ERM Sustainability Institute

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is significantly increasing global energy consumption, driving demand for cleaner power.   There is a growing conflict between AI’s energy consumption and the industry’s push for decarbonization, which in some regions, leads to a return to fossil fuels.   Discover more, in our latest Sustainability Trends Outlook: https://lnkd.in/eTpYGpvr #CleanPower #CarbonFootprint #LowCarbonSolutions

Our latest quarterly sustainability trends outlook is now available! Providing a concise summary of the latest issues impacting the private sector, this summary focuses on the following four trends: ·      Rising energy demand driven by Artificial Intelligence is causing a race for clean power ·      Regulatory pressure and a crackdown on misleading sustainable plastic claims trigger the development of innovative alternatives ·      Extreme weather patterns force companies to implement climate adaptation strategies ·      Companies step up decarbonization throughout their value chains and tighten the thumbscrews on suppliers   Explore each of these key macro trends affecting business decision-making here: https://lnkd.in/eTpYGpvr #Sustainability #SustainabilityTrends

Today at #COP16, we’re excited to unveil our new report, ‘The Future of Water Resilience in the U.S.’, in collaboration with J.P. Morgan. The report highlights water's crucial yet overlooked role in our daily lives and the global economy.   While many think of water primarily for household use, its significance extends far beyond. Water is essential for agriculture, industry, manufacturing, and power generation, supporting biodiversity and safeguarding against extreme events. With an estimated environmental value of $50 trillion annually, water influences nearly 60% of the global GDP.    However, emerging trends are putting unprecedented pressure on water resources. With increasing demand driven by factors such as growing manufacturing investments and the expansion of data centers, water supply is becoming increasingly unpredictable due to changing precipitation patterns. This means businesses need robust water strategies to ensure sustainable access and manage costs effectively.   Grab your copy and explore these pressing issues: https://lnkd.in/eNSnY3ec   #WaterSecurity #Sustainability #BusinessStrategy #COP16  

As renewable energy continues to grow in scale, the traditionally large land footprints of installations pose challenges both in terms of land use and impact that companies must account for. While the footprints of solar and wind farms are not likely to significantly decrease, several emerging strategies can help mitigate some of the issues associated with renewables’ considerable land use. Discover more at: https://lnkd.in/d2u_PhRk #Renewables #RenewableEnergy #GHG

Today at #COP16, The Nature Tech Alliance (ERM, Salesforce, NatureMetrics, and Planet) is excited to launch our new whitepaper, "The Nature Tech Revolution: The Tools to Move from 'Do No Harm' to 'Nature-Positive'. The whitepaper offers actionable insights on:   ▶ Harnessing advanced data and technology to tackle urgent nature challenges. ▶ Navigating frameworks like the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). ▶ Addressing biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and climate change. ▶ Aligning sustainability efforts with overall business goals. ▶ Creating landscape-scale impact through integrated tech solutions.   Change is coming - and it's coming fast! Businesses must transition from merely reducing their environmental footprint to actively advancing net benefits to nature throughout their operations, supply chains, and products. We're witnessing a shift from data desert to a data deluge, and it's happening quicker than carbon reporting did. The world is about to enter a new era where there is a huge proliferation of nature data enabled by the latest innovations and applications in satellite, cloud and eDNA. The Nature Tech Alliance can support businesses through this rapid shift, helping to convert this new flow of data into actionable decisions to drive sustainable growth.   Discover more at: https://lnkd.in/ehbH9hcb #Nature #NatureData #ERMSustainabilityInstitute

Developing a coherent, consistent, and credible transition plan is difficult. But done right, it serves as the foundation for setting up a dynamic transition planning process. So, companies should not treat a transition plan as a point-in-time disclosure but as a crucial first step in the overarching process of integrating climate transition planning into their operations and business/ commercial strategy, including annual budgeting. Organizations that succeed in doing that are much more likely to be both credible and commercially successful in the medium to long term. #JustTransition #ClimateTransition #Sustainability

As we approach #COP16 in Cali, Colombia, companies must accelerate action to protect biodiversity and address the pressing nature crisis. It is time for a critical evaluation of our relationship with the environment and a reassessment of our current economic model, which too often values the extraction, overexploitation, and pollution of nature. In mid-2024, the Nature Tech Alliance, consisting of ERM, Salesforce, Planet, and NatureMetrics, interviewed 18 leading global corporations to assess their approaches to measuring, managing, and disclosing biodiversity across their whole value chain. The results of these interviews will be launched at #COP16 in our white paper, "The Nature Tech Revolution: Unlocking Tools for a 'Nature-Positive' Approach." This paper offers essential guidance for business-wide transformation as companies navigate frameworks such as the TNFD, CSRD, and EUDR, while simultaneously addressing the practical challenges of biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and climate change. The alliance's ambition is to provide nature intelligence for business decision makers to help make the business case for investment. Here are seven key insights explored in the research: - Nature risk is both global and highly local 🌍 - The link between nature risk and enterprise risk is still under-developed 🌱 - Lack of corporate decision-maker and investor understanding hinders nature-positive growth 🏢 - Companies are moving from "do no harm" to "net positive" ➡️ - Financial institutions are lagging behind other sectors but have the potential to scale nature-positive investments 🏦 - Outcome-based metrics are the future, but few have figured it out 📊 - Data fragmentation is the biggest barrier, not a lack of technology 🚧 Follow the updates from our team at #COP16 or join us for the launch event in Cali on 24 October: https://www.erm.com/cop16/ #Nature #Biodiversity ERM Sustainability Institute

Many companies may mistakenly believe the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive’s (CSRD) Chemical Pollution requirements do not apply to them. However, the new disclosures cover both the direct and indirect use, through raw materials, of chemicals and minerals. Companies must act now to get ready since chemical pollution poses an equal, if not higher, risk than other sustainability topics. Our article “CSRD’s Chemical Pollution requirements are taking companies off-guard” identifies and explores eight steps companies must take to prepare: - Build and evolve an implementation plan - Undertake CSRD-aligned sampling and measurements  - Deploy experts to develop mass balance calculations - Leverage existing company- and external databases for safety data sheets     - Identify and use industry-specific public data - Create a sampling and testing plan to fill in gaps - Develop calculation methodologies for chemical emissions to air, water, and soil - Create an overall data management plan with strong governance and internal controls  Access it here: https://lnkd.in/gJmnTrse #CSRD #Chemicalpollution #COP16 Ramesh Narasimhan Susan Angyal, Linda-Jean Cockcroft

As with any device or product, renewable energy platforms will eventually reach the end of their useful life and need to be disposed of. It is imperative that platform disposal is done responsibly. Nevertheless, as the world rapidly scales its renewable energy capacity, many questions remain about producing platforms using materials and processes that enable circularity and reuse. #Renewables #RenewableEnergy #Circularity

While renewable energy offers clear environmental benefits like decarbonization and improved air quality, it also presents challenges such as managing end-of-life waste and land use changes. Effectively addressing these environmental conundrums is crucial for companies aiming to expand their renewable energy capacities. However, determining the best management strategies can be challenging, with so many factors to consider. While there are no quick solutions, the four actions we outline here can help companies get started. One of them is opting for green production inputs and processes. Explore the rest of the actions in the third report in our Renewables Conundrums series: https://lnkd.in/d3CkD9HD #Renewables #RenewableEnergy #GreenProduction