 |
|
|
|||||
In an era where trust is currency and sustainability is a non-negotiable, shoppers are demanding more than just green labels and vague promises. They want proof. Enter digital product passports (DPPs), a game-changing tool that gives consumers instant access to a products entire journey, from materials sourcing to sustainability credentials. That means, whether theyre buying a pair of running shoes or the latest smartphone, DPPs are making it easier to for them to shop smarter, cut through greenwashing, and support brands that truly walk the talk. The future of shopping is transparent Consumers often wonder where their clothes were made, how much carbon their new shoes emitted during production, or whether that eco-friendly label actually means anything. These passports help consumers answer those traceability questions in seconds. By simply scanning a QR code, consumers can unlock a products full story, from materials, to manufacturing processes, to certifications. DPPs can also be used by brands wanting to go the extra mile by sharing product impact, such as its unique carbon footprint, plus use phase care instructions and even repair or recycling options, helping shoppers take control of their own habits to lower their unique footprint. This isnt just a marketing gimmick. The European Unions new regulations, like the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), will soon require brands to disclose detailed impact data. That means transparency is shifting from a nice-to-have to a must-have, and the brands that embrace it now will be ahead of the curve. How digital product passports will help consumers shop smarter Instead of relying on vague sustainability claims, shoppers can view and verify a products impact. Plus, using climate data in marketing is already tried and tested, benefitting both consumers and brands. After an entire career dedicated to sustainability, this is the point I try to drive home most often: Consumers can determine if a product is designed with longevity in mind (think durable, repairable, and end-of-life options like 100% recyclable). Lastly, in an overcrowded market where fast fashion remains dominant, consumers can choose to back brands that are genuinely working to reduce their footprint. Instead of falling for greenwashing tactics or supporting companies that overlook sustainability altogether, consumers can reward those making real progress toward a lower-impact future. Why brands are paying attention For many companies, DPPs arent just about compliance. Theyre about consumer trust and finding a competitive edge. With shoppers becoming more conscious, brands that offer full transparency win loyalty. Instead of empty promises, they can showcase real data about their impact. To power this level of transparency, brands need serious data. By automating carbon calculations across thousands of products, companies like ours help brands seamlessly integrate real-time impact data into digital product passports. Luxury resale platforms are beginning to use DPPs to help consumers make informed second-hand purchases. Sportswear brands will be integrating them to help shoppers compare different material choices. Even electronics companies are adopting them to offer innovative repair and recycling pathways, moving to a more circular economy. Were partnering with forward-thinking companies like British jewelry brand Missoma and global lingerie brand Triumph to share product-level impact data through dedicated passports, ahead of ESPR regulations. These regulations will require DPPs but wont fully mandate them for at least another year. Triumphs first digital product passports are now available to e-commerce customers, says Vera Galarza, Triumphs global head of sustainability. At Triumph, its crucial that the data is completely accurate, she says, as customers want reliable and trustworthy information. For consumers, this means easy-to-understand environmental facts at their fingertips. For businesses, it means more accountability, better design choices, and deeper engagement with sustainability-minded customers. At Missoma, weve always believed in pushing boundaries when it comes to sustainability and transparency, says Marisa Hordern, founder and creative director at Missoma. This technology gives our customers a deeper connection to their jewelry, allowing them to trace every step of its journey, from ethically sourced gemstones to the final handcrafted piece. Missoma plans to expand use of DPPs across more of its collections, to help set a new traceability standard for the jewelry industry. We will also continue to empower our community to make more informed and conscious choices, she says. Shopping in the age of accountability For consumers, digital product passports mean more power, better choices and fewer regrets in the buying process. DPPs are not just a trend. Theyre becoming a legal requirement and will be part of your brands future. Soon, checking a products impact will be as normal as checking its price tag. Thats why its exciting that the brands leading the way today arent just ticking regulatory boxestheyre reshaping the shopping experience. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
