What I mean by this is the emphasis on going beyond the compliance model of cutting CO2 emission, water and resources to a more sustainable 21st century model of enhancing the communities where companies operate, enhancing the wellbeing of their employees, having a tighter suppliers policy and ensuring that their suppliers are also socially and environmentally responsible in a manner that is not just about minimizing their environmental impact but also about conserving and restoring of the environment where they operate within

If we look at Fortune 500 companies, the majority of them have somehow started their sustainability journey in a major or minor scale, but the reality is that sustainability is seen as a cost that the company has to absorb for reputation purposes as consumers do not want to pay more for a responsible brand. A company/brand taking responsibility of their corporate or brand behavior is something that nowadays is expected.

How to unlock the value of sustainability is still that million-dollar question. Research has been pointed out for years, that having the information at a point of purchase is where the tangible difference will be made for consumers.

Nowadays with the growth of ecommerce the point of purchase is not a physical space but online- the sustainability message needs to be understood clearly and needs to be simple, real, concrete and transparent.

This is what has inspired me to launch PositiveLuxury.com, a daily e-commerce lifestyle magazine that combine glossy editorial with luxury online shopping and information on environmental and social responsibility of brands at a click enabling our readers to make better, more informed choices.

I believe that sustainability is not about introducing niche “green ranges,” it is about embedding sustainability into a brand’s portfolio through operations and the supply chain, in order to normalize it.

We know, through research, that brands that communicate their social and environmental credentials are more likely to win consumer trust. I believe that- when one considers 55% of people are likely to buy a product with added social benefits and 61% of people are more likely to buy from a company with a strong reputation- there is a desire for a platform that offers straightforward information to the consumer as well as allowing a brand a showcase for their environmental credentials.

Companies that are highly esteemed and loved in the consumer eyes are already doing their bit for society and the environment, brands that don’t naturally fall into the environmentally friendly category but are very responsible, such as Burberry, Nike or Gucci.

By creating PositiveLuxury.com, our aim is to bring the great changes that these brands are making into the limelight - helping consumers to make informed decisions about the brands they choose to purchase on line. People don't always have the time to trawl through endless information to work out which companies are good company, with great products but also positive for people and positive for the planet.

We have developed a kite mark called the ‘People Planet Mark’ – the People Planet Mark sits on the right hand side of the products on our site and is represented by a blue butterfly. By clicking on the image consumers will be able to see the description of what makes the product a “positive luxury”; for instance the positive aspects of denim brands that are manufactured, sourced and retailed in a positive and responsible way.

The company is all about celebrating a more enlightened conscientious consumption model that will give consumers social currency and get them thinking about things that matter as well as well as enjoying products that help to resolve, rather than create, humanity’s greatest challenges.

Our ultimate ambition is that every brand- whether they sell a bag, shoes, tee shirts, cars, phones, computers or trainers- will be able to take this butterfly online beyond our site and consumers will have a familiar and trustworthy point of reference to gauge a brand’s social and environmental credentials.

It is a win/win for consumers because we will be able to wear, eat and enjoy the brands they love with total confidence as these brands that had and continuously spend time and resources in making their products/company more socially and environmentally responsible and therefore sustainable giving consumers another touch point to engage with them

Ultimately brands live or die by the choices of consumers- we vote with our dollars- and therefore rewarding those whose values reflect our own. I believe that to achieve real change, we need to create platforms that activate and mobilize consumers, making them part of the conversation and bringing them together to create a global movement that is a force for good.