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In recent years, wildfires, flooding and extreme weather events have propelled environmental concerns into the mainstream. Yet there is one aspect of environmental change which often receives less attention, mostly because it is less immediately visible: biodiversity loss.

Biodiversity is the variety and variability among living organisms and the ecosystems in which they are a part of. It includes the diversity within species, between species, and within ecosystems.
There are four main ways in which we measure biodiversity: 
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Genetic diversity &#8211; is the variety of genes within a species. Each species is made up of individuals that have their own particular genetic composition. Variation in genetic diversity is essential to the long-term survival of a species, as it enables evolution and adaptation within a changing environment.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Species richness &#8211; is the variety of different species within a habitat or region. So far about <a href="http://cbd.int/convention/guide/#:~:text=Scientists%20reckon%20that%20there%20are,crops%20and%20breeds%20of%20livestock.">1.75 million species</a> have been identified, although scientists reckon that there are actually about <a href="http://cbd.int/convention/guide/#:~:text=Scientists%20reckon%20that%20there%20are,crops%20and%20breeds%20of%20livestock.">13 million species</a> (estimates range from <a href="http://cbd.int/convention/guide/#:~:text=Scientists%20reckon%20that%20there%20are,crops%20and%20breeds%20of%20livestock.">3 to 100 million</a>).  </li>
<li aria-level="1">Ecosystem species diversity &#8211; is the variety of species with a specific habitat or region that occur nowhere else in the world.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Ecosystem diversity – is the variety of ecosystems in a given place, such as those that occur in deserts, forests, wetlands, lakes and agricultural landscapes. An ecosystem is a community of organisms and their physical environment interacting together. </li>
</ul>
Biodiverse environments provide us with a wealth of natural resources. All our food systems depend on biodiversity, and natural ecosystems provide us with fuel, water, medicines and many other goods. Healthy ecosystems also provide us with ecosystem services such as soil formation, nutrient storage, and protection against natural hazards and disasters.
Reversing the trend of biodiversity loss is also an important part of the solution to tackling the climate crisis. <a href="https://www.cbd.int/gbo/gbo5/publication/gbo-5-spm-en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Around one third</a> of the net reductions in greenhouse gas emissions required to meet the Paris Agreement goals could come from ‘nature-based solutions’; actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems.

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Biodiversity is declining faster than it has at any other time in human history. The <a href="https://reports.weforum.org/global-risks-report-2020/save-the-axolotl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">current rate of extinction</a> is tens to hundreds of times higher than the average over the past 10 million years, and it is still accelerating. Although the entire human population represents just <a href="https://reports.weforum.org/global-risks-report-2020/save-the-axolotl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">0.01% of all living creatures, humanity has already caused the loss of 83% of all wild mammals biomass and half of all plants</a>. 
Since the industrial revolution, human activities have increasingly destroyed and degraded forests, grasslands, wetlands and other important ecosystems. 75% of the Earth&#8217;s ice-free land surface has already been significantly altered, most of the oceans are polluted, and more than 85% of wetlands have been lost. 
Many scientists believe that we are at the start of a sixth mass extinction &#8211; defined as when <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/50267709_Has_the_Earth%27s_Sixth_Mass_Extinction_Already_Arrived_Nature" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over 75% of all species disappear </a>within a short space of geological time (typically less than 2 million years). There have been<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/50267709_Has_the_Earth%27s_Sixth_Mass_Extinction_Already_Arrived_Nature" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 5 mass extinctions in the last 540 million years,</a> according to the fossil record. The most recent was when the dinosaurs became extinct <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/mass-extinction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">66 million years ago.</a> 
Extinction is a natural phenomenon, however human activities are accelerating the rate at which these extinctions occur. Human activity endangers biodiversity in at least five main ways: 
<ol>
<li>Changes in land and sea use &#8211; This refers to the modification of the environment in which a species lives, by complete removal, fragmentation or reduction in quality of key habitat. Multiple human drivers such as agricultural and industrial expansion have already led to the loss of <a href="https://reports.weforum.org/global-risks-report-2020/save-the-axolotl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">85% of wetlands, altered 75% of land surface, and impacted 66% of ocean area</a>. </li>
<li>Over-exploitation of plants and animals &#8211; through harvesting, logging, hunting and fishing. For example, fishing is one of the most significant drivers of declines in ocean wildlife populations, with more than <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/overfishing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one-third of the world&#8217;s assessed fisheries</a> currently pushed beyond their biological limits.</li>
<li>Pollution &#8211; habitats are being destroyed by untreated waste; by pollutants from industrial, mining and agricultural activities; and by oil spills and toxic dumping. </li>
<li>Invasive species &#8211; are species that are found outside of their natural distribution range as a result of human intervention. They can compete with native species for space, food and other resources; can be a predator for native species; or spread diseases that were not previously present in the environment. The occurrence of invasive species increased by <a href="https://reports.weforum.org/global-risks-report-2020/save-the-axolotl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">40% globally since 1980. </a></li>
<li>Climate change &#8211; affects biodiversity as climate variables largely <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-019-02420-x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">determine the geographic distribution range </a>of species. When climate is no longer suitable, species either have to move, or they go locally extinct. Climate change exacerbates nature loss, which in turn reduces nature’s resilience to climate change &#8211; a vicious circle.</li>
</ol>

