Explore the latest insights from our team.
Through events, reports, videos, and our blog, we work to increase understanding of how, why, and where companies and advocates are driving social and environmental change. To learn more about why we post what we do, check out our Editorial Policy.
Wrap-up of our September Corporate Working Group in Austin.
Future 500 Summer Organizational Update
Despite the politicization of ESG as Woke Capitalism over the past two years, shareholder advocates filed over 500 resolutions, a 5% increase from 2023.
Our team shares some insightful resources for helping companies engage their people in navigating political instability and building a stronger democracy together.
Our team recently hosted Nathan Truitt, the VP of Climate Funding at American Forest Foundation, to speak with our Corporate Affinity Network. Among his many invaluable insights, he shared a comprehensive framework to assist companies in selecting robust nature-based carbon offsets and credits.
Last week, our team had the pleasure of gathering with twenty corporate partners, industry leaders, and expert speakers for a Corporate Working Group in Atlanta, Georgia. Topics ranged as broad as nature-related disclosures and Corporate Political Responsibility, but the consistent factor was the robust discussion shared by participants and advocates working to understand at-times thorny issues and identify ways for their companies to effectively engage.
At Future 500, our team envisions a world where we are no longer needed. We are depolarizers, building bridges between business and civil society to work as partners and responsible stewards of a clean, just, and prosperous world. We initiate and nurture strategic connections between corporate and civil society change agents so they learn to develop and maintain enduring trust-based relationships.
At Future 500, our team envisions a world where we are no longer needed. We are depolarizers, building bridges between business and civil society to work as partners and responsible stewards of a clean, just, and prosperous world. We initiate and nurture strategic connections between corporate and civil society change agents so they learn to develop and maintain enduring trust-based relationships.
Our team hosted Nils Gilman, the COO and Sr. VP of the Berggruen Institute, in a virtual discussion with our Corporate Affinity Network. The Berggruen Institute is a leading think tank focusing on complex societal ideas that touch everything from governance and democracy to the planet.
Fresh off a planning retreat, we wanted to share some of the goals and events we are planning so you know what to expect from us this year.
Our team had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Stephanie Bertels, Founder of the Embedding Project, in conversation with our Corporate Affinity Network members. Read our three key insights from our group discussion with her.
In Part 3 of our look at Environmental Justice (EJ), we conclude our series by defining what an effective corporate EJ position looks like based on insightful stakeholder interviews conducted by our team.
It has been a busy fall. We’ve completed research into biodiversity and nature-positive business strategies, growing stakeholder concerns about carbon capture and hydrogen, and operationalizing environmental justice, a core theme of our two-day CAN meeting. In addition, we hosted a carbon capture expert to explore why some advocates are skeptical and what is needed to build trust to enable such projects to proceed.
Why should companies operationalize environmental justice (EJ)? We address this in part 1 of this series. Now we move from the “why” to the “how”. How do you operationalize EJ? What is the guidebook?
Our Corporate Affinity Network and invited guests had a blast discussing carbon capture and sequestration with Ashleigh Ross, VP of Strategic Engagements & Policy, Carbon America, who “started working on carbon capture before Google became a verb”. Ashleigh voiced insights from over 20 years working in the carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) space — read more to discover what she had to share with us…
Due to decades of effort from grassroots to investors, Environmental Justice is here to stay, and forward-thinking companies are integrating it now.
A quick update on our Seattle corporate working group next month where we’ll focus on environmental justice, a recap of our stakeholder process with TVA and our virtual session on critical minerals, info on our next virtual meeting on carbon capture, and some recent articles and podcasts that have helped inform our team’s understanding of issue and stakeholder dynamics.
With the INC-2 (Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee) Global Plastics Treaty negotiations in Paris having concluded, the complex network of thousands of government representatives, NGO advocates and activists, corporations, and investors may be home, but their work toward advancing a globally binding treaty is far from over.
