“The crafting world is full of the idea that more is better. We want to change that, showing that higher quality is better, preloved is better, re used and repaired is better” (Jan, co owner of The Snail of Happiness)…
Read More The Snail of Happiness: Circular Crafting and Community Wellbeing in Rural Wales
“Our goal is to leave things better than we found them”. (Shann Nix-Jones, MBE) The mid Wales town of Llandysul, population circa 1300, is the home of the 2022 World Dairy Awards winner of the Best Probiotic Dairy, Chuckling Goat.…
Read More The Chuckling Goat Story: Healing, Holding and Hoping
“We all need to play our part in protecting the environment and we encourage everyone to join us in reducing plastic waste through greener and cleaner alternatives” (Emilio Rimini, Managing Director, The Green Co) According to Sir Richard Branson, who…
Read More The School Project that Grew into a Global Eco-Business
“The only way to be successful for the long haul is by doing business in a way that considers the needs of all our partpners – our customers, our squad, our communities and, of course, our environment” (Butternut Box). Butternut…
“We are resilient, ambitious and committed to working together towards a healthier, happier and more prosperous future for our village and the region. Collaboration and determination are at the heart of everything we do”. (Mari Arthur). Dr Justin John, a…
Read More Tetrim Teas: Brewing a Sustainable Future in Wales
“Here at Ella’s Kitchen we try really hard to be good in sense – not just through the good food we make but also by doing good stuff for our environment and giving stuff back to our local communities” (Paul…
Read More Ella’s Kitchen and Paul Lindley : A Recipe for Ethical Business and Social Impact
“Something that started off as the two of us grads building sunglasses in our living room, has grown into a global brand built on local community, that’s funded by sustainable innovation” - Zoe Watkiss Ali and Zoe Watkiss graduated from Manchester…
“One of the quotes we have used a lot as a business is that ‘you must be the change you want to see in the world'. Firstly, one of our core principles, when we started the business in 1993, was…
Read More Tŷ-Mawr Lime: Reviving Heritage, Crafting a Sustainable Future
“Our ambition is to create a world where the value of a company is measured by the good that it does, as much as the profit it makes”. (Will and Nick, Co-founders of Ocean Bottle). Ocean Bottle is a business…
Read More Ocean Bottle: Tackling Ocean Plastic and Empowering Coastal Communities
“Changing the way people eat is an ambitious goal and one that can only be achieved with smart, innovative, and driven people”. (Laurent Guillemain, CEO of HelloFresh). Between 2004 and 2010 Colorado-based Michael Joseph, an Economics Theory graduate of the…
Read More Green Chef and HelloFresh: Pioneering a Sustainable Future in the Meal Kit Industry
“I started Beauty Kitchen to use business as a force for good with an equal weighting on the community, the environment and profit in every decision we make” (Jo-Anne Chidley) In 1995 Jo-Anne Chidley, the co-founder of Beauty Kitchen, graduated…
Read More Beauty with Purpose: Beauty Kitchen & Reposit Leading the Way in Sustainable Skincare
“In our everyday deliberations, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations” (The Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy). Seventh Generation is an American Company that sells eco-friendly cleaning, paper and personal care products. It was…
Read More Seventh Generation: Leading Sustainability and Innovation with Biobased Stain Fighters
“The very people growing rice are the ones left behind by the industry and society" (Lincoln Lee) It is not just in the rice production sector that the planet and its people are exploited. In the drive to make as…
Read More Rice Inc: Empowering Farmers, Transforming the Rice Industry
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" - Lao Tzu, 5th century Chinese philosopher In the Philippines village women are assembling and selling…
“Many are concerned that modern farming practices are reducing our farming land’s productivity and ecosystem health. Creating a sustainable future is a core part of Câr-y-Môr’s aim" (Owen Haines, co-founder Câr-y-Môr [Love of the Sea]) Câr-y-Môr is a Community Benefit…
Read More Sustainable Seas: The Story of Câr-y-Môr’s Innovative Ocean Farming
“We don’t always want to be about the bottom line" - George Bennell Founded in 1991 as The Fresh Olive Company, Belazu, a Chef-grade Ingredient company, is the brainchild of two lifelong school friends, George Bennell and Adam Wells. On…
Read More The Belazu Ingredient Company: Where Passion Meets Purpose
