Sustainability Policy

The products we support, the experiences we love, and the ideas we champion reflect our unwavering pursuit of a more prosperous and sustainable present and future for all. Konokan is the premise that a growing self-governed community of Dreamers, Makers and Doers united around essential values can make a difference in the world.

We know that we won’t become a community of sustainable businesses overnight, but that by taking slow, conscious, strategic steps toward an eco-friendly future, together, we can become better, improve our sustainability practices, and build a balanced world.

1. Our Guiding Principles

We are a diverse community who care about people, the world, and our environment:

• Actively part of changing and improving our world;
• Leading with love, kindness, trust, and hope;
• Holding a humble posture of learning;
• We believe that at the heart of the 5 Ps of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – People, Planet, Partnership, Prosperity, and Peace – lie the 2-pronged process of community building and a cycle of consultation, action, and reflection;
• And that peace can only prevail once there is justice and unity.  

2. Our Focus Areas

1.  People, Partnership, Prosperity, and Peace

SDG 8: Decent work and Economic growth

SDG 10: Reducing Inequality within and among countries

Beyond material prosperity, our Values, Beliefs, and Ethics: The development of respect for and empathy and cooperation with people holding different values, beliefs and morals. Focus on outside-in (as opposed to Top-down) consultative and decision-making mechanisms. Dialogue and consultation around ‘the middle road’ or moderation can give guidance to just, fair and sustainable development pathways.

Our objective: To create an ecosystem that promotes values of diversity and inclusion while diligently working to provide access, instill equity and justice across the value chain.

Our Action plan:

• Our marketing and brand efforts showcasing people from underrepresented groups;
• Our contribution to facilitate global trade limitations such as legal barriers or access to market;
• Featured interviews and stories we publish about our brand partners, artisans, makers and doers;
• Strategic partnerships with civil society organisations in local communities to advance impact framework goals.

What we measure:

• A growing community of Sellers actively participating in our community building forum and part of the Website governance;
• Our community of Sellers growing compliance with our partnership assessment requirement; 
• Products with different price ranges to suit customers from diverse socio-economic backgrounds;
• Local courier delivery solutions for hard to get areas, such as townships and slums;

2.  Planet

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and production

SDG 13: Climate Action

Beyond material and scientific considerations, our Values, Beliefs, and Ethics: Finding a balance between one’s own responsibility and community care, new technological options and traditional knowledge, old customs and new habits, instrumental use and intrinsic value. For our mutual responsibility towards nature to come together and encourage coalitions and alliances based on shared interests, values and beliefs.

Our objective: To mitigate and offset our negative impact on the planet by utilising environmentally responsible mindset, practices, solutions, and technologies.

Our Action Plan:

• Carbon emissions and offsetting efforts throughout our entire operation;
• Circularity of products and packaging; 
• Activities that offset unavoidable carbon emissions;
• Circular sustainable production and regenerative cycles;
• Sustainable packaging; 
• Evaluate all materials that go into all products we create and sell;
• Supply chain and Community educational content on environmental topics.

What we measure:

• Our community of Sellers and suppliers’ growing compliance with using sustainable packaging, reducing packaging, consolidating items into fewer packages, and upcycling and reusing old packaging;
• Our community of Sellers and suppliers’ growing compliance with consolidating orders, minimising returns, and working with shipping companies that practice green logistics;
• Our community of Sellers and suppliers’ growing compliance in saving products from the landfill! By reusing, reselling, and recycling old items to give them a second lease on life.

This policy may be reviewed at regular intervals to update our community of Sellers and Buyers of our common progress.