Stories from Nithin Coca
Technology
Will Better Labels Increase Plastic Recycling?
Labels may seem like a built-in part of shampoo bottles and condiment jars, but they can cause serious problems for recyclers when they're left on packaging. Pressure-sensitive labels could help.
August 8, 2025
Justice + Equality
This Tool Captures Supply Chain Worker Feedback in Real Time to Stamp Out Labor Abuses
The complexity of supply chains can allow social abuses to go unnoticed. Ulula and EcoVadis created a fast, cost-effective tool that allows workers to speak out about labor and human rights conditions without fear of repercussions.
June 2, 2025
Justice + Equality
Landmark Gender Justice Agreement for Indonesian Garment Workers Shows the Power of Research and Campaigning
Last year, two garment factories in Indonesia signed a gender justice agreement aimed at eliminating gender-based violence with a union-led program. Now, the organizers behind it want to see the model spread across the country.
May 29, 2025
Energy
We Can’t Rely on Technology to Solve Plastic Waste
No mainstream solution exists to recycle sachets — the flexible pouches that hold single-servings of liquid or gel products. As brands are challenged to ensure the waste created from their sales is handled properly, technology alone isn't solving the problem.
November 6, 2023
Corporate Responsibility
The Chocolate Industry Has A Lot of Problems. Could Direct Sourcing Help Brands Solve Them?
Some chocolate companies are returning to the field and finding ways to source cacao directly, with real benefits for farmers.
September 14, 2023
Technology
Can Smarter Labels Enable a Fully Circular Fashion Industry?
Avery Dennison wants to create a circular economy for clothing with tech-enabled care labels that provide information to ensure proper recycling and resale.
August 28, 2023
Community Development
A Community Approach is Necessary to Address Child Labor in Cacao
Two decades after the furor about child labor in chocolate, we’ve made real progress in building models to empower farmers. Now, we need to scale those up and foster a truly ethical, traceable cacao supply chain. A community-driven approach can provide a way forward, say nonprofit leaders working on the ground.
July 31, 2023
Sponsored
Putting Sustainability at the Center of Business
The Secret to Accurate Scope 3 Accounting Is Sharing Trusted, Auditable Carbon Data Across Networks
Growing cross-sectoral and multi-company efforts are looking to scale up the measurement, assessment and reduction of Scope 3 emissions through innovative carbon data networks.
January 23, 2023
Corporate Responsibility
U.N. Report Highlights Widespread Modern Slavery in China
A new U.N. report has found widespread evidence of state-sanctioned modern slavery in Tibet and Xinjiang, China, homeland of the Tibetans and Uyghurs.
August 23, 2022
Energy
What Indonesia’s Palm Oil Ban Really Means for Climate and Energy
Indonesia's palm oil export ban will do little to benefit the climate, as the reasons behind this shift are political and economic, not environmental.
May 5, 2022
Energy
Is Wood-Based Biomass Energy a Viable Alternative to Coal?
Does biomass offer a viable alternative to burning fossil fuels? This 3p writer and National Press Foundation fellow finds the results are at best mixed.
November 18, 2021
Sponsored
Doing the Work: What Does It Mean To Be a Just Company?
HP’s Expanded Partnership with WWF Aims to Grow Forest Conservation and Restoration
HP recently pledged an additional $80 million to WWF to sustainably manage, conserve and restore nearly 1 million acres of forest — building on more than a decade of collaboration between the two organizations.
October 26, 2021
Sponsored
The Future of Forests: Sustainable Forestry in the Decade of Action
The Cross-Sector Movement to Scale Sustainable Forestry in the U.S.
As companies raise the bar on their sustainable forestry commitments, one big challenge remains: There aren’t enough certified sustainable forests in certain markets to meet the demands of every company. This unique partnership offers a solution.
June 17, 2021
Corporate Responsibility
As Evidence of Human Rights Abuses Against Uyghurs in China Mounts, Brands Are Still Silent
Few companies are willing to speak about human rights violations against the mostly Muslim Uyghurs in China, even as such abuses, including torture, mount.
