Publications by Tag: Environment
Blog
Quality Development Driven by Green Development
Joshua Lanshe, Intern, Guangzhou, BSR
In the recent China 2030 World Bank report, China looks to shift from relying heavily on fossil fuels and dated management methods to embracing green technologies and innovative solutions in an effort to improve the quality of future growth. The report indicates that for the next 18 years, China will aim to develop into a more “modern, harmonious, and creative high-tech society.” Fittingly, this phrase also is used in China’s current five-year plan, and perfectly captures the commitment of the country’s government to improve the balance and quality of its growth. Read more
A Sustainability Compass for Ocean Issues
Laura Ediger, Environmental Manager
Last week at the Economist World Oceans Summit in Singapore, it was widely noted that oceans don’t get much attention, perhaps in part because we humans are (now) a highly terrestrial species. But the topics were clearly relevant to the humans in attendance, who ranged from representatives of conservation NGOs, to leaders of small island states, to people from companies like Google, Tiffany & Co, Shangri-La Hotels, and Electrolux, and ocean-oriented businesses such as Maersk Line, APL, Norpac, and China Fishery Group. Read more
Conflict Minerals and Local Development Concerns
Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
Note: This is the second of three blogs highlighting the critical issues that risk getting lost in the rush to implement due diligence on conflict minerals. Our first blog discussed the local impacts of supply chain policies, and the next will explore the connection with global responsible sourcing issues. Read more
Protecting Our Oceans: Key to Sustainability
Aron Cramer, President and CEO
In February, I will speak at The Economist's "World Oceans Summit," a valiant—and valuable—effort to increase awareness and commitment to preserving the oceans. The world's oceans cover three-fourths of the Earth's territory, but they occupy far less than that in terms of mindshare regarding sustainability. This Summit may help change that. Read more
Chinese Entrepreneurs on Environmental Protection in China
Xiaoshu Wang, Associate, Advisory Services
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been traveling around China to interview 35 Chinese entrepreneurs in different industries on how the business sector can promote environmental protection. These interviews will inform a new, three-year member strategy for the Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology (SEE)—an association founded in 2004 with the goal to solve the desertification challenge in Inner Mongolia. Now, seven years later, SEE has nearly 200 members spread all over the country and faces a new challenge: Its members are not satisfied with supporting a single anti-desertification project. Instead, the organization wants to address broader ecological issues across the country. To do this, SEE will be working closely with BSR’s CiYuan initiative, a project focusing on building cross-sector partnerships to enhance the value of social investment in China. Read more
Opportunities for Wireless Technology to Improve Environmental Impacts
Vijay Kanal, Director, Information and Communications Technology Practice, Advisory Services
A new report developed by BSR—and commissioned by CTIA- the Wireless Association—explores the impacts of wireless technology on the environment in the United States. To our surprise, we found several innovations occurring with wireless applications that not only reduce costs but also benefit the environment—and the applications are in just about every industry. Read more
In Your Words: EDF President Fred Krupp on Leadership
Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund
This guest blog is part of BSR’s ongoing series exploring what leadership for sustainability looks like in today’s world.
Regulating Supply Chain Sustainability
Peder Michael Pruzan-Jorgensen, Managing Director, Europe, Middle East, and Africa
What would have been unthinkable only a few years ago is now the order of the day. Read more
Why Did the ‘Tweenbot’ Cross the Road? (To Teach Us About Kindness)
Virginia Terry, Director, Advisory Services
At the Museum of Modern Art’s ambitious new exhibit, “Talk to Me” (curated by Paola Antonelli, who spoke at the BSR Conference 2010), visitors are greeted by a “Tweenbot,” a small, cardboard-covered, constantly moving robot that depends on the kindness of strangers to reach its final destination. Videos show the Tweenbot maneuvering through Washington Square Park as passersby rescue it from potholes, protect it from dangerous streets, and usher it toward its goal. Read more
Water, Water, Nowhere?
