, and this promises to be the biggest show of support for the natural world the UK has ever seen, with a gathering at Park Lane and a march to Parliament Square where there will be speeches from a number of notable figures.
🗓️ Saturday 22 June, 12 o’clock
📍 Park Lane, W1K
On the Day
Our Business Declares group will be meeting altogether at 12.00-12.30pm, on the intersection of Aldford Street and Park Street, after which we will make our way to our position at the march, between the ‘Water’ and ‘Land’ blocks, at Park Lane W1K. Visit our amplification toolkit, for further details on logistics for the day for Business Declares).
The march will be assembled at Park Lane, London, W1K, between 12pm and 1pm, and from there the march will take a predetermined route through the city before ending in Parliament Square.
The culmination of the march will see a central ‘rally’ in Parliament Square at around 2.30pm. This will see well-known names and faces speaking to marchers about the political and policy changes we need to see to finally turn the tide for the environment and Restore Nature Now.
1. Let us know you’re coming
Business Declares is bringing together businesses/employees to join the event as a visible demonstration that it’s not just environmental organisations that care about nature - businesses actually care too. Stand with us and and thousands of other people calling on whoever the next UK Government is, to transform the UK from a nation of nature loss to a nation of nature leaders. We plan to be dressed in business attire on the day as an outward sign that the business world cares about nature.
If you are thinking about joining/supporting us, view more information and sign up here: bit.ly/BDRestoreNatureNow
2. Amplify across your networks
Use our amplification toolkit to spread the word in your businesses, teams and networks, showing how you can engage your employees, teams and networks to join and support the march, as a member of the business world standing with Business Declares.
3. Stay up to date
If you are joining on the day, be sure to check out Restore Nature Now’s information below about the March on the day:
Restore Nature Now’s new March assembly guide, for information on: The March Route, The March Blocks, Meeting points, Travel Information and Accessible Meeting Points
Stay in touch with the latest Business Declares details for the day by joining our WhatsApp Group or you can find further details about the march here.
Climate Change Workshop Networking
We are inviting you to a workshop where we will tap into the collective genius of the diverse groups we’re bringing together to brainstorm solutions to the some of the most intractable challenges that climate change faces – oh, and meet some new faces in the process. We will have a quick run through of the scientific evidence we understand in order to attribute intelligent solutions to what we understand. Then we will be broken up into groups of approaches:
Human Activities
Greenhouse effect
Direct and indirect impacts of climate change
Consequences for humanity
We will then as a group come up with 2 key things that need to happen for this approach. This is a fun and interactive way to network and chat to a fellow business whilst finding a common purpose and approach to running your businesses. We have all been to networking events where we are unsure what we have in common. We intend to find that commonality and help you discuss them with each other.
The event ends with a drink organised by People, Planet Pint. You can carry on those interesting discussions or find others to chat to, to grow your business.
For accurate location please go to - what3words /// The simplest way to talk about location
Business Declares Members Social - London
If you are based in, or have connections with, London and South East - please do come and join Business Declares for a 1 hr get together at 5.30pm on Thursday 6th June at Tamesis Dock in London, with a follow on People Planet Pint (PPP) at 6.30pm.
This Business Declares Social is open to both members and our wider network. The gathering will be relaxed, informal, and a great space to network and meet other like-minded people, as well as discussing some of the most important topics relating to the climate, ecological and social crisis. Discussions can then continue at PPP immediately after.
Event details
Location: Tamesis Dock, Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7TY
Timings: Business Declares Social 5.30pm-6.30pm | People Planet Pint 6.30pm
Business Declares Knowledge Xchange: Nature’s Workforce
Join our Knowledge Xchange event with Business Declares and Nature's Workforce, to find out more about the nature work guide jointly created by the National Trust, the RSPB and WWF to help transform how we work, and our natural world.
This comprehensive work guide is aimed at employees of large businesses in sustainability networks, or those who would like to start a network. It is also valuable for anyone who has their own business and wants to encourage their team to take more action on nature. The tools and resources have been developed with input from some leading businesses including our members, the Financial Times and Café Direct.
Format
Introduction from Nature's Workforce team
Launch Video from Deborah Meaden: Everyone in every business can bring nature back from the brink
Alison Fortescue from the FT will speak as a business involved in Nature's Workforce, about how the tool was co-created with business, for business.
Q&A
Speakers
Alison Fortescue, Company Secretary and Head of Compliance; FT
Kim Dunn, RSPB Save Our Wild Isles Business Advocacy Lead; RSPB
Ellen Howells, Communications and Engagement Strategy Lead; National Trust
More about the guide:
As an employee, you have a powerful voice which can initiate changes to help your business bring nature back from the brink. Your workplace pension could help fund the restoration of habitats, and your supply chain could shift to more nature friendly practices, having a positive impact on wildlife in the UK and beyond. There are lots of ways you could influence your workplace to make ambitious changes for nature.
You don’t need to be a nature expert to act. Together, the National Trust, the RSPB and WWF have created Nature’s Workforce, designed to help you start the conversations that will lead to lasting change. Bring your passion for nature, knowledge and ideas; and Nature’s Workforce will help you to ask the right questions, shape discussions and collaborate with your colleagues to make a plan for action that will benefit your business and the planet.