Summarizing Dallas, The Power of Stakeholder Forums, New Senior Fellow, Upcoming Events
At Future 500’s annual Corporate Impact Summit we engaged thoughtfully to unpack the issues of biodiversity, climate justice, circular business models, regenerative economies, and ESG politicization.
Check out what our team’s been up to this summer! Also featuring upcoming events and the latest headlines that grabbed our attention.
I have been watching the controversy surrounding Spotify with great interest. Ad Boycotts and content creators removing their material from a media channel to make a point is nothing new.
On just another ordinary Wednesday in Spring 2021, the world observed the world’s largest investor, a Dutch court, and a major auto company signal to the fossil fuel sector that it’s time to accelerate the shift away from the carbon economy.
Our indispensable sustainability and stakeholder trend tracker is back, helping companies navigate and lead on the year's most notable social and environmental advocacy trends.
In the ESG reporting world, air pollution often takes a back seat to climate pollution. This environmental justice veteran says that needs to change.
A global movement of more than 2,000 organizations is working to remove the social license for single-use plastics and target companies active at every link in the polymer value chain.
Here are the Future 500 team’s current favorite newsletters from the world of sustainability, ESG, and stakeholder engagement.
Business leaders are seeing escalating political polarization for what it is—a threat to both democracy and market stability.
Planning to pump oil out of the planet’s largest rainforest? Then you can count on a friendly visit from this seasoned activist organization.
We Catch Up with Ocean-Climate Trust founder Brad Ack on “climate hedges,” the debate around geo-engineering, and what he’d like to see in a climate stimulus bill.
What is the Force for Good Forecast?
The Force for Good Forecast helps companies remain a productive force for positive change.
The top environmental and social trends and associated advocacy tactics that will shape engagement between corporations and advocacy stakeholders over the coming year and beyond.
Read our current 2024 FFGF for publication and visit our past editions for pointers on managing increasingly intersectional issues.
Find us – in person and online.
The Future 500 team regularly hosts and attends events featuring leading corporate and civil society stakeholders working to advance a more just, sustainable economy. We’d love to engage with you, too. Here’s where we’ll be in the months ahead:
The Sustainable Foods Summit will delve into sustainability schemes, regenerative agriculture, and ecological & packaging impacts. Click here for more info.
Join an exceptional community of 3,000+ peers and trailblazers at GreenBiz25 happening February 10-12 in Phoenix, Arizona. Don’t miss out on this exceptional offer: https://buff.ly/3TxjgGU
Browse the past events that we hosted, spoke at, or attended:
Dr. Anja Brandon will share her journey from techno-optimist engineer to passionate science policy advocate in service of her goal to reduce plastic pollution and its impacts on the marine environment.
Dr. Rui Resendes, will share his insights for catalyzing safer and sustainable chemistry by taking action across industries and supply chains.
Reuters Events: Sustainability USA offers actionable ideas and insights, so you take urgent climate action, deliver on mandatory climate reporting and engage investors. Learn from 750+ industry leaders who have successfully implemented data-driven sustainability strategies.
Future 500's next in-person Corporate Working Group is in Austin, Texas, this September 26-27. Our team and guest speakers will discuss findings from several recent stakeholder research projects related to the circular economy, chemicals management, environmental justice, and environmental disclosures.
In our Next CAN Virtual, we'll host Nathan Truitt, EVP of Climate Funding at American Forest Foundation, who will share his perspectives on rising scrutiny of the integrity of offsets and the potential for challenging companies for perceived climate-related greenwash via litigation.
In our next in-person Corporate Working Group, we'll dive into the evolving dynamics around nature-related disclosures with Dr. Helen Crowley, a natural systems expert based in London who is the Managing Director of Pollination and the former head of Sustainable Sourcing and Nature Initiatives for luxury goods maker, Kering
The Responsibility of Business in 2024 – The Crucial Year for Business, Politics, and Climate in the USA. March 26-27, 2024, at Marriott Marquis New York.
