A selection of books, podcasts, courses, organisations and more, for information and inspiration

Business sustainability strategy

You’ll notice that book links go to our reading list on Bookshop.org, which supports local, independent bookstores, who are much more likely than Amazon to pay the appropriate corporate tax, and you won’t be contributing to Bezos’ fortune.

Sustainable fashion

Find out all about sustainability in fashion in this Speak up for our Planet talk. Hint: the most sustainable clothes are the ones already in your closet!

Becoming a B Corp

Check out what it takes to become a Certified B Corporation in this talk. We cover the B Impact Assessment and the new standards.

Outrage + Optimism

Brought to you by Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson, if you listen to one podcast about sustainability, this should be it!

The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis

Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac, architects of the Paris Agreement, take us on a tour of our possible futures — first terrifying and then reassuring — and map out the route we need to take to safeguard our future.

How Bad Are Bananas? The carbon footprint of everything

It’s not often that you see ‘entertaining’ and ‘carbon footprint’ in the same sentence. This enjoyable book by Mike Berners-Lee is packed full of useful information including how we can aim to live a 5-tonne lifestyle.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation develops and promotes the idea of a circular economy, offering a treasure trove of resources like courses and sector-specific reports.

The Handbook of Ethical Purchasing: Principles and Practice

The perfect guide for marketing and sustainable procurement and supply chain professionals in large companies, local authorities and governments and NGOs globally.

Doughnut Economics Action Lab

Kate Raworth’s model of doughnut economics combines the concepts of planetary and social boundaries. We want to live in the ring of the doughnut, the ‘safe and just space for humanity’. This is a community where people can share doughnut economics in action.

Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman

Yvon Chouinard tells the story behind Patagonia: an internationally recognised, politically-active brand that epitomises sustainable business.

The Ministry for the Future

This novel sets out Kim Stanley Robinson’s dystopian yet ultimately hopeful view of humanity and our planet over the next two decades. You may find it hard to separate fact from fiction.

Turning the Tide on Plastic

Lucy Siegle’s book is a fascinating revelation of how this ubiquitous material has taken over our planet, and how we can turn around the tidal wave of plastic.

edie

A ‘purpose-driven business media brand’ for sustainability, energy and environmental professionals. The daily news alert is a great way to keep on top of sustainability initiatives.

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World - And Why Things Are Better Than You Think

Hans Rosling’s book is an essential read on the potential for human progress and opportunities for responding positively to global issues, based on a world-view of facts.

Jane Goodall's Hopecast

A wonderful podcast from the inimitable Jane Goodall. Simply hearing her soothing voice will make your day. She hosts inspiring guests and, in the Mailbag episodes, responds to listeners’ questions.

Business Sustainability Management

The Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership offers this whistlestop tour of sustainability in business. These eight intense weeks of reading, discussion, inspiration, and study could change your life!

The True Cost

A documentary about the human and environmental costs of fashion. After watching this, you’ll probably avoid fast fashion and may start buying secondhand.

2040

This feels like a companion film to the book, The Future We Choose. It’s a vision of the world in 2040 if we embrace ‘the best solutions already available to us to improve our planet’.

Website Carbon Calculator

Find out how much CO2 is produced every time someone visits your website. Currently ICT produces 2.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Ecosia

Instead of relying on Google, which doesn’t pay its fair share of taxes, use a search engine that donates at least 80% of its profits to reforestation and planting trees. Make the world a cleaner place!

WWF Environmental Footprint Calculator

After answering a handful of questions, you can get an estimate of your environmental footprint and how it compares to the UK average, in tonnes. Keep in mind that Mike Berners-Lee advocates a 5 tonne lifestyle.

Wilding

Isabella Tree recounts the pioneering rewilding project at Knepp in West Sussex. It delves into the stories of single species as much as the benefits of rewilding, like biodiversity, soil health, and flood mitigation.

Sustainababble

A delightful podcast which can always put a smile on your face…you never expected to find a comedy podcast about the environment, did you? No new episodes since the end of 2022, but worth listening to past ones.