Linda Hwang, Manager, Research
It’s impossible to read the news these days without coming across an article about water scarcity: Read more
Why Solar Should Care About Sustainability
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
Solar power is a poster child of sustainability, at least from the standpoint of energy users. It provides a clean alternative to GHG-emitting fossil fuels and runs indefinitely on free energy from the sun. What more, then, is there to the sustainability of solar energy? Read more
Pessimism Rules the Day—And Why We Can’t Afford It
Aron Cramer, President and CEO
At dinner following BSR’s Board meeting in London last month, discussion turned quickly to the potential for a looming crash in global markets (no, sadly, this is not a post from 2008). Round and round we went, debating whether the sovereign and consumer debt levels weighing down Europe and the United States were precursors to another crash in the global financial system. Read more
GBC Health’s 10th Anniversary: Time to Look at the Big Picture
Aron Cramer, President and CEO
I spoke yesterday at the morning plenary of GBC Health (formerly the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria), along with business leaders like AngloAmerican CEO Cynthia Carroll, Conservation International Founder Peter Seligman, and Sarah Brown, health care activist and wife of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Read more
Calling Port in Oakland in a Hybrid
Eva Dienel, Communications Manager
I pull into the Port of Oakland’s Global Gateway Central terminal following a silver Honda Insight that looks microscopic next to the Singapore, an APL container ship at berth nearby. But the 14-foot car and the 900-foot ship have something in common: They’re both hybrids. Read more
Where BSR Will Be in June
June is shaping up to be a busy month for BSR staff around the world. Here’s a few of the place we’ll be—and events we’re hosting. We hope to see you there! Read more
Planning for an Uncertain Future and More at WEC
Mark Little, Director, Health Care, Advisory Services
Last week, I joined the World Environmental Center’s colloquium on sustainable development as a driver for innovation, which gathered an impressive panel of leaders from both business and civil society. Speakers included Jeff Seabright (Coke), Andrea Thomas (Walmart), Claus Conzelmann (Nestle), Bob Langert (McDonalds), Gavin Neath (Unilever), Albert Cho (Cisco), Jason Clay (WWF), Jane Nelson (Harvard), Peter Schnurrenberger (Roche), and many more. Considering the companies represented on the panels, it was no surprise to see the discussions focus predominantly on food and agriculture. But the key “calls to action” cut across industry lines: Read more
Japan: Tragedy to Turning Point?
Aron Cramer, President and CEO
I arrived in Japan for a week of meetings to find Tokyo more deserted than ever before. Maybe the economy really had collapsed in the wake of the triple whammy of the earthquake, tsunami, and ongoing nuclear accident at Fukushima-Daiichi. Read more
On Earth Day 2011, Who Will Tell the People?
Aron Cramer, President and CEO
Almost 20 years ago, the journalist William Greider wrote Who Will Tell the People, his account of dysfunctional decision-making in Washington. Greider’s thesis was that Washington officials were preoccupied with perpetuating their own power, with scant regard for the interests of the people they were supposed to represent. Read more
Bringing Energy Efficiency to Inland China
Last week, I traveled to Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei Province for a two-day meeting on energy efficiency and carbon reduction with representatives from the Guangdong and Hubei provinces and the British Embassy. Wuhan has approximately 9 million people, three city centers, and is sprawled across several rivers and lakes—but more importantly, the city is currently in the middle of a major modernization effort. Read more
A New Year for Clean Ports
Laura Ediger, Environmental Manager
Ports are going clean and green: Amsterdam announced that it will give discounts on port fees to ships with high scores on the Environmental Ship Index (i.e. lower air emissions than required by International Maritime Organization standards), and San Diego, California, has started a Green Business Challenge for port tenants to improve their environmental performance. But in terms of global throughput, eight of the 10 top ports in the world are in Asia—Shanghai just overtook Singapore last year as the busiest port in the world. Read more
FTC’s New Anti-Greenwashing, Good-for-Business Green Guides
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has released its long-awaited draft guidance on environmental marketing. The so-called “Green Guides” tell companies how to prevent misleading customers—and avoid FTC actions against them. Read more
The Future of Carbon Disclosure
