Category: In the Press

Authority Magazine | The clean beauty movement is reshaping the beauty industry by prioritizing safe, non-toxic ingredients. With consumers increasingly concerned about their skin, there’s a growing demand for transparency and high standards in beauty products.

In this interview, conducted by wellness entrepreneur and lifestyle journalist Wanda Malhotra, Emmanuel Hembert, Global Cosmetics, Personal Care + Pharmaceuticals Lead at Quantis, shares his insights on the clean beauty trend, the significance of the EcoBeautyScore consortium, and the importance of science-based sustainability frameworks. He also highlights the role of innovative ingredients and ecodesign in creating a successful clean beauty brand.

Sustainable Brands | Quantis‘ 2024 report Recipe for Transformation — a report highlighting effective, actionable sustainability strategies across the global food and beverage industry — made a splash with several news media reporting on its takeaways and survey results, including Sustainable Brands.

While many companies are at least somewhat confident in their sustainability roadmaps, the report highlights several gaps that companies need to address if they’re to achieve environmental goals by 2030. In Recipe for Transformation, Quantis highlights five key themes for companies to incorporate into their strategies, including:

1. Increase resilience in the food supply chain
2. Transform product portfolios
3. Shift focus from reducing emissions to supporting nature
4. Drive consumer behavior changes
5. Prepare for the upcoming regulatory landscape

GreenBiz | The Science Based Targets Network (SBTN), which aids corporations in developing science-based strategies to address nature and biodiversity loss, has selected the Global Commons Accountability Accelerator to validate these targets for the next two to three years. This move aligns with SBTN’s aim to expand its methodology and services beyond the 17 multinational companies involved in its pilot program since mid-2023 and invite more companies to submit targets for validation in the latter half of 2024, with the number of participants depending on available funding and resources.

Companies must address biodiversity and nature loss if they are to effectively take action against climate change. In an interview with GreenBiz, Quantis Senior Sustainability Consultant Simon Gillet notes that a lot of the data used for climate reporting can also be utilized for nature-based emissions-reduction targets. “The difference lies in the location and contextualization of these activities. By pinpointing where purchases are made, where commodities are cultivated, and where operations occur, companies can conduct a thorough assessment of their environmental impacts and dependencies.”

“‘Having an independent validation partner is crucial for maintaining the credibility and integrity of the targets,’ Gillet said. ‘It ensures that the targets are based on rigorous scientific standards and unbiased reviews, fostering trust among stakeholders, investors and the public.'”

Vogue Business | In an effort to convert the fashion industry from a design-make-sell model to a design-sell-make model, microfactories have entered the market to provide quick, nearshore and low-impact production. This method allows fashion brands to produce only what is needed, minimizing waste and responding swiftly to market demands.

Between minimizing the impact of production and exploring alternative materials, brands can be doing a lot more to make meaningful progress on their sustainability goals. Quantis‘ Global Fashion + Sporting Goods Lead Philipp Meister weighs in on how partnerships between material innovators and microfactories present an opportunity: “‘Lots of those innovators are still in the incubation phase. And that’s an interesting phase to then collaborate with microfactories, because they don’t need to set up large-scale material production’ he says. Meister calls the potential link-up of multiple small-scale entities a ‘micro-supply chain’, which could see the agility and efficiency of microfactories echoed across different tiers of production.”

Bloomberg | The bankruptcy of a pioneer in textile-to-textile recycling has raised concerns over the demand for and viability of alternative materials in the fashion industry. While many brands have pledged to use more recycled materials, action has been limited thus far. An article in Bloomberg highlights that without more investment into material innovation, demand for sustainable raw materials could exceed supply by 133 million tons by 2030, according to a report by Quantis, BCG and Textile Exchange.

The industry’s future depends on better integration between innovators and manufacturers, as well as the strategic placement of recycling facilities. Without significant investment and changes in business models, the supply of sustainable raw materials may fall short of demand, potentially leading to continued reliance on traditional fibers and synthetics.

CosmeticDesign USA | With increasing consumer demand for less environmentally impactful products, the Sustainability Packaging conference in the US brings together industry experts and thought leaders to discuss the latest insights and strategies for sustainable packaging. Quantis Sustainability Strategist Emily Wynne shared her perspective on circularity: “The more we can encourage the establishment of a circular, refill/repair-based system that incentivizes consumers to reutilize what they have and think twice before purchasing the newest, ‘must-have’ items, the better off we will all be.”

