The GREEN MARKET

Canadian Prime Minister Criticized Over Tar Sands Development

2012-01-27T10:01:00.000-05:00

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper advocated for European investment and reiterated his support for oil expansion.

Harper is concerned about the new European fuel quality directive, which targets dirty sources of energy, particularly the Alberta tar sands.

According to a March 2011 document from the government's "pan-European oilsands advocacy strategy," released through access to information legislation, "Europe is not an important market for oilsands-derived products, Europe legislation/regulation, such as the EU Fuel Quality Directive, has the potential to impact the industry globally,"

The document outlined the government's goals to "target" European politicians — "especially from the ruling and influential parties" — to lobby against climate-change policies that would require oilsands producers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.

At the meeting in Davos, the founder of the annual World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, called for delegates to undertake a "great transformation" that would challenge some of the basic tenets of capitalism.

Other business leaders including Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, have called for leaders to fuel growth and jobs in a way that is environmentally sustainable.

Harper was told that doing business is not just about making money but is also about bolstering Canadian society, said participant Monique Leroux, chief executive of Desjardins Group.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Sustainable Brands' Five Trends for 2012

2012-01-26T12:30:00.000-05:00

Early in January Sustainable Brands published an article by Raphael Bemporad that addressed five trends that he believes will shape sustainable brands in 2012. Bemporad is the founding partner and Chief Strategy Officer of BBMG, he is a passionate champion for a new approach to brand innovation that creates shared value. An expert in brand strategy, CSR/cause marketing and public affairs, Bemporadl has launched national campaigns, drafted public policy, created consumer and nonprofit brands on aggressive timelines and budgets, and managed communications for local, state and federal elected officials. Here are his five trends for 2012:

1. The Ubiquity of C2C

In 2012, we will experience a fundamental paradigm shift from a business-to-consumer (B2C) marketplace to a consumer-to-business (C2B) and consumer-to-consumer (C2C) marketplace—where creating, buying, selling and sharing products and services will increasingly be driven by consumers themselves.

This is happening in the context of radical personalization, collaborative consumption and co-creativity, where brand purchases and experiences are dis-intermediated by traditional brands and retailers and unleashed via new technologies and platforms (from Good Guide to Etsy to Getaround) that firmly place more power in the hands of consumers.

Success now means rethinking sales channels toward more direct interaction and inviting consumers in to imagine, create and extend how our brands live in the world.

2. The Rise of Generation “Why?”

The rise of the C2C marketplace is driven in part by the influence of values-aspirational, practically minded New Consumers looking for brands that deliver total value: products that work well, cost less, last longer and do some good.

Youthful, educated, wired and mostly female, this New Consumer is asking “why” they should care about brands; and, if they can’t find what they’re looking for, “why not” just create the solutions themselves? New Consumers are more practical and more purposeful, and they’re not willing to wait.

And, with billions of these New Consumers entering the marketplace in developing economies, the key question will be whether brands can reach and delight them—beyond just more consumption—to inspire responsible purchases and deeper participation with health, happiness and sustainability in mind.

3. The Race to Relationship

Thanks to Groupon and its countless competitors, 2011’s year of the deal saw virtually every brand category join an unfortunate race to the lowest-price bottom that is destroying brand value, reducing consumers to commodities and undermining our shared, long-term success.

Sure, we dig deals and we always will. Yet by focusing so relentlessly on unsustainable price discounts, we undermine the very potential for our brands to do more and mean more for our customers.

Instead, we believe 2012 will see a race to relationship, where the most successful brands will break free of the lowest-price trap and deliver more value by empowering consumers with better products and experiences and championing their success. Patagonia’s disruptive Don’t Buy This Jacket campaign highlights this commitment to creating enduring products and relationships by promising to make “useful gear that lasts a long time” and inviting us to reduce, repair, reuse, recycle and reimagine how and what we consume together.

As one of our favorite clients says, “We don’t want a one-night-stand with our customers. We want long-term love affairs.”

4. The Imperative of Sustainable Brand Innovation

Whether it’s reducing resource risks in supply chains, driving efficiencies into workflows or reaping the rewards of increased transparency and corporate reputation, we believe sustainable brand innovation offers unmatched opportunity for exponential value creation for business, consumers, society and our planet.

In 2012, sustainable brands large and small will increasingly connect consumers, brand teams, suppliers and subject-matter experts in the innovation process to embed sustainability and social purpose into every business strategy, product design and stakeholder relationship.

Creating better brands, products, packaging and platforms, the highest performing companies will integrate practical, environmental and tribal benefits in every new offering—therefore becoming agents of change at a faster speed and larger scale than ever before.

Figure 4. The Neutrogena Naturals brand embraces innovation through partnerships with the Linus Paling Institute, technology scouts and experts in various health and science fields.

5: The Evolution from Occupy to Engage

If the most emblematic word of 2011 was “occupy,” we believe the word of 2012 will be “engage.”

With an existential howl against the status quo, the global Occupy movement represents a deep yearning for a new way of doing business that replaces short-term, transactional, profit-only thinking with a more responsible, transparent and equitable economy that creates more value for more people in more ways.

In 2012, there is good reason to believe that sustainable brands can lead the way.

In states from California to Maryland to New York, B Corporations are engaging policymakers to pass legislation that recognizes (and incentivizes) corporate accountability to all stakeholders: investors, consumers, employees, community members and the environment.

The Harvard Business Review hails the benefits of “The Good Company” that combines financial and social logic into its operations by engaging employees, partners and community institutions in building enduring value and success.

Meanwhile, pioneering brands from Levi’s to Coca Cola to Nike are engaging consumers so they spend less, enjoy more and take action on issues that improve our shared future—from protecting safe drinking water to preserving endangered habitats to creating more opportunities for the producers of their products around the world.

As we enter a new year and look around the corner, we believe the most successful brands will meet the needs, hopes and aspirations of New Consumers; build more respectful, collaborative and enduring relationships with all stakeholders; and unleash our collective co-creativity to bring better, smarter and more impactful ideas to life in ways that create shared value for all.

For the original article click here.

Top Business Sustainability Trends for 2012

2012-01-26T07:48:00.002-05:00

In 2012 it is becoming increasingly clear that sustainability adds value and helps to make an organization more competitive. Sustainability is moving beyond public relations and becoming a matter of survival. More organizations are engaging robust risk management and environmentally conscious operations. Here is a list of sustainability trends that will gain even greater prominence in 2012.

More Green Collaboration. Although collaboration was big in 2011, driven by economic pressures and the need for innovation, it will get even bigger in 2012. Businesses will combine their resources and research expertise to achieve more than they could on their own.

Private Sector Working with NGOs. The private sector will increase their work with public NGOs with the aim of pooling their expertise and delivering greater public good.

Greening Supply Chains. For the last couple of years companies have been looking to reduce their impacts by putting pressure on suppliers throughout their supply chain. These green supply chain initiatives will be increasingly rigorous. In 2012 this movement will achieve unprecedented heights.

Shareholder Pressure. Almost half of shareholder resolutions will be sustainability-related in 2012. This shareholder pressure is forcing companies to get serious about their sustainability efforts.

Green Employee Engagement. Companies are understanding that employees are an effective way to achieve environmental and social goals, as well as to improve recruitment, retention, and the bottom line.

Engaging Social Media. Stakeholder engagment as it relates to employees, customers, and activists are increasingly important elements of the social media revolution. Whether delivering a green message, mobilizing support to advance an environmental initiative or brand monitoring, social media is key.

