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In This Issue
Editor's Note
The Future of Fuels
Over the past two years, we have seen both the largest oil spill and one of the deadliest nuclear accidents in history, highlighting the costs of satisfying our growing energy demands with current sources and technologies. At the same time, the recession and concerns about national security have made new energy options more attractive, especially if they promise local jobs and supply, whether those be in renewable sources such as wind and solar, or “unconventional” fossil fuels in the United States and Canada.
This week, BSR Senior Vice President Eric Olson introduces BSR’s new “Future of Fuels” initiative, which will help companies navigate this shifting landscape and promote the most sustainable long-term fuel choices.
We also highlight Greenpeace’s new ranking of electronic companies on sustainability factors such as energy/climate impacts, greener products, and sustainable operations.
And BSR Advisory Services Managing Director Dunstan Allison Hope reflects on the opportunity for technology companies to lead on human rights issues.
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In Depth
The Future of Fuels
By Eric Olson, Senior Vice President, Advisory Services, BSR
A new BSR initiative aims to gather multiple groups with varying perspectives to answer one of today’s most complex questions: Given our growing appetite for transportation fuel—and the growing challenges (political, economic, and environmental) associated with satisfying that demand—how can we work together to develop better fuel choices?
Read more →
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Toolbox
HP, Dell, and Nokia Top Greenpeace’s Green Products Ranking
Greenpeace’s 2011 “Guide to Greener Electronics” ranks 15 leading mobile phone, TV, and computer manufacturers on their policies and practices to reduce climate impacts, produce greener products, and make their operations more sustainable. HP, Dell, and Nokia top the list of the greenest manufacturers, while LG Electronics, Toshiba, and RIM take the bottom three ranks.
The guide provides in-depth evaluations of each manufacturer based on the following:
Energy and climate: disclosure of greenhouse (GHG) emissions, commitment to reduce short- and long-term GHG emissions, a clean energy plan, and advocacy for clean energy policies at national and sub-national levels
Greener products: energy efficiency of new products, products free from hazardous materials, use of post-consumer recycled plastics in products, and product lifecycles
Sustainable operations: reductions of GHG emissions by major suppliers, policies and practices on chemicals management, sustainable sourcing of paper, avoidance of conflict minerals, and responsibility for voluntary take-back of ewaste
Spotlight
Human Rights Conference Highlights Opportunity for Leadership
By Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, Advisory Services, BSR
At last month’s Silicon Valley Human Rights Conference—which brought together around 500 representatives from business, civil society, and the media—BSR facilitated a panel, based on our recent report, on how the tech sector can apply the new UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
BSR first convened tech companies to discuss human rights in late 2005, and since this latest conference, I’ve been reflecting on what’s changed and what still needs to happen. On the one hand, I noticed a growing number of technology companies at the table. There are plenty of reasons for this—the Arab spring foremost among them—but the industry clearly recognizes that a proactive approach is required.
But I also noticed that the speakers remain heavily skewed toward representatives of internet services companies. There is a huge opportunity for global telecoms companies—both service providers and equipment makers—to play a more proactive role defining, as internet companies have been doing for some time, the specific actions they can take to help protect human rights given their product and service mix.
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