But how can companies effectively initiate these systems? “Refill and repair-based systems only work when consumers are adequately educated, and the infrastructure makes it easy (or easier) for consumers to purchase more sustainable solutions than the conventional solution,” says Wynne. Educating consumers can come through various channels, such as online resources, social media campaigns or in-store initiatives.

Just Food | ‘Carbon negative’ claims are emerging as a new trend, bringing with it risks of greenwashing. Quantis’ Global Food + Beverage Lead Charlotte Bande was interviewed for an article highlighting the credibility problems with such claims, in which she explains: “A product cannot be carbon neutral or negative based on offsetting schemes. Even the most sustainable product still causes emissions.”

So how can companies communicate impacts while avoiding the pitfalls of greenwashing? “Bande advises her clients at Quantis to refer not to insets but ‘reductions and removals in the value chain’. The whole area of carbon sequestration – the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide – is a can of worms, she suggests.”

Cosmetics Design | In cosmetics and personal care, the choice in raw materials can have significant sustainability implications. One risk that companies need to avoid during their ingredient selection, is impact shifting. Quantis alum Polina Dekhtyar unpacked the topic in an interview with Cosmetics Design USA, where she explains the risks associated with raw material selection, what brands can do to future-proof product formulation and more.

Innovation Forum | In this podcast, Matthew Hawthorne, our US circularity expert, and Luca Mosca, Fashion and Sporting Goods Lead at Quantis Italy talked with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about emerging circular models in the apparel sector, the challenges of transitioning away from linear business models, the risks of “one-size-fits-all” approach, and the uniqueness of circularity KPIs, such as replacement rate.

From the design phase to marketing a tailored value proposition; supply chain adjustments to needed technology for material recovery, circularity is a new way of thinking and must be addressed as such using systemic thinking.

The Guardian | Sustainable footwear is at a complicated crossroads. As one of the more complex fashion products to produce, shoes often pose recycling challenges and usually end up in landfills. For an article exploring more sustainable design practices for footwear, The Guardian interviewed Quantis Italy’s Fashion + Sporting Goods Lead Luca Mosca.

“Glue and other binding materials can make shoes difficult to recycle, even when new substances are used for their main components, such as cactus ‘leather’ – a material made from the leaves of the nopal cactus – and grape-skin derivatives, says Luca Mosca, fashion lead at the sustainability consultancy Quantis. He says it is still hard to say what constitutes an environmentally friendly shoe, and that consumers should use them for as long as possible.”

“‘We have to look into all stages of a product lifecycle, the materials within the product. Here, there are a lot of differences: it could be a performance-driven shoe mostly made of synthetics, or a casual shoe made of leather. Then you need to look at the environmental performance of the materials and the production processes of putting the shoes together. Last but not least, you must look at how it will be treated at the end of life. Shoes are very complicated products,’ says Mosca.”

Brands need to explore alternative materials as part of the shift away from the status quo. But to ensure they truly add sustainable value, science must guide their decision-making.

The Washington Post | Sustainability is a growing factor when it comes to consumer purchasing decisions — especially as we begin a new year and set resolutions. For an article on reusable water bottles, the Washington Post reached out to Quantis expert Marcial Vargas-Gonzales, Science + Innovation Lead. He gave insight into how different types of water bottles stack up on sustainability.

As it turns out, the material — plastic, glass, metal — isn’t necessarily the most critical factor when it comes to reducing climate impacts. “If you’re using this water bottle every day for two or three years, then in reality, the impact of manufacturing that bottle is going to be very, very low compared to the amount of energy you’re using to wash it if you’re using hot water to clean it… At the end of the day, what really matters is how long you’re going to be using this bottle…more than debating what is the best material if you want to make sustainable choice, just making that switch regardless of what you choose is already a fairly big step.”

Vogue Business | The fashion industry is at a standstill in its sustainability journey. While some brands have tested a few sustainable innovations, many have yet to begin the necessary tranformation of their business models.

In an interview with Vogue Business, Quantis senior strategist Sandra Gonza shared her insights on where brands should focus: “The fashion industry needs to better recognise interdependence, starting with unravelling the complex web of relationships among suppliers, manufacturers, consumers and waste management systems. Without recognising these interdependencies and by solely focusing on one stakeholder — often shareholders and often for short-term financial gains — the future of the fashion industry remains precarious…Brands looking to establish a legacy and relevance across future consumers are often the ones that acknowledge the critical role within their ecosystem.”

