Before finalising our editorial calendar for next year, Ethical Corporation is reaching out to our community for input, and offering opportunities to sponsor content and support our independent journalism

2020 is a critically important year for sustainable business, with the deadlines falling due for ambitious commitments to end deforestation and cut CO2 emissions. Other 2020 deadlines were made as part of the 2015 Paris Agreement, including mobilising $100bn in green finance by the turn of the decade. This is also an election year in the US, and an important staging post for delivery of the SDGs, which are five years old this year.

In the magazine next year we plan to kick off in January, as we did in 2019, by asking thought-leaders to give their views on how the issues that they follow evolved over the past 12 months, and on how companies can contribute to pulling the world from the climate brink over the critical next decade.

We haven’t assigned months to the rest of our content, but other issues during 2020 will include:

Smart and resilient cities

A single-issue briefing on smart and resilient cities, which will look at nature-based solutions in cities, how to ensure access to cooling in a warming world, and the drive to double energy efficiency.A look at the “g” in ESG, examining the pressure on companies to pay their fair share of tax and end the practice of backing lobby groups that are trying to scupper progressive regulation. Also, the state of play in reporting on the TCFDs and the SDGs and the move to embed ESG into enterprise risk management.

The dawn of employee and investor activism

In an era of climate and social activism, we will look at the impact of employee and student activism;  also activist investors such as Climate Action 100+, the divestment movement and whether gas has a role in a below 2C world.

Purpose, Sustainable communications and marketing

To deliver the required change we need to engage customers on purpose, sustainability and the SDGs. In this feature briefing we look at sustainable communications and marketing, and the impact on consumers and how companies are simplifying the sustainability message

Sustainable seafood and healthy oceans

The UNFCC’s recently released special report on the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate highlighted that ocean-based solutions, from offshore wind and tidal power to sustainable seafood and cleaner shipping, could provide 21% of the solutions to climate change. This single-issue briefing will explore the new front in the climate battle.

Four leading forest-risk commodities

Deep dives into sustainability over two issues of the four-leading forest-risk commodities: palm oil and soya, beef, timber and paper. We will feature palm oil and timber and paper one month, and soya and beef the following. There will be a big focus on human rights and forest defenders.

A critical look at Science-Based Targets

Are science-based targets up to scratch? The single-focus issue will highlight successes of the Science Based Targets initiative, but will also take a critical look at limitations, such as a lack of third-party verification that CO2 reductions are actually delivered, calls for human rights to be included, and sectors like the fashion industry, which are taking a sectoral approach to SBTs.

Accelerating a Circular Economy

Full-issue focus on the circular economy, featuring new developments on tackling plastic, including the US-based Sea the Future initiative to voluntarily accept a tax on virgin plastics, involvement of investors like BlackRock and Morgan Stanley in directing finance, plus social plastics. Also looking at e-waste, including the mobile phone industry’s cross-industry initiative.

Water risk and biodiversity

An issue looking at the rising water risk for companies as a result of climate change, and how business-led initiatives like the new Forests for Life Partnership and One Planet Business for Biodiversity are leading the drive to protect biodiversity through more sustainable land use.  

The transformation of energy

A technology-focused issue on the energy transition, particularly looking at energy storage technologies and hydrogen, electrification etc. Also, the rise of geothermal energy.

The intersection of environment and human rights

As the world has to grapple with the impacts of the climate emergency, we're seeing increasing impacts on society and human rights. In this feature briefing we will look at the indirect impacts of the environment on human rights and how companies are helping to mitigate these impacts

If you would like to sponsor content or support our independent journalism in 2020, please contact: sponsorship@ethicalcorp.com, Ethical Corporation's editor is Terry Slavin. terry.slavin@ethicalcorp.com. Ethical Corporation is now part of Reuters Events.

Main picture: Seaweed farmers at work in Placiencia, Belize by Randy Olson/The Nature Conservancy
smart cities  ESG  enterprise risk management  climate activism  investor activism  sustainable seafood  shipping  Palm Oil  soya  beef  timber  paper  SBTs  SDGs  circular economy  plastics  e-waste  water risk  energy transition  geothermal energy 

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