At a time when only two countries in the world are non-signatories of the Paris Agreement, Sparknews is bringing major economic newspapers together for the publication of a third annual edition of Solutions&Co, this time dedicated to business solutions for the climate.
In 2015, COP21 put the urgency of climate change in the spotlight. This historic meeting marked clear progress in terms of awareness. Two years later, with only two countries in the world (Syria and USA) having not yet signed the Paris Agreement and ever-more international discussion regarding the climate taking place, Solutions&Co offers unprecedented access to around fifty concrete climate- friendly solutions spurring on our transition towards a new, innovative, and sustainable economic model: circular economy.
On the same day and in 20 different countries, 20 of the world’s most renowned financial newspapers publish 50 concrete solutions in favor of both circular economy and the climate.
In addition to business solutions favoring circular economy, this year’s edition will bring you many pedagogical tools: graphics, videos and widgets that’ll help you discover this new and promising economic model in a playful way.
To complement this unprecedented combination, the operation’s partner websites will present the publication Why Circular Economy? – 20 reasons to switch to circular economy, introducing perspectives from the most renowned specialists in circular economy (Walter Stahel, William McDonough…), as well as concrete case studies of projects working along the lines of this new economy at the business level (Ryan Gellert from Patagonia, Jean Christophe Laugée de Danone…).
What is Solutions&Co?
Sparknews has been working along with media outlets throughout the world (more than 70 publications) to spotlight up-to-date solutions since 2012.
“Highlighting existing solutions with major impact on the environment”
Above and beyond an often negative and immediate daily flow of news, Solutions&Co supplies detailed reports with a firm focus on climate-based solutions. With its aim of informing targeted players of what is at stake, Solutions&Co provide concrete solutions and courses of action. This editorial operation has proved itself an incentive for change both on editorial boards and amongst readerships.
“Collaborative journalism for a better treatment of global issues”
For the redaction of this supplement, it took no less than four months between the beginning of the preliminary research on the projects and the publication date. We’ve got a simple objective: to work along with editorial boards in finding innovative projects with a high environmental impact which have proven beneficial locally and could potentially be replicated elsewhere. The working method here is collaborative: each paper writes one to three stories (1 macro and 2 micro) on existing initiatives in its country, then pools the content. Every editorial board therefore obtains all the articles written by the members of the group, which can be put together for its own paper supplement along with a digital edition.
3rd edition of Solutions&Co:
Pacing up the replication of innovative solutions which ease our transition towards a circular economy and encouraging networking between major financial players, institutions and innovators.
Our economic model is at the core of the climate issue. If we can only welcome the worldwide expansion of the middle class, especially in emerging countries, the growing consumption which it entails will nevertheless increase the pressure on raw materials and emphasise the limits of our linear economic model: mine, produce, consume, discard. According to think-tank Global Footprint Network, the Earth currently needs 1.5 years to regenerate the natural resources we take from it in one year.
Promising progress is however in sight: throughout the world, initiatives that pave the way for a circular economy are emerging at every level, giving rise to new financial models and new business opportunities which seek to ‘change the system, not the climate,’ to quote a well-known slogan from environmental activists!
This is why for its third edition, Solutions&Co has brought together 20 prestigious financial newspapers to address the following question: why and how can we make headway towards a circular economic model in order to face the climate challenge?
Readers in China, Brazil, South Africa, India, France and Germany–to name some of the represented countries– will discover along with you the businesses and organizations who are bringing about change.
The different pillars of the circular economy envisaged in this edition are: new economic models, eco- design, sustainable resourcing, land and industrial ecology, responsible consumerism and recycling.
A single publication: the e-book
With the publication of Solutions&Co, an e-book containing perspectives from the most renowned specialists in circular economy (Walter Stahel, William McDonough…), as well as concrete case studies of projects working along the lines of this new economy at the business level (Ryan Gellert from Patagonia, Jean Christophe Laugée de Danone…) will be made available on the websites of partner newspapers.
This publication represents an original collaborative approach: for the first time, the major financial newspapers of the world and global experts from public and private sectors have come together to present the innovative projects with the highest potential for changing our economic model for a more virtuous one: circular economy. It offers a full-circle approach with examples coming from all over the world to show that circular economy is not a utopia but a reality, which is already in action.
And behind all that? Sparknews
Founded in 2013 by Christian de Boisredon, Sparknews is a social enterprise which spots, shares and spurs the action of positive initiatives, which respond to the major issues of our time.
With newspapers, social entrepeneurs/project leaders, and businesses, we work to shine the light on known solutions to the problems in our societies, in order to inspire action and spur on positive change on a global scale.