Category:
E-Commerce
The climate tech sector is at a crossroads. We have the tools we need to fight climate change, but the real challenge is scaling and deploying them. This is where climate-curious outsiders play a crucial role. At Epic Cleantec, a company I cofounded to tackle water scarcity through innovative reuse technology, none of us came from an environmental background. That outside perspective turned out to be a huge advantage. When I began this journey, I didn’t know much about water. I wasn’t a trained environmental or civil engineer, which meant I never even learned about how things were traditionally done. This lack of traditional expertise freed us from being tied down by how things were “supposed” to work, allowing us to find fresh solutions to persistent problems. My path to climate tech was anything but linear. I had flirted with a wide range of disparate career paths spanning veterinarian, chef, club promoter, historian, political lobbyist, and lawyer. I even briefly entertained becoming a rabbi, until my own rabbi convinced me not to take that path. Unsurprisingly, I often faced skepticism at conferences and industry events, where our company’s unconventional approach was met with doubt. But here’s the key takeaway: Solving the climate crisis isn’t just about creating new technology. It’s about turning these innovations into practical, widespread solutions. That’s where operational know-how comes insomething outsiders often bring to the table. People who’ve run businesses, managed complex regulations, and scaled global operations have the experience to make climate solutions a reality. Why climate tech needs outsiders The climate tech industry has largely been driven by environmental scientists and policymakers. But solving the climate crisis calls for more than just scientific advancesit requires major business transformation. To truly deploy climate solutions on a global scale, we need the same expertise that turned industries like fintech, e-commerce, and cloud computing into giants. Investors get it. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink predicts the next wave of unicorns will come from climate tech. But to build these companies, we need more than passion. We need professionals who understand scalingproduct managers who can push out software, operations experts who can optimize supply chains, and strategists who know how to drive rapid market adoption. The idea that climate tech needs deep environmental knowledge is a misconception. Whats truly needed are professionals who know how to turn great ideas into sustainable, scalable businesses, all while navigating complex regulations. The future of climate impact depends on commercial success. The solutions are ready, they just need deployment A lot of the technology needed to curb emissions and build climate resilience is already here. From energy storage to electrification, water reuse to regenerative agriculture, many solutions are ready to go. So, the challenge isnt really about innovation; its about implementation. Just look at how SaaS and fintech industries scaled quickly by leveraging automation, networks, and efficient capital use. If we applied those same strategies to climate tech, we could meet our climate goals much faster. Imagine applying the lessons learned during the rapid growth of ride-sharing or cloud services to solar energy, battery tech, or industrial decarbonization. Climate tech isnt just about better tech; its about changing systems. It requires navigating complex regulations, aligning with ever-changing corporate sustainability goals, and getting entrenched industries on board. Outsiders who have scaled companies in heavily regulated fields like healthcare, finance, and transportation are particularly equipped to drive this change. A crucial moment for climate tech Climate tech isnt a niche anymoreits becoming one of the most exciting frontiers of innovation. As more professionals from traditional tech and business sectors seek out purpose-driven careers, climate tech offers a unique blend of meaning and market opportunity. The influx of outsiders isnt just helpful, its essential. For climate tech to thrive, we need to embrace professionals with diverse and wide-reaching expertise. Industry leaders must actively recruit people with transferable skills, and investors must see the value in teams that blend technical knowledge with business acumen. Solving the climate crisis isnt just about inventing new technologiesits about getting them into the world at scale, fast. The opportunity is huge, but the urgency is even greater. To meet global climate goals, we must think outside the box and bring in the people who are ready to challenge the norms. For those climate-curious, theres never been a better time to dive in because climate tech isnt just the future of innovation, its the future of business. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
Category:
E-Commerce
