Business and NGOs Collaborate for Collective Sustainability
8 October 2014 at 10:16 am
A coalition of the world’s biggest companies and Not for Profits has launched a global digital platform to drive conversation and action on sustainability, whether social, economic or environmental.
The Not for Profit platform, called Collectively, brings together global companies, including major business rivals such as Coca Cola and Pepsi, together to scale up sustainable innovation and inspire action.
The platform is the brainchild of global sustainability Not for Profit Forum of the Future with some of the biggest companies in the world. Unilever, BT Group, The Coca-Cola Company, Marks & Spencer and Carlsberg came together to isponsor Collectively in response to discussions at the World Economic Forum.
The coalition has since been joined by over 20 other multinational companies including Google, Facebook, Nike, PepsiCo and Nestlé.
The sponsoring companies say they want to broaden the coalition to include more NGOs, youth organisations and other brands and are inviting others to join the movement.
"Collectively is designed to enable audiences to act more sustainably in whatever way they can – from buying, investing and campaigning to sharing an idea they believe in," Will Gardner, CEO, Collectively, said.
"It represents a unique new approach to the way businesses engage consumers on sustainability, and Collectively sponsors hope it will grow the marketplace for sustainable products and services.
"Collectively will be updated daily by an independent editorial team with stories, information and solutions from the worlds of fashion, food, design, architecture, technology and more.
“Encouraging people to choose to live, work and play sustainably on a scale that will genuinely make a difference is one of the world’s biggest challenges. We hope to change that through Collectively. It’s a place to share stories, inspire each other and create the change we need to see in the world.
“Collectively brings together some of the world’s biggest brands, Not for Profits and leading social entrepreneurs because we believe that together we can achieve much more, much faster.”
Jonathon Porritt, Founder Director & Trustee, Forum for the Future, said; "Despite efforts by NGOs, governments and business, sustainability still suffers from an image problem. Yet day after day the most creative minds in the world are thinking and building new solutions to the world’s most pressing problems – in a way that is simple, accessible and desirable. And more and more young people are already demanding these solutions."
“Collectively is an exciting new opportunity to genuinely change the mood music on sustainability. Amplifying and scaling up the innovations and ideas that will shift us to a more sustainable future, now. We want as many voices and opinions on Collectively as possible. Join us, share your stories, and help us bring sustainability to life."
