BSR Insight Articles About Environment

Understanding and Managing Water-Related Risks

Linda Hwang, Former Manager, Research

Last week, visualizing.org and Circle of Blue opened their World Water Day data visualization challenge, calling on designers and data experts to create visualizations on the topic of urban water issues. The challenge highlights the difficulty shared by many sectors in presenting the complexity of water issues in simple, easy-to-understand ways. For companies, the challenge is compounded by the need to present information on different types of water-related risks for multiple locations and to a variety of audiences. Read more →

Posted: March 1, 2011 | Topics: Environment, Water

Efficiency at the Heart of Supply Chains: Opportunities in the Transportation and Logistics Sector

Interview of Raj Sapru, Director, Advisory Services, BSR, by Linda Hwang, Manager, Research & Innovation, BSR

Global economic trade is dependent on ocean/maritime transport, with maritime ships responsible for transporting 90 percent of global goods. By some estimates, 3 to 4 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions originate from the shipping of goods across oceans. This means that cutting CO2 emissions from transportation in the lifecycle can be a significant opportunity to make the greatest gains in CO2 reductions. Read more →

Posted: February 18, 2011 | Topics: Environment, Transportation

Will Old Europe Become the New World of Sustainability in 2011?

Peder Michael Pruzan-Jorgensen, Vice President, Europe, Middle East, and Africa

European companies, government officials, and civil society representatives have tended to scoff at their American cousins’ approach to sustainability, and also at the perceived fundamental disregard for the environment and human rights in BRIC countries. But as we make our way into 2011, I sense a shift in Europe toward a more somber mood, similar to the sobriety that comes to a soccer team the day after an unexpected defeat by a mignon competitor: heads down, feet dragging, and a realization that something different has to be done. Read more →

Posted: February 7, 2011 | Topics: Climate Change, Consumer Products, Energy, Environment, Financial Services, Food, Beverage & Agriculture, Health Care, Human Rights, Information & Communications Technology, Media & Entertainment, Mining, Reporting & Communications, Strategy & Integration, Supply Chain, Transportation, Travel & Tourism

State of Green Business 2011

GreenBiz's fourth annual "State of Green Business" report presents the top 10 trends and 20 indices for measuring how well companies are improving their environmental performance. According to the report, green business did not die during the recession; rather, companies are diving deeper and investing in longer-term sustainability initiatives. Read more →

Posted: February 7, 2011 | Topics: Consumer Products, Energy, Environment, Financial Services, Food, Beverage & Agriculture, Health Care, Information & Communications Technology, Media & Entertainment, Mining, Reporting & Communications, Toxicity & Product Design, Transportation, Travel & Tourism, Water

Greenpeace Ranks Green Electronics for 2011

Elissa Goldenberg, Associate, Advisory Services

Greenpeace just released its third "Green Electronics Survey"—which assesses the greenest electronics products that will be available in 2011, and ranks 18 leading electronics manufacturers on three criteria: removing toxic substances, responsible take-back of their end-of-life products, and energy efficiency. Read more →

Posted: January 18, 2011 | Topics: Consumer Products, Environment, Information & Communications Technology, Supply Chain