Emerging markets. Businesses are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of emerging markets. Businesses will get more involved in mitigating these impacts through technology and innovation.

Business and Biodiversity. Businesses will increasingly embrace initiatives that acknowledge and support the importance of biodiversity.

The Growing Prominence of Water. Businesses will increasingly address the importance of water as a key sustainability issue. This will include access to water, water management, water in the supply chain.

Transparency and Reporting. Transparency is the cornerstone of the new business reality and disclosure through reporting is how this is achieved. More and more businesses are becoming transparent with integrated reporting of financial and sustainability reports. A growth in the number of organizations reporting as noted by the Carbon Disclosure Project is an illustration of this trend.

Data Management Software. To help companies with the flood of information they will increasingly use sophisticated software as a key component of their sustainability strategy.

Expanded Role of Boards. To help with oversight and compliance with sustainability mandates, boards will become an increasingly common fixture in 2012.

Virtual Meetings. As organizations increasingly monitor their footprints they are realizing that travel, particularly air travel, comes with a large footprint. To make this footprint smaller, a growing number of physical meetings will be replaced with virtual meetings. Anywhere there is an Internet connection co-collaborators can have access to your screen and vise versa. Here are some examples of virtual meeting platforms: webex, GoToMeeting, Join.me, Elluminate and TokBox.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Clean Energy Excerpts of President Obama's State of the Union Speech

2012-01-25T11:33:00.003-05:00

Members of the US House and Senate, along with hundreds of distinguished guests, convened at the Capitol on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 9 p.m. for President Obama's third State of the Union Address. According to article II, Section 3, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution, the President must “give to the Congress Information on the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” Here are excerpts of the President's speech related to the environment, the green economy and clean energy:

“The differences in this chamber may be too deep right now to pass a comprehensive plan to fight climate change. But there's no reason why Congress shouldn't at least set a clean energy standard that creates a market for innovation.”

“So far, you [Congress] haven't acted. Well tonight, I will. I'm directing my Administration to allow the development of clean energy on enough public land to power three million homes. And I'm proud to announce that the Department of Defense, the world's largest consumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history - with the Navy purchasing enough capacity to power a quarter of a million homes a year.”

“In three years, our partnership with the private sector has already positioned America to be the world's leading manufacturer of high-tech batteries. Because of federal investments, renewable energy use has nearly doubled. And thousands of Americans have jobs because of it”.

“Some technologies don't pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy. I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here.”

“We have subsidized oil companies for a century. That's long enough. It's time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that's rarely been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that's never been more promising. Pass clean energy tax credits and create these jobs. We can also spur energy innovation with new incentives.”

“I will not back down from making sure an oil company can contain the kind of oil spill we saw in the Gulf two years ago.”

The President also dealt with the issue of energy efficiency, talking specifically about an energy grid that “wastes too much energy,” and he encouraged greener building for businesses.

“Of course, the easiest way to save money is to waste less energy. So here's another proposal: Help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in their factories and give businesses incentives to upgrade their buildings. Their energy bills will be $100 billion lower over the next decade, and America will have less pollution, more manufacturing, and more jobs for construction workers who need them. Send me a bill that creates these jobs.”

The President indicating that he is committed to reducing mercury pollution and making sure that “our food is safe and water is clean.”

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Related Posts
Highlights of Obama's 2011 State of the Union Address: Clean Energy, Electric Vehicles and Eliminating Oil Subsidies
Obama's National Goal of One Million EVs by 2015
The Renewable Energy Standard
Excerpts from President Obama's 2010 State of the Union Address
Obama Renews His Commitments to Clean Energy and Small Business
Obama Makes Good on Executive Order to Reduce the Federal Government's GHGs

2012 to be the Best Year Ever For Clean-Tech Investment

2012-01-25T08:03:00.002-05:00

Global investment in clean technology is expected to set a record in 2012 beating the record of $260 billion set in 2011. “Despite some of the well-publicized headwinds, venture capitalists continue to invest in clean-tech,” said Sheeraz Haji, chief executive officer of Cleantech Group, “Based on our historical data, we believe 2012 will be an all-time record year for global clean-tech investments.”

Figures, from Cleantech Group the show that mergers and acquisitions in this sector hit record highs in 2011, with 391 deals worth a total of $41.2 billion.

A report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance revealed this month that investment in solar energy grew by more than a third. Reuters reports that solar energy investment grew to $136.6 billion, partly due to a dramatic fall in the cost of photovoltaic panels.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Related Posts
US Regains Lead from China as Clean Energy Leader
China is Leading in terms of Renewable Energy Attractiveness

US Regains Lead from China as Clean Energy Leader

2012-01-24T14:00:00.004-05:00

It may be the Chinese new year, but according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, in 2011 the US regained its place as the world’s number one investor in clean energy. According to this data the US has reclaimed the top spot from China which had been the leading country since 2008.

Bloomberg’s figures showed that total new global investment in clean energy increased 5 percent to $260 billion in 2011. A surge in solar technology investment – up 36 per cent from 2010 to $136.6 billion – drove the growth. Money spent on solar power was almost twice the $74.9 billion spent on wind power in 2011.

In 2011, U.S. total investment in clean energy surged to $55.9 billion, up 33 percent from 2010; China saw investment rise just 1 percent to $47.4 billion over the same time period.

Bloomberg attributes much of the increase in US investment to the government support. This includes initiatives such as the federal loan guarantee program, Treasury grant program and the Production Tax Credit.

The Treasury grant program expired at the end of 2011 and the remaining support measure for renewable energy, the Production Tax Credit, is scheduled to expire at the end of 2012. Bloomberg suggests we may see a rush to take advantage of the Production Tax Credit before it expires in 2012,

In 2013, if the credit is not extended, we may see a slump in US investment in clean energy. Wind turbine manufacturer Vestas has warned that 1,600 U.S. jobs are at risk if clean energy tax credits are not extended beyond this year.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Related Posts
2012 to be the Best Year Ever For Clean-Tech Investment
China is Leading in terms of Renewable Energy Attractiveness

China is Leading in terms of Renewable Energy Attractiveness

2012-01-24T08:01:00.003-05:00

According to Ernst & Young’s Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index, China is the best place in the world for renewable energy investment. In 2011 the Chinese government announced that it will hold tenders for 2GW of projects to reach its target of 5GW of offshore power by 2015. But Ernst & Young has indicated that the country will need to invest in its grid reliability and transmission access for onshore wind projects in remote locations.

The US is following closely behind China in terms of the attractiveness index. President Obama and the Democratic party continue to push for a clean energy standard while the Republicans are resisting both renewable energy development and the very notion of climate change.

To read the complete Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index click here.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Related Posts
2012 to be the Best Year Ever For Clean-Tech Investment
US Regains Lead from China as Clean Energy Leader

Top CSR Initiatives for 2012

2012-01-23T11:00:00.001-05:00

Many organizations that practice corporate social responsibility (CSR) are expanding their reach in 2012. Corporations are increasingly seeing the value of environmental sustainability. In addition to making more environmentally responsible decisions in 2012, organizations are realizing the value of working with others to achieve their goals and fulfill their CSR potential. Here are some CSR initiatives for 2012.

Become more sustainable: Review your organization and then develop a strategy to do things like become more energy efficient, generate less waste, increase recycling rates, engage employee behavior and support environmental efforts outside of the workplace.