Laura Ediger, Environmental Manager
At this week’s launch of the Carbon Disclosure Project’s (CDP) regional report for Asia (excluding Japan) in Hong Kong, CDP’s Sue Howells showed a video message reflecting on the CDP’s achievements over the last 10 years and what the CDP sees for the future. As with most organizations focused on mitigating climate change, CDP’s view of the future “if we don’t succeed…” was rather grim, with glimpses of not just melting glaciers and increasing storms, but also resource conflicts and armed violence. When the lights came on, though, the discussion focused on the opportunities for improvement in corporate performance. Read more
Clean Cargo Is Ready to Set Sail: Notes from the Spring Meeting
By Angie Farrag, Manager, Advisory Services and Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
Transparency was order of the day for more than 30 representatives from member companies at the recent Clean Cargo Working Group (CCWG) meeting. Carriers (those who move the cargo) and shippers (those who need their cargo moved) came together in Copenhagen for a packed agenda that tackled issues on both sides of the loading dock. Read more
Climate Leaders: A Break from the Industry Pack
Aron Cramer, President and CEO
Some of this week’s most interesting developments related to business and climate didn’t come from the UN Climate Summit in New York or from Pittsburgh (site of the G20 Summit), but instead from San Francisco and Beaverton, Oregon. Read more
Less Stick, More Carrot in the Carbon Tax Debate
Farid Baddache, Director, Europe
The carbon tax debate is all over the French media these days—and this fascinating battle may hold lessons for how this debate will play out across the rest of Europe and more widely. Read more
All (Climate) Politics Is Local
Aron Cramer, President and CEO
The failure of last week’s G8 summit to make meaningful progress toward an agreement on climate change is dispiriting enough—but the reasons behind it may be even more worrying. Read more
Message to the G8: Use Climate Commitments to Restore Trust
Farid Baddache, Director, Europe
At the G8 talks in Italy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel seemed confident that the G8 would limit global warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius. But we should be pessimistic about how these discussions have carried forward the global agenda on climate change mitigation. A success at COP15 is still a very long way off. Read more
Thinking ‘Outside the Boundaries’ for Land-Use Challenges
Laura Ediger, Environmental Manager
As competing uses for productive land multiply, with space needed for forests, farmland, and now biofuels, companies are becoming increasingly aware of land as a scarce resource. Not surprisingly, resource scarcity often drives innovation. Read more
The New Wave of Green Business in China
Wei Dong Zhou, Vice President, Broad Group
Can red China become green? Yes, we can, was my answer during a panel discussion on "Greening Business in Southern China"—a forum held by the China Environment Forum at the Woodrow Wilson Center on June 19 in Washington, D.C. Read more
BSR Conference Session Summaries
BSR Insight Articles
Burning at Both Ends: Understanding Energy’s Two Major—and Opposite—Climate Trends
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
Recently, Bank of America and Citigroup were both labeled the “greenest” banks while another group called them the “filthiest.” The first name was for investing in clean energy and reducing emissions from operations, while the latter was for providing financial support to carbon-intensive energy such as coal. Read more
KPMG Report Picks 10 Sustainability ‘Megaforces’
Population growth, material resource scarcity, climate change, and energy and fuel are among the issues in sustainability that could have significant impact on the business landscape over the next 20 years, according to a recent report by KPMG International. Read more
Corporate Environmental Performance in Practice
By Linda Hwang, Research Manager, BSR; Sissel Waage, Senior Advisor, BSR; and Kit Armstrong, Senior Advisor, BSR
Note: This article is the second piece in a two-part series on the uptake of ecosystem services. Read part one of our series, on the increasing integration of ecosystem services within government, the investor community, and business sectors. Read more
The Quiet Revolution: The Changing Expectations of Corporate Environmental Performance
By Linda Hwang, Research Manager, BSR; Sissel Waage, Senior Advisor, BSR; and Kit Armstrong, Senior Advisor, BSR
Note: This article is the first piece in a two-part series on the uptake of ecosystem services. Read part two of our series, on the increasing integration of ecosystem services within government, the investor community, and business sectors. Read more
Business: Blue and Green