Fashion Dive | Quantis’ Global Fashion + Sporting Goods Lead Philipp Meister was interviewed for a piece in Fashion Dive, where he unpacked a recent report launched with BCG and Textile Exchange. The report, titled Sustainable Raw Materials Will Drive Profitability for Fashion and Apparel Brands, reveals that demand for low-climate-impact (“preferred”) raw materials could exceed supply by as much as 133 million tons by 2030. To deliver on decarbonization commitments and prepare for future legislation, it’s essential that apparel brands secure access to sustainable materials.

Doing so will require brands to change the way they engage with suppliers. Philipp explains in the article: “building longer term contracts and commitments to ensure suppliers secure revenue for the period of time needed to implement more sustainable solutions and see a return on investment, paying premiums to those with the ability to provide preferred materials, and investing in the development and scaling of more innovative materials. Some brands might also decide to finance part of the production costs more directly, or support access to low interest loans or public funding to ensure sustainable practices can be implemented.”

Innovation Forum | In this podcast, Charlotte Bande, global food and beverage sector lead at Quantis, talks to Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about how businesses are shifting from intention to action, when it comes to real long-term sustainability. They also discuss the difficult conversations that companies should be having internally, and how to ensure transparency is not a barrier to necessary collaboration.

Fashion Dive | Drastic European regulations are set to reshape the global fashion industry’s current supply chain practices — and American companies will be no exception to the new rules. Complying with this ever-evolving regulatory landscape will require total business model transformation to embed sustainability at the core of operations. Philipp Meister, Global Fashion and Sporting Goods Lead at Quantis sat down with Fashion Dive to unpack what the new changes mean for the sector, calling for “an overhaul of the fashion model.”

Just Food | While companies in the food industry measure their plastic and carbon footprints, they’re neglecting a crucial piece of the puzzle — food waste.

In a recent Just Food article, Global Food + Beverage Lead Charlotte Bande highlights some of the key challenges and possible pathways to tackle food loss and waste.

Triple Pundit | The $100 billion chocolate industry has reached a critical crossroads, with rising global demand for chocolate contrasting starkly with the dire livelihoods of cacao farmers and the drastic environmental impacts of traditional agricultural practices. Alexi Ernstoff, Global Science Lead at Quantis, dug into the issue with Triple Pundit, emphasizing that waiting will only make the transition to sustainable business operations more costly and challenging. She says that “the goal is to reach that middle 60 percent of companies, bring the evidence [to] show them they need to make changes, and convince them that this is extremely important.” By prioritizing long-term benefits over short-term gains, the cacao industry can avoid reputational and ethical risks associated with unsustainable practices.

CarbonMaps | The global food system is the primary driver of biodiversity loss. Agriculture alone has been identified as the threat to 86% of species at risk of extinction and accounts for roughly 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, 80% of deforestation, and 70% of water consumption. This has dangerous or even irreversible consequences on ecological resilience, which directly affects businesses’ resilience. According to Elsa Maurice, Biodiversity Lead Consultant at Quantis, today many agri-food companies are working solely on climate, and it’s time to stop working in silos as the food industry is one of the only sectors that is both a source of impacts and solutions.

Forbes | “A fascinating study on incentivizing the board to make the company more environmentally responsible.” While it’s the responsibility of the board of directors to ensure the sustainability of a company’s performance in a world of limited resources, this body faces significant challenges in driving meaningful change. This study digs into these obstacles and identifies tangible opportunities for reinvention without risk of symbolic gestures that lack concrete action. “Anne Désérable of Quantis. summarized the findings from their small but fascinating study on boards and climate responsibility. One key, she explained, is to make sure the board understands the transition that that particular company needs to take to become carbon neutral. One idea is to link board compensation to the company’s performance on ESG – environment, social, governance – criteria and it’s environmental impact.”

AdWeek | The global resale market grew by 22% in 2022 as a growing number of companies are shifting to more circular systems. With greenwashing crackdowns also on the rise, how should brands talk about their efforts to build circularity? Quantis’ Sustainability Consultant and Circularity Expert Matthew Hawthorne spoke with Adweek to discuss how communicators can approach the topic.

At its core, a circular economy is made up of the same three principles that many people have long been familiar with: reduce, reuse and recycle.

“That’s all circularity is about,” Hawthorne explains. “How we reduce our consumption of resources…reuse what we can that we already own…and then, finally, recycle whatever doesn’t maintain its value. How do we try and recover those resources to be used again, to the best of their ability?”

As companies build out resale and take-back programs, innovate with recycled materials and find new uses for their products’ end-of-life, cutting the sustainability jargon is crucial for communicating with the public — especially when it requires the customer to take action.