“One person can’t change the world but together we can all make our own tiny difference” (Rachel Watkyn). Rachel Watkyn OBE is a Business Studies graduate of De Montfort University in the UK, a serial entrepreneur, and one of the…
“I was working for a large pharmaceutical company, and it was all about profit margins and driving more and more for the shareholders” - Mandy Powell The Goodwash Company is the brainchild of two Welsh international sports people, Mandy Powell…
As a modern business, it is our duty to stand for more than just profit...We're dedicated to helping people, protecting the planet and working together - Greggs. Greggs is a national UK bakery retail business that had, in 2023, a…
Read More Sausage rolls and social goals – Greggs Winning Hearts
Our mission is to help local communities to discover their own natural and cultural heritage treasures…put them into action using sustainable tourism practices in order to gain financial and psychological benefits - Ahmed Yehia The small River Nile island of…
Read More Sustainable Revival: Eco Nubia’s Cultural Renaissance
Sustainability is about the balance of looking after ourselves, our planet and each other – wherever possible, minimising harm and leaving the world and its people in a better position than I found them - Amber Jones Amber Jones is…
“Tolerance, inter-cultural dialogue and respect for diversity are more essential than ever in a world where peoples are becoming more and more closely interconnected" - Kofi Annan After being accused of teaching politics to her pupils in Zimbabwe, geography teacher…
“I had a yearning to do something completely different with my skill base, something more holistic and community-focused" -Amanda Wood For Amanda Wood, the COVID-19 pandemic was life-changing. Prior to its outbreak in 2020, she was working as a programme…
Read More Seeds of Change: The Micro Greengrocer Cultivating Community & Sustainability
“I want to be able to look into my kids’ eyes and honestly say, ‘I did everything I could to hinder climate change” (Anders Ankarlid) Founded in 2019, Agood Company is a Swedish B-Corp that employs 28 people, only 14…
Read More Agood Company Turning Profits into Environmental Protection
“The project is developing a model of small scale agriculture, independent of subsidies, on marginal land and promoting natural cider and minimum intervention orcharding.” - Bill Bleasdale and Chava Richman Although apples have been used to make alcoholic drinks in…
Read More High Altitude Harvest: The Renaissance of Welsh Cider Making at Welsh Mountain Cider
"Innovation and sustainability aren’t just about what we create, but how we create, and who gets to participate in the process." - Sarah and Julia, Co-founders of The Sustainable Studio In Cardiff, a transformative force is reshaping the creative landscape,…
Read More The Sustainable Studio: Empowering Creative Enterprise and Advancing SDG 16
“The business of business should not just be about money, it should be about responsibility. It should be about public good, not personal greed” (Dame Anita Roddick). Possibly the first example of a modern harmonious retail enterprise, The Body Shop…
Read More A Pioneer’s Rise and Ethical Dilemma: A Cautionary Tale of The Body Shop
“Our focus is on running a company that operates on a completely zero food waste model. Sustainability sits at the core of everything that we do…” (Michelle Laithwaite) The Fuel Hub is an online premium meal preparation business that delivers…
Read More Zero Waste, Maximum Taste: The Fuel Hub’s Journey to Revolutionise Healthy Eating
“We’re in the fight against climate change. That’s what has driven the business so far. I am proud of what I do; this has never felt like a proper job” - James Hygate James Hygate, the founder and CEO of…
Read More Green Revolution: From Garage to Global with Firefly Green Fuels
“Access to safe water is a human right which almost a third of the planet is being denied. But cleaning polluted waterways requires energy, and we must ensure that our efforts to heal the planet don’t inadvertently create new harm"…
Read More Aquacycl’s Vision: Pioneering the Transformation of Water Treatment
“Totally Welsh has always been about more than just dairy for us. The Brand embodies the Welsh community spirit." (John Horsman, General Manager Totally Welsh) Towards the end of the 19th century, milk began to be sold in bottles in…
Read More Sustainable Sips: Totally Welsh Changing Dairy Dynamics
“We solve the same problems as regular technology companies. We just look to nature for our inspiration and answers” - Eric Puro NutraIngredients 2021 Start-up Award winner KÄÄPÄ Biotech: ‘Our passion led to the win!’20-Dec-2021 By Will Chu Founded in 2018,…
Read More Kääpä Biotech: Nature-Inspired Medicinal Mushrooms
