Top 10 most-read Trellis stories of 2024

This is a round-up of our top stories about corporate sustainability and climate policy in 2024. It features deep dives on sustainability strategies of Ikea, Delta, McDonald’s, Disney, Netflix and the maker of Jack Daniel’s, along with crucial updates on standards and global regulations, how sustainability careers are shifting, executive moves and more. 

The ranking, in order from No. 10 to No. 1, is based on readership — pageviews and engaged time spent — as well as our own editorial estimations. Read through to No. 1 for our most popular article of the year. 

After a year of transformation at Trellis — one year ago we were still GreenBiz! — we’re proud of the progress we’ve made reporting about and bringing more awareness to corporate initiatives now underway to mitigate the climate crisis and preserve biodiversity — including expert tactics, detailed case studies and progress updates. This reinforces our mission to help sustainability executives do their jobs every day. 

This is the work we’ve been known for at our events, such as GreenBiz, coming up Feb. 10-12 in Phoenix, and Circularity Apr. 29-May 1 in Denver.

We enter 2025 with a renewed determination to bring our readers, conference attendees and peer network members actionable information to advance the struggle to limit and adapt to climate change.

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10. How Ikea convinces consumers to be green 

The world’s largest furniture retailer is using its exposure to hundreds of millions of people who visit its stores to nudge them to reduce emissions, and cut the climate footprint from products they use at home by 70 percent by 2030.

• This report came out of Heather Clancy’s video interview with Ingka Group CSO Karen Pflug, the launch episode of Climate Pioneers, which features business innovators paving the way for corporate action to mitigate the climate crisis. 
• Other Climate Pioneer interviews this year: Taylor Francis, co-founder of $1 billion carbon software startup Watershed; Whole Foods Market VP of Sustainability Caitlin Leibert; and Nan Ronsohoff, the Stripe exec leading a $1 billion carbon removal fund. 
• More year-round Trellis videos and webcasts here.

9. Gartner’s ‘hype cycle’ applied to the business of sustainability in 2024

A look at the maturity and adoption of sustainable business today, from Trellis co-founder Joel Makower.

Gartner’s “Hype Cycle for Environmental Sustainability” tells a compelling story, not just about what’s hot and what’s not, but about the state of sustainable business overall. 

8. The State of Biodiversity and Business 2024 

In our inaugural State of Biodiversity and Business report, we found that business leaders around the world are starting to acknowledge the effects their companies have on the health of the ecosystems they touch. 

• The findings, based on a Trellis survey of 106 sustainability professionals at large and midsize companies, were announced at Bloom, our biodiversity event alongside COP16, in Cali, Colombia.
• Many said they are already taking action; one-quarter of companies have started “small-scale or pilot projects” to address their impact on nature. 

Plus other nature stories: 

• The maker of Jack Daniel’s fight to save white oak forests
• Syngenta teaching the world new ways to farm

7. What you should know about ISO’s forthcoming first net-zero standard

The international standard, coming in late 2025, will require ongoing verification.

• Plus, updates on other standards: To measure how circular a company is; Science-Based Targets initiative’s net zero revision, which will likely still exclude offsets; what’s next for B Corp certification.

• And regulations: What you need to know about CSRD, the EU reporting mandate.

6. Lego’s sustainability shift draws questions, doubts

Lego says it will abandon fossil fuels for good in 2032, but anti-plastics groups decry a “sleight of hand.”

Other popular Trellis case studies this year: 

• Delta’s plans for single-use plastics 
• McDonald’s 10-year quest for sustainable beef
• Disney and Netflix getting rid of diesel on production sets
• Microsoft, Mitsubishi and the promise of biochar for carbon removal

5. Microsoft, P&G, Unilever and Walmart among 239 companies to miss net-zero deadline

A sweeping status update by the Science Based Targets initiative downgraded some big corporate names.

Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Walmart — which represent more than $4 billion in market capitalization — are among the most prominent corporations listed as “commitment removed” for net zero by SBTi. 

• All four companies told Trellis at the time they are continuing to pursue aggressive emissions-reduction goals.

4. Ex-Adidas, Nike execs are helping build a new sustainable footwear hub in Oregon

A $125 million urban redevelopment project aims to turn the oldest neighborhood in Portland into a hub for sustainable footwear design and manufacturing innovation. 

• Former Nike chief sustainability officer Noel Kinder and ex-Adidas President Eric Liedtke joined the stewardship committee.

• Other recent executive moves: CSOs at Starbucks, HSBC and Lego. 

3. Inside Goodwill’s bid to build a textile recycling powerhouse

Goodwill has been a giant since 1902 in what is today called the circular economy, reselling used clothing, housewares and bric-a-brac to millions each year.

Now the global nonprofit is looking to help build out North America’s threadbare textile recycling infrastructure. A Walmart Foundation-backed pilot paved the way for Goodwill sites to become textile recycling hubs.

Other top circular economy posts, a topic our readers love: 

• Google parent Alphabet’s skunkworks targets the plastic crisis; 
• Why the circular economy is an ‘America First’ policy; 
• Crocs reducing the carbon footprint of its clogs 

2. The state of the sustainability profession in 2024

Two findings from the eighth biennial State of the Sustainability Profession report, our second most-read online feature this year:

• Top-level sustainability professionals are seeing the biggest compensation increases in 14 years. 
• More companies are hiring part-time sustainability strategists and project managers for their teams.

1. 25 climate tech startups to watch in 2024

This annual climate tech report, our top-read post of 2024, highlights 25 early-stage companies disrupting the status quo and working on everything from plant-waste plastics to less toxic batteries to carbon dioxide removal. 

• Aquarry, a venture that treats mining pit lakes to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, was voted the year’s top startup by the audience attending the live 25-startup pitch competition at our annual VERGE event. 

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