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Lily Cole

Conscious consumerism

Lily Cole gives an overview of how consumers can impact good business policies especially when it comes to using ESG-friendly products in fashion, beauty, retail and food.

Free

for FT subscribers, limited time offer ($25 for non-subscribers)

Buy Course

Lily Cole

Conscious consumerism

Lily Cole gives an overview of how consumers can impact good business policies especially when it comes to using ESG-friendly products in fashion, beauty, retail and food.

Free

for FT subscribers, limited time offer ($25 for non-subscribers)

Buy Course

12 lessons

58 minutes

The value of this course

12 lessons · 58 minutes

Course Overview

The 21st century is an era of radical digital transparency and customization in the world of consumer industries - and many young consumers are using those two trends to demand ESG-friendly products, particularly in the world of fashion, beauty, retail and food. But is it possible to really do this? Or is it just a marketing gimmick? What do companies today need to know about these shifting tastes - and what do consumers need to understand too? How does this impact supply chains, and our concept of "value" - and values.

Full in-depth tuition from Lily Cole
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Lily Cole

Lily Cole is an environmental activist, model, actress and filmmaker. She was involved in creating an environmentally friendly knitwear company, The North Circular, which launched in 2009. In her latest book Who Cares Wins she talks about the issue of sustainability, particularly within the fashion industry. Having focused on ethical issues for over 15 years, Lily supports brands who are making a difference.

Lesson Plan

Lesson 1

Introduction: Conscious consumerism

Lily highlights the many solutions that are growing every day, to help you navigate the social business/environmental space, if you are a concerned citizen or if you're an entrepreneur who wants to improve your business.

2 minutes 31 seconds

Lesson 1

Introduction: Conscious consumerism

2 minutes 31 seconds

Lesson 2

Discovering the story behind the product

Lily talks about investigating the supply chain and the responsibility she felt to support businesses that were environmentally responsible. She shares her experience of visiting the supply chain of a carbon neutral, organically farmed cotton t-shirt. She also shares two case studies - San Jewellery and Shea Nut Butter.

9 minutes 2 seconds

Lesson 2

Discovering the story behind the product

9 minutes 2 seconds

Lesson 3

How to make yourself heard

Lily shares her experience of how social media has been really helpful for learning about brands and communicating with them directly. She shares her tips on how to research a brand, boycotts and B Corporations.

4 minutes 38 seconds

Lesson 3

How to make yourself heard

4 minutes 38 seconds

Lesson 4

Buying better may cost more

Lily talks about competing in a landscape where people are making cheap things in a very exploitative way. She shares a case study on the North Circular. She talks about buying vintage, buying second hand, the lifecycle of products and modular design.

6 minutes 13 seconds

Lesson 4

Buying better may cost more

6 minutes 13 seconds

Lesson 5

Food really matters

Lily talks about her book "Who Cares Wins", what she has learnt and where we can make the most difference. She shares why eating local and eating seasonal is good for more than the planet. Lily explains why taking on food waste is our biggest challenge and our biggest opportunity in tackling two degrees of global warming by 2050.

7 minutes 46 seconds

Lesson 5

Food really matters

7 minutes 46 seconds

Lesson 6

Eliminating waste is a mindset

Waste is a mindset - Lily shares the advice she was given by Sir David Attenborough and how recycling and repurposing is a generational thing. Lily talks about voluntary simplicity - the idea of voluntarily decluttering your life.

3 minutes

Lesson 6

Eliminating waste is a mindset

3 minutes

Lesson 7

Making and using technology

Technology has an instrumental role to play in making our systems more sustainable, and will be a driver towards a more sustainable future. But it's not blindly positive; Lily explains why. She talks about brands designing obsolescence into their products to try and encourage us to buy new.

4 minutes 50 seconds

Lesson 7

Making and using technology

4 minutes 50 seconds

Lesson 8

Dealing with energy

Lily talks about the need to make energy in a sustainable way. She gives examples of the positive consequences of renewable energy, which has decentralised energy supply. She talks us through the little things that can make a big difference, and why "slow movements" in industry aren’t such a bad thing

6 minutes 47 seconds

Lesson 8

Dealing with energy

6 minutes 47 seconds

Lesson 9

Making use of our most incredible technology – Nature

Nature can solve the world's biodiversity and climate problems if we give it the space to. Lily gives examples of companies making a difference and working with nature.

2 minutes 25 seconds

Lesson 9

Making use of our most incredible technology – Nature

Nature can solve the world's biodiversity and climate problems if we give it the space to. Lily gives examples of companies making a difference and working with nature.

2 minutes 25 seconds

Lesson 10

Defying deforestation

If people knew what the things they were buying were doing to the planet they wouldn't buy them. Lily shares some frightening statistics. She also shares the key drivers of deforestation and what you and I can do about it. Lily talks about Chico Mendes' dream in aligning economic and ecological interests and why it's only now, decades after his assassination, starting to come to fruition.

4 minutes 16 seconds

Lesson 10

Defying deforestation

4 minutes 16 seconds

Lesson 11

The conscious consumer: Finding your own path.

Lily asks - what issue really motivates you? What do you really care about? And how can you align your actions in the outer world with your inner world? We shouldn't be doing this alone. We need to act collectively to make big changes. Lily shares sage advice.

1 minute 44 seconds

Lesson 11

The conscious consumer: Finding your own path.

1 minute 44 seconds

Lesson 12

Your time is precious – spend it well.

Self care is the key to making changes in the world. Lily shares why looking after yourself and discovering what makes you happy is super important. She explains that imperfection and failing is the process by which we grow and learn. Lily ends by sharing key takeaways from this Expert Series.

4 minutes 47 seconds