All Articles About Energy

BSR Insight Article: Building Effective Local Content Programs in the Extractives Industry

At a recent event in Paris, BSR brought global oil and gas companies and industry service providers together to share emerging best practices in the management of "local content"—the procurement of materials, goods, and services made in-country rather than imported. Local content is one of the most important contributions the extractives industry can make to economic development and to maintaining a secure social operating license. Read more →

Posted: May 4, 2010 | Topics: Economic Development, Energy, Mining, Strategy & Integration

BSR Insight Article: Considering the Big Picture: Using Ecosystem Services Tools to Improve Corporate Environmental Performance

By Linda Hwang, Manager, Research & Innovation, BSR; Kit Armstrong, Senior Advisor, BSR; and Sissel Waage, Senior Advisor, BSR

In its 2008 corporate responsibility report, the Walt Disney Company made a pioneering commitment that the company will have a “net positive impact on ecosystems.” As part of this strategy, Disney will develop habitat and restoration solutions based on ecosystem impacts identified during the design-review process of new projects. In a similar fashion, some government agencies have begun to place more emphasis on ecosystems as a whole, as opposed to single environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for example, has oriented its research agenda around ecosystem services, and the European Environment Agency began investing heavily in ecosystem services research and tools to aid its decision-making for management of environmental issues. Read more →

Posted: February 16, 2010 | Topics: Climate Change, Ecosystem Services, Energy, Environment, Food, Beverage & Agriculture, Land Use & Biodiversity, Mining

BSR Insight Article: Guest Perspective: GreenBiz on Ten Trends Shaping the State of Green Business

By Joel Makower, Executive Editor, GreenBiz.com

“We’re still here.” Read more →

Posted: February 9, 2010 | Topics: Consumer Products, Energy, Environment, Governance & Accountability, Information & Communications Technology, Supply Chain, Toxicity & Product Design, Transportation

BSR Insight Article: Climate Corps Fellows Design Customized Energy-Efficiency Plans

Environmental Defense Fund's Climate Corps program provides U.S. companies with fellows—students from prominent business schools who have received training in energy-efficiency technologies, energy pricing, and financial models—for 10 to 12 weeks between May and September to help companies save money by developing and implementing individualized energy-efficiency plans. Fellows analyze energy use and map out investments in areas such as lighting, computer equipment, and ventilation systems. Last year, 26 fellows—who worked with companies including HP and Sodexo—revealed energy efficiencies that could help companies save a total of more than US$54 million. These projects would reduce energy use by 160 million kilowatt hours and avoid more than 100,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year. Read more →

Posted: January 19, 2010 | Topics: Energy, Environment

BSR Insight Article: Energy Efficiency in China Requires Going Back to the Basics

By Daniel Gross

After Copenhagen, attention will switch from government commitments to on-the-ground changes needed now to lower emissions, especially in developing countries. Read more →

Posted: December 15, 2009 | Topics: Climate Change, Energy, Supply Chain