Weekend Briefing No. 40
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WEEKEND BRIEFING //
US & China sign a deal on carbon emissions. As part of the agreement, Mr. Obama announced that the United States would emit 26 percent to 28 percent less carbon in 2025 than it did in 2005. That is double the pace of reduction it targeted for the period from 2005 to 2020. China’s pledge to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030, if not sooner, is even more remarkable. To reach that goal, Mr. Xi pledged that so-called clean energy sources, like solar power and windmills, would account for 20 percent of China’s total energy production by 2030. Read John Kerry’s New York Times Op-Ed about the historic agreement.
Does Plum Organics’ quest to do good pose a legal risk to Campbell Soup? Just after Plum Organics – a natural baby food company – was acquired by Campbell’s Soup, it converted it’s legal status to a Delaware public benefit corporation, becoming the first benefit corporation in the nation owned by a publicly traded company. Does having a benefit corporation in their portfolio open Campbell’s up to a shareholder derivative suit for failing to maximize shareholder value? Learn more in this SF Gate article. Thanks to Brian Howe for sending this article my way.
5 new cases studies on Creating Shared Value. There has been tremendous interest in shared value around the world since Harvard Business Review published Creating Shared Value in 2011. Since then, there is keen interest in understanding shared value partnerships, measuring shared value success, and connecting strategic philanthropic investments to potential shared value opportunities. These 5 new case studies give more insight on the application of these principles.
Is a tweet Activism? According to the new Cone Digital Activism Survey, most Americans think so. Unsurprisingly, Millenials are more likely to turn their tweets and posts into real activism. Some 71% of respondents say that they use social media to discuss issues they care about, compared to 52% of the U.S. average, they're also more likely to donate money (80%) than the U.S. average (63%). This segment of the population also cares more about the impact that a brand/nonprofit has (71%) than any familiarity with the organization (58%).
Patagonia invests in Yerdle. Yerdle – an app for people to sell used clothing – has a motto, “either love what you own, or pass it along to someone who will.” For years Patagonia has been encouraging its consumers to repair and share their used clothing. This week they put their money where their mouth is and invested in a company that is facilitating that transaction through their $20 Million and Change Fund. The venture fund seeks young socially and environmentally responsible companies that share its values. As more consumers realize the accumulation of space and stuff is not only a drag on their pocketbooks, but a gash on the planet, watch for more partnerships like the Patagonia-Yerdle alliance to give us even more options to save money and clear our closets. Read more at Fast Company.
SOME THINGS I LIKE //
Intel is backing a 13-year-old entrepreneur. He invented a Braile printer made out of Legos. This is going to look so good on his college essays!
Kirsten Dunst’s short film critiquing the selfie generation. This 2:37 film entitled Aspirational is a pretty sad / accurate view of the selfie culture.
What is it like to be held hostage by a militant Islamic group in Syria? Read this long form (9,000+ word) piece by Theo Padnos, American journalist, on being kidnapped, tortured and released in Syria in the New York Times Magazine. Thanks to Karoline Westaway for giving me a heads up on this one.
ABOUT THE WEEKEND BRIEFING //
The Weekend Briefing is a digest of the best stories from around the web about meaningful innovation curated by Kyle Westaway – author of Profit & Purpose and Managing Partner of Westaway & Co.
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Have a restful & thoughtful weekend.