Biodiversity net gain (BNG) and the built environment

Biodiversity is vital for life on earth. Its abundance creates fertile soils, allows for pollination, and offers us clean water, as well as providing plants for food and medicines. Biodiversity is rapidly declining globally due to human impacts such as deforestation. Economists have predicted that nature is worth around half of the world’s total GDP, […]
Lessons from the Better Business Summit 2024

What’s new in 2024 for business sustainability strategies? How widespread are science-based targets? What will this year hold for B Corp consulting and advancing sustainable procurement? A Grain Sustainability team attended the Better Business Summit on 17th and 18th January 2024. The Manchester weather was kind to us, providing a crisp sunny backdrop to the […]
Good news for sustainability strategies in 2024

News around sustainability and climate change can often get us down, but to keep making meaningful progress we need to stay optimistic. To stay motivated and focused on achieving sustainability goals, we have put together some highlights of positive news to start the new year off right. Renewable energy’s exponential growth Renewable energy is now […]
Climate Week 2023: practical insights for business

What is Climate Week? New York City hosts the largest global Climate Week every year, to coincide with the high-level meetings of the United Nations General Assembly at their NYC headquarters. This year marked the 15th such event, with the organisers (The Climate Group in conjunction with the UN and the City of New York) arranging […]
How sustainable is AI?

Despite being a relatively new phenomenon, artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly appearing in modern-day life as technology replicating human actions. That may take the form of chatbots like ChatGPT, image generators, voice recognition like Siri or Alexa, or even driverless cars. Because using AI is instantaneous with no evident emissions associated with its use, the […]
Biophilic design: the power of plants

As a sustainability consultancy we are obviously pro-plants, but did you know those houseplants you keep forgetting to water could benefit your physical and mental health, enhance productivity and even make you live longer? Alongside this is the added planetary benefit of absorbing carbon dioxide from the air. The term ‘biophilia’ was popularised by Edward […]
How is biodiversity linked to business?

Net zero strategies including reducing greenhouse gas emissions have already become key priorities for businesses looking for longevity. Now you may begin to hear about biodiversity reporting and wonder why it should be part of your ESG approach. What is biodiversity? Biodiversity is defined as the ‘variety and variability of all life on Earth, including […]
Sustainability inspiration from Copenhagen

As the world’s most sustainable city, we’re looking to Copenhagen for forward-thinking green inspiration. With an impressive target to be the first CO2-neutral capital by 2025, Copenhagen has committed to sustainably reducing its two-million-tonne carbon footprint, while enabling growth. In the last two decades, the city’s carbon transformation has occurred alongside a 25% growth in […]
Earth Day 2022

April 22nd celebrates Earth Day and in a rapidly escalating climate crisis it’s more relevant than ever before.