Support Environmental Events: Be part of environmental initiatives by celebrating events that take place throughout the year. Raise consciousness by incorporating these efforts into your marketing and throughout your organization. You can even start your own environmental oriented initiatives which you can in turn share with everyone in your value chain.

Engagement and Alignment: Engage your employees, consumers and other stakeholders by asking them what they want to see from your program objectives. Align your objectives with the results of your engagement efforts and build loyalty by inculcating these values.

Grassroots Involvement: Get the general public involved with your efforts. Ask for their views and develop local programs that respond to their concerns.

Transparency: In an attempt to proactively engage the perception of inappropriate conduct, open your organization up to public scrutiny and review.

Be a Catalyst for Prosocial Change: Find a problematic issue and develop a strategy to help improve the situation. Educate people and encourage them to contribute.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Top Green Stock Picks for 2012

2012-01-23T07:58:00.002-05:00

The stock market has not performed well in 2011 and green stocks are no exception. If the US can maintain its current trajectory and Europe can avoid slipping into recession, 2012 may prove to be a better year for the alternative energy and cleantech sector. The overall environment was not the only drag on stocks in 2011, the Chinese flooded the market with cheap solar panels, bringing the price down and taking some solar companies with it.

Canaccord Genuity has its “Best Ideas” list for the CleanTech sector in 2012 and they are focused on companies which are adopting trends for technologies that optimize energy creation and consumption.

Some of their top picks for 2012 include Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) and Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE: AYI). Another one of their top picks is a Canadian company by the name of RuggedCom.

Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) was maintained as Buy: “…we remain decidedly contrarian as shares continue to trough, yet the multi-year Smart Grid product cycle continues to unfold through mid-decade. We favor the company’s strong market share and FCF generation capabilities (10%+ FCF yield), ongoing restructuring efforts, share buyback and active M&A program against current investor concerns about ’12 & ’13 EPS power and European exposure. We find recently reinstalled CEO LeRoy Nosbaum acting with an appropriate degree of urgency to catalyze value creation at the current share price.”

Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE: AYI) was maintained as Buy: “We believe that LEDs will help accelerate Acuity’s traditional sales over time while growing to become accretive to the business model. As such, we see the potential for $3.50 to $4.00 in earnings power per share in 2013/2014 as the secular trend starts to manifest. We remain aggressive buyers on pullbacks from the fits and starts in the non-residential construction markets, and we view 2012 as the right time to build a meaningful position in the shares.”

RuggedCom is a Canadian company which trades as “RCM” in Toronto and Canaccord Genuity noted, “We find management execution impressive, as RuggedCom continues to generate above-market growth with industry-leading profitability. The core industrial switch/router business continues on its growth trajectory, while the achievement of profitability within the wireless business is a notable milestone… we find risk/reward attractive here.”

For more information go to the Canaccord Genuity site.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Related Post
Investing in Green Economic Growth
Eco-Investing
Sustainable Stock Offers More than Extraordinary Returns
Sustainable Investing and Long Term Thinking
Sustainable Stock

Course on Life Cycle Assessment of Products, Processes & Services

2012-01-22T12:57:00.004-05:00

A course is now being offered on the life cycle approach. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is being used by businesses and governments to improve the sustainability of products, processes and services. Businesses like 3M, Alcan, HP, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and others are using LCA to reduce product costs, increase market share and mitigate climate and energy risk. It is also embedded within the Sustainable Manufacturing Indicator Repository (SMIR).

To help businesses understand LCA, a course is being offered which is appropriately titled, "Life Cycle Assessment of Products, Processes & Services." The course is offered in partnership with the internationally renowned group CIRAIG, the Interuniversity Research Centre for the Life Cycle of Products, Processes and Services.

This program is geared to learn LCA concepts, inventory, impact assessment, data quality management, post impact calculations, modeling, software, statistics and the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. It will also help participants acquire knowledge applicable to the American Centre for Life Cycle Assessment Certification Exam.

LOCATION: Humber College North, Toronto
DATE: March 28, 2012
TIME: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm

Cost
$ 1400 until Feb. 28, 2011
$ 1650 after Feb. 28, 2011
$ 350 student rate

For more information or to register click here.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Green Team GAP ASSESSMENT Workshop

2012-01-22T08:30:00.001-05:00

This four hour workshop is designed to help green teams audit their energy, waste, water, transportation and health. The goal is to understand their "gap" and develop a plan to "green up" their facility.

Course Content

Course content includes a discussion of best practices for employee engagement for sustainability. The course includes a Green Action Plan. Learn about technologies that can save your company money while reducing your environmental footprint.

Greening your office is a triple bottom line initiative – it saves money, creates a healthier and more productive work environment and is good for the planet. Even better, the financial payback can be significant. Studies show that a Green Team can reduce operating costs of an average office building with 50,000 square feet of office space, by as much as $ 40,000 per year through no-cost and low-cost energy, waste and water reduction actions.

Learning Objectives and Modules

Using examples, case studies, best practices, hands-on activities and participation through the on-line Community of Practice and "Peer to Peer" dialogue, you will:

• Explore strategies for understanding your office energy, water and waste baseline.
• Complete a Green Action Plan checklist and examine energy, water, waste, transportation and healthy office opportunities within your facility.
• Create an individual company "green office" sustainability policy
• Examine best practices for implementation of "green office" programs.
• Understand low cost technologies for "greening" your office.
• Explore resources such as paper calculators for measuring, monitoring and celebrating your "green office" accomplishments.
• Receive resources on steps to negotiating a "green lease" with your landlord, templates and checklists.
• Gain tips and best practices through our On-Line "Green Office" Community of Practice.

Course Details

Course Code: SC 128
Duration: 1 hour per week for four weeks (February 2, 8, 16, & 23 2012)
Cost: $424 early registration 525 for late registration (one price applies for your entire team)
Start and end times: 12:00 - 1:00 pm EST
Location: Online

For more information or to register click here.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Video: GE Creating Jobs with Fuel Efficient Airplanes

2012-01-21T23:04:00.001-05:00

GE has launched a new ad campaign that shows American innovation at work and the company’s commitment to providing Americans jobs by building quieter and more fuel-efficient airplanes.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Video: Walmart's Sustainability Efforts

2012-01-21T15:20:00.001-05:00

Walmart's sustainability efforts are making a positive impact on a global scale. These efforts are evident from the products they sell to the packaging, to the way those products are used by their customers. Sustainability is inextricably embedded within their overall business strategy and carbon reduction is a key element of their sustainability program.

Walmart's goals are to: Be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy; Create zero waste; and Sell products that sustain people and the environment. They have driven specific strategies that will reduce risks and increase opportunities associated with carbon for their company, their supply chain, and their customers. Their GHG reduction targets were set in order to increase their efficiency, lower their costs, save their customers money, and provide for positive social and environmental impacts. Their scope ensures significance.

By focusing on emissions reduction since 2005, they have achieved an annual savings rate in excess of $150 million compared to that base year by increasing their efficiency in the use of electricity, natural gas, refrigerant and transportation fuels. By reducing their energy consumption now, they are better positioned for further savings should any proposed carbon legislation be enacted into law. Similarly, just as they found efficiencies within their own footprint, they realized the opportunity to help their supply chain find these same, or even greater, efficiencies that will lead to additional financial and environmental benefits.