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While most of us are now familiar with the Paris Agreement, and its goal to limit global warming to 1.5°C,  the Convention on Biological Diversity and the international targets to tackle the biodiversity crisis are less well known. 
The <a href="https://www.cbd.int/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Convention on Biological Diversity</a> (CBD) is the international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity. It opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and entered into force in December of 1993. This treaty has been ratified by 196 nations and seeks to address all threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services. It has three main objectives:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The conservation of biological diversity </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The sustainable use of the components of biological biodiversity</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources. </li>
</ol>
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<h2>Failure to reach the 2020 Aichi biodiversity targets</h2>
In the 2010 UN biodiversity Conference in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, the CBD adopted a revised and updated Strategic Plan for Biodiversity which included 20 Aichi Biodiversity targets for the 2011-2020 period. 
These <a href="https://www.cbd.int/sp/targets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets</a> were targeted around 5 strategic goals, setting benchmarks for improvements across drivers of biodiversity loss, pressures on biodiversity, the state of biodiversity, the benefits derived from it and the implementation of relevant policies and enabling conditions. Parties agreed to translate the overarching international framework into revised and updated national biodiversity strategies and action these plans within two years. 
Come 2020, at the global level <a href="https://www.cbd.int/gbo/gbo5/publication/gbo-5-spm-en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">none of the 20 targets were fully achieved</a>. Six of the targets for biodiversity loss were partly achieved, however on the whole progress was shocking, and the other 14 targets , such as eliminating subsidies that are contributing to biodiversity decline, or halving the rate at which natural ecosystems are being destroyed, were completely missed.

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If we carry on our current trajectory, biodiversity will continue to decline. However, <a href="https://www.cbd.int/gbo/gbo5/publication/gbo-5-spm-en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available evidence</a> says that despite the failure to meet the Aichi biodiversity targets, it&#8217;s not too late to slow, halt and eventually reverse current trends. 
The first part of the UN biodiversity conference took place online in October 2021. The second part is currently scheduled to take place in the third quarter of 2022 in <a href="https://sdg.iisd.org/events/un-biodiversity-conference-cbd-cop-15-part-2/">Kunming Yunnan Province, China</a>. This will be the fifteenth meeting of the parties (COP-15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and during this conference global leaders will set the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. 
According to the most recent <a href="https://www.cbd.int/gbo/gbo5/publication/gbo-5-spm-en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Biodiversity Outlook report</a>, this framework must include a portfolio of actions in the following areas, each of which is necessary but none on its own is sufficient: 
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Conservation and Restoration &#8211; Efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity need to be scaled up at all levels using methods that will depend on the local context, but include setting up protected areas, large-scale habitat restoration and improvements in the condition of nature across farmed and urban landscapes as well as inland water bodies, coasts and oceans.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Climate Action &#8211; Globally climate change has not been the most important driver of the loss of biodiversity to date, yet in the coming decades it is projected to become as, or more, important than the other drivers. Efforts to keep climate change well below 2°C and as close to 1.5°C as possible are needed.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Reducing environmental pressures &#8211; Measures are needed to address all remaining pressures driving biodiversity loss including invasive species, pollution, and the unsustainable exploitation of biodiversity.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Sustainable production &#8211; Transformations are needed in the production of goods and services, especially food. This includes adopting agricultural methods that can meet a growing global demand, whilst reducing negative impacts on the environment.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Reduced consumption &#8211; Transformations are similarly needed to limit the demand for increased food production by adopting different diets and reducing food waste, and in limiting the consumption of other material goods and services that affect biodiversity, for example in forestry, energy and provision of fresh water.</li>
</ul>