“I promise to keep sustainability as a key part of our business strategy and to continually promote sustainability to our members, our partners, and our hoteliers. Through these means and through our future innovations, I think it is vital for…
Read More Sustainable Suitehearts: Mr & Mrs Smith Craft Luxury Hotels with a Conscience
“We’re surrounded by the systems of the natural world that, when left untouched, know exactly how to self-balance, self-regulate, self-cleanse and restore harmony” - 1st Hotels American billionaire Barry Sternlicht graduated in 1982 from Brown University and obtained an MBA from Harvard…
Read More From Wall Street to Green Street: The Evolution of 1st Hotels
“Our business is based on solid values: great products with good design, made ethically and sustainably without doing harm to others or our planet” - Lisa and Philip Ingram LittleLeaf Organic Cotton). Lisa Ingram has a DPhil, four young adult…
"At Bee1, we believe that the most sustainable solutions arise at the intersection of education, innovation, and social responsibility." - Bee1 Mark Douglas, former Director of NatWest Bank across Wales and the Chairman/Founder of NatWest Cymru, transitioned from shaping a…
Read More Bee1’s Trailblazing Path Fostering Climate Awareness in School
“We need to be more responsible about the environment, the economy, the people. Because now more than ever it is more than a necessity it is an emergency” - Dr.Carmen Hijosa In India, Fleather, a leather substitute, is being made…
“We are a business built on the advocacy of individual users. We are at our best when we arrive at decisions that consider all of the perspectives and look forward with optimism and authenticity” - KeepCup Born in Glasgow but…
Read More KeepCup: Brewing Change One Reusable Cup at a Time
In the picturesque Welsh countryside, farmer Andrew Evans is involved in a pioneering trial with implications for the global environment. At his farm in Welshpool, Powys, he is introducing daffodil compounds into his cattle's diet to reduce methane emissions. The…
Read More The Power of Petals: The Daffodils’ Role in Combating Global Warming
I’m always intrigued by how creative the people are. When I go home and try to come up with my own designs, I can’t come even close. - Manar Moursi There are an estimated 20 million palm trees in Egypt.…
Read More Baladi Home and Studio Meem: promoting artisan entrepreneurship in Egypt
“You look at things you enjoy in your life, but much more important is what you can do to make the world a better place” - Paul Allen, 1953-2018 Located on a 2,000-metre-high ridge overlooking the Masai Mara national game…
“Love Cocoa and H!P Chocolate are at the forefront of sustainable chocolate innovation” - Richard Koch, British Entrepreneur, Management Consultant and Angel Investor The name Cadbury is world famous, especially in the world of chocolate and confectionery. The Quaker, John…
“We believe in supporting a form of agriculture which will ensure our, and future, generations will have choice and opportunity…” Lucy Watson and Ben Pratt Lampeter, a small university market town in mid-Wales, has a history of sustainable organic food…
Read More Watson & Pratt’s: where shopping is social & produce is local
“I always work with as many local producers as I can to source local, seasonal and organic produce. I am proud to call these suppliers my friends and love the opportunity to create exciting dishes with them” - Deri Reed…
Read More Deri Reed’s Culinary Journey for Community and Planet
“Everything that exists on earth is part of a natural cycle. The problem with plastic is that it does not belong to any of these cycles” - Scott Munguia. In 2014 Scott Munguia, a Chemical Engineering student, founded Biofase in…
“Welsh bees have evolved over millions of years to survive and prosper in our fickle climate. If nature has decreed Welsh bees suitable for our country, then why go against it?” - Peter Jenkins, Lampeter Beekeeper Increasingly universities are being…
“Producing high quality food, looking after the environment, managing air and water quality, enhancing biodiversity and wildlife and taking care of our most valuable asset -SOIL – is what we as farmers should be doing. We are on this planet…
Read More Nature Friendly Farming, Esgairllaethdy Farm, Myddfai
“I used to channel my energies into the wrong things. I was successful but now I know that if I had channelled my energies into something positive I could have succeeded there too”. (Cooper an ex-offender and Tap Social employee)…
Read More Tap Social: Brewing Change Through Beer, Baking & Second Chances