Walmart has announced an aggressive goal to eliminate twenty million metric tons of GHGs from their global supply chain by the end of 2015. This represents one and a half times their anticipated cumulative carbon footprint growth over the next five years. That amount of carbon decrease, if all achieved from electricity use reduction in the U.S., would have an associated annual cost reduction in excess of $2.5 billion. There are many opportunities to reduce throughout the product life cycle from the sourcing of the raw materials, to the manufacturing of a product, to its transportation, and to how customers use it, dispose of it and recycle it.

On public policy engagement, Walmart is working with industry groups, NGO's, consultants, and members of Congress and their staffs in order to foster better communication and understanding on the issues, challenges, and potential impacts to their business and customers. These understandings allow them to continuously re-evaluate their progress and impacts and to refocus or redirect their efforts when needed.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Video: Aveda's Ongoing Culture of Sustainability

2012-01-21T12:39:00.000-05:00

Dominique Nils Conseil became president of Aveda in 2000, taking over from Horst Rechelbacher. He has maintained the company mission which was focused on safe and environmentally friendly products. Aveda's emphasis on planet friendly approach to business has helped make the company one of the world's leading hair and skin care manufacturers. Even after the company was acquired by Estée Lauder, this mission remains the driving force at Aveda.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Video: Creating a Culture of Sustainability

2012-01-21T09:59:00.002-05:00

The way to achieve corporate sustainability is by creating the culture from the ground up. Leading sustainability expert and author of Capitalism at the Crossroads, Stuart L. Hart, believes that when sustainability is viewed from the appropriate set of business lenses, leaders can create a culture to align their organization's strategies and people to improve performance and shareholder value. In this video you can learn more about Hart's sustainability framework that helps leaders and organizations harmonize their concerns for the planet with their strategies for growth, innovation and profitability.

Stuart L. Hart is the Samuel C. Johnson Chair in Sustainable Global Enterprise and Professor of Management at Cornell University's Johnson School of Management. He is also Founder and President of Enterprise for a Sustainable World. Professor Hart is one of the world's top authorities on the implications of environment and poverty for business strategy. He has published more than 70 papers and authored or edited seven books with over 5,000 Google Scholar citations in all. His article "Beyond Greening: Strategies for a Sustainable World" won the McKinsey Award for Best Article in the Harvard Business Review for 1997 and helped launch the movement for corporate sustainability. With C.K. Prahalad, Hart also wrote the pathbreaking 2002 article "The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid," which provided the first articulation of how business could profitably serve the needs of the four billion poor in the developing world. His best-selling book, Capitalism at the Crossroads, published in 2005 was selected by Cambridge University as one of the top 50 books on sustainability of all-time; the third edition of the book was published in 2010.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Best Places for Green Jobs in the US

2012-01-20T13:32:00.004-05:00

The number of green jobs is proliferating around the world, but some places are better than others. In countries like the US, China, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore the recycling industry is experiencing significant growth to address their waste management issues. In the US, California, Florida, Michigan and Ohio are hotbeds of activity in energy efficiency.

Here is a list of some of the best US locations for green jobs from research compiled by the Examiner.

Washington

As a technology hub, Seattle is known for innovations including many new cleantech companies like waste management, energy efficiency technologies and smart-grid technologies.

Seattle has a large transportation industry, this is an advantage as many cleantech applications are used in the transportation industries – examples include those used for aviation industries and vehicle recharging facilities.

The city is also known to have a large environmentally conscious customers base, and this is helping environmentally oriented consumer products.

In addition, Seattle is a base of many technology and cleantech venture capital firms – it has a close community connecting between companies and venture capital investors.

Related Industries: Waste Management, Transportation, And Energy Efficient Technology

Texas

Renewable energy is a big industry across Texas. Large energy companies such as Esso, Chevron and other oil & gas companies invest heavily in renewable energy industries. The oil & gas companies are actually some of the major investors in the renewable energy sectors as they wish to maintain their market share in the energy industry.

Houston is the headquarters of many oil & gas companies. Many energy efficient technologies have also set up their operations in Houston to service their major customers. Other opportunities include the growing number of engineering services firms in Texas that provide services to infrastructure projects in that state.

Industries: Petrochemical engineering, environmental engineering, civil engineers, renewable energy R&D and energy financing

Southern California

Southern California is becoming the Cleantech Corridor of the United States. Southern California has several advantages including a favorable climate for solar energy, access to technical professionals and an environmentally aware population.

San Diego is one city that is becoming a popular base for cleantech companies, including solar companies, environmental engineering services and energy efficiency technology companies.

Northern California

The opportunities in the Northern California are different from those in the Southern California. Silicon Valley and San Francisco are major investment hubs for cleantech industries.

A number of large companies have chosen Northern California for their corporate headquarter. New electric vehicle Tesla motors is headquartered in Palo Alto, as well as hundreds of solar energy, wind energy and environmental engineering firms.

Northern California also has an environmentally conscious population ideal for organic products, green consumer goods, green energy providers and marketing firms that work on behalf of green industries.

Industries: Cleantech, Environmental Engineering Services, Green Marketing, Green Education, Solar, Consumer Goods, Venture Capital and Private Equity.

Michigan

Michigan promotes itself as the ideal destination for cleantech companies, particularly those relating to the automotive industries.

In cities like Troy and others in northern Michigan, factories have been transformed to manufacture greentech products such as batteries for electrical vehicles, recharging facilities and new types of engines.

It has also attracted various engineering firms including some major European engineering firms.

Related Industries: Automotive industries, car batteries, engineering services and automotive engineering designs.

New York

While New York is not a preferred location for the manufacturing industry, it is the global headquarters for a very large number of green related industries. This makes sense given the fact that the NYSE and Nasdaq are both headquartered in the New York City, along with many corporate headquarters.

It is the financial capital of the green economy. New York has a high concentration of financial services companies including Cleantech Venture Capital, Private Equity Firms, Energy Venture Capital, Mutual Funds, and Social Responsible Investment Funds.

To serve these financial services firms a number of support industries have settled in New York. This includes companies associated with investor relations, public relations and media companies.

Related Industries: Corporate Financing, Corporate Advisory Firms, Mutual Funds, Venture Capital, Investor Relations and Public Relations.

To see the original article in the Examiner click here.

Related Post
Top 10 "Shovel Ready" Green Jobs
Green Jobs for America
Hot Green Jobs for 2011 and Beyond
Government Investment Green Jobs and Economic Recovery
Green Government Investments and Job Creation
The Fate of the Democrats is Tied to Green Jobs
State Green Jobs Initiatives Need Federal Legislation
Republican Cuts Target Green Jobs
Electric Vehicles Create Jobs
The Economic and Employment Benefits of Forests
Excerpts of President Obama's American Jobs Act Speech
Obama's Jobs Plan Emphasizes Education and Greener Schools
Video: President Obama's American Jobs Act
Video of White House Policy Briefing on Green

Top 10 "Shovel Ready" Green Jobs

2012-01-20T08:12:00.010-05:00

Green jobs are growing rapidly around the world. Sectors involved with employment that is better for the environment are amongst the very few that are showing positive signs of growth in 2012 and beyond. According to Examiner.com, here are the sectors that are most likely to create jobs.

1. Energy Efficiency Technologies

Energy efficiency has been steadily growing and this is particularly true in the last couple of years. These "shovel ready jobs." have raised significant investment capital last 2 years. Energy efficiency (technologies, process and applications) is very popular because these applications can be applied immediately to existing infrastructure, and able to generate than reinventing a new technology.