Think back to the shifting tech landscape of 2015. Uptown Funk was blaring on digital music outlets, Snapchat filters were laid over every selfie, and hoverboards were all the rage. At the same time, marketing teams were facing an uphill battle to prove ROI as new digital marketing opportunities, like the rise of video content marketing and the shift towards mobile, led to changing tactics, and budgets came under more scrutiny. Now, a decade later, human resources teams are facing similar circumstances. Just like marketing leaders had to establish their digital campaigns values, HR pros now need to demonstrate how their tech-forward people programs drive business results. The good news? Marketing teams have already nailed this shift and their journey can offer a blueprint for HR leaders facing the same pressures. The rise to power Going back to 2010, digital marketing was the latest innovation and became the fastest path to rapid growth for companies. Later, the advent of new marketing tactics and an increased focus on social channels thrust marketers into the spotlight in a way they hadnt been before. These new channels gave marketers new access to real-time data, requiring more resources to be successful and leading to increased scrutiny of how they were using those resources. And the results mattered more than ever. Along with the pressure, that limelight also brought opportunity. In 2009, when I worked at Gaps newly formed digital division, the finance team set benchmarks for success in e-commerce. There were a lot of conversations around the right metrics to track, which gave us a say in how to measure our results. This was crucial at the time. Asking marketing about metrics versus handing down an answer that didnt match expected outcomes meant we could better align our goals with actual business priorities. In recent years, HR has faced a similar opportunity. In 2020, when COVID hit, people became the scarcest resource for many companies, and HR became the most powerful function overnight. For the first time, HR had a real seat at the table. All of a sudden, employee safety, well-being, and retention at all costs were part of HRs already heavy workload. Now, in 2025, the impact of AIs rapid advancement and employee skills gaps due to demographic shifts have put HR leaders front and center once again to drive workforce transformation for their businesses. As with the rise of marketing a decade earlier, leaders should be asking how they can most effectively track success. The measurement reckoning 2015 marked the year of ROI as a key determining factor of success for marketing leaders. This was when delivering on goals no longer felt like a nice to have, but a career make-or-break. Marketing overhauled how the organization viewed them. With increasing numbers of data and channels, there were limitless ways to target customers, and lots of wrong answers. The C-suite started expecting quantitative results from campaigns that they couldnt do before. Today, HR teams are taking on more: driving workforce transformation, keeping pace with AI, employee wellness, and a general imperative to do more with less. Similar to its marketing predecessor, HR now needs to report results tied to business objectives in concrete ways that were previously unquantifiable. Increased scrutiny over cost efficiency is putting HR pros under the microscope, and results are no longer only about a vibe check and building company culture. When HR leaders think about the outcomes theyre driving for the business, they should think of stakeholders as paying customers that matter to their organizations bottom line. Employees are as important as customers in this regard, and need the KPI treatment in todays era. In 2025, the employers who align their people investments with business objectives are the ones who will stay competitive and build future-proof talent pipelines needed to evolve and advance their organization. The rebalancing Today, successful marketing programs require a blend of coordinated strategies for maximum impact. Brand building efforts, technology solutionsincluding AIand targeted campaigns must work in tandem to influence growth. Tomorrow, HR leaders will need to employ a similar symphony of tools, measurements, and experiences to create the cocktail of appropriate conditions for their people to thrive and maximize their potential. Just as marketing evolved from simple advertising to a sophisticated, data-driven industry, HR is transforming from personnel management to truly owning its C-suite seat. The future demands an integrated approach where technology augments teams capabilities, where analytics inform but don’t make decisions, and where employee experience is crafted with the same intention as customer experience. Luckily, smart business leaders now realize that it takes a mix of art and science to get it right. Striking the perfect balance will generate strong business results, and be the element that separates thriving companies from surviving companies. Throughout my career, I’ve learned that growing a business isn’t about one magic solutionit’s about mixing different marketing approaches that work together, a true portfolio approach. By learning from marketing’s journey and combining data-driven insights with human-centered approaches, HR leaders can build the foundation for organizations to thrive. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||