By Michael Sutton, Vice President, Center for the Future of the Oceans, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Tomorrow, the Economist’s World Ocean Summit in Singapore will highlight for an audience of global business leaders the latest concerns about threats to our oceans, and how business activities are impacting this ecosystem. While all of us can play a role in caring for our ocean resources, perhaps the only force powerful enough to reverse the decline of our global environment is commerce itself. Read more
Business’ Role in Ocean ‘Custodianship’
BSR President and CEO Aron Cramer will lead a discussion on how companies can be “custodians” of the oceans at the Economist’s World Oceans Summit in Singapore later this week. Read more
Incorporating the Value of Nature
Linda Hwang, Manager, Research
In January 2011, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Dow Chemical launched a five-year collaboration that aims to help Dow and other companies implement models that incorporate the value of nature into business goals. Last week, TNC released the first annual update on this partnership, outlining the activities undertaken to date. Some of the highlights: Read more
Using Water-Risk Information for Greater Impact
Ryan Flaherty, Manager, Advisory Services
Business continuity depends on access to clean water, a resource that is in higher demand as scarcity increases, quality declines, and distribution remains unequal around the world. As more companies recognize their dependence on clean water, they are turning to different tools to assess risks and provide context for their direct operations and supply chains. Read more
The New Reality of Water in China: Informed Activism and No Guarantees
Laura Ediger, Environmental Manager; Ryan Flaherty, Manager, Advisory Services
While the carbon dioxide emissions of China’s manufacturers may receive international attention, water pollution and scarcity hit much closer to home. Local governments, communities, and consumers in China are putting more pressure on factories to clean up their waste streams and use less water. Read more
WEF Report Reveals Top Global Risks
Elissa Goldenberg, Associate, Advisory Services
Based on a survey of 469 experts from industry, government, academia, and civil society, the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) new “Global Risks 2012” report examines 50 global risks across five categories: economic, environmental, geopolitical, societal, and technological. Read more
Four Key Sustainability Trends in Retail
The Retail Industry Leaders Association’s first sustainability report on the industry’s environmental, social, and community impacts features company case studies and identifies four key trends: Read more
GreenBiz: Decline in Environmental Business Performance
GreenBiz’s “State of Green Business 2012” report explores the top 10 sustainable business trends of 2012, including sustainability’s increased visibility among CFOs, more buy-in for sustainable consumption, and a rise in green “gamification.” Read more
Sustainability Predictions for 2012
Elissa Goldenberg, Associate, Advisory Services
The beginning of a new year is the time to look forward at the possible trends, influencers, and opportunities that will affect business. Here is a selection of sustainability-related predictions for 2012. Share your predictions with us at bsrinsight@bsr.org. Read more
When Policy Fails on Climate, What Can Business Do? BSR’s 2012 Climate Initiatives
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
As 2011 draws to a close, we have registered a record year for weather disasters following the largest-ever jump in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the carbon intensity of the world’s fastest-growing economies is only rising. Following the inconclusive end of the UN climate talks in Durban, there is also little reason left to believe that our outmoded international treaty system is going to lead the world away from the ever-worsening state of climate change. Read more
Black Carbon Provides Climate Change Mitigation Opportunities
Raj Sapru, Director, Advisory Services
Black carbon—which includes particles emitted from cars, trucks, stoves, industrial facilities, and some forest fires—is the second-largest contributor to climate change after carbon-dioxide emissions. This happens because when black carbon is suspended in the air, particles absorb sunlight and warm the atmosphere. Also, when black carbon is deposited on ice and snow, it decreases reflectivity and accelerates melting. In addition to accelerating global warming, black carbon has significant impacts on human health and crop yields. Read more
The Future of Fuels
Eric Olson, Senior Vice President, Advisory Services
The recent public actions and debate around the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which is designed to transport increasing amounts of fuel produced from Alberta’s oil sands into the United States, have demonstrated just how important—and complicated—the questions about our common energy future have become. Read more