Anti-greenwashing efforts require companies to prove their environmental claims. What can companies actually do to meaningfully reduce the climate impact and waste created by the industry? Hawthorne spoke to Adweek in another article, “Empowerment Over Shame: thredUP’s Revamped Fashion Footprint Calculator Aims to Inspire,” about what they can do to ensure green initiatives are more than just side projects.

“Consumers have a role to play in growing the resale market, but ultimately the responsibility is on brands to build their resale systems for long-term business transformation,” Hawthorne said. “That means moving beyond pilot programs and into core sales channels. As long as it is more difficult to purchase used than new, educating consumers on the benefits of circularity will do little to catalyze systemic transformation of fashion impacts.”

AdWeek | Julia Lyon, Senior Sustainability Communications Consultant at Quantis, spoke with Adweek to weigh in on the Federal Trade Commission’s Green Guides update. The agency was planning on issuing new guidance last year until it extended its period for public comment through this spring. The FTC has not revised its green guides since 2012.

“When it comes to environmental sustainability overall and making sure that consumers are informed and able to actually take action in the way that they want to, it’s really a larger effort than what lies within a brand communication,” Lyon told AdWeek.

To improve recyclability or compostability, for example, there are infrastructure and public education-related barriers that must be addressed, she explained. “In order for all of this to work together, we do believe that more clear recommendations, stronger recommendations for how to use these terms is needed.”

Carbon Pulse | Carbon Pulse covered the 2023 UN Water Conference in an article detailing how green groups are urging the EU to create a nature restoration mechanism for freshwater biodiversity. The three-day conference was the first water conference held by the United Nations in almost fifty years. One of the key outcomes from the event is a milestone Water Agenda with over 700 commitments from governments, civil society, and the private sector to accelerate progress towards water-related goals and targets.

These global and national frameworks translate into calls for action for businesses as well, along with initiatives like the Taskforce for Nature-Related Financial Disclosures.

To help prepare for that, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and sustainability consultancy Quantis last week launched the Freshwater Accountability Accelerator, a guidance tool for corporations for setting water targets and disclosing water-related information.

“Our global water resources are at risk, and so are businesses that depend and impact on them. The Freshwater Accountability Accelerator will aim to provide companies with a streamlined journey to identify pressing water challenges across their value chains,” Tatiana Fedotova, water global lead at Quantis, said in a press release.

It will also support them with ambitious targets to operate within local planetary boundaries and reporting back on actions that contribute to global water security as much as their own business continuity and resilience.

Sourcing Journal | “Sustainability consulting firm Quantis launched a first-of-its-kind report: The Tracking Progress in the Supply Chain (TPSC) Report, designed to help companies successfully implement sustainability strategies to create real impact.

‘To date, we found that there was a lack of simple and straightforward guidance enabling companies to credibly track their supply chains and avoid greenwashing,’ said Charlotte Bande, global food and beverage lead for Quantis, which was recently acquired by Boston Consulting Group. ‘As more and more companies implement Scope 3 actions, a robust method of measuring and tracking progress is critical to ensure change is taking place, and companies are on track to meet impact goals or can correct course if this isn’t the case.'”

Wine Industry Advisor | To go one step further on its journey towards sustainable transformation, Champagne Telmont has set itself an ambitious objective: to be Climate Positive in 2030 — i.e. to reduce emissions and offset more greenhouse gases than we emit — and Net Positive by 2050, which means drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90%, and sequestering more than the equivalent of residual emissions.

To realize its goals, Telmont partnered with Quantis to assess its impacts, define its trajectory based on the SBTi provisional guidance issued by SBTi in January 2022 and co-create an action plan. To share its experience and help other companies who would like to embark on the same journey, Telmont has published Our Guide to Sustainability in Champagne.

CFO Brew | After the SEC released its Fall 2022 agenda detailing a list of priorities for the upcoming year, finance professionals shared their own wish list and expectations for 2023. In an interview with CFO Brew, Quantis’ US Transformation Lead John Willard talks about the Climate Change Disclosure and his hopes for a definitive outcome and direction from the final ESG disclosure ruling.

“Companies are caught in a bit of limbo as to what will be included, what won’t be included, when they will be required to release these disclosures, and what the expectations around auditing and providing third-party assurance will be.”

Fearing the hotly contested proposal may be held up by legal or legislative challenges, WIllard is also hoping that the final ruling in April “wouldn’t linger in a continuous state of challenge in the courts or in Congress.”

