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As consumer demand for sustainable products continues to rise, the role of intellectual property (IP) in promoting eco-friendly innovations is more critical than ever. In this week’s post of our September Sustainability Sequence, we dive into how trademarks and branding shape the landscape for environmentally-conscious businesses. By leveraging strong trademarks, companies can not only highlight their commitment to the environment but also build lasting trust and loyalty with green consumers. Discover how IP tools such as trademarks position eco-friendly products and play a pivotal role in driving sustainable market growth. How are brands navigating the challenges of promoting green innovation, and what strategies can help them stay authentic in their sustainability efforts? Join us next week as we explore the collaborative power of IP in driving sustainability. #EcoFriendly #Branding #Trademarks #Sustainability #Fairtrade #GreenInnovation

Quality, transparency, trust, and responsibility are at the root of everything we do. Our 2023 Impact Report is here! This report celebrates our progress while acknowledging the goals we have yet to achieve to be the world's most sustainable brand.

Whether you’re new to sustainability or looking for ways to embrace it across your enterprise, follow these five approaches to begin building a more sustainable brand. Read more: https://hubs.li/Q02wNyPY0 Post written by Lourdes McAgy, Forbes Councils Member.

CONSCIOUS JOURNEY // For us, responsibility means being respectful of our planet and people, and looking out for each other. It’s a concept which is firmly embedded in our brand values. We always aim for the best balance between maximizing our positive reach and minimizing our footprint, by creating wear-forever clothes in high-quality materials, and producing exactly the numbers we sold. To lay the base for our Conscious journey, we are now building a roadmap, encompassing our vision, mission, goals and targets. Our focus areas are to develop a Responsible Materials Strategy and to continue building on a Responsible Value Chain. One of our priorities is to increase the percentage of more responsible materials with each collection. We have aligned our key values with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and are in the process of setting goals and targets according to our responsibility pillars. To take ownership for a more responsible supply chain, we are a proud member of Amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative)/BEPI (Business Environmental Performance Initiative). Amfori is the industries’ leading NGO working in the field of social and environmental compliance. It provides a recognized methodology for due diligence in global supply chains. Through our membership, we can support our business partners to ensure the protection of workers’ rights and to improve environmental conditions in our value chain. Through this concerted effort we believe we will leverage our positive impact, conquer challenges and, like Dante Alighieri, achieve the ultimate dream of attaining the seemingly impossible, beautiful aesthetics in a better world. 

The case for high quality, high integrity nature projects and the cost of greenwashing. Short summary: Swedish clothing retail company Gina Tricot did a large influencer campaign with a promise that they would plant their own forest, filled with beehives. After Swedish media reported that Gina Tricot only planted around 500 trees - at a cost of around 8000 EUR - but likely spent 100x that amount on influencer marketing of the project, they are now experiencing heavy backlash, negative media publicity and accusations of greenwashing. This is Swedish news but could happen anywhere. And buyers need to carefully assess the quality of the project they are financing and the risk of greenwashing. At NaturaTua, we believe that nature and biodiversity projects need to be of high quality, high integrity and include proper checks and balances. That's why our ambition is to make carefully chosen land available for projects of the highest quality - i.e. nature conservation. Such projects will of course always be more expensive than e.g. planting a few trees in a field and calling it a forest. But the value, both to the buyer and to the planet, will be real.

Happy to join Sustainable Brands Türkiye - Sürdürülebilir Markalar as a speaker next week, where I will cover some of the topics from our book, Viherpesutalous ("The Greenwashing Economy"). See you in Istanbul! #viherpesutalous #sustainablebrands #sustainability #marketing #communications #sustainabilitymarketing #sustainabilitycommunications

The marketers we’re talking to are hungry for more nuanced guidance around communicating purpose. Come along to hear about the role language plays in bringing people together around an issue.

We frequently encounter headlines such as "brands committed to sustainability" or "aiming for a sustainable goal by 2030," but what motivates brands to adopt these initiatives? It’s not simply because we think, "Oh, they planted a tree, let’s choose them over their competitors." Here are three reasons why brands pursue sustainability: 1. Brands recognize that their environmentally conscious customers value sustainability, and they aim to meet these expectations. 2. Stricter environmental regulations from the government encourage brands to adopt sustainable and CSR practices to stay compliant and avoid penalties. 3. Most importantly, investors are increasingly prioritizing brands that adhere to social, environmental, and governance factors. Brands that emphasize sustainability are more attractive to these investors. What do you guys think about this ? #branding #brandstrategy #brandgame #marketing

"When leading companies stop communicating their sustainability efforts, we’ve got a problem.” Says Kaj Török, Head of Sustainability at Max Burgers, highlighting a troubling trend: leaders in sustainability are pulling back on communicating their sustainability ambitions. Why? To avoid inadvertently twisting words in ways that cannot be substantiated. Török spoke at this week’s #NätverketförHållbartNäringsliv panel discussion on the EU’s Empowering Consumers and Green Claims directives. The Swedish network works towards creating a more sustainable business climate, and this panel examined the EU’s moves to level the playing field for companies using sustainability in consumer-facing communications. While the directives aim to promote transparency, trust, and fairness in sustainability claims, they might actually silence companies trying to make a positive impact. Meanwhile, genuinely unsustainable products like fast fashion and non-recyclable electronics can continue communicating—as long as they don’t claim to be sustainable. The imperatives of trust and transparency won’t be addressed by only targeting sustainability communications. When allowing ads like “Probably the best beer in the world” but restricting “Probably the most sustainable beer in the world,” that’s when we’re at risk of silencing voices when we need them most. Even if the directives don't directly apply to B2B, if your communications can reach end consumers or engage employees, we all have something to learn about watching this space. 👀 #Sustainability #GreenMarketing #EURegulations #CorporateResponsibility #B2B #B2C #GreenClaims #empoweringConsumers Lennart Bjurström Catherine Pettersson Greg McIvor Christina Ameln

🌿 Building a stronger brand isn't just a trend—it's the future. Today's consumers demand sustainability. By implementing responsible sourcing, waste reduction, and energy efficiency, companies pave the way for a more eco-friendly and innovative industry. Let's go beyond expectations and set new standards for social responsibility. Connect with your audience on a deeper level, build trust, and drive long-term success. Lead the way towards sustainability. Who's in? 💪🌍