Latest news with #regeneration
Fast Company
2 minutes ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Regenerative thinking will help businesses prosper
For generations, businesses were built on an extractive model: take resources, create products, generate profit, repeat. It was efficient but not enduring. With today's extreme weather events, resource scarcity, social unrest, and declining employee sense of well-being, the cracks in that model are increasingly hard to ignore. Simply put: Extraction is no longer sustainable. Humans long for what is real and enduring. When I look to the natural world, I see a different blueprint for our future: regeneration. Healthy ecosystems don't just survive; they replenish, adapt, and thrive. At Rodale Institute, where we have championed regenerative organic agriculture for 78 years, we see this every day in the soil beneath our feet. Our founder's son, Robert Rodale, defined regeneration as an innate, natural capacity for renewal and healing. It's time for business leaders to take notice. The future of business—and our society—depends on our ability to move from extraction to regeneration. How businesses can embrace regenerative practices Regenerative thinking is more than a philosophy for farming; it is a framework for leadership and enterprise. It calls on us to ask ourselves how we create systems that renew themselves, including the human beings who work within those systems. How can our companies generate not only financial profit but also ecological, social, and human resilience? In agriculture, regenerative organic practices rebuild topsoil, sequester carbon, and increase biodiversity, leading to healthier soil, healthier ecosystems, and healthier people. In business, regenerative practices can similarly replenish the human and natural resources we rely on. Organizations that focus on the well-being of their employees, invest in sustainable supply chains, and build trust with communities are laying the foundation for long-term success in a volatile world. The top 500 U.S. companies, with their scale, influence, and capital, are uniquely positioned to go beyond sustainability and embrace regenerative practices by reimagining how they use profits, design products, and engage with place. By reinvesting a portion of their earnings into regenerative capital, such as funding ecological restoration projects, employee wellness initiatives, community-owned enterprises, or nature-based solutions, they can shift from extractive profit models to ones that actively repair and renew. At the product level, adopting circular economy principles, like designing for durability, reuse, and offering products as a service, helps eliminate waste and align business success with long-term environmental health. Additionally, through place-based stewardship, companies can partner with local communities to restore ecosystems around their facilities, support indigenous land practices, or co-create green spaces. Together, these approaches move large enterprises beyond sustainability toward becoming active agents of regeneration across economic, material, and ecological systems. Even small organizations, though limited in scale, have a unique ability to embed regenerative practices into their everyday operations in deeply meaningful ways. By cultivating a living employee culture—offering flexible schedules, well-being stipends, or regeneration days for rest or community service—they can foster workplaces where people thrive, not just perform. Sourcing from local, ethical suppliers, such as nearby farms, artisans, or BIPOC-owned businesses, helps regenerate regional economies and ecosystems while reducing environmental impact. Even seemingly small actions like upcycling materials, composting, or collaborating with local artists and nonprofits to reuse waste can transform byproducts into creative value. These practices not only restore ecological and social systems but also build more resilient, purpose-driven businesses from the ground up. Leaders in regenerative work We already see this shift in action. Companies like Patagonia, Citizens of Humanity, Dr. Bronner's, and SIMPLi are embracing regenerative principles and attracting loyal customers, retaining top talent, and building resilience against supply chain disruptions and environmental risks. They are moving beyond quarterly earnings to measure impact in terms of stakeholder well-being, carbon reduction, and community health. They are finding that purpose and profit are not mutually exclusive; they reinforce each other. This shift requires courage. Regenerative systems do not offer instant returns. They require a willingness to invest patiently, to think beyond the next quarter, and to cultivate resilience rather than extract efficiency. Just as healthy soil yields stronger crops year after year, regenerative businesses are more likely to weather the storms, literal and metaphorical, that the future will inevitably bring. Regeneration is about playing the long game. Rooted in regeneration At Rodale Institute, our mission is simple, yet critical: soil health is human health. I believe the same equation applies to business. Healthy organizations rooted in regeneration will create healthier economies, healthier societies, and a healthier planet. The future will belong to leaders who recognize that regeneration is not a buzzword; it is a survival strategy. It's time to ask ourselves: Are we depleting the resources we depend on, or are we cultivating their renewal? Are we building companies that will outlast us, or ones that will collapse under their own weight? The choice is ours. The time is now.