Business Declares Knowledge Xchange: "Climate Change and SMEs: pain, pleasure and glory" with Small99
A punchy 45 minutes (including your questions!) led by Adam Bastock, founder of Small99 who have an ambition to guide 1 million businesses to net zero by 2025 and who run the ubiquitous People, Planet, Pint evenings.
Come and participate in the discussion which will be structured in 3 parts:
net zero and what it means for SMEs;
broader reflections and examples on why and how climate change matters to SMEs; and
what to do: practical advice on planning, actions and communication.
Sam Baker, on behalf of Business Declares, will be your host.
Business Declares Members Social - Manchester
If you are based in, or have connections with, the North West - please do come and join Business Declares for a one hour get together at 5pm on 25th April in central Manchester, with a follow on People Planet Pint (PPP) event at 6pm, hosted by the Better Business Network.
This Business Declares event is open to members and non-members. Hosted by Ben Tolhurst, Director of Business Declares, the gathering will be relaxed and informal, a great space to network and meet other likeminded people, as well as discussing some of the most important topics relating to the climate, ecological and social emergency. Discussions can then continue at the PPP event immediately after.
Event details
Registration for People Planet Pint from 6pm-8pm
Location: Sandbar, 120 Grosvenor Street, Manchester, M1 7HL
Timings: Business Declares Social 5pm-6pm | People Planet Pint 6pm-8pm
Business Declares Knowledge Xchange: our progress, plans and a spotlight on Forster Communications
Our progress on encouraging, inspiring and accelerating business action on the climate, ecological and social emergency; our plans for growing our momentum this year; and a walk-through of Forster Communications’ renewed Climate Action Plan.
Business Declares Knowledge Xchange: True and Fair Accounts
Including sustainability in your financial statements.
edie24 - Unleashing the power of purpose in your organisation
The business case for a purpose-led strategy and creating a climate-action culture at every level of business.
The power of a Letter to the Earth - how businesses can get involved
A free lunchtime session on their workshops and how your business can be involved.
Queue for Climate & Nature
A quiet but powerful gathering of stakeholders, professionals and people in business, to show business support for government action on climate and nature.
Banking On A Wilder Tomorrow : A Save Our Wild Isles Film (2/2)
Our screening of Save Our Wild Isles' "Banking on a Wilder Tomorrow", and exploring the actions businesses can take towards nature recovery.
The Business of Nature : A Save Our Wild Isles Film (1/2)
Our screening of Save Our Wild Isles' "The Business of Nature", and exploring actions we can take as businesses towards nature recovery.
Nature Connectedness for Climate Action and Nature Recovery
Why fostering nature connectedness in your business can support more effective action for climate and nature – and how to get started.
FT Climate Capital Live
From Words To Action
Join CEOs and C-suites across energy, food, agriculture, manufacturing, finance, Government, NGOs and more as they discuss the risks, challenges and opportunities of the climate crisis and what this means for the years ahead. Walk away with actionable takeaways you can implement in your own business strategy to help you achieve your net-zero goals.
Register now for 20% off your pass using code DECLARE: https://on.ft.com/3YhJYUI
Walk2COP27 Clubhouse Session (2/2) - The role of business in activism
In this session we will discuss where businesses can/should play a part in being more bold in speaking out and advocating on a range of topics not traditionally “in scope” for business. These include topics such as:
degrowth and the need to alter business models to operate within planetary boundaries (which is gaining significant traction over the last few months).
stances on topics traditionally considered the domain of activists from controversial legislative changes through to calls to stop new fossil fuel production.
the greenwashing agenda including the “validity” of net zero/carbon neutral/offsetting.
Learn more about the Walk2COP27 climate action initiative here
This event will be hosted on Clubhouse - download the app (available on iOS and Android), and click here to join the event via the app, at the event start time.
You can also join the Walk2COP27 club to join this and other events via the app.
Walk2COP27 Clubhouse Session (1/2) - Embedding business actions on climate emergency in SMEs
In this session, we will hear from businesses which have embedded taking action on the climate, ecological and social emergency into the very heart of their business model: from their cultural practices, managing scope 1 and 2 emissions, managing their supply chain, clients and wider stakeholders, and in their guidance and support to their staff.
Learn more about the Walk2COP27 climate action initiative here
This event will be hosted on Clubhouse - download the app (available on iOS and Android), and click here to join the event via the app, at the event start time.
You can also join the Walk2COP27 club to join this and other events via the app.
Business Declares Members: From declaration to action
This summer, we undertook our largest ever review of how our members are progressing in their journey to tackle the climate, ecological and social emergency. A massive 92% of you submitted comprehensive responses and its now our turn to share with you. This event will bring to life what members are doing with respect to addressing scopes 1,2 and 3, how they are tackling the biodiversity crisis, and areas where challenges are still being felt. We will also be showcasing climate impact plans from three very different members – AG Communications, Bates Wells and Lamington Group as well as discussing where we go next as a network.
So please come and join us, be part of the largest knowledge and good practice sharing event in our history and harness the power of our business network to make real change on the ground.