Business
Looking for positive and inspiring business stories? From green operations to employee rights, from innovative corporate structures to diversity and inclusion, the Business section at The Optimist Daily has got the latest innovative solutions from the corporate sector.
Volvo unveils world’s first electric vehicle made with fossil-free steel
Two months ago, we shared a story about the world’s first “fossil-free” steel delivery arriving at a Volvo car factory in Sweden, as part of the carmaker’s plans to make its entire business operations (including its supply chain) climate-neutral by 2050. Now, the car manufacturer has Read More...
Celebrated landscape architect finds beauty in the margins of public space
The newly-established Cornelia Hahn Oberlander International Landscape Architecture Prize honors advancements and innovation in landscape architecture. The inaugural winner of the award is Julie Bargmann, and when you look at the work she does, it’s no surprise that her work is being celebrated Read More...
Egyptian music duo raises awareness on feminist issues
ElBouma, an Egyptian musical duo, has released a new album that showcases the blending of old melodies with new rhythms, but more importantly gives voice to the girls and women in rural areas of Egypt with their lyrics that critique the sexism, patriarchy, gender-based violence, and other harmful Read More...
Shareholder pressure leads to right-to-repair evaluation at major tech company
The EU and the UK have both recently expanded right to repair laws aimed at reducing e-waste and saving customers money. As this movement gains popularity, Microsoft shareholders have successfully pressured the company into expanding the repairability of its goods. Although the US has limited Read More...
Ethnic studies to become high school graduation requirement in California
California high school students graduating in 2030 or later will be required to take at least one semester of an ethnic studies course. Legislation mandating the new graduation requirement was signed into law last week, following similar policies in Los Angeles Unified and Fresno Unified school Read More...
Refugees in Cameroon turn desert camp into a lush forest
In 2014, thousands of refugees who were fleeing the violence linked to militant group Boko Haram in Nigeria came to Minawao, Cameroon, a desert region badly affected by climate change. Since 2014, almost 70,000 refugees had made the space their home, cutting down the last standing trees to support Read More...
New policy reduces climate misinformation on popular video platform
A 2020 report by Avaaz, a US not-for-profit organization focused on issues such as climate change, blamed YouTube for “incentivizing this climate misinformation content via its monetization program.” In response, Google is finally banning ads, YouTube videos, and other content that preaches Read More...
“The Gathering Basket” is a growing collection of Indigenous recipes
Yucca, three-leaf sumac and chiltepin are all staple ingredients in Indigenous recipes, but the rich history of Indigenous cooking is often forgotten or overlooked, especially in Western kitchens. To highlight Indigenous recipes, ingredients, and chefs, Indigenous chef organization I-Collective, Read More...
Lego works to remove gender biases in its toys
The Lego Group, the world’s largest toymaker, now has promised to remove gender bias from its products. According to the company’s chief product and marketing officer Julia Goldin, they have been “working hard to make Lego more inclusive,” and that they want “to encourage boys and girls Read More...
Nobel prize awarded for work demonstrating benefits of raising minimum wage
US-based economist David Card is one of this year’s recipients of the Nobel prize for economics, awarded for his work which helps answer one of the field’s most contested ideas surrounding minimum wage. Card is Canadian born but based at the University of California, Berkeley. So what Read More...