We are who we are

September 26, 2023

If you’re reading this, you’re among the very first to know about Decarbonizing Commerce, a new source of intelligence and community for the next generation of commerce.

Explore our background and the driving force behind our efforts

I’ve been a student of retailing and consumer goods for nearly 20 years. When I launched the technology practice at advisory firm RetailNet Group (RNG) in 2008, I felt strongly that transformational change was on the horizon, and that retailers and brands needed advice and enablement to adapt to change on faster and faster cycles.

Since 2008, e-commerce and digital transformation have evolved from a sidelined, specialized function to a part of everyone’s job.

For nearly five years, I’ve felt the same about the exponential trajectory of climate change mitigation and adaptation as a workstream within retailers and brands.

Though I continue to monitor technology broadly, I see no larger driver of change on the horizon than the urgent need to deeply decarbonize supply chains and re-imagine production and consumption.

The risks to retailers’ and brands’ customers, operations, and supply chains are already being felt.

And the opportunities to increase sales, lower costs, build more resilient organizations and supply networks, and leave things better than we found them are profound.

Clean energy, heating, and cooling; advanced ingredients and materials; transparent labeling; circularity and waste elimination; decarbonized shipping and logistics; better branding and advertising - these are just some of the opportunities to reshape commerce. And the volume of investment and innovation happening now is inspiring.

At the intersection of retailers, brands, technology, and capital

Decarbonizing Commerce is for everyone in retail, CPG, and cleantech that wants to keep up with and act on the climate-driven opportunities and risks ahead in commerce.

Over the coming months, I hope you’ll find ideas, solutions, and support to make your impact. I’d love your feedback, and if you know anyone that might enjoy the content, please share it with them.

Quick Hits

♻️ The Recycling Partnership estimates that an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy could increase US recycling rates by up to 48 percentage points versus current rates in a new report

📦 Single-use plastic production increased by 6m metric tons in 2019-2021, outpacing recycling by 15x, per Minderoo

♻️ The FT notes the absence of incentives for circularity in the US climate incentives bill

🔋 Sysco subsidiary Brakes took delivery of its first DAF LF electric truck, in support of its aim to end diesel acquisitions by 2030

Retailers

🚨 Amazon opened its Europe-based Sustainability Accelerator to a new cohort of early-stage companies in EEA, Switzerland or the UK focused on building climate-friendly physical products or new recycling technology. Applications close March 17.

🥡 Aldi is expanding its partnership with surplus food platform Too Good to Go to all 990 UK stores

Brands

🏭 The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI), along with Unilever and 13 other organizations, launched Flue2Chem, a research initiative focused on capturing waste gases from the production of metals, glass, paper, and chemicals to generate an alternative source of carbon for UK consumer product production

🌱 Kelloggs will keep its MorningStar Farms brand, reversing earlier plans to spin it off, despite a secular slump in plant-based meat alternatives

🌱 Morinogo Nutritional Foods acquired plant-based brands Tofurky and Moocho

📦 Nestle will run a limited-time pilot of recyclable paper packaging for KitKat in Australia

♻️ Anheuser-Busch deployed gamified reverse vending machines at Super Bowl LVII as part of its “National Recycling League” initiative with professional sports leagues

☀️ Danone launched its new Daniel Carasso Research & Innovation Center, constructed with wooden frames, photovoltaic panels, geothermal heating and cooling, and a water recovery system. Among other priorities, the center will focus on plant-based protein, fermentation, and future packaging.

Deals and Funding

🍄 Fable Food raised an $8.5m Series A for its mushroom-based meat alternatives

🐔 Rebellyous raised $20m for its plant-based chicken alternatives

📦 Kelpi, which has developed a seaweed-based coating for paper and cardboard, raised a £3m seed round

♻️ APK raised €130m from LyondellBasell and KIRKBI A/S (the family-owned holding co. and investment company of the LEGO brand) for its solvent-based Newcycling process for separating polymers in multi-layer plastic packaging

♻️ Recycleye raised a $17m Series A for its AI-driven waste picking and sorting technology

💰 Planet A Ventures has launched a €160m science-based climate fund to invest in European startups “tackling the world’s largest environmental problems”

♻️ Bibak raised €6m in equity and debt to build a suite of software for managing reusable food containers

Jobs

Decarbonizing Commerce is just getting off the ground.

Have feedback on the newsletter, something to share, or ideas for resources or tools to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon retail and consumer products /industry?