The Independent
14 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
40,000 new homes to be built on railway land across Britain
The government has unveiled a new property company, Platform4, tasked with overseeing the development of up to 40,000 new homes on brownfield sites across surplus railway land over the next decade. The Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed the new organisation will initially operate across England and Wales, with potential for future expansion into Scotland. Platform4 aims to streamline the process of releasing land for housing, a role previously fragmented between London and Continental Railways Ltd and Network Rail's property team. The DfT stated this prior "fragmented approach" often led to "inefficiencies, duplicated efforts and missed opportunities." Profits generated by Platform4 will be reinvested directly into Britain's railway network. The initiative is projected to deliver an additional £227 million by accelerating development and operating at a larger scale than previous efforts. Four locations already earmarked for regeneration are Newcastle Forth Yards (an opportunity for up to 600 new homes), Manchester Mayfield (up to 1,500 new homes), Cambridge (425 new homes), and Nottingham (200 new homes). Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: 'Our railways are more than just connections between places – they create economic opportunity and drive regeneration. 'It's exciting to picture the thousands of families who will live in these future homes, the vibrant neighbourhoods springing up, and the new businesses that will launch thanks to these developments. 'Platform4 will breathe new life into these spaces, delivering tens of thousands of new homes as part of our Plan for Change promise to build 1.5 million homes, while reviving communities around rail stations, supporting jobs and driving economic growth.' Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: 'We are facing a housing crisis which has led to a generation being locked out of homeownership, all while land sits empty and disused across the country. 'We said we'd do everything possible to get Britain building, and that's why today we're setting out how we'll get more homes built across surplus railway network sites in line with our brownfield-first approach.' Platform4 will be chaired by Bek Seeley, who has held several roles in regeneration projects. She said: 'Working alongside our partners and local authorities, we will create sustainable places that bring communities and customers together and leave a positive legacy for future generations.'
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Anfield: Views sought on neighbourhood improvement plans
Residents, businesses, and road users are being asked for their views on £5m plans to transform an area around Liverpool FC's Anfield proposals are part of a wider regeneration effort by Liverpool City Council to create "a greener, safer, and more inclusive high street". The proposals cover Walton Breck Road, Oakfield Road, Pulford Street, Back Rockfield Road, and Gilman Street, Liverpool City Council Barrington, the Cabinet Member for Transport and Connectivity, said the improvements "will help knit together the community, support local businesses, and ensure the area continues to thrive as part of our long-term regeneration plans". Key features include plans for improved pedestrian routes, new landscaping, updated street lighting and reconfigured on-street are also plans for a new mini-roundabout at the junction of Walton Breck Road and Oakfield Road, reduced road widths, and speed limits to calm council said the scheme would also support matchday operations and was part of a wider £250m investment in the Anfield area which included over 600 new homes and upgrades to Anfield Nick Small, Cabinet Member for Growth and Economy, said the scheme "reflects the voices and needs of our residents"."From better lighting and safer crossings to new green spaces and improved accessibility, this project is a direct response to what people have told us they want to see."I encourage everyone to take part in the consultation and help shape the future of Walton Breck Road."People are being asked to share their thoughts in an online survey, or to attend a drop in event in at The Liverpool Lighthouse on Oakfield Road on 13 consultation closes on 22 August 2025. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Council asks Ramsgate residents how to spend £20m government grant