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Humanity stands at a crossroads. Biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate, and the pressures driving this decline are intensifying. 
In ‘business as usual’ scenarios the trend of biodiversity decline is <a href="https://www.cbd.int/gbo/gbo5/publication/gbo-5-spm-en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">projected to continue until 2050 and beyond</a>, due to the increasing impacts of land and sea use change, overexploitation, climate change, and invasive species introductions. This projected decline will affect all people, but in particular will have a detrimental effect on indigenous people and local communities, and the world&#8217;s poor and vulnerable, because of their heavy reliance on biodiversity for their livelihoods and wellbeing.
We need to act on the biodiversity crisis. At Ecologi, we plant <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/updates/year-2-of-the-ecologi-forests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">native and biodiverse trees,</a> helping to restore forest cover and bringing biodiversity back to areas where it has been lost. We also fund projects to <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/forest-protection-in-northern-zimbabwe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">protect existing forests</a>, and to restore other ecosystems including <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/projects/peatland-restoration-in-indonesia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">peatlands</a>. You can read more about how our projects are helping support biodiversity <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/how-does-deforestation-impact-wildlife-and-biodiversity-what-you-need-to-know">here</a>, or <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/plan">sign up</a> to Ecologi and help contribute to these projects.  
We have an opportunity to act, and turn this trend of loss around. Let&#8217;s make this the decade that we take meaningful action on the biodiversity crisis.
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<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/overview">Sign up</a> to Ecologi today to start taking real climate action.

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How can businesses avoid greenwashing

In this guide we’ll cover…
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="#controversial">Why is greenwashing so controversial?</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="#greenwashing">What is greenwashing?</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="#greenwishing">What is greenwishing?</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="#greenhushing">What is greenhushing?</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="#toptips">Top tips to avoid greenwashing</a> </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="#commsguidelines">Our toolkit for helping businesses communicate</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="#ourapproach">Ecologi’s approach to avoiding greenwashing</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>What is greenwashing &#8211; and why is it so controversial?</h2>
There’s no doubt about it, Greenwashing has become a very dirty word. It’s been a hot topic for the past decade, but it’s really been put under the spotlight over the last couple of years, and it even made it onto the COP27 agenda.