Connect with a vibrant community of peers and trailblazers at GreenBiz 24 (Feb 12-14, Phoenix, AZ)
Future 500’s next virtual gathering on February 2 on Anticipating Business Risk from the 2024 Election with Nils Gilman, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Programs for the Berggruen Institute, and the Deputy Editor of Noema Magazine.
Join us for our next virtual CAN meeting on October 5 at 1:00 pm ET with Ashleigh Ross, VP, Strategic Engagements & Policy, Carbon America. She will share with us her insights from two decades in the carbon capture space.
Save the date for F500’s next in-person CAN meeting in Seattle, WA, on September 6 & 7. Not a member and want to learn more? email bsteele@future500.org.
Justin Worland, a Washington, DC-based senior correspondent for TIME covering climate change and the intersection of policy, politics, and society. He will speak with us about the current geopolitics of climate, but he has covered myriad aspects of energy, sustainability, and the environment.
Each spring, the Corporate Impact Summit convenes over 100 hand-picked executives, advocates, investors, and funders to share candid insights and ideas from the front lines of sustainability and environmental protection.
Join Responsible Business USA 2023 in New York on April 4-5 as they will be shaping the future of business strategy. Meet with 750+ CEOs and senior executives from corporate, government and finance communities and understand how to take concrete actions and lead the sustainable revolution.
Our working group seeks to empower our delegates to speak up, teach others, respectfully disagree, and ask tough questions. Please bring your ideas and challenges, and come prepared to actively participate.
Join 300+ sustainability, policy and finance leaders to build the networks, collaborations and learnings that will ensure you navigate the reporting transformation.
Join thousands of leaders — from business, government, solution providers and startups — working together to address the climate crisis across six strategic areas: clean energy, sustainable transportation, carbon removal, regenerative food systems, net-zero buildings and the startup ecosystem.
In our WSCI summer session, we will dive into Future 500’s Force For Good Forecast. We’ve designed this sneak peek to elevate and share the most timely, pressing, and actionable stakeholder concerns with our corporate partners.
It’s time for transformative change — and the circular economy is key to a just, resilient and prosperous world. To meet this critical moment, forward-thinking leaders are embracing circular principles to spur innovation, confront climate change, respond to shifting customer demand and collaborate across the value chain.
Join the growing Circularity 22 community from May 17-19 in Atlanta, GA to move beyond individual action, catalyze systems change and accelerate the circular economy. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3iNNAdD
Register here for 15% off your Circularity 22 All-Access Pass with the code C22FUTURE500
MSCI shares their ESG Trends Watch and gives us a deep dive on corporates pushing net-zero ambitions through the supply chain, and the intersection of climate and biodiversity.
Following our public webinar, “The Force for Good Forecast: Midyear Check In,” Future 500 is hosting an exclusive peer learning event for our Corporate Affinity Network.
Future 500 is hosting a public “Midyear Check In” on the 2021 edition of our annual Force for Good Forecast.
Future 500 will be participating in The Economist’s upcoming virtual event: Sustainability Week US, June 8-11.
Future 500 will be participating in FT Live’s upcoming virtual event: Energy Source Live.
What exactly is a materiality assessment? What does the process look like? And what can your company and stakeholders glean from the results? CAN partners are invited to join us for an interactive “Materiality 101 and Beyond” workshop.
CAN partners are invited to join an exclusive dialogue with Nick Lapis, director of advocacy at Californians Against Waste.
We’re delighted to announce the kickoff of our Women's Sustainability and Corporate Impact (WSCI) Group – a peer learning experience for early to mid-career sustainability and corporate impact practitioners across industries.
Partners of Future 500’s Corporate Affinity Network (CAN) are invited to join a private briefing on Corporate Political Responsibility on February 26 with leaders from the Erb Institute, Business for America, and In This Together.
Future 500’s Corporate Affinity Network will engage with Nicky Davies, executive director of the Plastic Solutions Fund on how the Fund’s three-strategy is evolving and what they’ll expect from brands in the coming years.
Future 500 will be participating in GreenBiz 21, February 9-10. Don’t miss Director Kellen Klein’s roundtable discussion on Sustainability Burnout.