Residents in Ramsgate, Kent, are being asked for their views of the town so a council can decide how best to use £20m of new government District Council said the money would be spent on "dealing with some of the issues that matter most to local people".Councillor Rick Everitt said: "This is a significant opportunity for local people to change the face of Ramsgate and getting a wide input is integral to getting this right."The survey is open until 8 September and can be found on the council's website. "This is a very exciting time for Ramsgate," said Mr Everitt."With the prospect of £20 million of new government funding, in addition to the regeneration projects already under way, we have the opportunity to make a huge difference to the town."It comes as a "neighbourhood board" has been set up to develop a 10-year vision and regeneration plan for council said the board included representatives from the Ramsgate community, local businesses, sports and cultural organisations, the not-for-profit sector, and public sector agencies, alongside the MP and representatives from the district, town and county people aged 18 to 25, council and social housing tenants, high street businesses owners, private sector investors, representatives from cultural or leisure venues, and representatives from community, cultural or faith organisations are also being asked to apply to join the on how to apply will soon be available on the council's website, it said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Call for Amazon tax to rebuild local communities year on from Southport riots
Communities which have lost pubs, piers and parks could be regenerated through a tax on wealthy firms such as Amazon in an effort to sow cohesion, a new report has suggested a year on from the summer riots. The trouble, which spread through parts of England and Northern Ireland following the Southport killings, should have been a 'wake-up call', the author of the report said. Disorder broke out after the murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the town on July 29 last year. It quickly spread to other areas, and mosques, community centres and libraries were attacked while hotels housing asylum seekers were also targeted. The far-right 'capitalised on Southport's disrepair to sow disorder', the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said, as the paper it commissioned noted a 'fight for investment in local amenities has garnered little attention' in the aftermath. The report warned of a 'pincer movement of abandonment and gentrification' which has gradually seen community spaces, such as the Southport pier which closed in 2022, lost and increased isolation of people in many areas. Referring to previous research, the report said 50 UK pubs close for good each month, an estimated 600 youth clubs shut between 2012 and 2016 and London lost almost 10 local authority-run community spaces a year between 2018 and 2023. It has suggested a '21st-century welfare fund' raised through a so-called Amazon tax, whereby warehouses and distribution centres are subject to higher levies or online sales taxes. It argued online retailers which build 'giant structures' – a demonstration of their high value – often do not contribute 'sufficiently to the communities around them'. A tax on companies with revenues over £1 million could help generate 'larger, more sustained resource for communities than current community regeneration efforts', it said. The report said: 'If there is a thread connecting the high-octane events of late July (2024) and the slow local politics of the pier, it is the loss of physical spaces where we might come together, and the radicalisation of some of the digital spaces that have replaced them. 'There is an appetite for community action, as the campaign for the pier shows, but a lack of investment and space. 'In the absence of structures which might foster wider solidarities, many retreat into the sphere of the home, or worse, into ethno-nationalist fantasies of muscular sovereignty.' Report author Dr Sacha Hilhorst said: 'The Southport riots were a wake-up call – a stark reminder of what can happen when communities lose the places that once brought people together. In the absence of shared spaces, misinformation and hate can fill the void, creating tinderbox conditions for violence. 'Rebuilding local infrastructure isn't just about nostalgia – it's a vital bulwark against division and the dangerous pull of the far right. 'But communities are not apathetic. They are crying out for places to gather, to organise, and to belong. We need a new generation of institutions to help them do just that.' Dr Parth Patel, associate director at the IPPR, said: 'Where shared spaces are lost, a sense of decline and disconnection takes root – and with it, dangerous alternatives thrive. 'The far right is exploiting the void where solidarity used to live – they capitalised on Southport's disrepair to sow disorder. 'If we're serious about social renewal, we must rebuild the civic infrastructure that once helped people support each other and shape their communities.' A government spokesperson said: 'The disorder that affected communities across the UK following the Southport tragedy highlighted the need for a new approach to community cohesion. 'It's clear that central government has lacked strategic focus on social cohesion for many years, which is why this government is working to develop a longer-term strategy to tackle divisions in our communities and build common ground. 'One of the most effective ways to respond to the frustrations that fester is by improving peoples' lives, and the places in which they live, and through our Plan for Neighbourhoods we are already investing £1.5 billion across 75 areas in the community services local people need and making real improvements they can see on their doorsteps and in their communities.'
