Hub design promotes safety, sustainability.
Siemens, Air France-KLM, BMW lead Dow Sustainability Index. BMW, Air France and Siemens were named as some of the world's leaders in sustainability by one of the longest-running sustainability indicators, which released its latest listings today. The 2012 Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) review was announced by SAM, the Swiss-based investment company that focuses on sustainability investing. SAM partners with Dow Jones Indexes in the development and publication of the DJSI, which tracks the financial performance of some top international companies. The DJSI uses a “best-in-class” approach for measuring sustainability.
The world’s largest 2,500 companies are annually invited to report on their sustainability performance. Those 57 sectors are then combined into 19 “supersectors,” which SAM uses to identify top industry leaders. The DJSI World 2012/2013 deleted 41 companies this year and added 41 new members. Some of this year’s DJSI supersector leaders include: Image of hand completing green jigsaw puzzle by Dusit via Shutterstock. What Is Your Organization’s View Of “Green” or Sustainability? By: Darren Clarke, High Performance Solutions A common definition of sustainability is “The ability to meet the needs of today’s generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Today, however, there are organizations that have a more broad perspective of what sustainability or “Going Green” means. By focusing on the elimination of waste they can save thousands of dollars.
Bob Willard, an international leading expert and author of ‘The Sustainability Advantage’ completed research that identifies companies can within 5 years of beginning their sustainability effort improve profits by 38 percent and for smaller organizations the improvement can be in excess of 50 percent. Mr. Willard highlights that one of the most important methods to educate corporate leaders to move toward sustainability is to “speak their language”. 3 Dimensions of Sustainability Sustainability is about have a balanced approach or as Bob Willard refers to a 3 legged stool. Asia-Pacific Forum to Cut Import Duties for Green Technologies. Korea bridges developed, developing nations with green growth. By Yi Whan-woo The 2012 World Conservation Congress will boost the nation to serve as a bridge between developed and developing countries in environmental policies, said Lee Hong-koo, chairman of the organizing committee. He said that green growth, one of the nation’s major environmental policies, is the key to achieving both economic development and conservation of nature by promoting green technology and products.
“By showing how much we’re focused on achieving the goal, we can build trust in our environmental strategy in the international community,” he said in an interview with The Korea Times. “I hope people around the world recognize our efforts right here on Jeju Island.” The world has been suffering from rapid climate change as well as economic crises. Developed countries, including the U.S., European nations and Japan, have sought to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to cope with climate changes. This year’s gathering is the first to be held in East Asia.
New awards recognise sustainability efforts. Sharjah: The Middle East Environmental Excellence Awards announced by Expo Centre Sharjah on Monday will recognise Middle East businesses that demonstrate environmental sustainability. Applicants have until September 15 to submit nominations in 14 categories. To be held as part of the Green Middle East trade event — slated for October 15-17 in Sharjah — the awards will build on the UAE’s myriad green initiatives and those in the GCC as well. “The UAE has successfully paved the way for a green economy that supports technology transfer, economic stability and social empowerment. Through the awards we are taking our green initiatives a step further ... we aim to encourage regional businesses to adopt clean technology and reap its benefits, and recognize organisations for their positive environmental and sustainable practices,” said Saif Mohammad Al Midfa, Director-General, Expo Centre Sharjah, in a statement. To submit entries, log on to www.green-middleeast.com.
US professor building sustainable town model with ideas for entire world. Hari Pulakkat, ET Bureau Sep 3, 2012, 06.17AM IST (David Orr is inspiring a…) BANGALORE: When I read the newspapers in Bangalore this morning," says David Orr, distinguished professor of environmental studies at Oberlin College in the US, "I see at least a dozen stories that deal with environment. The issues in southern India are the same as in the US or in Europe. And that gives me hope that we are part of a global movement.
" Orr is inspiring a sustainability project in his university town that he believes can become a model for the entire world. Oberlin, situated near Cleveland in northern Ohio, has been building a town that practises 'full-spectrum sustainability'. The entire town is being renovated as part of the project. "Our next big project is a hotel in the middle of downtown that will change the way commercial buildings are built," says Orr. The clincher is that no one globally has done all these things together in a town. Oberlin College has a distinguished history. Integrated reporting Edelman sustainability Vancity cash flow IIRC.
Companies ranging from Clorox to Microsoft to the Coca-Cola Company are among 70 corporations testing the use of an integrated financial reporting model that combines tangible financial results with environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. Unlike the more widely known efforts of sustainability reporting, integrated reporting seeks to go beyond how “green” a company is by factoring in the costs of that sustainability.