2. Recycling technologies

New recycling technologies and increasing outsourcing are trends that are being adopted by governments worldwide. There have been quite a number of companies successfully developing new technologies for recycling. These include companies that convert solid waste into energy, packaging or building materials.

Professionals can look for companies providing recycling services or companies that have invented new recycling technologies. Many new jobs are also being created by environmental engineering companies, some of which have expanded into waste management services.

3. Green Building Materials

The green building sector is a very important industry that is experiencing massive growth. Green building innovations like green cement is replacing traditional cement which is very environmentally destructive.

Private equity firms in Europe, Middle East and China are investing in building materials that require less water. They have made investments which address issues related to the scarcity of water in these regions.

For job seekers or recruiters, look for major building materials suppliers.

4. Water Resources Conservation

Countries like United States, Canada, Australia and Israel are particularly active in investing in water resources conservation and management technologies.

These include diagnosis, water treatment and irrigation systems. In Asia, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan are prioritizing water management technologies. Singapore has achieved remarkable success in this field due to significant investments from governments and the private sector.

In North America, many companies have developed new membrane technologies to improve water conservation. New consulting firms have also been established to provide testing and remediation for water resources.

5. Home Products

Home products are a growth sector because they are easily replaced. In addition, a lot of these products benefit from government rebates. This creates new opportunities for manufacturers and retailers. Investors are also involved with low water toilets, solar panels, efficient windows and efficient heating and cooling units.

Consumers are changing their buying behavior and this is providing job opportunities. Consider window manufacturers, lighting companies, or companies that manufacture efficient heating and cooling systems.

6. Geothermal Energy Companies

Geothermal is a proven and safe renewable source of energy. It is already a widely adopted energy option in the US, Canada, Iceland and New Zealand, South America and Northern Europe.

Professionals can seek potential opportunities with mining and energy companies, or with investment firms that invest in alternative energies.

7. Solar & wind energy

A number of investments made last quarter were relating to energy storage technologies specifically designed to boost efficiency for solar and wind energy infrastructure. These technologies can enhance solar and wind energy generation and storage as part of the energy efficiency improvement.

Solar and wind energy companies became focus points in 2nd half of 2011, mainly due to the nuclear power issue in Japan. Decisions were made by several European governments to cancel or delay their nuclear power plans and focus more on solar and wind energy.

Interesting job opportunities may exist with solar companies, wind energy companies, utilities companies and companies that provide energy storage solutions and technologies to solar and wind energy.

8. Cleantech Marketing Companies

Cleantech and green industries are not just restricted to the technology and energy sectors. As we have seen recently, a number of social media websites were launched dedicated to green industries.

Some of these websites and marketing companies have been expanding at very rapid rate. For instance, there are cleantech specialized public relations companies, they create campaigns for cleantech and green companies, or to reach the LOHAs communities, which are often more affluent communities with higher disposable incomes.

There has also been significant growth in green media companies such as cleantech news sites, cleantech investment websites or business matching sites.

Green media will offer interesting opportunities for those with media or journalism experience.

9. Household Green Services

There are many jobs available with ompanies that help residential homes to become more energy efficient like those involved with efficiency retrofits.

Jobs in this field are available through plumbing companies, insulation specialists, electricity contractors and residential solar or wind energy specialists.

10. Green Investment Firms

Green financing is another area that has seen a substantial growth. For example, green private equity firms back some Green ETFs. Socially Responsible Investments were popular in 2006 and 2007 and will likely continue.

When looking for jobs you can consider green venture capital firms, or green mutual funds as well as investor relations firms that specializes in helping cleantech or energy companies to reach investors.

Good examples include Google and Intel Capital or Virgin Group, all of which have cleantech venture capital firms even though their core businesses are not related to the cleantech.

For the original article go to Examiner.com

Related Post
Best Places for Green Jobs in the US
Green Jobs for America
Hot Green Jobs for 2011 and Beyond
Government Investment Green Jobs and Economic Recovery
Green Government Investments and Job Creation
The Fate of the Democrats is Tied to Green Jobs
State Green Jobs Initiatives Need Federal Legislation
Republican Cuts Target Green Jobs
Electric Vehicles Create Jobs
The Economic and Employment Benefits of Forests
Excerpts of President Obama's American Jobs Act Speech
Obama's Jobs Plan Emphasizes Education and Greener Schools
Video: President Obama's American Jobs Act
Video of White House Policy Briefing on Green

Major Trends in Green Building for 2012

2012-01-19T15:43:00.001-05:00

Claire Easley the senior editor at Builder recently published an article about Jerry Yudelson impressions for the green building industry in 2012. Yudelson has more than 25 years of work in sustainability, he has been a member of the U.S. Green Building Council’s board of directors, a LEED national faculty member, and is the co-founder and director of the Green Building Service consulting unit at Portland General Electric. Last year, Wired magazine dubbed him "the godfather of green."

So what does the industry insider have to say about where things are going? "The construction industry is going to have modest growth this year," Yudelson said Tuesday January 17th in a webinar on GreenExpo365. "It seems that most people have figured out that the sky isn’t going to fall in and they are going to get back to doing business … but with an emphasis on what I call ‘frugal green.’ In the past there was a feeling that you could spend money to add green features. I think today the real challenge for construction and design professionals is ‘How do I do this on the same budget?’ and I think that’s the core trend."

As stated by Yudelson, the emphasis on frugality is actually a market driver for green building. "You make money if you go green. If you don’t go green, you’re at a marketplace disadvantage."

Yudelson also shared a list of 10 green trends in green building for 2012, five trends for the US and five trends that are global:

U.S. Trends

1. Green Building Growth to Rebound

LEED project growth was slow in 2011, only gaining 3% for the year. But while LEED certification on new projects may take longer to gain much steam, the program’s retrofitting arm, LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED-EBOM), is quickly gaining traction. EBOM project registrations were up 18% last year, and the EBOM project area exceeded the cumulative LEED-NC (New Construction) area for the first time, with 675 million square feet of EBOM versus 649 million square feet of NC. "That trend will continue this year," Yudelson says, as more property owners realize that retrofitting to LEED standards is fairly painless when starting with a building that is already Energy Star–rated.

2. Federal Momentum Has Slowed

The Department of Defense recently stipulated that projects can’t spend any extra money on energy program certification, and while "that’s not necessarily a killer," Yudelson says, "it is an indication that there is some backlash for spending extra money on anything." Getting federal funding for green projects will be harder going forward, he says, especially given the recent Solandra scandal and the federal budget crunch. But while state and local governments aren’t faring much better, that’s where the action will be, he says, as existing buildings will need to be upgraded, projects in the pipeline will move forward, and schools—which are funded by bonds—will need to be built.

3. LEED-EBOM Will Gain Momentum

"We’re going to see this move to other sectors," he says, particularly among hotels with strong convention and meeting businesses who want to be able to market their eco-friendliness. Grocery stores, hospitals, and retail centers are moving in the same direction, with features such as solar panels on top of Walmarts or department stores. "Last month, President Obama and former President Clinton announced the Better Buildings Initiative. It’s only $4 billion, so it’s not huge. But still, this is stuff that moves markets. When you have two presidents pushing something, it does get people’s attention. More and more building owners are realizing that they don’t want to be late to the party."

4. Water Issues Grow in Importance

"Even the water-wet areas have water problems brought on by infrastructure problems and population growth," Yudelson says. "Florida doesn’t have a place for a reservoir in the entire state, so even if you have a slight drought, you have big problems." He predicts rainwater capture systems as well as graywater and blackwater on-site treatment capabilities will become more pervasive. "Instead of toilet to tap, we’re going toilet to toilet."

