As an entrepreneurship and sustainability double major, I am constantly looking for connections between my passions. Joining the Hanley Sustainability Institute’s Student Leaders program and being placed on the Circularity Team has allowed me to explore these connections beyond the classroom.
As climate action has become increasingly necessary, the corporate world is being pushed to think about its operations more sustainably. One way this has been accomplished is through sustainability reporting.
Through the Student Leaders program, we are given the opportunity to connect with sustainability professionals through a mentorship program. I was paired with alumna Grace Hungerford ’24, a former student leader who holds a UD degree in sustainability and is now a sustainability analyst at Growscape. Grace and I connected immediately on a personal and professional level, especially as there are not many fellow sustainability majors who are interested in diving into corporate America.
One of the major struggles that Grace and I have both encountered is the lack of a class that truly displays the intricacies of sustainability reporting. Grace recalled feeling overwhelmed by the robust world of sustainability reporting when she entered the workforce. However, she then took the time to create an in-depth presentation outlining the frameworks and standards used in the field. We then had a meeting discussing this presentation, and learning about this from her allowed me to ask questions and receive meaningful answers.
Two of the frameworks that stood out to me were the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). The TCFD focuses on operational and financial risks in relation to climate change, such as identifying the impacts on a company if it were to be affected by a flood, tornado or other severe weather events. This information is used for stockholders to evaluate risk in companies. The second framework, the CDP, grades companies on an A to F scale. CDP’s data collection system focuses on the impact on climate, forests and waterways. Even this baseline knowledge on reporting frameworks has already allowed me to evaluate companies' sustainability reports with more confidence.
However, I was still concerned and curious about greenwashing, which essentially refers to companies that claim to be environmentally conscious when, in reality, they are not. After discussing with Grace, she shared that this is still a major issue in the industry. As people, especially younger generations, continue to value sustainability, greenwashing will become increasingly prevalent as a marketing tactic.
After gaining new knowledge about sustainability reporting metrics, I wanted to take a deeper dive into the topic for my individual project at HSI. Instead of implementing a large-scale framework, I chose to focus on certifications that companies can achieve, specifically the B-Corp certification. The B-Corp certification is awarded to companies that demonstrate high social and environmental performance.
One of the new projects that we are working on as the Circularity Team is implementing an on-campus refillery. A refillery is where one can bring their own container and fill up on bulk items such as shampoo and bodywash, as well as household supplies like laundry detergent. With this project in mind, I focused on The Refill Shoppe, Inc., a B-Corp certified business based in California. I hoped to learn more about the reporting of this refillery and apply that knowledge to our on-campus refillery, which would allow me to learn more about reporting applicable to my team.
Learning from Grace, exploring frameworks such as the TCFD and CDP, and researching B-Corp standards have given me a foundation that I can now bring directly into my work with the Circularity Team. As we continue developing the on-campus refillery, I am excited to apply what I have learned from examining The Refill Shoppe, Inc. and its reporting practices.