Diane Osgood, PhD, discovered her shopping superpower while studying wild orangutans in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Watching the tropical forest cut down before her eyes, she realized that if people stopped buying products made from tropical wood, the deforestation would stop. This realization led her to earn a Ph.D. in Environmental Economics at the London School of Economics and become an authority on sustainable and ethical products. Sustainability isn’t just her work. It’s her passion. She’s a nerd with a knack for translating complex issues into plain words. For more than 30 years, she has helped Fortune Global 500 companies create products that are better for the planet and all people, integrate sustainability into everything they do, and develop strategies to bring sustainability stretch goals to life. DuPont, Meta, Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Richard Branson’s Virgin businesses are among her clients. She is a co-author with Seth Godin and others on the best-selling The Carbon Almanac (Penguin, 2022) and writes occasionally for online journals.
“Whether for your health, or for people and planet, this timely guidebook shows you how to unleash your power to vote for the world you want each time you shop. I have been lucky to have had Diane as my mentor for decades and her experience in ethical shopping is unsurpassed. In her own words, ‘Now in a world that seems to have lost heart, you can shop with yours.’” —Julia Ormond, actor and human rights activist ""It's difficult to shop our way out of the climate crisis, but we can organize, connect, and make a difference. In this practical guide, Diane Osgood helps us see that we are not alone, and that collective action is not just possible, it's essential."" —Seth Godin, founding editor, The Carbon Almanac “Balance your buying with your beliefs. In this wise book, learn steps to minimize toxicity and harm to our Earth by harmonizing your values and your choices.” —Elena Brower, author of Practice You and Hold Nothing “We all have the power to change the world through the products we buy. Here’s a guidebook that shows you how.” —Paul Rice, author of Every Purchase Matters “This is a must-read for anyone wanting to leverage their purchase power to build a better world. Diane created the required field manual for responsible purchasing, converting passion into practice. She made it simple for us.” —Justin Dillon, founder, FRDM and Slavery Footprint “A timely masterpiece! A powerful, fact-based work backed by thirty years of experience. Essential reading for our times—insightful, practical, and much needed.” —Diana Verde Nieto, business leader and sustainability expert, author of Reimagining Luxury, and co-founder of Edify Collective ""Every time we buy, we vote. This timely guidebook empowers us as shoppers to demand good jobs of dignity, clean non-toxic products, and a restored environment"" —Ayesha Barenblat, founder, Remake (www.remake.world) “The sleeping giants for a better world are consumers. The language of business is profits and the big influence on governments are business. It all derives from people consuming goods. It is rare for a book to offer the why, what and how, but Diane Osgood has done it in this book! She has done it brilliantly. It delves into discovering values based shopping guides that will engender happiness, and empower people to discover their response-ability for a better world —and it is clear and readable. There was a great film based on the bestselling book Bridges over Madison County. Clint Eastwood did everything in his power to direct the film. The whole story revolves around the understanding that we are the decisions that we make. This is what our work in combatting and preventing modern slavery and creation of The Chocolate Scorecard is based on. Helping consumers make decisions that make a difference. What Diane Osgood has done in this book explains precisely what we are trying to do. The principles, actions and outcomes not only help consumers, but the same principles also help business. Get ready for the ride that could remedy and redeem your life to bring real hope for a better world.” —Fuzz and Carolyn Kitto, co-directors, Be Slavery Free and The Chocolate Scorecard