Matereal World Redux - Part I

A brief review of key themes and handy stuff

An economy that works in service of life is alive in our dreams. It’s real in the Matereal World. I recap what it looks like so far. (Artwork modified from sketch by me in “Why am I here?”)

There’s been a wee wave of new folks around here—thank you and welcome!—so I thought I’d take a moment to orient us on what’s happened so far. This post is the Matereal World at a glance, starting from the most recent back to the beginning.

If you’re newly checking this space out and you feel this content might be helpful for you and your team, I hope you’ll stick around.

I used to make all of my content free everywhere but I realized I was doing a lot of pro bono work for billionaires.

If you would like full access to the Matereal World but for one reason or another you’re not in a position to subscribe, please just ask. This helps me reach people for whom the content is meaningful without selling myself short.

As ever and always—questions, comments, requests, and other feedback are welcomed.

Matereal World Posts so far

I’ll line up the posts and then summarize the themes and “deliverables” (sorry I still sound like a consultant sometimes) further below:

1. Lies at the nexus of business and policy (July 25, 2023)

2. Global Mining Co seeks input on sustainability strategy (July 12, 2023)

3. Net Zero: A knot of naught (June 22, 2023)

4. Where do priorities lie? (June 6, 2023)

5. When a Picture Paints 1000 Words (May 30, 2023)

6. Show Me (All) The Money (May 23, 2023)

7. Purpose Is As Purpose Does (May 15, 2023)

8. Why am I here? (May 11, 2023)

Matereal Summaries

Below are highlights of what you can expect in each post.

Reality in Lobby Land exposed by simply reading disclosures

Lies at the nexus of business and policy

If you’ve ever wondered about companies’ lobbying spend, how to find details, or what lobbying has to do with a company’s purpose, this post is for you.

I compiled (and share!) an accessible set of five years of lobbying data from mining companies Glencore and Barrick Gold, provide recommendations for disclosing companies to apply, and include a video tutorial on how to access more data in the hard-to-find (yet public) disclosures out there, using Chevron as a case study.

Global Mining Co asks for input, Matereal world answers

Global Mining Co seeks input on sustainability strategy

Like many “sustainability stakeholders”, I receive surveys asking for my (unpaid) insight and expertise from global companies who are conducting traditional ESG materiality assessments. I made my response to this recent one public in this post.

Deliverables include an ambitious five-step outline for how to be sustainability leaders (in mining, but the principles apply to other sectors), perspective on the greatest risk facing mining now, and a bonus quiz about mining and the boat photo.

What does (and doesn’t) “Net Zero” mean?

Net Zero: A knot of naught

Many consultants and citizens are pushing for net zero targets related to climate change. Yet the details are often glazed over, at our peril. I take a closer look at these details with real examples from government and industry to see what the impact might be.

I offer two key questions policy makers and corporate strategists need to ask in order to be sure their efforts are driving real, *positive* change.

Comparing investor dialogue with sustainability communications (ouch!)

Where do priorities lie?

What companies say in their sustainability reports is not only different, it often contradicts what executives tell investors. When you see it, you can change it.

In this piece, I offer three specific recommendations to align investor communications with other ESG and sustainability messaging. They’re simple, profound, necessary—and rarely touched, till now.

Bonus: Video explaining how to find and understand investor calls, with me and Geoff Kendall, co-founder of the Future-Fit Business Benchmark.

Simple yet oddly missing steps to avoid greenwash

When a Picture Paints 1000 Words

There is a scourge of unreal photos, pretend visualizations, and missing images across ESG and sustainability reporting. This is easily fixed if the intention is to inform positive change.

I provide real-life examples and guidance on how to avoid the greenwashing traps that many companies’ reports exude. It seems simple—but as these examples show, it’s shocking how prevalent, and over-looked, the problem is.

Illustrating real value, for the love of Pete and everyone else

Show Me (All) The Money

From sustainability laggards to award-winning ESG reporters, I notice a glaring gap in meaningful financial information in large companies’ disclosures.

I give specific examples and resources to highlight the lack of effective financial context, and offer guidance for what needs to change based on existing reporting standards.

Bonus: Video exploring financial flows with me and Geoff Kendall, co-founder of the Future-Fit Business Benchmark.

The mismatch between “says” and “does” in industrial reality

Purpose Is As Purpose Does

I explore the difference between a company’s stated purpose and the way it actually makes money—what’s different, why this matters, and what to do about the gap.

The nice thing about the recommendations here is they entail a simple “either/or”. The more challenging thing about these recommendations is that one is easy, the other will make a difference.

This Materealitarian states her purpose

Why am I here?

I have a lot of dreams. A couple of them bring me to this place, in this time. They spring from a vision of an economy that works in service of life.

In this piece I plant the origin story of the Matereal World to see what might grow.

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Thank you for joining me on the journey into this world. I look forward to the path ahead, and to your questions, comments, and feedback.