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And here’s the thing: Greenwashing detracts from the genuinely great work that many businesses are doing. It also erodes trust and creates cynicism towards the whole idea of climate action. And this can have real consequences for the environment.
Here are just a few of the problems that come from greenwashing:
<ul>
<li>It’s deliberately deceiving</li>
</ul>
When businesses and other organisations exaggerate or make false claims about their sustainability efforts, the deception can mislead consumers and undermine trust. 
<ul>
<li>It exploits genuine concern</li>
</ul>
Greenwashing takes advantage of people’s growing concern for the environment. Many people genuinely want to support eco-friendly products and businesses, and greenwashing takes advantage of this. 
<ul>
<li>It undermines legitimate efforts</li>
</ul>
Greenwashing diverts attention and resources away from businesses that are actually committed to sustainability. This creates an unfair advantage, and means the bad apples get all the publicity.  
<ul>
<li>It can cause environmental harm</li>
</ul>
When companies falsely claim their products are sustainable, it can lead to consumers making choices that aren’t actually that great for the environment. They might think they’re making a greener choice, but are unknowingly making the issue worse.  
<ul>
<li>It can lead to legal action </li>
</ul>
Those accused of greenwashing can now face regulatory and legal challenges. Regulatory bodies like the <a href="https://greenclaims.campaign.gov.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Green Claims Code</a> have guidelines and rules against false advertising, and greenwashing can result in fines and legal action. 
<ul>
<li>It creates scepticism </li>
</ul>
If people find out they&#8217;ve been misled, they might stop trusting the business, and possibly the whole idea of environmental marketing altogether. Their guard goes up, and scepticism towards legitimate eco-friendly products and businesses is the result. 
<ul>
<li>It hinders progress</li>
</ul>
By creating a false sense of achievement, greenwashing can hinder environmental efforts. That’s because it gives businesses and consumers a sense that they’re doing enough, when really much more is needed.
<h2>Greenwashing vs greenwishing vs greenhushing &#8211; what’s the difference?</h2>
Greenwashing isn’t the only spanner in the works. Greenwishing and greenhushing have also emerged as issues blighting the climate cause. So what’s the difference? 
<h3>Greenwashing</h3>
Greenwashing means misleading. It’s when a product, service or business is presented as being more sustainable than it really is. It tends to involve exaggerated claims of eco-friendly features and benefits.
For example, a company stamps &#8220;100% eco-friendly&#8221; all over its product packaging, but that product still contains harmful chemicals.
<h3>Greenwishing</h3>
Greenwishing is about insufficient action. It’s when a business has well-intended efforts as well as some delivered sustainability action, however, this work is unrepresentative compared to their size of business or the scope of change required to genuinely move the needle on decarbonising or creating sustainable change in a business.
For example, a business of 100 employees advertises that their only climate initiative is to plant a tree for every product they sell, without having any other carbon reduction initiatives to reduce their organisation’s emissions.
<h3>Greenhushing</h3>
Greenhushing means downplaying. It’s when a business keeps quiet about its environmentally-friendly initiatives (often through fear of greenwashing). It tends to involve businesses doing good things, but in a low-key way. 
For example, a business gives £10,000 to a climate charity but chooses not to publicise it because they fear being criticised by their customers for their charity choice, or not investing in alternative opportunities for climate action.
In summary, greenwashing involves deceptive practices, greenwishing involves insufficient actions, and greenhushing involves under-communicating sustainability efforts. All three are problem areas for sustainability communications, whether they stem from inaccuracy, insincerity, or modesty.
<h2>Top tips to avoid greenwashing </h2>
So how can your business avoid the greenwashing trap? Here’s our top tips:
<ul>
<li>Use specific language to communicate impact and goals</li>
</ul>
For example: “Over the last five years we’ve made a 57% reduction in carbon emissions across our facilities. But we’re not stopping there, we’re aiming for 95% by 2026.”
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Back up claims with third-party certification</li>
</ul>
For example: “The climate projects we support through our partner, Ecologi, are certified by the Gold Standard and Verified Carbon Standard.”
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Make sure initiatives are supported by wider operational changes (and share the details)</li>
</ul>
For example: “Switching to recycled plastics is just the start of how we’re reshaping our entire business and supply chain. Visit our sustainability web page to find out more.” 
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Be honest about your sustainability journey (and areas for improvement)</li>
</ul>
For example: “We were proud to commit to net-zero operations by 2025, but now we’re raising the bar even higher and aiming for net-zero across our products and supply chain by 2040.”
<h2>Toolkits helping businesses communicate their impact</h2>
We’ve helped over 20,000 businesses with their climate action journey, and part of that is showing them how to communicate their impact in the right way. We’ve put together several toolkits to help businesses share their good work:
Business Toolkit
Our Business Toolkit is the one-stop-shop for everything companies need to communicate their work with Ecologi. It’s full of eye-catching visuals that you can share across your website or social channels.

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Badges 
Earn badges for climate impact. Once you’ve hit key milestones, including trees funded and carbon avoided, we’ll give you a shiny digital badge that you can share with your audiences online.

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Communications Guidelines
We’ve recently published <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LRTOYVIPLp5PN5C0mBhl35OjhQNqpCnZtOQMaAkpb1E/edit#slide=id.g2954c42f7e5_0_0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new communications guidelines</a> to help businesses with the right terminology to use when sharing their progress. 
<div class="ecologi-video-full-width"><iframe src="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20240118155901/Ecologi-Communication-Guidelines.pdf" width="960" height="900" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>

<h2>Our own approach for avoiding greenwashing</h2>
It’s important we lead by example, and our unique position in the environmental sector means we need a clear stance on greenwashing. Here’s how we stay committed to being an organisation of high integrity: 
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Trust through transparency</li>
</ul>
We strive to keep things out in the open, from our financials to our board meeting minutes. You can see the evidence of the impact you’ve funded in our Public Impact Ledger, and thanks to our expert panel you can rest assured that we only fund high quality climate projects. Find out more on our <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/transparency" rel="noopener">Transparency page</a>.
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">No partnerships with companies that don’t share our values</li>
</ul>
At Ecologi, we believe in inclusivity when it comes to funding climate impact through our self-serve tools and subscription plans. We&#8217;ve intentionally made this choice to ensure climate action remains accessible, guided by our belief that progress is more important than perfection. 
But in striving to be an ethical organisation, we rigorously evaluate prospective communication partners, including press releases, through a scorecard that checks they align with our values. This includes their sustainability credentials and the way they communicate about climate initiatives. 
We also maintain a commitment to not engage in relationships with organisations directly associated with the fossil fuel industry, as well as those in industries that don&#8217;t align with our values, such as weapons manufacturers and gambling companies.
We really want to help our amazing community avoid any accusations of greenwashing, and a big part of that is using the right terminology. When you <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/our-products">sign up</a> to Ecologi, our expert colleagues give you access to our helpful language guidelines to help avoid the greenwashing trap!

