Understand sustainability. Make better decisions.

After the commotion and commitments at COP26, there has been much discussion on what’s next for global climate action and how to align action with the goals of the Paris Agreement. At Rio, we believe transitioning to a circular economy is an imperative part of tackling the climate crisis. However, the importance of a circular economy can often be overlooked in business and organisational strategies. It's true that net zero is fundamental, and we hope you’re on your net zero journey or about to embark on it (if you need a hand, we have a ten step to net zero guide), but here we’ll explore why circularity shouldn’t be left behind.

We need to scale up climate action, and we need to do it fast. Climate commitments from governments leave the world on track for a temperature rise of at least 2.7ºC, according to the latest Emissions Gap Report. But we still have a window of opportunity, with the coming decade a crucial time for action. Action to achieve the climate goals outlined in the Paris Agreement can’t be left to governments, or any single sector. Limiting increases in temperature to as far below two degrees Celsius by the end of century will need ambitious involvement and commitment from the private sector - and not just from the largest companies out there. This is where the role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) becomes apparent. Collectively, SMEs account for about 90% of all businesses and 50% of employment worldwide. While individually each have a seemingly minor impact, together they are critical for responding to the climate crisis. What’s more, given the scale of emissions reductions needed, it requires a collective effort for all companies to act on their carbon footprint - both in their direct operations and in their supply chains.

The debate over how much forward motion COP26 has truly created will continue over the coming year and into the next COP summit. But this much we know today: Sustainability thinking is here to stay.

  In lucky number 13, we speak with Robbie Epsom, EMEA Head of ESG for CBRE Investment Management, about transparency, change and constant improvement in the industry, the effects of ESG on the property sector, and the need to think more broadly to achieve the SDGs.  

  In this episode, we chat with Mandhy Senewiratne, Director of Sustainability and Communications at Fyrefly Global Sustainability. Dan and Mandhy discuss the challenges within sustainability in Australia, her background in water and construction, why we all need to lead by example and more. Enjoy!  

  In this episode, we chat with Helen Wiggs, the Head of Corporate Climate at ShareAction, a non-profit focused on driving responsible investment. Dan and Helen discuss whether ESG is here to stay, the Investor Decarbonisation Initiative, her journey from investment banking to responsible investment and more. Enjoy!

At Rio, we are committed to practising what we preach which is why we have released our 2020-2021 annual report to reflect on our on-going progress against our 12 commitments stated in the Rio manifesto. This report is designed to highlight how Rio has helped organisations and individuals to be more sustainable.

Our Manifesto The Rio manifesto highlights the principles that drive us and the commitments we’ve made to our employees, customers, communities, and planet. There are 12 principles in our manifesto and the last principle focuses on practising what we preach. 

This year's theme for International Women's Day is choosing to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. In support of this, we are introducing the wonderful women of our team and have asked them to share their experiences on what they #ChoosetoChallenge.  Aya Sakamoto Aya is Product Manager and Principal Consultant at Rio. She is of Japanese heritage and was born and raised in Geneva, Switzerland until moving to the UK to complete her studies. Aya is focused on supporting Rio ESG’s client base, leading projects, and managing the development of the Rio platform.