5. Zero-Net-Energy to Gain Traction

"Zero-net-energy needs to be in your future," Yudelson says, adding that it works best on two- to four-story buildings that only use between 30 and 35 kBTU per square foot per year. "If you do a good job with integrated design, you can reach that [30 to 35 kBTU] goal," he says, adding that getting to net-zero should only add between 3% and 5% to building costs.

Global Trends

6. Green Building Movement Will Continue to Grow

There are currently more than 90 national Green Building Councils throughout the world, and LEED projects have been registered in 161 countries, Yudelson says. Last year, 44% of total LEED registrations were outside the U.S. "This is a movement that you have to pay attention to," he says, adding that the "Big Three" energy rating systems—LEED, BREEAM, and Green Star—are already converging toward common carbon metrics and common rating concerns.

7. Performance Disclosure

Already popular in the European Union and Australia, requirements for buildings to disclose their energy use are gaining traction in the U.S. Beginning April 1 of this year, Seattle will require buildings of more than 10,000 square feet to disclose energy usage, and California will begin requiring disclosures starting next year, which Yudelson says will have a market impact, since prospective tenants will be able to compare what their energy costs will be between buildings. "This is going to happen everywhere, particularly in big cities, because it’s the easiest move to take politically. It doesn’t say you have to retrofit the building. It just says you have to disclose."

8. Global Carbon Ratings

Carbon ratings that remain standard across countries are of particular interest to global property management companies. "If your company is committed to sustainability, you’re going to have to report this," he says. It’s also an issue for property investments tied to pension funds. "Anyone that has sustainable interests and wants access to capital will have to deal with this," he says.

9. Solar Power Stalls

"Solar power is kind of slowing down," mostly due to the costs involved, Yudelson says, adding that focus is shifting instead to energy efficiency. "Solar is still happening. Lots of people like solar … because it’s visible and people want to see something for their money." However, for those building new construction today, he suggests that the most responsible move would be to make it "PV ready," so that as solar becomes more cost effective, it will be cheap and easy to install.

10. Building Management Goes Into the Cloud

As buildings get more complex, Yudelson says, "we’re seeing the need for software that allows us to manage buildings out of the cloud." Thanks to wireless sensors and controls, it’s getting increasingly easier to better direct building managers and maintenance people to locate and fix problems, and to do so remotely.

For the original article go to Builder.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Obama Cancels the Keystone XL Pipeline Project

2012-01-19T07:57:00.006-05:00

On January 17th the Obama administration denied a permit for TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL. The pipeline would have carried tar sands oil to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries. Approximately one month earlier, Republicans agreed to pass legislation on tax-cuts and employment benefits by forcing the President to decide on the Keystone XL pipeline.

In November the administration delayed approving the project until after the 2012 election, saying it wanted to study an alternate route. Republicans felt that they could gain more political traction by making the President decide on the fate of the pipeline before the election. Which is why the President was forced to issue his verdict ahead of schedule.

Despite concerns from some quarters about how market would react, there was no reaction from Wall street on the news of the cancellation of the Keystone XL. Oil actually declined in New York as crude for February delivery fell below 100 dollars a barrel.

Although oil prices were not effected by the cancellation of the Keystone XL, Republicans will no doubt try to tar Obama as a jobs killer.

Many are breathing a sigh of relief now that Obama appears to have killed the dirty oil deal. However, the Keystone XL project may yet rise from the dead as the administration is expected to allow TransCanada to submit a new application for an alternate route that avoids the environmentally sensitive aquifer in Nebraska.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Related Posts
Republicans Use Blackmail to Gain Support for the Keystone XL Pipeline
President Obama Stops Keystone XL Pipeline
Tar Sands Day of Action in Washington DC
President Obama and the Fate of the Keystone XL Pipeline
NRDC November 6 Protest Against the Keystone XL in Washington DC
Nebraska's Special Session to Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline
South Dakota Wants Additional Protections Against Spills from the Keystone XL Pipeline
Safety Measures for the Keystone XL Rejected by Environmentalists in Nebraska
State Department Hearings for the Keystone XL Pipeline
Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline Protest
Cornell University Questions the Economic Benefits of the Keystone XL Pipeline
Keystone XL Protest Ends in Washington
Oil Spills Add to Concerns about the Keystone XL Pipeline
Nobel Prize Laureates Oppose Keystone XL Pipeline
Religious Leaders Join the Protest Against Keystone XL Pipeline
US Protests Against the Tar Sands Oil
Canada on Track to be a Dirty Energy Superpower
Bill McKibben and other Protestors Jailed for their Opposition to the Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline
Video: NASA's Leading Climatologist Addresses Crowd Before he was Arrested at the Keystone XL Tar Sands Protest in Washington

Stop Internet Censorship

2012-01-18T09:35:00.004-05:00

Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. The Green Market is joining many others that are protesting against the proposed legislation known as SOPA and PIPA.

SOPA and PIPA represent two bills in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate respectively. SOPA is short for the "Stop Online Piracy Act," and PIPA is an acronym for the "Protect IP Act." ("IP" stands for "intellectual property.") In short, these bills are efforts to stop copyright infringement committed by foreign web sites, but, they do so in a way that actually infringes free expression while harming the Internet.

In addition to going after websites allegedly directly involved in copyright infringement, a proposal in SOPA will allow the government to target sites that simply provide information that could help users get around the bills’ censorship mechanisms. Such a provision would not only amount to an unconstitutional prior restraint against protected speech, but would severely damage online innovation. And contrary to claims by SOPA’s supporters, this provision—at least what’s been proposed so far—applies to all websites, even those in the U.S.

As First Amendment expert Marvin Ammori points out, “The language is pretty vague, but it appears all these companies must monitor their sites for anti-circumvention so they are not subject to court actions ‘enjoining’ them from continuing to provide ‘such product or service.’” That means social media sites like Facebook or YouTube—basically any site with user generated content—would have to police their own sites, forcing huge liability costs onto countless Internet companies. This is exactly why venture capitalists have said en masse they won’t invest in online startups if PIPA and SOPA pass. Websites would be forced to block anything from a user post about browser add-ons like DeSopa, to a simple list of IP addresses of already-blocked sites.

Perhaps worse, EFF has detailed how this provision would also decimate the open source software community. Anyone who writes or distributes Virtual Private Network, proxy, privacy or anonymization software would be negatively affected. This includes organizations that are funded by the State Department to create circumvention software to help democratic activists get around authoritarian regimes’ online censorship mechanisms. Ironically, SOPA would not only institute the same practices as these regimes, but would essentially outlaw the tools used by activists to circumvent censorship in countries like Iran and China as well.

Another dangerous provision in PIPA and SOPA that hasn’t received a lot of attention is the “vigilante” provision, which would grant broad immunity to all service providers if they overblock innocent users or block sites voluntarily with no judicial oversight at all. The standard for immunity is incredibly low and the potential for abuse is off the charts. Intermediaries only need to act “in good faith” and base their decision “on credible evidence” to receive immunity.

