WELCOME W

ith each issue that passes, I get to squeeze the industry’s journey with sustainability into a few, short words. It’s the hardest part. Because how do you condense such a rich and vibrant subject into a 250 wordcount? 210 now…

Luckily, I don’t really need to. Because you do all the talking. The fact this is our Licensing Expo issue is exciting enough. The fact that within it, we finally get to showcase the glorious fruits of two years’ work and true, pioneering, cross-industry collaboration is immeasurable.

Yes, the POC Industry Framework has arrived. And it’s going to be a gamechanger. Not because we say so, but because of what it stands for. This is the Framework for the sustainable development of our industry, created by the industry for the industry. Since the very early days of Products of Change, the vision has been to unite us all around one, shared goal – to transition this $290bn global business towards a sustainable future.

Thanks to the expertise and insight, the enthusiasm and encouragement, and the sheer determination of the Products of Change community and the industry behind it, the Industry Framework doesn’t just give us the tools to get that journey underway – whether you’re a licensor, licensee, licensing agency, retailer, or service provider - but it represents what we can achieve when we work together.

We’re living through the fourth industrial revolution right now, and we get to decide the outcome. Imagine the future of business we could all create together.

Helena MansellStopher Chief Executive Officer

Rob Willis Director

For general enquiries contact: helena@productsofchange.com

For press enquiries please contact the editor: rob@productsofchange.com

Ian Hyder Director

Jakki Brown Director

07 NEWS

The latest in sustainable development from across the consumer products sectors.

14 Us Market Feature

POC dives into the US market to look at the sustainable development across its titans of licensing industry, retail, and sports and sports licensing.

22 Research And Insights

Following an exclusive Kids Industries research presentation from Products of Change’s Ambassador for Children, Gary Pope we explore the relationship between the UN’s 17 SDGs and the concerns impacting the global family the most in 2023.

25 Transparency Roundtable

Las Vegas Licensing Expo will play host to the launch of the Products of Change Transparency Workstream; we bring the industry’s key service providers together to discover what they’re bringing to the table.

26 The Big Interview

We sit down with Anna Knight, vp, licensing at Informa Markets to learn more about the company’s journey with sustainability and why it’s more than a few LED lights.

28 The Industry Framework

It’s finally here, the cross-industry collaborative resource to help businesses set a clear-cut path towards sustainable development. Find out how it’s going to be a ‘game-changer’.

31 Member News

The latest news and sustainable developments from across the Products of Change members community.

40 Ambassador Insight

Revisiting the agenda-setting conversations led by Products of Change’s Ambassadors Mike Swain and Jessica Lenhart at the POC x WFIM Sustainability Summit last month.

Wastebuster Wants One Million Pledges For World Water Week 2024

Wastebuster is on a mission to gain one million pledges from school children around the world to reduce plastic pollution as part of a new water-focused campaign, to educate the next generation on environmental issues.

The UK team’s major campaign, Water Week 2024, will be a five-day event, featuring special content from across the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

Running from 18 to 24 May 2024, the event will coincide with the World Water Forum in Bali, when world leaders will convene to discuss issues surrounding the health of the planet’s water.

Water Week will host STEM educational content for children featuring music, videos, special seminars, and screenings of films. Wastebuster will launch a campaign to fund over 180 in-country, representative NGOs from over 180 countries to translate Water Week educational resources and make them accessible to school children around the world. These school children will then be asked to sign a pledge to take action to reduce plastic pollution, helping to improve the health of the world’s water.

“Water Week is inviting the creative industries to become the storytellers and help engage over five million children and young people around the world in our school’s network and over 13 million to prevent water pollution together,” Katy Newnham, founder of Wastebuster told Products of Change.

Katy and the team, who attended meetings and events at United Nations headquarters in New York earlier this year to mark the first United Nations Water Week campaign in 30 years, are issuing a call-to-action to children’s content providers and creators to get involved with the campaign to promote the prevention of water pollution and care for the environment.

Sustaind Fun Wants To Talk Whale Poo And Co2

The New Zealand-based B Corp and eco-friendly toy company, Sustaind Fun is opening the industry forum to the topic of carbon neutrality when it hosts what is set to be the second-ever World Sustainable Toy Day in November this year.

Over the course of the year, Sustaind Fun co-founders Helen Townsend and Anthea Madill - both former marine and ecology scientists – will release a series of educational blogs and tips to help the toy industry reduce its carbon footprint more effectively. This activity will culminate with the launch of World Sustainable Toy Day on Friday, 17 November.

“World Sustainable Toy Day celebrates sustainability wins in the toy industry and encourages companies to keep making further gains,” Helen told Products of Change. “Toys are the way children interact with that major driver of climate change: consumption. This makes toy companies responsible for producing toys ethically and sustainably but also gives us the opportunity to make a huge difference in how kids see the world.”

Sustaind Fun has just launched its latest range, Wild Fixes, a puzzle series that engages children in the nature-based solutions to climate change found in biodiversity. Its first title, ‘Whale Poo and CO2’ shows how whales and plankton interact to absorb carbon from the atmosphere and produce oxygen so we can breathe.

The range has, of course, been developed to minimise its environmental impact, opting for plastic-free and shrinkwrap-free packaging with pieces arriving in a paper bag. The box size has also been optimised to save resources and carbon and manufactured in a low carbon, low waste facility certified by the ICTI Ethical Toy Programme.

The team also donates to whale conservation.

KIDS INDUSTRIES JOINS THE SUSTAINABILITY JOURNEY WITH NEW ‘GREEN TEAM’

Kids Industries has kickstarted its journey with sustainability through the formation of an internal ‘green team’ tasked with reducing the business’ carbon footprint.

The special project will be led by Amy Mcaulay, creative producer at KI who has already begun to measure and benchmark the team’s current scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.

Amy will be looking into areas such as energy use within the office, recycling rates, waste, and ways in which company culture can be influenced “without people feeling they are being told off,” she said.

“Like everyone, we have a responsibility to do our bit – for the environment and for our young audiences and families, the people we work for and create content for,” Amy told Products of Change.

With the help of her colleague, KI’s junior designer Marina Maurer the pair will work to transition the research and knowledge business from phase one of measuring into phases two (identifying where carbon reductions can be made) and three (implementing changes in the business).

“As a knowledge-based business, we know a lot about our audience and our clients, so it makes sense we increase our knowledge on the subject of sustainability. Because this doesn’t just affect the lives of the kids we create content for, but everyone, and that includes us,” said Amy.

H&M, TESCO, AND NESTLÉ TO LEAD SCIENCE-BASED TARGETS FOR NATURE PILOT

H&M, Tesco, Nestlé, and AB InBeV have joined a group of 17 global companies to set their first science-based targets for nature this year.

The initial group will pilot the launch of a brand new initiative launched by the Science Based Targets Network which aims to set to the global standard for ambitious and measurable corporate action on nature.

The launch marks a significant milestone towards helping companies take integrated action across freshwater, land, ocean, biodiversity, and climate. Research has found that nature absorbs approximately half the planet’s carbon emissions a year.

The initial group of 17 global companies to pilot the scheme this year will also include Bel, Carrefour, Kering, and L’OCCITANE. A full roll-out is expected in early 2024.