Sustainable Brands

We extend our thanks to Michael Dupee for his leadership and dedication during his 2.5 years as CEO of Sustainable Brands. Mike’s passion and commitment to advancing a more sustainable and regenerative global economy have left our community better. We wish Mike all the best as he embarks on his next chapter. As we look ahead to the new year, we are energized and more committed than ever to supporting our community of courageous optimists working toward a flourishing future for all. With the success of our October 2025 flagship event behind us, we can’t wait to gather again at the Sustainable Brands 2026 flagship conference, June 8–10 in San Diego.

I had the precious opportunity to participate in this year's Sustainable Brands conference in San Diego as a speaker (on behalf of California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance), volunteer, California Green Medal wine donation coordinator and ... yoga instructor (because, why not mix things up?!). I cannot overstate the refreshingly hopeful, positive and vibrant energy this conference attracts, along with the amazing sustainability thought leaders from both large and small organizations who share their thoughts and learnings to inspire others to do better. Here's a shorty video of some conference clips for you. Hopefully it plays easily. https://lnkd.in/g57Waube Shout out to the generous California Green Medal Sustainable Winegrowing Awards winners who donated amazing sustainably-produced wine for the conference social hours: Boisset Collection St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery Jackson Family Wines Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines 🍷 #SB25SanDiego #SustainableBrands #SustainableWinegrowing #SustainableWine #sustainability

Loved speaking with the NoPalm Ingredients team! Such an inspiring company tackling one of the world’s most pressing (and complex) supply chain challenges with science and creativity. Writing this piece for Sustainable Brands was a deep dive into the power of microbial oils, the potential of circular production and how smart partnerships can help rewrite the future of fats and oils. Compared to palm oil, the impact is staggering. NoPalm’s microbial oil has a 90% lower carbon footprint and uses 99% less land. “At commercial scale, each of our factories could save around 60 to 90 million kilograms of CO₂ per year,” says Lars Langhout, Co-founder and CEO. “That’s comparable to the annual footprint of up to 40,000 EU citizens and could protect up to 2,630 hectares of rainforest.” By using food industry side streams like whey and potato peels and co-locating their factories with suppliers, NoPalm is building a decentralised, scalable model that could reshape the global fats industry, without the deforestation. Huge thanks for the brilliant and insightful interview and good luck redesigning the future of fats!

Sustainable Brands 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 NoPalm Ingredients 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲. After an interview with Scarlett Buckley, she wrote a fantastic article about the story and mission of NoPalm Ingredients for Sustainable Brands, a global community of brand innovators shaping the future of commerce. Their platform highlights leaders turning environmental challenges into opportunities for innovation and business growth, and we’re truly honored to be featured. The article covers important topics such as 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬, 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐔𝐃𝐑. 🌍 Read the 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e8Ax3B8v

The future is bright when it is circular!    Proud to return to Sustainable Brands SB’25 this year for another invigorating conversation around materials innovation and the difference we can make with closed-loop business models.    There is so much work to be done in this space and at Marchon Eyewear and VSP Vision, we are proud to continue moving the needle on a zero-waste future in accessories.   Thank you to Kashif Noor for moderating a dynamic discussion as well as fellow panelists Alisa Leonard, Jason Delsoldato, and Gustavo Lombardi for sharing their pioneering perspectives and practices.   #SB25SanDiego #sustainability #eyewear #accessories

One theme that came through loud and clear at Sustainable Brands this year: the business case for sustainability keeps getting stronger, even as some leaders talk about it less. Andrew Winston shared findings from the UN Global Compact–Accenture 2025 CEO Study: • 88% say the business case for sustainability is stronger today than five years ago • 99% plan to maintain or expand their environmental and social commitments • Yet only 50% feel comfortable communicating progress When presenting Porter Novelli's Purpose Premium Index, Sandy Skees added powerful context: in 1975, 83% of a company’s value was tied to tangibles like property and inventory. By 2020, 90% was tied to intangibles like brand reputation, trust, and customer loyalty. Meanwhile, consumers are paying attention: • 82% say companies have a responsibility to deliver a purpose beyond profit • 73% believe brands should encourage consumers to support social and environmental issues • 76% want to hear how companies address these topics throughout the year The takeaway: the business case for sustainability is strong, and reputation and trust matter more than ever. Communicating authentic impact isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good business. Next up: Part 3, how to choose language that can unite us around impact. #SBSanDiego25 #Sustainability #Purpose #CorporateResponsibility #BrandTrust