It was a such an interesting experience to spend a day at Wytham Woods with a group of Economics and Management undergraduates from Pembroke College, Oxford University, discussing business and sustainability.
We started the day with a walk and talk with Conservator Nigel Fisher, discussing the ecological research that takes place at Wytham and the implications for different business sectors. We discussed the impacts of tree disease on the timber trade, implications of the lack of biosecurity on future plant diseases, the effects of soil degradation on global agricultural yields, the impacts of tree loss on flooding, and the risks of losing pollinators for agriculture and biodiversity.
Up at the Chalet (the research station at the heart of the Woods), we continued the conversations with a workshop looking at the risks and opportunities for different business sectors. We discussed coffee, steel, fashion, tourism and consumer electronics. Once you get talking about it it’s amazing how you can see that the links between the natural “economy” and the human economy are everywhere.
These were the prompt cards they worked from -
Coffee
What would you advise a large coffee brand to do over the next 5 years?
· Small-scale farmers produce about 70 percent of the world’s coffee, and as many as 120 million people depend directly or indirectly on coffee production for their economic survival
· Water stress and increased temperatures reduce quality and yield.
· Coffee rust disease and the borer beetle are spreading faster because of climate change.
· Coffee production is linked to deforestation
· The coffee required for one single cup of coffee takes 140 liters of water to produce.
· Waste coffee grounds create methane
Environmental Effects of Coffee Production (theworldcounts.com)
Steel
What would you advise an investor in the steel sector?
· Steel production is highly energy intensive and polluting in mining and production stages.
· It is used mainly in construction.
· a Korean company has developed a steelmaking method that emits 90 percent less toxic emissions than traditional methods
Steel production & environmental impact (greenspec.co.uk)
Consumer electronics
What would you advise a large consumer electronics brand to do over the next 3 years?
· Humans generate 50Mn tonnes electronic waste per year. Only 20% is recycled.
· Mining for metals has a huge impact on biodiverse regions.
· E-waste materials are valued at $60Bln.
Consumption patterns and biodiversity | Royal Society
Fashion
What would you advise a major fashion brand to do over the next 2 years?
· The textiles and fashion industry produced around 10% of global greenhouse gases and causes around 20% of industrial pollution of water, and accounts for 10% of global pesticide use.
· 30% of cellulose fibre comes from endangered and primary forests.
· Plastic microfibres have been found everywhere, including in human blood.
· Only 12% is recycled.
Biodiversity: The next frontier in sustainable fashion | McKinsey
What Is Biodiversity And How Does It Connect With Fashion? | British Vogue
Tourism
What would you advise a major travel brand to do over the next 2 years?
· Tourism has a negative impact on biodiversity and climate change – 8% of carbon emissions and damage to biodiverse areas e.g. galapagos
· Tourism can bring income which can help preserve biodiversity
· Some tourism does not contribute to the local economy
Tourism responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, study finds - Carbon Brief
Tourism can help sustain biodiversity (unep.org)
A walk back along some of the less trodden paths in the Woods completed a very satisfying day for all of us.