Reflections From the BSR Conference 2011: We Have the Will—and the Power—to Act
Kara Hurst, Vice President
In his opening address at the BSR Conference 2011, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore talked about the “functional insanity” of CEOs and CFOs who choose short-term gains over long-term sustainability. He referenced a study in which these leaders were asked what they would do if they were given a chance to make an investment that would increase their company’s profitability and sustainability—with the catch being that they would miss their quarterly targets. Eighty percent said they would not make the investment. Read more
Doing Business in a Changing Asia
Jeremy Prepscius, Managing Director, Asia
We live in interesting times—times when global changes are permeating societies as issues, institutions, and information begin to collide. Developments in connectivity and access to information are intersecting with changing societal expectations about political participation, environmental stewardship, economic equality, and expectations of governance. Society’s new expectations are being driven by developments in economic growth patterns, education, scandals, and natural disasters. Read more
A Practical Guide to Social and Environmental Compliance in the Licensing Industry
Cody Sisco, Manager, Advisory Services
BSR’s new guide—created with the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association and BSR’s Licensing Working Group (which includes representatives from Hasbro, NBCUniversal, Time Warner, and the Walt Disney Company)—helps the licensing industry promote social and environmental standards among a complex network of licensors, licensees, agents, suppliers, factories, and retailers. Read more
Best Features of the New Scope 3 Standard
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
Earlier this month, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol launched its Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard, establishing a common way for companies to define and measure their total greenhouse gas impacts, risks, and opportunities—including those that are beyond the company’s direct operating control but that may represent the most significant impacts on the price and stability of the company’s supplies, customer demand, reputation, and costs. Read more
Re-Scaling for the New Local
Linda Hwang, Manager, Research
In the next decade, rapidly growing urban regions will need redesigned infrastructure, goods, and services to match peoples’ needs and work within planetary constraints. New efforts to track well-being and happiness, ecological systems under stress, and community and culture shocks like forced water restrictions and food-safety scares are driving people to pursue more resilient solutions such as low-impact housing, off-grid water and energy, seed-sharing programs, and community-supported agriculture. Read more
The Evolution of Environmental Performance Expectations
Linda Hwang, Manager, Research
Four years ago, BSR convened a group of leaders from the private sector as well as several academics and NGO representatives to discuss a new approach to scenario planning that considered the esoteric concept of “ecosystem services.” In particular, we were interested in how major capital decisions could undercut the flow of ecosystem services—the measurable benefits such as adequate supplies of clean water and protection from natural disasters provided by healthy, functioning ecosystems—across wide swaths of landscape. The rationale for action was as unclear to many as was the concept of ecosystem services itself. Could we place appropriate values on ecosystem services, based on the value they represent to society and their relative scarcity, so that they are viewed not as liabilities but as assets that should be protected and restored? Would knowledge of the importance of ecosystem services result in better stewardship of natural resources? Read more
Using Wireless Technology to Protect the Environment
Peter Nestor, Associate, Advisory Services
A new report by BSR and CTIA —the Wireless Association examines opportunities for companies in the transportation, utilities, agriculture, and government sectors to use wireless technology to help protect the environment. Highlights include: Read more
OECD’s Business Guide to Sustainable Growth
The OECD’s new Sustainable Manufacturing Toolkit helps businesses—particularly small- to medium-sized companies and supply chain firms—grow more sustainably by improving their operational efficiency, reviewing the materials they use for production, rethinking their products’ benefits and challenges, and supporting continuous improvement in their teams. Read more
Walmart: The Greatest Sustainability Story of Our Time?
