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Mastercard on Business of Sustainability Podcast, ape2o partners with Chiltern Railways and FuturePlus clients nominated for prestigious awards

Posted on September 27th 2024
Blogs

Mastercard on Business of Sustainability Podcast

On the latest episode of the Business of Sustainability podcast, our founders, Alex Smith and Mike Penrose sit down with Malin Berge, SVP of Sustainability Innovation at Mastercard, to discuss driving sustainable change in consumption and production.

This episode dives into how Mastercard is accelerating transformation by welcoming a new cohort of sustainability-focused startups to its Start Path Emerging Fintech program. These startups are pushing the boundaries of impact data and empowering consumers to make informed, eco-friendly choices.

Since its launch in 2014, the Start Path program has supported over 400 startups in 50+ countries, offering them a fast track to scale through strategic partnerships and co-innovation.
Collectively, these innovators have raised more than $25 billion in post-program capital, making waves in fintech and sustainability.

Listen on Spotify, Amazon,
Apple or where ever you get your podcasts.

REPORT: How underinvestment in ‘Green Skills’ is hindering UK businesses

The growing demand for businesses to focus on sustainability and the green transition is taking a toll on sustainability professionals in the UK. According to a recent survey by Oxford Brookes University’s Business School and Climate Change Coaches, over 60% of these professionals have experienced burnout in the past year.

This burnout is largely attributed to insufficient staffing, lack of critical soft skills development, and the need to juggle responsibilities beyond sustainability.
For UK businesses, this issue could lead to significant challenges. The sustainability agenda is central to meeting regulatory requirements and maintaining a competitive edge.

Yet, under-investment in green skills and understaffed sustainability teams can hinder progress. Many professionals are forced to split their focus between sustainability initiatives and other workstreams, reducing their capacity to deliver effective long-term strategies.
Whether you’re feeling the pressure to address your impact, struggling to understand ESG regulations and standards, or don’t have the time or budget to make a start, FuturePlus is the solution for you.

With actionable insights and data, FuturePlus helps you transform your sustainability ambitions into action. We provide ongoing assistance, advice, and resources to support you on this journey, ensuring you effectively achieve your goals.

Book a demo, here.

ape2o partners with Chiltern Railways to launch ‘Big Ape’ water refill stations at Marylebone Station

FuturePlus member, ape2o has joined forces with Chiltern Railways to introduce their revolutionary Big Ape water refill stations at Marylebone Station.

This marks the first installation of Big Ape in a major London station, reflecting ape2o’s commitment to combating single-use plastics and promoting sustainable water consumption.
The Big Ape stations offer travellers chilled, ultra-filtered still or sparkling water at a fraction of the cost of bottled alternatives, making it easy and affordable for commuters to choose an eco-friendly option.

By partnering with Chiltern Railways, ape2o is continuing its mission to eliminate plastic waste and encourage sustainable habits among the millions of passengers passing through the station each year.

“We’re extremely proud to partner with Chiltern Railways. This is the first of many stations where ape2o will help customers refill and ditch plastic.” - Anthony Newman, ape2o founder

Less than 10% of plastic bottles are recycled, ape2o’s initiative provides a practical solution and in addition to reducing plastic waste, 10% of ape2o’s sales go to conservation and clean-up projects, further demonstrating their commitment to ocean and freshwater protection.

Celebrating Achievement: FuturePlus Clients Nominated for Prestigious Awards

Congratulations to FuturePlus member, Evolve Organic Beauty founder, Laura Rudoe (née Howard) after it was announced she has been shortlisted for Consumer Goods Businesswoman of the Year 2025 in the Great British Businesswoman Awards.

“I started Evolve Organic Beauty in 2009 with the idea to create a natural and organic beauty range that would help people live a little greener every day. My mission was to make affordable, highly sensorial products that deliver effective results, yet are healthier and kinder for you and the planet.”

More great news for the FuturePlus community as MI Media announced they have been nominated for two The Drum Awards this year.

The nominations cover the work on the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association's "Love Inside" campaign and with GOOD Agency and B2C retailer JML for their transitional PPC campaign.

Winners will be announced in November. Fingers crossed. 🤞

Happy National Inclusion Week

National Inclusion Week has been celebrated this week with this year’s theme being“Impact Matters”, encouraging everyone in organisations to recognise the positive impact of inclusive actions on their teams.

One of the actions we implemented on our latest website to be more inclusive is to offer ReciteMe assistive tools.

Allowing every visitor to customise their digital experience according to their needs.
Within the first month of its launch, the screen reader showed usage in English, Korean and Hindi with users also utilising access tools like styling and rulers for enhanced content access.