Integrated reporting would require companies to report all material information, not just that which appears in financial statements. Very few companies do that today, says Julie Gorte, senior vice president for sustainable investing at PAX World Management, one of 20 institutional investors helping to shape the framework. “Most companies tell you all kinds of things financially and they tell you what they’re supposed to with [corporate] governance,” but not much else, she adds. The IIRC insists that added material information will make investors a happier group. How Bloomberg Manages E-Waste and Sustainability. It’s time green marketing grew up - 21 Aug 2012 - James' Blog: a blog from BusinessGreen.
One of the most remarkable, and yet rarely remarked upon, characteristics of the many different clean tech companies BusinessGreen reports on each month is the extent to which they all face a very similar challenge. Whether they are selling energy efficient lighting or solar panels, electric cars or carbon software, they all have to battle with the dilemma presented by the disconnect between capital and operational costs, the challenge of convincing people to pay a little bit more upfront to realise significant savings down the line. For the most part, these are well-managed companies trying to sell good products and services, and as such they have proved fairly adept at over-coming these barriers and building up a customer base featuring high profile corporate clients that are committed to greening their operations. Even taking into account the undeniably tough economic environment, these barriers to deployment are hard to explain.
Moreover, these are no-longer fledgling technologies. Locals aren't buying Palo Alto's newest green-energy program. Palo Alto may be land of the green and home of the tech-savvy, but the city's latest renewable-energy program has so far failed to achieve even a spark of participation from local customers, forcing officials to go back to the drawing board. The program, dubbed Palo Alto CLEAN (Clean Local Energy Accessible Now), gives local companies with large rooftops a chance to sell energy generated by solar systems to the city's Utilities Department.
In launching the program in March, the city hoped to get about 4 megawatts of solar energy from local rooftops through this program, enough to power roughly 1,250 homes. At its March 5 meeting, the City Council swiftly and enthusiastically approved the new program, with Councilman Pat Burt calling it a "fulfillment of what is overwhelmingly a desire in our community to have very clean and competitive electricity" and "an excellent example" for other utilities to emulate.
But things haven't quite panned out as planned. Firm identifies sustainability megaforces that will affect business. By: Zandile Mavuso Business has, over the past 20 years, recognised how it impacts on the world, but only recently has it become evident how the world affects the way in which companies do business, reports professional services firm KPMG. The firm highlights that decoupling human progress from the use of resources, as well as environmental decline, is a central challenge.
This challenge will also be one of the greatest sources of future success. In its report, ‘Expect the unexpected: building business value in a changing world’, released in February, KPMG identified ten sustainability megaforces that will affect businesses between now and 2035. The ten megaforces are deforestation, climate change, energy and fuel, material resource scarcity, water scarcity, population growth, wealth, food security, urbanisation and the decline of the ecosystem. “Wealth is a key driver for many governments.
The global middle class is predicted to grow by 172% between 2010 and 2030. The Importance of Embedding Sustainability in Secondary Education Curriculums | TriplePundit Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit. By Hunter Lovins The diverse crises that the planet faces will only be solved when companies and communities implement authentic and innovative sustainability practices. It is therefore encouraging that there are an increasing number of colleges and universities now including sustainability as part of their campus management programs and curriculum. Are these programs effective enough to create the next generation of thought leaders our world needs? The answer is, “No. A good start is underway, however. The business community is demanding candidates with sustainability training.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting is increasing annually, creating job openings for graduates familiar with integrated reporting. A 2010 study by McKinsey found, however, that many companies need education on how to go forward. Students are looking for schools that make living and teaching sustainability a priority in their coursework and in campus life. Despite all this, efforts are falling short. Implementing Sustainable Data Center Practices. Environmental stewardship, innovation and leadership are becoming increasingly important as we take steps to create a sustainable environment for future generations. This is particularly important when it comes to construction of new data centers or major renovations of older ones. The Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification process offers a useful framework for organizing green strategies.
To earn LEED certification, buildings must exhibit environmental responsibility in seven areas: Sustainable sitesWater efficiencyEnergy and atmosphereMaterials and resourcesIndoor environmental qualityInnovation and designRegional credits The following sections will discuss data center sustainability strategies in the first two areas of LEED green building certification: sustainable sites and water efficiency. Sustainable Sites Limiting physical sprawl is one of the most important goals of sustainable site development. Raising inlet temperatures does pose potential risks. 9 skills for success in corporate sustainability leadership. The following is adapted from the book Changing Business from the Inside Out: A Treehugger's Guide to Working in Corporations, by Timothy J.
