Spencer's Sustainability Review's

What is GORE TEX?   We’ve all seen GORE TEX somewhere. Whether it be on a brand new pair of waterproof NIKE running shoes or this year’s latest take on the classic Arc’teryx shell jacket, GORE TEX has made its mark on the outdoor and fashion industry as the leading brand for high quality material. - GORE TEX membranes strength and durability a what drives people to pay +$600 per jacket in todays market   Essentially, it a breathable fabric membrane that is also water and wind proof made from heated PTFE. It’s durability and breathability makes it perfect for hard activities in the outdoors like rock climbing skiing and hiking.   What is the problem?    GORE TEX roots come from partnering with outdoor apparel companies, who have long voiced the importance of taking care of the planet and focusing on sustainability. So it’s ironic that one of the most important materials in the space is also one of the most toxic and pollutant.   The problem comes in the very...

Denial still exists, even in the Ski Industry   We’ve all heard that one of the main threats of climate change is the increase in temperatures that it will bring. in fact, this is already happening. Since widespread observation became available in 1930, Snowmass has decreased by 57% and is forecasted to continue at a rate of 0.19% per year (US EPA, 2022).    However, what is worrying is that it seems that not all influential members of the Ski industry seem to believe what is happening. In February of 2019, the President of the International ski federation (FIS), Gian Franco Kasper, denied climate science (Wenger 2019). He claimed a lack of proof and an abundance of snow pack for his thinking, as well as -35 degree temperatures in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. Despite an outcry from skiers and companies, Kasper did not resign, only leaving the position upon his death in 2021. - Gian Franco Kasper, president of the FIS long opposed the evidence of climate change. He died ...

A call to action If you read the letter from Larry Fink, the CEO of world’s largest private equity fund “BlackRock”, you see how equity and finance has the power to shape the world.   - Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, the worlds largest PE fund (Kollewe 2022) We all need finance at some point. Unless their founder is a billionaire like Musk or Bezos, founders and CEOs of startups need some external funding to grow their company to the point they can be profitable and make their desired impact. As individuals, we might need finance to buy a house. We may even loan out our own money in order to get some return.   This is an example of how much power we as induvial, have the power to shape the future of business and innovation for the greener. I want this post to break down what sustainable finance is, its impacts so far and what we need to do to spread the phenomenon further.   What is sustainable finance?   Very simply, sustainable finance are the undertaking of financi...

If you’ve been following my blog, you will remember that my first post was discussing the importance of making our supply/value chains more sustainable if we truly wanted to make radical change on the way that business operations impact the environment.  Well recently I’ve found an incredibly interesting innovation that DHL has been making to their value chain, this being looking to turn the cargo plane fleet electric (Spence 2021), an image of which can be seen below.  - A concept image of DHLs future net zero shipping plane (DHL 2021) Why this is so important?    Aviation is one of the biggest contributors to global CO2 emissions in the modern world. Estimates place aviation’s contributions to greenhouse gas emissions at 3.5% of all of the planets emissions and with the increasing ease and frequency of international travel, this number could triple by 2050 (Overton 2019).    In a delivery market where the speed of movement of goods is key to a delive...

As marketing students, we all know how powerful great marketing can be. It can enhance sales, improve reputation and build strong relationships with new and existing consumers.    Marketing can help firm direct people to feel certain ways about a brand, but it can also encourage actions among consumers and communities and this has huge potential for increasing sustainable behaviour.   The Pokémon Go Earth day clean-up   Now I’m sure you all remember (2016), where everyone in the world seemed to want nothing more than to play Pokémon go.  -         Pokémon Go players in Robson Square , Vancouver in 2016 (DailyHive 2016)   Countless news stories and social media post covered the game that seemed to explode in popularity out of nowhere.    At the most basic level, the game core focus is about going out, either alone or with friends, and catch Pokémon, cute creatures with special powers, in order to train and compete...