“The truth is that few companies are making the changes required to their business practices to make the urgent impact we need…” - Tim Etherington-Judge Stephanie Jordan and Tim Etherington-Judge launched Avallen Spirits, a private producer of Calvados (a cider brandy…
Read More Avallen Spirits: The Planet-Positive Spirit Brand with moral purpose
Recently there has been a change in customer buying patterns with many also wanting to buy sustainable and local products” (Eifion Griffiths). While many businesses claim that sustainability does not fit with the business case and consumers do not demand…
Read More Melin Tregwynt: The Revival of Welsh Wool Production and Sustainability
Jean image Source: http://www.albionman.com/ “Companies with a soul are so much more interesting than companies motivated purely by profit" (David Hieatt) In 1995 at the age of 36, David Hieatt co-founded Howies, a niche active clothing business that wanted to produce…
We are a small company with a turnover of £3 million, but we are making an impact way beyond our size. The manufacturing industry is beginning to wake up and take notice of the climate and ecological emergency around us,…
Read More Crystal Doors Fostering Sustainability and Community Growth
“We need a future for cocoa farming which is sustainable- not just for chocolate companies and chocolate lovers but for the people growing the crop” (Sophi Tranchell, MBE, Group CEO Divine Chocolate UK, 1999-2020) Each year, some $100 billion is…
image compiled from images from @ Phool.co FB “Sustainability goes across everything I do….For example, there’s no leather; it’s free from PVC. There are lots of woven materials, which means a lot less waste” (Stella McCartney, fashion designer). The global…
Read More Phool and Fleather: India’s transformative biomaterial company
“The fact that something has not been done before, does not mean it can’t be done at all” - (Modvion) Modvion, founded in 2015, is the brainchild of two engineers, Joakim Orneblad and Otto Lundman, who graduated from Chalmers University’s…
“Towards a pollution-free planet with a pollution-free process" - Kristaps Cirius, CMO TerraWaste Largely as a result of man's entrepreneurial innovativeness, we produce 2.01 billion tonnes of waste a year, 86% of which is non-recyclable, and, as a result of…
“Having a greener Christmas isn’t about making big sacrifices. If we each take small steps, collectively we can make a big difference” - Catherine Loveless, London Christmas Tree Rental At a time when deforestation is estimated to contribute some 10%…
“In such seclusion, so far from the pressures under which most people live, I had the feeling that something new, some fresh and saner way of living might be demonstrated” (Gerard Morgan-Grenville 1931-2009). Located in a 100-year-old disused slate quarry…
“Focus on the team first, then the customer, then the investor and expect from your team what you expect from yourself. You can achieve a lot, but you are only human” - Dr. Kyle Grant Each year the £70bn garment…
“Once I do one thing, I just can’t wait to get on to the next challenge” - Sir Adrian White Once a pig farm, the family-owned, award-winning Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking is not only one of England’s largest single…
“We aim to build a strong resilient community that can cope with the challenges of a rapidly changing planet” - ZERO Carbon Guildford. On 21st November 2021, Zero Carbon Guildford was opened in the centre of Guildford, a university town…
“Beautiful things happen when you distance yourself from negativity” (Karina Sudenyte) Mother of twins, 22 year old Karina Sudenyte and her husband Maciek Kacprzyk were students at the University of South Wales in Cardiff when they set up “Get Wonky”…
“These are difficult times and we wanted to chip in where we could” - Kushal Gurun. Kushal Gurung of Nepal is not just a Carbon Management Masters graduate of Edinburgh University, but a serial entrepreneur back home in Nepal. He…
“Every time I see an adult on a bicycle I no longer despair for the future of the human race” - H.G. Wells, 1866-1946 XO Bikes is not a business with a purpose it is a purpose with a business.…
"The problem is much worse than we think. We have to wake up" - Dr. Monika van den Bos Verma of Wageningen University, Netherlands Food waste is one of the major global sustainability problems. According to the UN Food and…
“The best way to help a community is to give it the faith and knowledge to help itself” - New Scientist, 2nd August, 1962 Rosario, estimated population 1.7 million, is located 300kms (186 miles) North West of Buenos Aires, Argentina.…
Read More Rosario Garden Project: urban regeneration seeds hope
