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Future 500's Report on the Top 10 Stakeholder Engagement Trends of 2017. This is our sixth annual report. Each year, our team pools their expertise and perspective to identify ten social, environmental or economic trends that will shape engagement between corporations and external stakeholders in the coming year and beyond.

Industry collaboration and traceability are among the top supply chain sustainability trends, according to an Ethical Corporation whitepaper.

From historic climate change marches and bold advocacy by companies on the price of carbon to global economic volatility and heated debates on inequality, 2014 was a year of accelerated awareness and action for sustainable development. Our Ten Trends for 2015 distills SustainAbility's thinking over the past year and forecasts the issues that will shape the sustainable development agenda in 2015.  

Here are the clean energy trends that will matter in 2015:  - Moves toward 100 percent renewables will expand - Energy storage will carve out a competitive advantage - Low-cost oil could affect clean transportation, but not clean electricity - Other regions will follow New York's fracking ban 

The Climate Trust released a list of 10 trends that could shape the carbon market in 2016. The trends were identified through interactions with large companies, utilities, governments, and others.

For our annual trends report, we honed in on key issues and opportunities that will define the field - including global geopolitical instability, Paris Agreement implementation, growing importance of sustainable finance, and the continuing rise of cities and regions - via SustainAbility's ongoing issue tracking plus interviews with two dozen international sustainability experts.

From materiality to conflict minerals disclosure, here are the top trends in corporate reporting, plus tips on how to refine your approach.

If the global business community is to thrive in the long term - and carry us to that flourishing future we are trying to imagine and help build - it needs to continue to scale up the ambition and influence of its efforts. That's much easier said than done, of course, though we are seeing a number of encouraging trends within the Sustainable Brands community that, while still nascent, are promising to deliver a lot of value for years to come. 

The events of 2016 have underscored just how volatile, complex and ambiguous the world is today. Drawing on insights that we have collected around the world from thousands of interviews and engagements with stakeholders and consumers, we take a look at the global shifts that will continue to shape the world for leadership organizations in 2017.

ITDP assessed the developments using its new TOD Standard, a policy guide that evaluates real estate developments using eight key elements to integrating sustainable transport, land use planning and sustainable urban design.

Bio-inspired design is showing up in technology projects big and small, from telescopes inspired by lobster eyes to see more of space to swellable microneedle arrays that provide safer skin grafts, based on an insect with a similar swellable proboscis.

(Ethical Corporation) analyzes responses from 415 members in Ethical Corporation's global network to identify prominent supply chain sustainability trends. The analysis finds that around 24% of the respondent group cited industry collaboration as the most significant opportunity to advance supply chain sustainability; 16% cited the circular economy as the most significant opportunity in coming years.

The Obama administration's rule leans heavily on renewable energy to meet its goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent by 2030, which is an increase of 2 percentage points from the draft it released in the summer of 2014. While states have two additional years until they must begin cutting emissions - 2022 instead of 2020 - they are expected to start devising ways to improve their environments, which will focus on shifting to cleaner burning fuels and away from carbon-heavy ones. "The trend we are on will get us there," says Rob Gramlich, senior vice president for government affairs at the American Wind Energy Association, in a phone interview. "As the nation moves from coal to gas, and as it adds more wind, solar and energy efficiency, we will reach that 32 percent target."

The Obama administration's Clean Power Plan rule will require states to begin cutting carbon emissions by 2022. "The trend we are on will get us there. As the nation moves from coal to gas, and as it adds more wind, solar and energy efficiency, we will reach that 32% target," said Rob Gramlich of the American Wind Energy Association. To comply, states can choose among options including boosting renewables, improving heat rates for coal-fired steam generators, and using more nuclear energy and lower-emitting natural gas. Forbes (8/4) 

As we close out 2014, here are Silicon Valley Community Foundation's predictions for what's ahead for CSR in the coming year:

Clean Edge predicts more companies moving to 100 percent renewables for electricity and that low oil prices could affect the market for clean transportation. Find out what else.

As businesses look to keep up with rising global food demand, these concepts stand to change the way we eat.

n 2016 and beyond, building owners and key decision makers will invest in an array of smart building solutions that embody the technology foundation of Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing, according to a new white paper from Navigant Research.

Through the process, I gained an insight into the current state of corporate sustainability: how far it's come in this sector, and how far it still needs to go. Here are three themes that emerged.

Great Adventure is joining large and small amusement parks around the world in what industry officials say is a budding solar trend in response to the demands of a young and environmentally-conscious clientele that loves both the planet and thrill rides, and wants to feel good about the fun they're having.

Over the last 12 months, challenges around addressing sustainability issues have featured consistently in global headlines. Despite mixed political messages about our transition to a low-carbon future, the private sector has continued to drive sustainability up the business agenda; from Science Based Targets (SBTs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to increased investor scrutiny over Non-Financial Reporting. Here are eight key topics from around the world which will likely shape sustainability during 2018.