NORA Partnership Media Kit

Adyen: How payments technology is tackling sustainability.

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 19:00:36 +0000

How payments technology is tackling sustainability

Written by: Hayley Fisher, AUNZ Country Manager at Adyen

As talks of climate change, air pollution, and plastic in waterways continue to dominate headlines and business agendas globally, retailers big and small are quick to jump on the bandwagon. With more and more Australians wanting to shop ethically and sustainably, sustainable practices should be at the top of the agenda.

Today, conversations around climate change have evolved into a climate emergency. Adyen believes that the health of our planet is everyone’s responsibility and that building an ethical business is no longer optional. In 2019, we became a carbon neutral company by offsetting all CO2 emissions from our activities since we were founded in 2006.

Adyen’s strategy to offset emissions by investing in environmental sustainability projects has allowed us to maintain our carbon-neutral status, which we renew annually. It is our commitment to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in the years to come.

Social responsibility and environmental impact

There has been an increase in demand from shoppers wanting quick, easy and convenient ways to purchase and receive goods. Unfortunately, this convenience often comes at the expense of the environment. According to a recent study conducted by Mastercard, across 24 countries, 58 per cent of adults are more mindful of their impact on the environment than they were pre-pandemic. 85 per cent also said they’re willing to take personal action to combat environmental and sustainability challenges in 2021 and beyond

Retailers now see sustainability as an important source of competitive advantage, as consumers across the globe call on companies and brands to take action and operate in more sustainable and eco-friendly ways.

Beyond product composition or supply chain management, how else can retailers minimise their environmental impact?
Many businesses are now proactively applying sustainable everyday retail practices, helping customers offset their impact and making sustainable retail a part of their brand story.

Becoming climate neutral

As a direct result of the pandemic, the attitudes and actions towards conscious consumption have accelerated. According to a recent survey by McKinsey and Company, one in four consumers say they are planning to focus more on environmental issues and will pay more attention to social aspects in their shopping behaviour.

In an effort to become carbon neutral and to compensate for all greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted by our company, Adyen’s environmental footprint is calculated following the GHG Protocol and complies with South Pole’s Climate Neutral label – from the energy used to power our computers, to the miles we travel when visiting our merchants or other offices – all material emission sources are also covered.

Adyen has also purchased credits from third-party verified emission reduction projects, also known as “carbon offsets,” as well as invested in carbon reduction projects. These projects support ongoing climate action efforts such as reforestation, wildlife protection, and education-focused subsistence farming initiatives.

For example, we are empowering subsistence farmers in Uganda, via the International Small Group and Tree Planting Program (TIST), as well as reforestation and wildlife protection on the shores of Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe with the Kariba project, which protects forests and wildlife in four national parks around the lake, supporting the regions’ sustainable development and promotes the independence of local communities thorough healthcare, clean drinking water and education.

Leveraging payments technology to do good

Today’s consumers are constantly connected and aware of what they can do with technology. As a result, it’s creating greater opportunities for retailers to meet consumer demands. Businesses are tapping into technology to change the way they operate; to be more sustainable and to enhance customer experience through new innovations.

From the introduction of the EMV chip and PIN, to mobile payments, digital wallets, payment links, and contactless solutions, payments innovation has come a long way and has driven a new era in the way we interact and transact.

As the payments technology ecosystem continues to evolve, retailers can take advantage of such innovation to implement sustainable processes. For example, retailers are using Adyen’s technology to create a seamless option for customers to give back to society and the environment. Initiatives such as Adyen Giving and Adyen Restore enable customers to donate to the merchants’ preferred charity or to fund a climate action project of choice with one click. By leveraging such technologies, retailers can also provide a more fulfilling checkout experience.

H&M Australia recently launched the Adyen Giving initiative, empowering customers to make a donation at point of purchase at hm.com to help support UNICEF’s invaluable work providing life-saving vaccinations to children whose access to vaccines has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are pleased to continue our local partnership with UNICEF Australia and support their important work in helping protect children from preventable diseases, particularly during this difficult time,” said H&M Australia Country Manager, Thomas Coellner.

In today’s retail environment, sustainability is fast becoming a non-negotiable for consumers. While there’s still significant work to be done, Adyen is just one of many organisations committed to addressing sustainability challenges. Taking responsibility for our environmental footprint is part of our license to operate in today’s society. By joining forces with our merchants, this presents an opportunity to generate positive environmental impact at scale.