wastes pic: Bath.ac.uk While research is intended to identify solutions to problems, laboratory-based research can also contribute to them, in particular to the current sustainability challenge. Annually some 5.5 million tonnes of single-use plastic is produced by life sciences research…
Read More LabCycle – revolutionising the recycling of Laboratory Plastic Waste
“I would encourage every person, from every age, every colour, religion, gender, location to ask themselves ‘why you are here? Why do you exist?’ It is so important to know the answer to that question”. (Luke Young) Luke’s answer to…
Read More Ocean Ag startup ALORA unveils ‘the most salt-tolerant terrestrial plants on the planet’
bottle pic: by tanvi sharma “If bottles were made of gold, nobody would litter them in nature” - Eric Schaffner The damage that plastics can do to the environment is well documented. One million plastic bottles are produced a minute…
After graduating in 2001 with an M.A. in Modern Languages from the University of Oxford, Christian Arno set up “Lingo24” a B2B technology-enabled translation service which grew into a £10 million business employing 200 full-time staff in the UK, Netherlands, New…
According to the World Health organisation, 1.3 million people die each year from car crashes caused by human error, while some 4.5 million people are estimated to die from the effects of air pollution and the particulate matter produced, particularly…
Read More Riding the Wayve for sustainable, accessible, and safer mobility
“Why go back to normal when you can go back to better?” - Ruth Anslow HISBE (How it Should Be) is a community of interest (CIC) supermarket in the coastal town of Brighton in West Sussex, England founded by Jack…
Nuddy isn’t just a word, it’s a feeling. To feel free + vulnerable, yet empowered. Not just when you’re ‘in the nuddy’, but all day, everyday - Nuddy Nuddy is a female-led startup. It was founded in July 2018 by…
In 2013 Oxford languages graduate Aron Gelbard and Ben Stanway, a University of Bath Business Administration graduate, opened Bloom & Wild, an innovative online flower delivery business that sources flowers from the growers. By 2021, with sales of around £200…
Nexus Power “Entrepreneurship is not only about everything we do physically…it is about the emotional strength the founders possess. It is about having the same enthusiasm throughout. It is about believing in yourself and your team, and most importantly, it…
In 2018 the market value of the 147 million carats of mined diamonds was $76 billion, and the industry employed some 10 million people in 50 active mines, found mainly in Russia (43 million carats), Botswana (23 million), Canada (23…
"We believe the closer people are to nature, the more they will protect it" - Vivobarefoot Founded in 2012, Vivobarefoot is an innovative London-based shoe company whose pedigree dates back almost 200 years. In 1825 in the village of Street in…
BoomGrow is an award-winning Malaysian farming company whose mission is to transform farming by producing 100 per cent clean and nutritious vegetables delivered directly to the consumer. It is located in Kuala Lumpur in the Klang Valley and was founded…
Read More BoomGrow – saving the planet one vegetable at a time
"If all the cattle in the world joined together to start their own country, they would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases” - Bill Gates Globally methane is responsible for 30 per cent of global warming, and the world’s…
“We care deeply about our people, our customers and our planet” (Baukjen de Swaan Arons). The House of Baukjen is a family-run women’s slow fashion business located in North West London. It comprises two branches, the core brand, Baukjen, and their…
Clothes Waste Photo by Tom Fisk from Pexels “We believe that designs which meet real human needs will never be thrown away” - Petit Pli The global fashion market is valued at around $3trillion or 2 per cent of the world’s GDP, and…
“Young entrepreneurs and innovators are working hard to create a low carbon energy market” - Jeremiah Thoronka Mankind needs an alternative to fossil fuels. Solar, wind and water-generated energy are all possibilities, but with the present technology, they can be…
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes" - Marcel Proust (1871-1922) The Coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on international travel in general and international tourism in particular. With the…
Read More Stella Vita – world’s first solar powered mobile home
"If GM (General Motors) had kept up with technology as the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1000 MPG" - Bill Gates “Buy cars and other products that have the least impact environmentally” -…
