Deloitte’s Sustainable Business Blog

No water, no energy. No energy, no water.

Deloitte Blogs — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:33:42 -0400

We have been talking about the interrelationship, or nexus, between water and energy for some time now, so when I first learned about the 2012 Deloitte Energy Conference I saw an opportunity to expand the dialogue—to help advance thinking that could move us toward solutions. I teamed up with Joe Stanislaw, one of Deloitte Services LP’s leading energy consultants, to present a panel at the conference, “No Water, No Energy. No Energy, No Water.” The conference was held on Monday and Tuesday of this week in Washington, D.C., bringing together energy executives, investors, regulators, and Deloitte professionals from around the...

Investor interest in water risk on the rise

Deloitte Blogs — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:19:02 -0400

“If you don’t have water, you don’t have business…”1 One of the world’s most-taken-for-granted resources is also one of the world’s most foundational requirements for business growth. In fact, it can be said that water is a strategic resource for most global businesses, some more obviously dependent on access to plentiful supplies of water (food and beverage industries) than others (mineral extraction, clothing and semiconductor manufacturing, pharmaceuticals). As growing populations, increased economic activity, drought, and pollution take their toll on widespread availability of water, increasing numbers of senior executives are coming to view water as a substantial risk to their...

PEIs ponder the implications of sustainability on performance and reputation

Deloitte Blogs — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:12:42 -0400

Several leading private equity investment (PEI) firms have embraced the importance of assessing sustainability and environmental risks and opportunities in making investment decisions. It was only four years ago that a major private equity organization partnered with the Environmental Defense Fund to establish the first “green portfolio” of companies, focused on environmental performance improvements. In a relatively short amount of time, there is substantial interest in reviewing social, environmental, and governance factors that might produce tangible and sustainable improvements in business performance and profitability. PEIs are a natural target It makes sense that private equity firms were targeted for action...

Energy Management Strategy: Energizing profits and insulating risks

Deloitte Blogs — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:05:57 -0400

Over the past year, Deloitte has seen a noticeable change in business and government thinking about energy and water resources. Executives have more than an awareness of the opportunities to positively impact cost and risk to their organizations by addressing supply and consumption of these business critical inputs. And, I think decision makers have recognized that aligning energy and resource management initiatives to strategic goals or government mission has an impact on; reputation, top and bottom line, employee motivation, and risk reduction. When you think about it, very compelling outcomes can result from clarity on this issue. One of the...

Supply Chain Collaboration: All for one and one for all

Deloitte Blogs — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:08:45 -0400

When I look at a supply chain, I see a vehicle for driving value. I know that by applying a sustainability lens to inputs and outputs up and down your supply chain, you can likely achieve savings and efficiencies for your company. Now, just imagine the power of that same process if every supply chain participant collaborated in the effort! Why? Because whether you look at raw materials at the beginning of the chain or go all the way through to end-of-life, all parties share a common experience—there is only one revenue stream for every three expense streams. They should...