To find out more about Adyen visit adyen.com

Australia Post: Commitment to environmental sustainability

admin — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 03:51:23 +0000

Australia Post Group’s commitment to environmental sustainability

Australia Post is Australia’s largest retailer and electric vehicle fleet operator for last mile delivery. We have a crucial role to play in building a sustainable future, and as one of Australia’s most trusted brands our power to make a positive difference is more important than ever.

To read more about our our 2025 environmental targets, emissions profile, milestones key achievements and actions on environmental sustainability. Please download our our commitment to environmental sustainability plan

Afterpay: Environmental Sustainability

admin — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 22:47:52 +0000

Afterpay is committed to environmental sustainability and recognises the direct impact of our business. To demonstrate this commitment, we have begun the process of joining the Race to Zero via The Climate Pledge, a UN-backed global campaign that aims to build momentum around the shift to a decarbonised economy and halve all global emissions by 2040.

In addition, we are independently calculating our carbon footprint across global operations. We are currently working towards achieving carbon neutral certification from Climate Active by the end of this calendar year.

Alongside the business becoming carbon neutral, our co-CEOs Anthony and Nick will also become carbon neutral in their personal capacities. They have started the process to join Leaders For Climate Action, a global coalition of entrepreneurial leaders who are passionate about fighting climate change.

Afterpay is a platform that connects consumers with merchants. We recognise the important role we have in understanding and influencing the indirect environmental impacts generated by the retail industry.

We empower our customers to make informed decisions about fashion brands through our ongoing partnership with Good On You, the world’s leading sustainable and ethical fashion brands rating system. In addition, our partnership with Thread Together has resulted in tonnes of new clothing being diverted from landfill. This is the best possible response to Australia’s textile waste problem.

For Earth Month, Afterpay introduced a ‘top-up’ program that allowed customers to donate to Magpies & Peacocks, a non-profit design house disrupting the cycle of waste in the fashion industry, and Surfrider, a non-profit environmental organisation focused on protecting clean water and healthy beaches.

We also integrated a live shopping technology platform in partnership with MagicLinks, a B-Corp Certified social commerce company, to inspire customers to ship more consciously. Customers are able to watch their favourite influencers and shop live for their favourite eco-friendly brands.

Signet: Packaging is changing in 2025…are you ready?

admin — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 22:45:29 +0000

Packaging is changing in 2025…are you ready?

Packaging as you know it is changing in 2025 and National Packaging Targets have been implemented to deliver a new and sustainable approach to packaging. The 2025 National Packaging Targets are supported by the Australian government and industry bodies, and apply to all packaging made, used, and sold within Australia

2025 Packaging Targets

Target 1: 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging

The first step to reducing waste and achieving a circular economy is ensuring all packaging items can be reused, recycled, or composted. This target ensures that by 2025 all packaging meets one of these three eco-friendly characteristics

Target 2: 70% of plastic packaging is being recycled or composted

Plastic packaging has some of the lowest recovery rates of any material. This target aims to significantly improve the volume of plastic packaging that is successfully recycled or composted for future use

The 2025 targets require Australians to change the way we create, collect, and recover product packaging and is an essential step on Australia’s journey towards a circular economy for packaging. APCO has set our four main packaging targets, and these are as follows.

Target 3: 50% of average recycled content is included in packaging

Recycling isn’t truly complete until packaging is successfully recovered and used again as recycled content. This target aims to ensure that 50% of recycled content is reused in packaging.

Target 4: Phase out of problematic and unnecessary single-use plastics packaging

Phasing out problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging is essential to shift Australian’s away from single-use disposable plastic packaging to more durable reusable and recyclable packaging.

Signet’s Eco Journey

As a signatory to APCO, we are on a journey with many Australian businesses to achieve the 2025 National Packaging Targets.

We are committed to reducing waste and achieving a circular economy by providing our customers with environmentally friendly packaging and solutions that have minimal impact on the environment. We have created an eco-friendly packaging range where each product holds environmental characteristics such as compostable, recyclable, reusable and biodegradable to help our customers choose packaging that positively impacts their business and the environment. Below is a breakdown of each environmental characteristics of the products within this range.

Through TPO Signet helped Australia’s leading grocery retailer Metcash, reduce plastic usage by over 100 tonnes by optimising their pallet wrap while increasing efficiency by 42%.

To find out more about Signet’s range of eco-friendly packaging, contact our team on 13 7446 or visit signet.net.au.