Speak to our friendly team of experts to find the right climate solution for your business and for our planet

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What happened at COP28

This year’s annual Conference of the Parties (COP28) took place between 30 November -12 December. Our team here at Ecologi monitored the events daily to bring you analysis and reaction of the developments as this 28th session of the parties to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) took place.
What was COP28? Scroll down past our daily updates (or <a href="#whatiscop28">click here</a>) for a comprehensive guide to all things COP28.
What happened at COP27? <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/what-happened-at-cop27" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read our blog</a> for a full report on the event in 2022.

COP28 - our daily updates

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<h2>COP28: what, where and when?</h2>
<a id="whatiscop28"></a>COP28 is the 28th <a href="https://unfccc.int/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC</a> &#8211; the UN’s primary climate change body. All United Nations member states are Parties to this treaty, as well as the European Union and other non-UN member states. That makes the COPs a huge event in the political calendar, where world leaders come together once per year to discuss, negotiate, and make commitments on climate change.
<a id="whereandwheniscop28"></a>This year’s COP takes place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 30th November to 12th December 2023. The two-week conference will cover a number of crucial climate topics, including <a href="https://www.cop28.com/en/thematic-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate finance, youth, agriculture, and more</a>.
We’ve previously covered events at <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/whats-happening-at-cop27" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh</a> and <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/what-happened-at-cop26" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COP26 in Glasgow</a>, so do revisit our articles on those if you need a refresher on how it all takes place.

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<h2><a id="keytalkingpoints"></a>What are the key talking points in the run up to COP28?</h2>
<h3>The hosts</h3>
As ever &#8211; or perhaps more than ever &#8211; this COP is mired in controversy before it’s even begun. As a nation, the host country, the UAE produces the <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/co-emissions-per-capita?tab=chart&amp;country=ARE~GBR~CHN~AUS~USA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sixth-most emissions per capita of any country</a> in the world (21.8 tCO2e per capita in 2021, excluding land use change). It is one of the world’s ten largest oil producing countries, with <a href="https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/united-arab-emirates-oil-and-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">around 30% of its economy</a> based on oil production. The COP President is Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64240206" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who is CEO of ADNOC</a>, the Emirati state-owned oil company.
The UAE has also <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/01/leak-uae-presidency-un-climate-summit-oil-gas-emissions-yemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">been accused of attempting to whitewash</a> (and greenwash) its reputation ahead of the conference, including hiring a number of PR and lobbying agencies to promote the country’s image, which is often associated with strict restrictions on freedom, and <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/united-arab-emirates/report-united-arab-emirates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allegations of human rights violations</a>.
<h3>Fossil fuel phase-out</h3>
The ‘High-Ambition Coalition’, a loose group of around 15 Parties including France, the Marshall Islands, Sweden and the UK, has started preparing negotiations to phase out fossil fuels. This is notable because countries and multilateral groups are not always up-front about their negotiating stances prior to the conference, and even more seldom are those stances ambitious enough to meet the challenge of the climate crisis.
You may remember this was a key flashpoint back at COP26, where at the last minute the language of phasing out fossil fuels <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/13/cop26-countries-agree-to-accept-imperfect-climate-agreement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was disappointingly changed to phase down “inefficient fossil fuel subsidies&#8221;</a> in the final cover decision.
Whether the High Ambition Coalition can maintain this phase out stance throughout two weeks of negotiations remains to be seen. What is certain is that this issue has become the most glaring elephant in the room for the international climate conferences: we all understand that <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/09/1126931" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the burning of fossil fuels must end</a>. But the politics of the COPs has so far meant that a commitment (even a non-binding one) to end fossil fuel use for good has still not been delivered.
<h3><a id="whoisattending"></a>Who’s going (and who’s not)</h3>
In a first, Pope Francis <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/pope-francis-to-attend-cop28-climate-change-conference-in-dubai-16c50cd5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has announced</a> he will be attending COP28 this year, making him the first Pope to do so. He and the Vatican have been happy to speak out on climate change in recent years, including vocally backing the Paris Agreement and <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/donald-trump-pope-francis-slap-face-paris-agreement-climate-change-vatican-global-warming-a7767751.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticising the US for withdrawing from it</a> under Donald Trump in 2020 (the US rejoined the Agreement under Joe Biden in 2021).
Biden himself will <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/cop/biden-unlikely-attend-dubai-cop-climate-meeting-sources-say-2023-10-31" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly not be in attendance</a> this year, though he did attend COP 27 last year, and his administration is known for changing the President’s plans to make appearances last-minute. 
During his speech a few weeks ago where he announced the slackening of some of the UK’s climate commitments, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66871073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced</a> that he would be attending COP28. In addition, we now know that King Charles will also be attending, and <a href="https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2023-11-01/the-king-will-attend-cop28-uae-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delivering an opening address on 1st December</a>. The King has been very vocal about environmental issues over the years, including <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV9n0LM63Bc&amp;t=12s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking part in our very own virtual festival of climate action</a> back in 2020.