This provision would allow the MPAA and RIAA to create literal blacklists of sites they want censored. Intermediaries will find themselves under pressure to act to avoid court orders, creating a vehicle for corporations to censor sites—even those in the U.S.—without any legal oversight. And as Public Knowledge has pointed out, not only can this provision be used for bogus copyright claims that are protected by fair use, but large corporations can take advantage of it to stamp out emerging competitors and skirt anti-trust laws:

An Internet service provider could block DNS requests for a website offering online video that competed with its cable television offerings, based upon “credible evidence” that the site was, in its own estimation, promoting its use for infringement....While the amendment requires that the action be taken in good faith, the blocked site now bears the burden of proving either its innocence or the bad faith of its accuser in order to be unblocked.

PIPA and SOPA also still allow copyright holders to get an unopposed court order to cut off foreign websites from payment processors and advertisers. As we have continually highlighted, copyright holders already can remove infringing material from the web under the DMCA notice-and-takedown procedure. Unfortunately, we’ve seen that power abused time and again. Yet the proponents of PIPA and SOPA want to give rightsholders even more power, allowing them to essentially shut down full sites instead of removing the specific infringing content.

While this provision only affects foreign sites, it still affects Americans' free speech rights. As Marvin Ammori explained, "The seminal case of Lamont v. Postmaster makes it clear that Americans have the First Amendment right to read and listen to foreign speech, even if the foreigners lack a First Amendment speech right." If history is any guide—and we’re afraid it is—we will see specious claims to wholesale take downs of legitimate and protected speech.

PIPA and SOPA would also give the Attorney General new authority to block domain name services, a provision that has been universally criticized by both Internet security experts and First Amendment scholars. Even the blacklist bills’ authors are now publicly second-guessing that scary provision. But even without it, this section would still force many intermediaries to become the Internet police by putting the responsibility of censorship enforcement on those intermediaries, who are usually innocent third parties.

The Attorney General would also be empowered to de-list websites from search engines, which, as Google Chairman Eric Schmidt noted, would still "criminalize linking and the fundamental structure of the Internet itself." The same applies to payment processors and advertisers.

SOPA and PIPA put the burden on website owners to police user-contributed material and call for the unnecessary blocking of entire sites. Small sites won't have sufficient resources to defend themselves. Big media companies may seek to cut off funding sources for their foreign competitors, even if copyright isn't being infringed. Foreign sites will be blacklisted, which means they won't show up in major search engines. And, SOPA and PIPA build a framework for future restrictions and suppression.

In its current form, SOPA would require sites to actively monitor every site they link to, to ensure it doesn't host infringing content. Any link to an infringing site could force the primary site offline.

SOPA and PIPA (and other similar laws under discussion inside and outside the United States) will hurt you, because they will make it impossible for sites you enjoy, and benefit from, to continue to exist.

Detailed information about these bills can be found in the Stop Online Piracy Act and PROTECT IP Act articles on Wikipedia.

GovTrack lets you follow both bills through the legislative process: SOPA and PIPA.

The most effective action you can take is to call your representatives and tell them you oppose SOPA and PIPA, and any similar legislation. Type your zipcode on Wikipedia's locator box to find your representatives' contact information. Text-based communication is okay, but phone calls have the most impact.

You can also go to the EFF site to take action against censorship.

If you do not live in the US Contact your local State Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or similar branch of government. Tell them you oppose SOPA and PIPA, and any similar legislation. SOPA and PIPA will affect sites outside of the United States, and actions to sites inside the United States will also affect non-American readers. Calling your own government will also let them know you don't want them to create their own bad anti-Internet legislation.

In Canada contact Minister John Baird of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada at 1-800-267-8376 (toll-free in Canada) 613-944-4000 (in the National Capital Region and outside Canada)

Facsimile: 613-996-9709. Email: enqserv@international.gc.ca

Or write to:
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON, Canada
K1A 0G2

Ten Greenest Trucking Companies in North America

2012-01-17T07:59:00.003-05:00

Trucking companies are increasingly responding to the demand for transportation with a smaller footprint. Many companies are looking to be more environmentally responsible throughout their supply chains and in response trucking companies are implementing a wide variety of sustainable practices. With the aim of reducing their emissions, many trucking companies are using their vehicles more efficiently or incorporating vehicles that are less dependent on fossil fuels.

Here is a top 10 list of "Cleantech Trucking Companies" compiled by Shawn Lesser, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Atlanta-based Watershed Capital Group – an investment bank assisting sustainable fund and companies raise capital, perform acquisitions, and in other strategic financial decisions. He is also a Co-founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association ”The Global Voice of Cleantech”.

1. United Postal Service (UPS) has over 2,200 alternative fuel vehicles, which is the largest fleet in the industry. UPS also offers paperless billing and invoices and electronic equipment recycling.

2. J.B. Hunt announced in August of 2011 that it was named one of the top 75 Green Supply Chain Partners by Inbound Logistics. It received this recognition for the number of green initiatives the trucking company has done to remain environmentally sustainable. J.B. Hunt has been able to improve overall fuel efficiency, lower transportation costs, and lower carbon emissions by approximately 50 percent as compared to the traditional truckload. The Green Fleet is dedicated to reducing emissions and the Hunt Carbon Diet improves energy efficiency while also lowering transportation costs.

3. United Van Lines is the largest moving company in Canada, and has won a number of awards, including the 2009/2010 Award from Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies. Some of the green initiatives include using reusable quilted furniture pads and floor runners, recycling tires and cartons, having regular scheduled trailer and truck maintenance to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. They are also looking to become a paperless company.

4. Swift Transportation is a participant in the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership as it is dedicated to creating a better future using green technologies. The company uses all the latest technologies to decrease their carbon footprint using their Clean Fleet and all new trucks and trailers are certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.

5. Penske Logistics was named, in 2010, a Green 50 Supply Chain Partner by Inbound Logistics due to the numerous approaches taken to lower the trucking company’s miles per gallon performance as well as reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its fleet of trucks. Penske is also a member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership. Penske always looks for optimized routes that will increase fuel efficiency. The trucking company is also involved with a number of recycling and green lighting programs.

6. Atlas Van Lines are always looking to conserve energy, reduce waste, and other things to protect the environment. For example, all trucks are equipped with on-board information systems that help truck drivers become more efficient with their fuel. Atlas has earned a lot of recognition for the company’s environmental stewardship, such as the John Biasini Award given by the Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana.

7. FedEx, since 2000, has teamed up with the Environmental Defense Fund to ensure their standard trucks remained environmentally friendly. FedEx for many years has continued to look for ways to make their fleet operations even more efficient than they already are. The work FedEx does with the Environmental Defense Fund helps to improve the company’s overall environmental performance, increase the market share for clean delivery vehicles, and maintain/improve operational performance. FedEx has continually looked to encourage other trucking companies to develop and purchase clean-technology trucks. Currently, FedEx has over 250 hybrid-electric delivery trucks.

8. DHL recently introduced a brand new convoy of delivery trucks that are environmentally friendly throughout Manhattan, as a major step in the company’s green initiative. Frank Appel, the CEO of DHL said, “As customers worldwide are increasingly demanding greener logistics, sustainable business procedures, and initiatives…[it will not only foster climate protection to save our environment for future generations but] also enhance the profitability of our business.”

9. YRC Worldwide takes the environment seriously. It is a previous winner of the SmartWay Environmental Excellence Award. The company’s Destination Green program aids them in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, gallons per mile, and empty miles. They are currently testing two diesel electric hybrids in the trucking fleet, which will be used for pickups and deliveries in metropolitan areas.