Mohin, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2012. Reprinted with permission. While numerous graduate programs are popping up that offer training in sustainable business and corporate responsibility, very few people in the corporate responsibility (CR) field have these degrees. Most people working in CR positions have education and experience in some other area and have followed their passion to get to one of these jobs. After talking to several of my colleagues and thinking through my own experiences, I identified nine core skills that are important elements to success in corporate responsibility: 1. Working in CR is a lifelong learning experience that rewards the flexible and curious. The breadth of this role can be both terrifying and exhilarating. 2.
Just about everyone in corporate responsibility started their careers in another field. Supply chain sustainability: Lessons from the past, ideas for the future. This article was originally published in BSR Insight and is reprinted with permission. When I first joined BSR less than a decade ago, the companies investing in supply chain sustainability were primarily in the apparel, footwear, and toy sectors. Today, all industries prioritize supply chain sustainability, including the biggest brands in electronics, consumer goods, transportation, and other industries.
The number of standards also has multiplied, reflecting a broader set of topics and participants. In the early 2000s, priorities were wages, working hours, and health and safety. But what progress have we made toward improving the lives of workers in supply chains and protecting the ecosystems that support industry and commerce as well as human survival on this planet?
Although supply chain sustainability management practices have evolved significantly, we have an opportunity to re-examine traditional approaches and achieve measurable, dramatic improvements. The Road We’ve Traveled 1. WWF awards London 2012 bronze medal for sustainability efforts - 20 Jul 2012. Use a model to implement sustainability. By Leanne Hoagland-Smith July 15, 2012 2:18PM Leanne Hoagland-Smith. | Provided photo~Sun-Times Media storyidforme: 33536802 tmspicid: 6294841 fileheaderid: 2920042 To successfully implement a sustainability model or any other initiative requires clarity and a shared understanding as to what this word, program or strategy really means. The Brundtland Commission developed the most frequently used definition of sustainability: “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” From this definition, further refinement can take place, such as suggested by the Institute for Sustainability: “…an increase in productivity and/or reduction of consumed resources without compromising product or service quality, competitiveness or profitability while helping to save the environment.”
Finding common agreement on this term of sustainability as in other terms, such as success, is necessary to ensure implementation or execution. Five “Keys” to Unlock a Successful Sustainability Program - Key 2: Integrate Sustainability into Day-to-Day Operations. Part 5 in the blog series The New PR From a Vision to a Culture (building an internal constituency) For sustainability to be integrated into a business model, it must be compatible not just on the theoretical level, but also practically on a day-to-day basis. Asking people to engage in behavior that is seen as incompatible with their regular duties is a recipe for failure. For this reason, the human resources department is a key partner when building the program. Incentives and rewards must be aligned with the desired actions and outcomes in sustainability, just as they are for other more traditional business objectives. Identify and build on “quick hit” benefits Sustainability programs are not just long range efforts.
Risk Management Another benefit is in the area of risk management. The Value of Partnerships – Building Credibility Social marketing and co-branding opportunities allow for a company to take advantage of an established philanthropic organization’s credibility. Sustainable tech saw Maya through drought - Technology & science - Science - LiveScience - NBCNews.com. We need new leadership for sustainable business, society and the world | Guardian Sustainable Business | Guardian Professional. Reinventgreen/ Company Culture Leads to Sustainability. 6 keys to broadening and deepening sustainability. The Rules. Sustainability and co-operation are overshadowed by economic orthodoxy | Guardian Sustainable Business | Guardian Professional. Re/insurers Join Efforts to Support UN's Principles for Sustainable Insurance. Sustainability finally earns its spot on the business agenda. Sustainability Pays, says SVN Awardee. Green Movement Takes Root in Malaysia. Nasdaq Joins Four Exchanges in Sustainability Effort.
Brazil to set new sustainability standard. How Cities Are Leading the Fight Against Climate Change. Why sustainability is a non-negotiable imperative in design. Moving towards sustainability?
5 ways sustainability managers can use data to make their business case. The $1 Trillion (and Growing) Sustainable Economy. Rio+20. Sustainable development is the only way forward | Jonathan Glennie | Global development. Business Advice | Small business advice & UK business advice for directors & entrepreneurs. Clean Tech. Recession and Green Technology Trend to Drive New Wave of Smart Grid Consumer Investment. The balancing act of corporate sustainability and consumption. Vision is not enough, we need a route map to build sustainable economies | Guardian Sustainable Business.