Kay Luan Tay, the recent Vice Chancellor of the International University Malaya-Wales and author of three book on Social and Business Sustainability has wide but unique experience in managing and delivering value across both commercial and non-commercial enterprise. A strong…
Read More GEW2021 interview: the mind behind the investing in others for sustainable futures
image credit: girl: I.am_nah Another Wales-based case study to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship 2021 #GEW2021 “In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free”. ( Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865) While slavery was abolished in most countries 150 or more…
Read More Welsh Manumit Coffee Roasters – freedom through coffee
“Our population and our use of the finite resources of planet Earth are growing exponentially along with our technical ability to change the environment for good or ill” (Stephen Hawking, 1942-2018). One aspect of the sustainability challenge, all too frequently…
Read More Float8, sustainable and cost-effective solutions to land shortage
oil pic credit: Pixabay “The entrepreneur shifts economic resources out of an area of lower and into an area of higher productivity and greater yield” - John-Baptiste Say (1767-1832) Today Argan oil is considered the most effective anti-ageing oil in…
Antur Cymru (Welsh Adventure) is a social enterprise providing support for businesses in Wales. Owned by shareholders in the community who do not profit individually from their investment, they have agreed surpluses should be reinvested in the company. It was…
Read More “Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world” (Margaret Mead)
“ To create a world full of giving” is the mission of Japanese serial entrepreneur Masami Sato. After attending college in Japan she traveled the world and was disturbed by the poverty and inequality she discovered. Eventually, she ended up in…
Originating in the 16th century, but not becoming commonplace until after William Murdoch’s invention of the gaslight in 1802, street lights are now regarded as an essential feature of modern living. Not only do they aid security but they contribute…
Read More “May it be a light to you in dark places when all other lights go out” (J.R.R. Tolkein)
Beer is one of the oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic drinks in the world. Its origin dates back some 5000 years, possibly more, and by 2018 188.79 million kilolitres were being consumed, the equivalent of approximately 298.2 billion bottles. However,…
Read More “He was a wise man who invented beer” (Plato, 427-347 BC).
Seaweed is an extremely versatile and important product. Amongst others it is a food, a fertiliser, a medicine, a fuel, a cosmetic and, significantly, a vital element in the ocean ecosystem, producing oxygen, absorbing nutrients and providing a habitat for…
Read More Notpla: God created seaweed…The seaweed made the world”
Despite its image of pure, unpolluted mountain air, the air quality in Nepal is one of the worst in the world, particularly in the country’s capital city, Kathmandu. Here the incidence of smog is five times greater than it was…
Though a profound invention that has impacted significantly on modern society, plastics are a major sustainability challenge as they do not decompose and contribute to environmental problems both on land and in the sea, as well as to the health…
Read More “There’s a way to do it better – Find it” (Thomas Edison (1847-1931)
It is estimated that in the developing economies some 3 billion people cook their food on open fires, using solid fuel, usually wood. Apart from polluting the atmosphere, the smoke from the fires kills an estimated 3 million people, mainly…
Water pollution: Brian Yurasits, 2019 How did a meal in Glasgow lead to the UK’s first green debit card made from recycled ocean plastic? Well, it is quite simple, over a meal with a friend, one of the co-founders of…
Despite Lionel Bart’s “Oliver” eulogy of food, it is a problem. We need it to live, yet both an excess and a shortage can kill us. Some 850 million people, globally, are believed to be undernourished and each day an…
Read More “Oh Food! Magical food! Wonderful Food! Marvellous Food! Beautiful Food!”
“Build Alternatively, Build Affordably, Build Sustainably” – the motto of Gjenge Makers in Nairobi Between 1950 and 2017 the world produced some 9200 million tonnes of plastic waste, of which only 2700 million tonnes (29%) was still in use in…
Read More Gjenge Makers: Build Alternatively, Build Affordably, Build Sustainably
Reception desk, UWTSD. Photo: T. Oseng-Rees. Being brought up in 1980s Norway, “environmental awareness, frugality, creativity, independence and empathy for everything and everyone” is fundamental to Dr Tyra Oseng-Rees, an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Wales Trinity St.…
HES 2020-2026 