March 23, 2021
Sponsored
Everything You Need to Know About Sustainability in the Tire Industry
Rubber Industry Platform Aims to Halt Deforestation, Protect Human Rights
The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber brings rubber buyers, international NGOs and smallholder farmers together under an ambitious set of priorities to ensure sustainable production and supply.
March 15, 2021
Corporate Responsibility
Companies Can’t Afford to Ignore Forced Labor in China Anymore
Researchers keep uncovering a massive expansion of forced labor programs in China that have literally enslaved hundreds of thousands of innocent people.
October 1, 2020
Sponsored
The Power of Purpose: How Companies Drive Community Impact
Fight Homelessness By Bridging the Gap Between Shelter and Housing
Those experiencing homelessness often find the gap from temporary to permanent housing too wide to jump. With an innovative housing model, this New York City nonprofit is pushing for change.
June 15, 2020
Energy
California’s Plastic Bottle Redemption System Is in Crisis
The California Beverage Container Recycling system, enacted in 1987 to boost recycling rates for plastic and other beverage containers, is facing a crisis.
May 28, 2020
Community Development
As Coconut Products Gain Popularity, Certification is Essential for Sustainability
No supply chain certification framework for coconut-based products currently exists, so there's little traceability and therefore, risk of labor abuses.
April 17, 2020
Energy
Ecological Balance Means Less Risk of Diseases Like COVID-19
Here's why the COVID-19 pandemic has made absolutely clear the direct connection between a healthy natural environment and human health.
April 9, 2020
Sustainable Living
Palm Vs. Coconut Oil: What's the More Sustainable Choice?
Palm oil's social and environmental impacts have led companies to explore alternatives such as coconut oil, which has become a more popular choice.
April 7, 2020
Energy
Drilling in the Amazon? Global Financiers Say Yes
A new report says oil and gas companies are pushing to expand extraction in the western Amazon - with the backing of the world's largest banks.
March 23, 2020
Energy
Companies Still Failing to Meet Zero-Deforestation Goals, Watchdog Says
A new report indicates most companies are failing to address tropical deforestation along their supply chains – despite high-profile commitments.
February 13, 2020
Energy
New Roadmap Seeks $500 Million Investment to Transform Recycling in the U.S.
The Recycling Partnership seeks $500 million to transform U.S. recycling systems by aligning them with the goals and needs of a fully circular economy.
November 8, 2019
Energy
Calls Grow for Urgent Action on Ocean Plastic Crisis
The private sector has been stepping up, but urgent action is still needed to address the ocean plastic crisis, NGOs say.
September 30, 2019
Voices for Change
California’s AB5 Could Transform the Gig Economy in Favor of Workers
Despite lobbying by Uber, Lyft and Doordash, California's Assembly Bill 5—which would grant gig economy workers basic labor rights—is on track to become law.
September 9, 2019
Brands Taking Stands
Groups Call for Equator Principles to be Strengthened
Environmental disasters remind us how international protocols, such as the Equator Principles, are critical at a time when millions of lives are at stake.
September 4, 2019
Corporate Responsibility
China’s Uyghur Camps Put Global Brands’ Supply Chains at Risk
Uyghur camps are among the human rights violations occurring across Xinjiang; and many companies' supply chains are linked to this region in western China.
August 29, 2019
Energy
Why Companies Must Take Responsibility for the Amazon Fires
Until global companies rethink how they manage their supply chains in Brazil, we can expect more Amazon fires well into the future.
August 27, 2019
Energy
Plastic Bottles for Public Transit: A Growing Trend
Plastic bottles are now valid fare to ride the subway in Rome, Italy, but you’ll need 30 bottles to get enough credit for one trip.
August 22, 2019
Energy
The Future Is Now for Homes Without Natural Gas
Berkeley, California, is the first city in the U.S. to ban natural gas in new buildings, as more leaders realize this fuel poses its own climate risks.
August 12, 2019
Technology
Allen Coral Atlas Maps Reefs to Scale Up Coral Conservation
The recently launched Allen Coral Atlas is already making strong progress on using data, science and technology to boost coral conservation worldwide.