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<h2><a id="whattoexpect"></a>What to expect during the COP</h2>
As is always the case, we can expect lots of talking points, controversies, and politicking to take place throughout the two weeks of the COP. 
Because of the fact that the conference host and key organising figures are so heavily associated with the fossil fuel industry, it seems unlikely that this COP will deliver much in the way of substantive commitments on reducing fossil fuel use. We can probably expect a lot of high-profile speeches and announcements early on, with the legal and policy commitments then steadily being watered-down over the two weeks.
There are other factors too, like a recent history of disappointment from the COPs, which so far have failed to halt annual increases in emissions &#8211; let alone begin reducing them. In the UK, with the conference being later than usual and finishing only two weeks before Christmas, we can probably expect relatively little cut-through into television and news media.
Throughout the conference, we’ll be bringing you regular updates as we follow along with the negotiations and announcements.

<h2>Partner with us for COP28 and beyond</h2>
Over the next 12 months we want to support as many businesses as possible to measure their footprint and help reduce their emissions.
If your business is interested in a brand partnership to help scale climate action or starting its climate journey during COP28 or beyond, get in touch 🌍

Speak to our team. We're here to help find your perfect climate solution.

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Meet 6 SMEs leading the way on climate action

In 2020, Sir David Attenborough said that “saving the planet is now a communications challenge”; a campaign worth embracing for any business..

Use these handy quick links to jump straight to a specific story&#8230;
<ul>
<li>Leading in sustainability: <a href="#ecosurety">Ecosurety</a></li>
<li>Helping businesses build low carbon websites: <a href="#complex">Complex Creative</a></li>
<li>Selecting clients who walk the walk: <a href="#remarkably">Remarkably</a></li>
<li>Revolutionising maritime decarbonisation: Ocean Infinity</li>
<li>Going all-in for sustainability: <a href="#climbing">Climbing Trees</a></li>
<li>Going beyond being sustainable &#8211; to being regenerative: <a href="#avery">Avery &amp; Brown</a></li>
</ul>

Sustainability can help Small- and medium-sized businesses (SME) fulfil their environmental responsibilities while enhancing client engagement, employee satisfaction, and commercial performance. It&#8217;s no longer a niche consideration; it&#8217;s a mainstream issue that&#8217;s compelling businesses to address their environmental impact.

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Regulators are cracking down on greenwashing. The European Parliament voted to support new rules to improve product durability by combating greenwashing and misleading claims on consumer labels, such as &#8216;CO2 neutral&#8217; or &#8216;carbon neutral.&#8217; Meanwhile, in the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority is pursuing stricter enforcement on adverts claiming carbon neutrality through offsetting.
<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/climate-commitments-survey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Our recent survey</a> of 1,000 SME business owners and decision makers, conducted with the British Business Bank and One Poll, revealed that 76% of SMEs believe that having an environmental strategy is good for business. A significant 98% of SMEs that have taken steps to reduce their environmental impact have seen benefits to their business.
These range from improved brand image (43%), attracting more eco-conscious customers (38%), increased productivity and innovation (37%) and employee loyalty (34%). Over a third (31%) also say that they have benefited from increased revenue.

