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The Journal

2024 is the year carbon neutrality, environmental sustainability, and climate reporting move from talk into action. No matter the size of your business or where you work, we're all in for a change that bends the emissions curve. Read about the effects of the EU Green Deal, data reporting and the new, blockchain Internet that measures-to-transform the 100 trillion global economy.
The EU's Green Deal uses a Digital First strategy, in the form of Digital Product Passports, to collect and circulate lifecycle data among stakeholders. Put simply, data is the oxygen that breathes life into Europe's climate transition and freer, fairer trade, while growing the economy and preserving their incredible quality of life.
Read how digitized supply chain transparency supports the "Twin Transitions" of climate neutrality and sustainable economies.  These policies move toward a defensive stance on material and energy supply chains as vital to economic policy and national security.
The Jaipur Crafts Festivals activate a crafts differentiation strategy with a matrix of long-term goals that emerge through high-impact events. 
Decolonization, which unravels lingering colonial systems and structures, has been topical in Africa and the Americas for over 20 years. Inside India, decolonizing Indian crafts does not seem to have crossed-over from academic settings to broader audiences. Why is that? 

The lack of a standardized, generally accepted definition of “handmade / handcraft” destabilizes sustainability reporting, ESG dimensions and other urgent, data-driven concerns. We propose the best general definition for handmades, so far:

"True handmades are created, essentially, by human hands. “100% handmades” can use hand tools or even limited mechanical processes—as long as the artisan’s work and skills remain the most substantial value-add of the finished product." Keep reading for a rounded view of handmades, globally.

New consumer-driven, sustainability-forward demand could help Indian crafts prosper. Read a strategy that addresses what's wrong and how to fix it.

Muslins were, likely, the world’s first luxury trades. Demand for their sensory qualities of airiness, softness and coolness on the skin drove exports all over the ancient world. Domestically, Indian muslins are regarded as an art form that rivaled the beauty and transparency of silk. In Rome and beyond, Indian handwovens were sold as ‘textalisventalis’ or ‘woven air’.