July 30, 2019
Community Development
Experts Say Sugar Is Becoming a Global Public Health Crisis
Public health advocates say that major brands' promotion of sugary products in emerging markets is potentially putting the well being of millions at risk.
July 24, 2019
Corporate Responsibility
Human Rights Are Essential for Clean Energy’s Ethical Future
A new report highlights how investors can help expand renewable energy—necessary for addressing our climate crisis—while respecting human rights.
July 19, 2019
Technology
Can Digital Payouts Help Solve the Ocean Plastics Crisis?
Several organizations are testing programs offering incentives to clean up plastic waste - a step that could save the oceans from mounting plastic waste.
June 19, 2019
Finance
The Apparel Sector Is Getting It: Better Cotton Now Accounts for One-Fifth of Global Production
The cotton industry – long criticized for its environmental and social impacts – is undergoing a transformation led by the Better Cotton Initiative.
June 14, 2019
Finance
Could a Rare Earths Shortage Hurt the U.S. Cleantech Sector?
The sabre-rattling between the U.S. and China over a potential trade war could imperil supplies of rare earths - and put the U.S. cleantech sector at risk.
June 12, 2019
How Hewlett Packard Enterprise Stands Out on Sustainability
Hewlett Packard Enterprise has been leading on tough environmental and social challenges, from the circular economy to human trafficking.
May 20, 2019
Energy
Purdue University Report: Palm Oil Is Still Unsustainable
A new report conducted by Purdue University and published in the journal Science of the Total Environment says it loud […]
December 19, 2018
Fashion Industry Falling Short on Addressing Labor Abuses
A new report from the nonprofit KnowTheChain measured 43 of the world’s largest clothing and footwear companies’ efforts to address […]
December 17, 2018
Energy
Unilever Crowdsourcing Alternatives to Plastic Packaging
As the problem of plastic ending up in the world’s oceans intensifies, Unilever recently announced that it will invest €100,000 […]
December 12, 2018
Energy
IEA: Clean Energy Must Accelerate to Stop Climate Change
In case it has not been clear – the deployment of clean energy technologies must move at a far faster […]
December 6, 2018
Energy
More Brands Are Choosing Better Cotton
According to the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), 2017 was a banner year for sustainable cotton, and this multi-stakeholder group is […]
December 5, 2018
Energy
Despite Trump, the Shift from Coal to Renewables Continues Unabated
If you were only paying attention to public statements coming from Washington D.C., you would likely think that in the […]
November 26, 2018
Sponsored
How Does Data Privacy Affect Corporate Responsibility?
How Data Privacy Regulations Affect Nonprofits—And What They Can Do
This article series is underwritten by Symantec and went through our normal editorial review process. Even organizations focused on public […]
November 6, 2018
Sponsored
How Does Data Privacy Affect Corporate Responsibility?
How Data Privacy Regulations Affect Your Supply Chain
This article series is underwritten by Symantec and went through our normal editorial review process. This past May, the European […]
October 30, 2018
Sponsored
How Does Data Privacy Affect Corporate Responsibility?
