Business is an important engine for boosting economic, social and environmental sustainability. With an increasing concern for sustainable development from society and consumers, companies are facing increasing pressure towards sustainable development. Companies which stand out in fierce industrial competition are often those good at turning pressure into opportunities, being the first to take the lead, and succeeding with the pioneering spirits, at both the domestic and even the international level.
Below are the top 10 SDG corporate cases selected for the year 2023. These exemplary cases cover a wide range of areas, including the promotion of sustainable production, consumption methods and concepts, as well as the fight against climate change and the protection of resources and the environment. These companies have been dedicating themselves to not only implement sustainable concepts, but also facilitate technological innovation and industrial transformation and upgrading. Let us review these 10 corporate practices that focus on people-oriented, eco-centric, green and sustainable development.
01 Shanghai M&G Stationery releases its first-ever carbon neutral stationery in China
On February 2, 2023, Shanghai M&G Stationery launched the first-ever carbon neutral stationery in China, which was created in its collaboration with Meituan's "Green Mountain Project" and certified as a carbon-neutral stationery by the third-party carbon verification agency Carbonstop. This type of product is made from recycled plastic takeaway lunch boxes as the company’s new attempt to promote sustainable consumption. Takeaway lunch boxes have been recycled and processed into recycled PP plastic raw materials to replace some of the virgin plastics used in the factory, which opens up the recycled and low-carbon stationery chain. Furthermore, at the start of spring semester of 2023, the company created green scenarios in more than 8,000 stores nationwide and carried out various forms of green marketing to reach and influence millions of young people with low-carbon and environmental protection concepts.
02 Starbucks launches the industry’s first water replenishment project
On March 22, 2023, Starbucks initiated the first water replenishment project in China’s coffee industry, in partnership with the Nature Conservancy. The project will explore effective means of sustainable agriculture and wetland restoration in the Qiandao Lake to improve water quality and ecosystems. It is expected that by 2030, the project will replenish at least 1.5 million tons of water per year on average, which is equivalent to 600 Olympic-standard swimming pools, and can meet the annual living needs of over 23,000 people for water. The project also plans to restore and construct more than 30 acres of wetlands, which will not only filter and absorb pollutants that may cause eutrophication in the rivers entering the lake, but also improve the biodiversity of the area.
03 Adidas unveils its first sustainable football stadium in China
On March 25, 2023, Adidas unveiled Adidas No.20 Sports Park, China’s first sustainable football stadium in Chengdu. As the brand’s first sustainable football stadium in China, the space empowers people to enjoy sports in a low-carbon manner. The circular stadium represents the recycling of products and its connection with sports enthusiasts. Elastic ground cushions, chair cushions and entrance floor mats in these football fields are made from a total of 40,000 pairs of discarded sneakers. Meanwhile, shoelaces are also repurposed as goalpost nets in the stadium equipped with eco-friendly lawn that can be recycled and reused.
04 L'Oréal launches the China debut ceremony of the Product Environmental & Social Impact Labelling
On April 11, 2023, L'Oréal announced the China debut of the Product Environmental and Social Impact Labelling at the third China International Consumer Products Expo. The system provides consumers with clear, transparent, and comparable environmental impact information, including a score on an ascending scale from A to E, with an “A” product considered as the product with the least environmental impacts in its category.
05 Tencent releases the "Silver Hair Security Guard" solution
On May 21, 2023, Tencent released the industry’s first “Silver Hair Security Guard” overall solution. Together with public welfare organizations and ecological partners, the “Silver Hair Co-Guarding Plan” was launched to explore a technology-based model of sustainable development in assisting and caring for the elderly. The overall solution of “Silver Hair Safety Guard” uses “three major products” and “four-level response mechanism”, so that the elderly in different elderly care scenarios can be promptly monitored when they have safety problems, and can be discovered and responded quickly.
06 McDonald’s fish burgers in China carry the MSC ecolabel
On June 8, 2023, McDonald’s China announced that its popular burgers like Filet-o-Fish sandwich and Double Fish burger would carry the MSC ecolabel. McDonald’s is the world’s first cod-centered Western fast food chain company. In the past, 100% of fish in its fish burgers came from fisheries certified to the MSC’s world-leading standard for sustainable wild-capture fisheries. However, its burgers served in more than 5,000 restaurants in China would gradually carry the MSC ecolabel from June. Meanwhile, as consumers can also see products with the MSC ecolabel on the menu on its application and applets, they can easily identify and make their purchasing choices that are beneficial to marine ecosystems and sustainable development.
07 S&P Global releases its first Sustainability Yearbook 2023 (China Edition)
On June 28, 2023, S&P Global published the first Sustainability Yearbook (China Edition) based on the S&P Global's Global Sustainability Yearbook to help companies in China understand how their sustainability performance compares with their peers in the region. The S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) is an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices. Of the 1,590 companies assessed for the 2022 CSA, only 88 companies with the best performance from 44 industrial fields were listed in the Yearbook.
08 Apple unveils its first carbon neutral products
On September 13, 2023, Apple launched a number of new products. At the fall launch event, Apple announced its first-ever carbon neutral products in the all-new Apple Watch lineup, which attracted wide attention. This marks a major step in the company’s journey toward its ambitious Apple 2030 goal to make every product carbon neutral by the end of the decade, including the entire global supply chain and the lifetime use of every device Apple makes. It is reported that innovations in design and clean energy have driven dramatic reductions in product emissions of over 75% for each carbon neutral Apple Watch. Each carbon neutral Apple Watch model meets the following strict criteria: 100% clean electricity for manufacturing and product use, 30% recycled or renewable material by weight, and 50% of shipping without the use of air transportation.
09 State Grid releases the Report on State Grid's Contribution to Global Development Initiatives at UN Headquarters
On September 25, 2023, during the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC or State Grid) released the Report on State Grid's Contribution to Global Development Initiative at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York. It is the first report on the contribution of a central SOE to the implementation of global development initiatives. The Report is composed of six parts: Preface, Global Development Initiative, State Grid and the GDI, Key Measures and Innovative Practices of State Grid in Implementing GDI, Outlook and Preparation Description. It systematically elaborates on the background and concept of State Grid’s active response to GDI, and describes in detail State Grid’s innovative initiatives, practice cases and performance in implementing GDI.
10 Virgin Atlantic operates first transatlantic flight powered by sustainable fuel
On November 28, 2023, Virgin Atlantic operated the world's first transatlantic flight powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The historic flight on 100% SAF, flown on a Boeing 787, took off from London Heathrow to New York JFK. The fuel being used on the Virgin Atlantic, mostly made from waste cooking oils and animal fat, plus a small portion coming from corn waste to produce animal feed, could reduce emissions by up to 70% compared with fossil fuel, the airline said. Today, SAF represents only about 0.1% of global jet fuel volumes, but transitioning to SAF is expected to give a bigger role in advancing the civil aviation industry’s net-zero goal.
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