CFO Brew | With SEC disclosure mandates around the corner, sustainability teams responsible for ESG reporting are looking to streamline and automate data. Tools to enable the automation of ESG reporting would transform the sustainability function, with many roles spending the majority of their time gathering data, according to Quantis’ John Willard, US Transformation Lead.

In an interview with CFO Brew, he explains: “CSOs, CEOs, and CFOs need to really figure out what that balance is that they’re asking of their sustainability teams. Is it to be a reporting function? Or is it to be a larger transformative, integrated business function that is helping them meet the needs of their future business model?”

Just Food | While packaging accounts for only a small share of food companies’ carbon footprints, it’s an important topic to consumers, public authorities and NGOs. Quantis’ Laura Peano, Global Plastics Lead, shared her insights with Just Food, emphasizing that sustainable packaging is still important to address as it is the first touchpoint with consumers. When addressing the climate impact of packaging, companies may be undermining efforts in other sustainability areas and shifting impacts. This is why it’s key to take a planetary boundaries approach — “brands must go beyond carbon, looking at biodiversity, plastic pollution and circularity.”

Business of Fashion | The fashion industry is facing growing pressure to credibly communicate the environmental impacts of their products. Today, brands are expected to provide transparency not only on their clothing’s carbon footprint, but also its impacts on water, biodiversity, chemical, social, and more, all while avoiding the dangers of greenwashing. Quantis’ Emilie Carasso, Global Footprinting Lead, spoke with Business of Fashion to talk about the past, present and future of environmental product claims.

“The changes in the way brands talk about sustainability are still filtering through the market, but the language companies use is changing palpably. ‘We used to see a lot of really vague terms like “eco-friendly” or “sustainable” or “green packaging” or whatever, but there wasn’t much substance to what brands were claiming,’ said Emilie Carasso, global footprinting lead at consultancy Quantis. ‘We’re seeing brands are becoming more specific and more complex in what they claim.’

WWD | The “bible of fashion” reported on the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italian (National Chamber of Italian Fashion) Sustainable Fashion Awards, coming September 25th at the end of Milan Fashion Week. The U.N.’s Ethical Fashion Initiative, in tandem with Quantis, will create the framework and criteria to assess the award recipients.

Dame Ellen McArthur will preside over the jury, which will give 12 awards for categories including biodiversity, the circular economy and more to candidates submitted by an advisory committee of Textile Exchange, The Woolmark Company, Confindustria Moda, Fashion Minority Alliance and others.

Raconteur | Quantis’ Global Plastics Lead Laura Peano was interviewed by Raconteur to share insights on how brands are making moves to meet consumer expectations for reduced packaging — and using it as an opportunity to innovate. In the piece, she explains that since “…packaging is so close to the consumer, it’s often viewed as one of the most tangible impacts, regardless of the share of a company’s environmental footprint it represents.” But insists on the need to take a science-based approach to avoid impact-transfer when making decisions about packaging. “While she believes secondary packaging should be removed ‘when it serves solely a marketing purpose’, Peano says care must be taken not to remove packaging where it contributes to preservation.” The article unpacks how brands from different industries are tackling packaging challenges at a time when prioritizing consumer experience is still the norm.

Corporate sustainability pledges, from net zero to carbon negative to nature positive, are now a fixture of daily life. And I’m worried.

Having worked in sustainability for the past decade, I’ve had a front-row seat on the way these commitments often play out. And without deep business transformation, they won’t. I’m hearing a lot of noise around where businesses are planning to land, but not so much on what it will take to get there.

Could it be that business leaders don’t actually know what it will take to deliver on big commitments? Or are they struggling to tackle the obstacles to change? I’m observing a bit of both.

Quantis was named by CIO Review as one of the most promising gamification solution providers of 2021. Embedding sustainability across companies involves breaking down complex issues to build awareness and involvement among teams and stakeholders. Our Communications and Engagement Solutions team uses gamification to develop training programs, participatory workshops, internal campaigns and interactive web tools to foster the engagement necessary to pursue ambitious sustainability goals. In this feature, Global Head of Sustainability Communications, Amanda Martin, explains Quantis’ approach, vision and ambition to help companies bring all hands on deck.

Sustainable Brands | Sustainable Brands featured the upcoming corporate plastic stewardship guidelines to be released by Quantis, 3R Initiative, EA and South Pole in February 2021. Developed through public consultation, the guidelines seek to help companies translate their plastic commitments into concrete action. With this new vision in place, companies will be able to assess their plastics footprint and level of circularity to guide actions within their value chain to reduce impacts.