How the Push to Make Data Privacy a Human Right Will Impact Businesses
This article series is underwritten by Symantec and went through our normal editorial review process. The international nonprofit Access Now […]
October 22, 2018
Energy
Good News: India and China Slowing Emissions Far Faster Than Expected
A new analysis finds that India and China are on pace to overachieve their Paris Agreement climate pledges, a welcome […]
May 22, 2017
Corporate Responsibility
LCV Scorecard Highlights Environmental Leaders in Congressional Caucuses of Color
The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) released a scorecard exclusively for members of Congress who sit on caucuses representing people […]
May 22, 2017
Corporate Responsibility
Chevron and Exxon Refuse to Walk the Walk When it Comes to Climate
America’s largest oil companies, Chevron and ExxonMobil, beginning to talk openly about climate change — at least on the surface. Exxon has […]
May 18, 2017
California's Plastic Recycling Rates Are Headed in the Wrong Direction
California’s beverage container recycling rate dipped below 80 percent for the first time since 2008, shortly after hundreds of recycling centers […]
May 18, 2017
Energy
Denmark's Wind Industry Is Ready to Compete – Sans Subsidies
Denmark’s largest wind turbine manufacturer, Vestas, says it’s ready to compete without subsidies: a sign that the wind industry is […]
May 16, 2017
Sponsored
The Future of Forests: Sustainable Forestry in the Decade of Action
How Partnerships Boost Sustainable Paper Pulp Supply
As sustainability enters the mainstream, demand for sustainable paper pulp, fiber and wood is growing fast. And companies like Procter […]
May 15, 2017
Corporate Responsibility
Bay Area Suburb Mandates Solar Panels on New Homes
. Fremont, a suburb of San Francisco, is making a strong move to become the regional clean energy leader by […]
May 15, 2017
Corporate Responsibility
#ExxonKnew and Now, #ExxonPollutes … For 16,386 Days
Few companies are as brazenly deceptive as ExxonMobil, the largest oil company in the United States. We know about its […]
May 10, 2017
Energy
The Sunshine State Prepares to Embrace Solar
Last week the Florida Senate passed a bill to implement wide-ranging changes that many expect will allow solar to, finally, […]
May 10, 2017
Finance
Why Fair Trade Matters Even More in An Unequal World
We live in a time of massive, unprecedented trade: Goods, information and money all flow across borders almost seamlessly (people, […]
March 30, 2017
Energy
Report: Methane Leakage at Natural Gas Plants Much Higher Than Previously Thought
While much of the focus in the climate space centers on carbon dioxide emissions, a new study finds that methane […]
March 23, 2017
Energy
Trump Will Continue Obama's Biggest Environmental Mistake: More Drilling
For all of former U.S. President Barack Obama’s positive moves on clean energy and environmental protection, one glaring black mark […]
March 14, 2017
Energy
2016: Another Monumental Year for Clean Energy
The latest Sustainable Energy in America Report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) shows that the march toward a renewable […]
March 13, 2017
Energy
Report: Clean Energy and Efficiency Can Cheaply Replace Coal
A new report published by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) merely quantifies what is becoming increasingly apparent to all […]
March 13, 2017
Energy
Unseasonable Warm Spells Endanger Fruit Crops Nationwide
Plants are blooming early across the country as a result of this winter’s ongoing record warmth, which many connect to climate […]
March 9, 2017
Energy
Singapore Plans Southeast Asia's First Carbon Tax
Southeast Asia’s first carbon tax is in the works. Planned for Singapore, the tax would hit 40 to 50 large […]
March 3, 2017
Corporate Responsibility
First 100 Percent Recyclable Carpet: A Sign of Hope In a Wasteful Industry
Mohawk’s new Airo line is the first to meet the long-stated, lofty recycling goals of one of America’s most wasteful […]
March 3, 2017
Energy
California Can’t Stop Building Unneeded Fossil Fuels Plants
A recent story in the Los Angeles Times lays bare the absurdity of California’s energy landscape and the overwhelming power […]
February 20, 2017
Corporate Responsibility
Vizio Fined For Spying On Customers Through Their TVs
Vizio is one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of plasma and flatscreen televisions, but that’s not the only way the […]
February 17, 2017
Finance
Why Uber and Airbnb Are Struggling in Tokyo
At first glance, Tokyo seems like an ideal city for the so-called sharing economy. It is incredibly connected, both digitally […]
February 14, 2017
Finance
Japan's Present is America's Future
After decades of remarkable growth, the Japanese economy hit a wall in the early 1990s, literally and figuratively. In the following decades, […]
February 13, 2017
Corporate Responsibility
What Japan Can Teach America About Sustainable Transportation
In the 1850s, when the infamous United States Navy “black ships” forced the then-isolated nation of Japan to open up […]
February 8, 2017
Energy
The March Away From Coal Continues, Unabated
The potential closure of the largest coal plant in the American West is another sign that dirty coal is on […]
February 6, 2017
Corporate Responsibility
Maryland Assembly Overturns Republican Governor's Clean Energy Veto
Want some good news? In Maryland, the state assembly just overturned Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto of a clean energy […]
February 6, 2017
Sponsored
Progress to 2020: Tackling Resource Use From All Angles
On Food Waste, The US Could Learn a Lot from Europe
The U.S. tosses a staggering $161 billion worth of food every year. While numerous efforts are underway to address that […]
January 12, 2017
Sponsored
How Sustainability at Home Goes Beyond
Why Are American Recycling Rates Still Stuck At 34 Percent?