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Discover more about our <a href="https://cms-assets.offset.earth/app/uploads/20230328090053/Ecologi_BBB_Report_V6.pdf">SME climate commitments survey here</a>. 
SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) account for 99.9% of the UK business population With <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/business-population-estimates-2023/business-population-estimates-for-the-uk-and-regions-2023-statistical-release">5.6 million</a> private sector businesses in the UK, their superpower is their collective power to champion protecting our planet and tackling the climate crisis. Here are 6 SMEs taking significant steps toward climate action.

<a href="https://www.ecosurety.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecosurety</a>, based in Bristol, UK, is a sustainability leader, supporting UK recycling projects with transparency and innovation. They are the first B Corp certified compliance scheme in the UK. Through working with Ecologi’s <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/carbon-accounting-101-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-do-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">carbon accounting</a> and ESG advisory partner <a href="https://eightversa.com/services/net-zero-carbon/carbon-footprint-for-business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eight Versa</a> to assess their carbon footprint, they achieved Carbon Measured certification from Natural Carbon Solutions. Ecosurety has set an ambitious Net Zero target for 2030. As part of their beyond value chain mitigation whilst working to their reductions strategy Ecosurety funds impactful climate action through Ecologi. Their commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility showcases their dedication to a greener future.

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Helping businesses build low carbon websites: Complex Creative

<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/complexcreative" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Complex Creative</a> is a sustainable web design agency, helping businesses build low carbon websites through optimising for reduced file sizes, cleaning up drives, servers and databases and so much more, which in 2022 helped save 148 trees from websites alone. 
They are also a Million Tree Pledger business, an <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/climate-positive-workforce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecologi Climate Action Workforce</a>® and have signed up to One Percent for the Planet to donate 1% of gross sales every year to their non-profit partners. Complex Creative is also one of the hundreds of businesses that have calculated their carbon footprint with <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/zero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecologi Zero</a> for free. Find out more about their story in the video below:
<div class="ecologi-video-full-width"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PZxtOw6_pNY" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>

Selecting clients who walk the walk: Remarkably

<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/remarkably" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Remarkably</a> is a creative, brand, marketing and learning consultancy. Their purpose  &#8211; building brands for a remarkably better world.
Now in its third year, Remarkably has been climate positive from day one, achieved B Corp certification in 2021, and invests in a number of impact innovation projects globally.  As a Beta partner of <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/zero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecologi Zero</a>, the consultancy has been able to fully quantify its carbon footprint for the first time last year.

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If that is not enough, Remarkably has pledged to plant one million trees by 2030, <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/remarkably" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with 250,000 already planted</a>. 
Remarkably’s commitment to the triple-bottom line also extends to careful decision making for which clients to work with. A first analysis was shared in its inaugural impact report for 2022.

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Revolutionising maritime decarbonisation: Ocean Infinity

Ocean Infinity, a pioneering maritime robotics company, is leading the charge in environmental sustainability. The company deploys cutting-edge technology and AI to reduce fuel consumption and minimise waste production. Ocean Infinity have started their climate journey with Ecologi by funding tree planting through the <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/impact-shop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Impact Shop</a> and are working with <a href="https://eightversa.com/sustainability-insights/eight-versa-partners-with-ecologi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our partner Eight Versa</a> for a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for their robotic ships.

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Going all-in for sustainability: Climbing Trees

<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/climbingtrees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climbing Trees</a> is an SEO, Google Ads and Social agency with a mission of reducing emissions across their entire organisation. They have already moved to sourcing 100% renewable energy; changed their bank to a more planet-friendly supplier; reduced travel emissions with less commuting and more home working and increased use of public transport.
They use <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/zero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecologi Zero</a> to calculate their emissions, and what they cannot reduce is offset. Climbing Trees are also a <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/business/climate-positive-workforce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ecologi Climate Positive Workforce</a>® and a Million Tree Pledger, as well as a B Corp.
<div class="ecologi-video-full-width"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6DLHI1FSgro" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>

Going beyond being sustainable - to being regenerative: Avery & Brown

<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/averybrown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Avery &amp; Brown</a> is a sustainable marketing agency for the built environment. They’re a signatory of the Sustainable Marketer Manifesto, supporters of The Better Business Act as well as members of Business Declares and the Climate &amp; Ecological Emergency Bill Alliance. 
Having pledged to halve their emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero before 2050 while disclosing their progress every year &#8211; they have a deep commitment to restoring and regenerating our planet. They’ve also referred over 19 other businesses to join our community!

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If your business is looking to start its climate journey, get in touch below.

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