Eva Dienel, Communications Manager
In Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward Humes’ latest book, Force of Nature, Walmart is the unlikely hero in a tale about the environment and sustainability, which Humes calls “the most important story of our age.” I spoke with Humes—who will discuss sustainability storytelling at the BSR Conference 2011—about what makes Walmart’s story so compelling, how to make your business’ sustainability story part of company lore, and how to avoid the trap of “mego” (shorthand for “my eyes glaze over”) when chronicling your own experience. Read more
BSR, Intel Gather Experts to Spur Social Innovation in China
At a Beijing meeting, BSR and Intel brought together 15 government, academic, nonprofit, and business experts to discuss how things like infrastructure, institutions, incentives, inspiration, integration, interaction, and investments can spark innovative solutions to address China’s growing social and environmental challenges. Experts also discussed how companies could leverage their expertise, technology, talent, and capital to transform their traditional approaches to social responsibility to make a greater impact. Read more
Opportunities for Technology in Sustainability: In Conversation With BSR’s New ICT Practice Director
Eva Dienel, Communications Manager; Vijay Kanal, Director, Information and Communications Technology Practice, Advisory Services
Vijay Kanal first began working on sustainability issues in the technology sector several years ago when a client retained his consulting firm to identify market opportunities for sustainable design software. Intrigued by this assignment, Kanal—who began his career in the industry as an electrical engineer, and later held senior roles in marketing, partnership development, and product introductions at Sun Microsystems—made a personal investment in sustainability by educating himself on the opportunities for the ICT industry. Several engagements followed in developing sustainability strategies and identifying best practices for clients. Read more
Transforming the Global Food System
SustainAbility’s “Appetite for Change” explores the transformation needed for a sustainable global food system that is "reliable, resilient, and transparent; produces food within ecological limits; empowers food producers; and ensures accessible, nutritious food for all." While a variety of stakeholders is required for large-scale, systemic change, the report calls on the private sector to become more engaged in the debate and embrace new market opportunities to make this transformation possible. Read more
Traveling in a Changing Climate
Celine Suarez, Manager, Advisory Services
Perhaps no other industry is more dependent on climate than travel and tourism. From warm, sunny, beachfront resorts, to majestic, snowy mountains, and turbulence-free flights, nearly every aspect of the industry is better off and more profitable when the weather is stable and predictable, and travelers can move about safely and without disruption. Read more
The Long Journey of Corporate Water Stewardship
Water has become a key strategic issue for global companies: 39 percent of companies are already experiencing detrimental impacts related to water issues, according to the CDP Water Disclosure’s first report. As more companies assess their water-related risk, they’re recognizing that corporate water stewardship entails much more than conservation and efficiency. Read more
‘Smart’ Networks Pave the Way for Innovation and Efficiency
Linda Hwang, Manager, Research
At GreenBiz.com's VERGE Roundtable last week in San Francisco, more than four dozen top executives gathered to look at how energy, information, buildings, and vehicle technologies are coming together to enable new waves of innovation and efficiency. Throughout the conversation, speakers discussed how "intelligent" products like electric vehicles, smart buildings, and the smart grid are quickly becoming commoditized. As a result, potential value will be realized in software that links these products together. For example, “intelligent” cities are being conceptualized with smart buildings, electric vehicles, and smart grids all sharing data for better energy management. Read more
Water as an Unequal Human Right
A recent posting on Visualizing.org—a creative community that provides graphical representations of data on complex issues—looks at the differences in how "consuming" countries and developing countries use water and are affected by the lack of clean water. The visual representation—created by Tuduyen Nguyen and Cameron Reynolds-Flatt—was created to encourage people to conserve water resources by pointing out facts such as the number of bottles of water consumed each year in the United States and the percentage of the world’s population that lives without basic sanitation. Read more
WBCSD’s New Guide to Corporate Ecosystem Valuation
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s “Guide to Corporate Ecosystem Valuation” helps business leaders understand the value and benefits of ecosystem services such as fresh water, food, fiber, and natural hazard protection. They can use this data to manage risks and opportunities and make more informed decisions that align financial, ecological, and societal objectives. Read more
Managing Energy by Working Directly With Suppliers
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
With increasing pressure from investors and growing energy constraints, it’s no longer a question for company leaders about whether to address climate change impacts. It’s a priority. One of the surest bets for company managers to do so is to identify opportunities to reduce energy waste, whether through an organized sustainability program or as part of quality management and lean efforts. Read more
Improving the Environmental Performance of Ports and Terminals
Raj Sapru, Director, Advisory Services