10. C&K Trucking takes a lot of pride in making the environment one of the trucking company’s top priorities. C&K Trucking works with the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transportation Program and has one of the highest ratings of all trucking companies. C&K Trucking has maintained focus on efficiencies and technologies that will aid in reducing their miles per gallon, thereby reducing their total carbon dioxide emissions. The company has installed software on trucks to measure efficiency metrics, retrofitted trucks, and created new speed management policies.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Related Posts
Sustainable Transportation
TOA Technologies' ETAdirect Mobile Workforce Efficiency Software
Trucking Companies Need to do More than Reduce Emissions on the Road
Cardinal Health and the EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership Program Agency

The Best Global Green Brands (Top 50)

2012-01-16T14:07:00.002-05:00

The "Best Global Green Brands" is published by the marketing and research company Interbrand. Over the last 10 years, Interbrand has built its corporate citizenship practice. They believe that corporate citizenship isn’t just “good practice” but “smart practice,” with its benefits greatly outweighing its risks.

Because of the potential for misalignment between brand performance and perception, Interbrand decided to measure leading brands’ green efforts (environmental sustainability performance) and to acknowledge that those brands excelling in this area receive credit for their initiatives.

Interbrand’s Best Global Green Brands is based on analysis of publicly available data, and data from Thomson Reuter’s ASSET4 (which includes environmental sustainability performance data for over 3,000 companies). This analysis was then paired with Interbrand’s understanding of how brands create brand value.

The Best Global Green Brands report combines public perception of environmental sustainability (“green”) performance with demonstration of that performance based on publicly available information and data.

Interbrand’s years of experience in brand valuation have shown that efforts to grow brand value must include a focus on internal and external elements of brand strength. For this ranking, green includes both actual environmental sustainability performance and the degree of external reporting. This included an evaluation of the performance components of green brand strength (clarity, commitment, protection, and responsiveness) in the context of company’s efforts to act in environmentally responsible ways and an evaluation of the perception components of green brand strength (authenticity, relevance, differentiation, consistency, presence, and understanding) in the context of consumer awareness of company’s green activities, while also weighing environmental performance.

Deloitte was engaged to develop a corporate environmental performance methodology based on publicly available data as an input to Interbrand’s overall scoring methodology. The Green Performance Score was composed of 82 metrics on which each company was ranked. The metrics evaluate companies’ disclosure and environmental performance across six “pillars”:

Governance
Policies and mechanisms put in place by the company to manage environmental impacts and successfully set and execute environmental programs.

Stakeholder Engagement
The degree to which the company recognizes and engages with the various relevant stakeholder groups associated with the company.

Operations
The company’s performance across operations as measured in energy efficiency, GHG emissions, water management, waste management, and toxic emissions management.

Supply Chain
The company’s performance in measuring, reporting, and mitigating the environmental performance of their supply chain.

Transportation and Logistics
The company’s performance in measuring, reporting, and mitigating the environmental performance of their transportation and logistics, business travel and commuting.

Products and Services
The product portfolio of the company and an evaluation of the green attributes of its products, including product efficiency, sustainable production, and use of life cycle assessment.

The Green Performance Score is designed to be applicable across industry sectors and therefore includes metrics designed to make the evaluations meaningful and relevant across industries and adjusts for outsourcing and multi-sector operations. Because public disclosure of environmental performance is a leading practice among sustainable or “green” companies, the Green Performance Scores are based on publicly available data as well as data from Thomson Reuter ASSET4 (which includes performance data for over 3,000 companies).

The evaluation of each company’s consumer perceptions (external components) was conducted by Interbrand. To begin, Interbrand asked consumers in the 10 largest global markets to answer questions related to their perception of each company’s green activities along the six dimensions of brand strength. Interbrand spoke to 10,000 consumers worldwide and each brand was rated by at least 1,250 consumers. For the initial stage of analysis, Interbrand aggregated data on each dimension within each market. The six external dimensions of brand strength assessed were:

Perception elements

Interbrand then aggregated the scores across markets. The data was ranked by the size of each country and each country’s contribution to the global economy was also considered. This permitted a view of which brands consistently differentiate themselves in terms of environmental performance across markets, and which do the best job engaging in green activities that consumers find relevant. The analysis also discounted cases where positive perceptions of the brand outweighed a company’s actual green performance.

Overall, the “strongest” green brands appear to reside at the intersection of performance and perception. The final ranking table is a detailed illustration of which brands lead when it comes to the environment.

Here are the top 50 green brands according to Interbrand's analysis:

1. Toyota

2. 3M

3. Siemens

4. Johnson and Johnson

5. Hewlett-Packard (HP)

6. Volkswagen

7. Honda

8. Dell

9. Cisco

10. Panasonic

11. Hyundai

12. BMW

13. Apple

14. Danone

15. L'Oreal

16. Mercedes

17. Nike

18. Sony

19. IBM

20. Ford

21. Allianz

22. Nokia

23. Addidas

24. General Electric (GE)

25. Samsung

26. Intel

27. Coca-Cola

28. Canon

29. Pepsi Co

30. Microsoft

31. Xerox

32. Philips

33. Shell

34. Caterpillar

35. Cambells

36. Kellogg's

37. AVON

38. SAP

39. IKEA

40. Santander

41. American Airlines

42. Starbucks

43. Nintendo

44. Credit Suisse

45. McDonalds

46. Citi Bank

47. Barclays

48. HSBC

49. UPS

50. Accenture

For more information click here.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

The Top 10 Green Cars of 2011

2012-01-16T07:42:00.002-05:00

Kelley Blue Book has published a list of the top 10 green cars of 2011. They have been providing expert car reviews and advice for over 80 years.

Here is a list of the top 10 green cars of 2011 (click on the link to go to the manufacturer's site for each vehicle):

10) 2012 Ford Focus | fuel efficiency: 31 mpg (28 city/38 highway)
9) 2012 Fiat 500 | fuel efficiency: 33 mpg (30 city/38 highway)
8) 2011 Hyundai Elantra | fuel efficiency: 33 mpg (29 city, 40 highway)
7) 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDI | fuel efficiency: 34 mpg (30 city/42 highway)
6) 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid | fuel efficiency: 39 mpg (41 city/36 highway)
5) 2011 Honda Insight | fuel efficiency: 41 mpg (40 city/43 highway)
4) 2011 Lexus CT 200h | fuel efficiency: 42 mpg (43 city, 40 highway)
3) 2011 Toyota Prius | fuel efficiency: 50 mpg (51 city, 48 highway)
2) 2011 Chevy Volt | fuel efficiency: 93 mpg equivalent
1) 2011 Nissan Leaf | fuel efficiency: 99 mpg equivalent

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Globe 2012: The Biggest Business and Environment Event of the Year

2012-01-15T21:00:00.005-05:00

GLOBE 2012 may be the most important environmentally oriented business event of the the year. It is certainly one of the world's largest and longest-running event series dedicated to business and the environment.

Every two years, the world gathers in Vancouver for three days of thought-leading sessions presented by world-renowned sustainability experts, for the opportunity to see leading-edge environmental innovations, and to participate in unparalleled global networking opportunities.

Business leaders, corporate executives, NGOs, and government policymakers from around the world will meet on March 14-16, 2012 to explore corporate sustainability and competitiveness, clean energy, climate change, sustainability in finance, and greener cities. A number of special sessions will also be offered addressing water, global emissions management, and greening the retail sector.

To sign up for GLOBE email updates click here.

To find out more about GLOBE 2012's program, agenda, speakers, plenaries, dialogues and roundtables click here.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.