As environmental awareness grew, U.S. recycling rates saw a rapid uptick in the 1980s and ’90s. But the U.S. recycling […]
December 20, 2016
Wisconsin Startup Aims to Curb Cardboard Waste
Cardboard waste is becoming a major problem. Our mentality – use it once, and then dispose of it — is […]
December 20, 2016
Sponsored
How Sustainability at Home Goes Beyond
Cut Food Waste at Home Just in Time for the Holidays
It could be said that 2016 was the year that food waste, as an issue, went mainstream. Today, grocery stories, […]
December 13, 2016
Energy
Research Center Proposes Carbon Tax on Unsustainable Food
Agriculture has a huge negative impact on the environment, including being responsible for 11 percent of global carbon emissions. Could […]
December 2, 2016
Sponsored
From Farm to Factory: A 3 Part Series on Social Impacts in Apparel
High-Fashion Brands Lag on Slavery in Supply Chains
The Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, was a watershed moment for the global garment industry. It […]
November 28, 2016
Sponsored
Progress to 2020: Tackling Resource Use From All Angles
Thinking (and Acting) Big: Sealed Air’s Sustainability Report
You may not know Sealed Air, but chances are you’ve used their products often. The makers of Bubble Wrap (TM) […]
November 17, 2016
Sponsored
How Cotton Goes Beyond Fabric - Sustainably
The Truth about Water and Cotton: It’s Complicated.
Cotton has a reputation for being “difficult,” water-wise. Numerous non-profits and global media outlets such as The Guardian have laid […]
November 10, 2016
Technology
World's Largest Floating Solar Test Bed Comes Online in Singapore
A new floating solar photovoltaic system in Singapore is just one hectare in size and is meant as a prototype. […]
November 3, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Wikileaks Gets Unabashedly Political
For many critics, the once heralded site for sharing information has become a political platform for its embattled founder and his […]
October 28, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Social Media Firms Hand Reams of Data on Law-Abiding Citizens to Law Enforcement
This week, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) slammed America’s top three social networks – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – […]
October 24, 2016
Sponsored
From Farm to Factory: A 3 Part Series on Social Impacts in Apparel
Despite Efforts, Forced Labor Still Embedded in Apparel
Forced labor remains a problem in many industries, with global textiles and garments being no exception. Despite considerable progress in […]
October 19, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Canada Says Yes to a Carbon Tax
Under Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada has chosen a carbon tax as its national policy to cut greenhouse gas […]
October 17, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Why Startups Skimp on Worker Safety
A recent Buzzfeed investigative report uncovered labor issues at the warehouses of popular food-delivery startup Blue Apron. It’s another example of tech […]
October 11, 2016
Technology
Climate Signals: Connecting Science to the Extreme Weather in Your Backyard
One of the biggest challenges in in raising awareness about climate change is visualizing it: More often than not, it […]
October 10, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
White House: Climate Change is a National Security Issue
A new Presidential Memorandum calls on more than 20 federal agencies to take the national security implications of climate change […]
September 28, 2016
Energy
Greenpeace: Bayer and Syngenta Knew About Pesticide Harm to Bees, Did Nothing
According to internal research documents obtained by Greenpeace under the Freedom of Information Act, both Bayer and Syngenta knew well about […]
September 28, 2016
Energy
Regenerative Agriculture: More Important Now Than Ever
Last week’s news that Monsanto and Bayer would merge to form the world’s largest agribusiness company sent shockwaves throughout the food […]
September 22, 2016
Finance
Turning Ethical Investing into a Wall Street Disruptor
OpenInvest, a new investing platform that beta-launched at SOCAP16, aims to transform investing by putting the power of ethical investing […]
September 20, 2016