BSR’s new report—supported by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund—highlights the risks and opportunities associated with improving the sustainability performance of ports and terminal operations, a part of the supply chain often left out of broader supply chain sustainability efforts. Read more
Improving Product Sustainability Performance
According to Parametric Technology Corporation's recent white paper, companies must embrace "design-for-the-environment" strategies that allow them to remain competitive—and stay ahead of new sustainability requirements—by improving the environmental performance of their products. Read more
Improving the Environmental Performance of Ports and Terminals
Raj Sapru, Director, Advisory Services; Laura Ediger, Environmental Manager
Around the world, the shipping industry accounts for more than a third of the value of all trade, and about 4 percent of global carbon emissions. While ports contribute a relatively small amount of the industry’s climate impacts—and of the overall impacts of supply chains—they often have a significant effect on local communities due to their contribution to air pollution. Emission sources include ships docked at the terminal, fuel used in cargo-handling equipment, and the various modes of transportation, especially trucks, that converge at ports to move goods onto the next leg of their journey. Read more
U.S. ‘Proxy Preview’ Report: Environmental, Social Issues on the Rise
According to As You Sow's "Proxy Preview 2011"—a compendium of the 360 U.S. shareholder resolutions up for vote in 2011—investors now file about 50 percent more resolutions on social and environmental issues than they did 10 years ago. This year’s guide, which provides an overview of the major players, recent regulatory developments, shareholder proposal trends, and new issues, includes highlights such as: Read more
Energy Buzz at Fortune’s Brainstorm Green
Elissa Goldenberg, Associate, Advisory Services
Last week, sustainability thought leaders and business executives gathered at Fortune's Brainstorm Green in Laguna Niguel, California, to focus on emerging environmental trends and innovative ways to advance sustainability. Read more
Maximizing Benefits From Supply Chain Sustainability
Charlotte Bancilhon, Associate, Advisory Services
BSR's new issue brief presents the business case for improving social and environmental performance throughout companies’ supply chains. Through practical case studies, this brief illustrates that by helping suppliers improve their sustainability performance and by investing in opportunities such as energy management or workplace improvements, companies can achieve real benefits such as enhanced supply chain security and reduced costs. Read more
Climate Change Adaptation in the Middle East
Chhavi Ghuliani, Manager, Advisory Services
In the Middle East and North Africa, where half of the population already lives under water-stressed conditions, climate change and the expected rise in global temperatures will likely intensify persistent issues such as droughts and floods. To avoid the business risks posed by climate change, companies operating in the region need to create targeted adaptation strategies. Read more
Waste Not, Want Not—An Overview of Food Waste
Guy Morgan, Director, Advisory Services
As highlighted in BSR's new research brief on food waste—the first in a series exploring different elements of sustainable consumption—there is enough food to feed the world, but 30 percent of all food grown worldwide (approximately US$48.3 billion) is either lost or wasted before it reaches the consumer. Read more
Prosperity on a Crowded Planet: BSR’s Next Phase of Work on Sustainable Consumption
Virginia Terry, Director, Advisory Services
By nearly any measure, our current consumption patterns are not sustainable. The 2010 World Wildlife Fund Living Planet Index—which reflects changes in the health of the planet’s ecosystems—shows a drop by about 30 percent since 1970, and its 2010 Living Planet Report concludes that we are now using 50 percent more natural resources than Earth can sustain. This decline is already stalling progress addressing the needs of the more than 1 billion people who still lack adequate food, clothing, and shelter. As the population continues to grow, from 7 billion today to 9 billion in 2050, we need to shift to a more sustainable form of consumption that meets people’s needs without overtaxing natural resources. Read more
New Cell Phone Ratings Increase Transparency for Consumers
Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
GoodGuide, which provides information on the social, environmental, and health impacts of a variety of consumer products, recently launched its 2011 rankings of cell phones. The company rated 576 cell phones using criteria including environmental and social performance at the product and company levels. These rankings are also available via a mobile application, which allows consumers to browse, search, or scan barcodes to see detailed information for more than 70,000 products and companies. Read more
Reducing the Environmental Impacts of Global Goods Transportation
Raj Sapru, Director, Advisory Services
BSR's Clean Cargo Working Group (CCWG)—a business-to-business initiative among leading shippers (retailers, manufacturers), ocean carriers, and logistics providers that creates practical tools for measuring and reducing the environmental impacts of global goods transportation—released a new report, which includes an overview of CCWG tools used for benchmarking performance, estimating average carbon dioxide emissions for global trade lanes, and understanding the environmental challenges and opportunities in the sector. Read more
Understanding and Managing Water-Related Risks
Linda Hwang, 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
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
Will Old Europe Become the New World of Sustainability in 2011?
Peder Michael Pruzan-Jorgensen, Managing Director, 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
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
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
Adapting to Climate Change: BSR’s New Industry Series
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
As climate change sets in, its impacts—such as increasing severity of storms and weather disasters, receding snow and rivers, advancing deserts, and more frequently occurring landslides, floods, and sinkholes—will test companies’ ability to effectively deliver products and services. Read more
Scope 3 Preview: An Interview With WRI’s Director of the GHG Protocol
Interview with Pankaj Bhatia, Director, GHG Protocol Initiative, World Resources Institute, by Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy, BSR
The art and science of carbon footprinting is about to take a step forward: The long-awaited launch of the Scope 3 standard for value chains and the Product standard for life-cycle analysis is just around the corner. Read more
ESG Integration in Emerging Markets
Elissa Goldenberg, Associate, Advisory Services
Eurosif's "Emerging Markets Report</a>" explores the integration of ESG factors into business operations and reporting by companies in emerging markets, which is on the rise but still lower than in developed markets Read more
Mitigating Water Pollution Risks in Electronics Supply Chains in China
BSR's new report, "Electronics Supply Networks and Water Pollution in China</a>" provides global electronics companies with context for China's water challenges, discusses results of a supplier risk assessment conducted on behalf of Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) member companies, and presents recommendations and resources for identifying water pollution risks in the global electronics supply chain. Read more
Biodiversity Conservation and Human Development
Linda Hwang, Manager, Research
The private sector is recognized as an essential actor in supporting development and poverty reduction, and companies themselves are increasingly recognizing the business opportunities associated with engaging in development challenges. However, the complex interrelationship between poverty and biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) requires that companies take an integrated perspective to these issues in order to make a positive contribution to the sustainable development of host communities. Yet, today many companies have programs that support biodiversity conservation and separate programs that support local economic development, and in some cases these programs are in conflict. To make positive contributions to sustainable development, companies need to integrate the objectives of these programs and unlock the synergies among business, conservation, and poverty reduction. Read more
The Advent of Supply Chain Climate Reporting: Reading CDP’s 2010 Results on Scope 3
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
The Global 500 Report, Carbon Disclosure Project’s (CDP) annual summary of climate reporting by the world’s 500 largest companies released in September, gives the most insight to date on corporations' reporting about climate change and their supply chains. But what does it tell us? Read more
Transitioning to Climate-Smart Agriculture
According to a new report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, agriculture in developing countries must be transformed in order to meet the global challenge of food security and respond to climate change. Key technical, institutional, policy, and financial responses are needed to establish climate-smart systems throughout the agricultural sector. Read more
Back to Basics for Tackling Consumption—With a Twist
Linda Hwang, Manager, Research
All of us buy, use, and dispose of a wide variety of products every day. Some products we buy out of habit, and others are purchased only after extensive deliberation. Some of our purchases are made daily—like grabbing that double shot of espresso at 3 p.m.—while others occur only once a year or once in a lifetime. What this means is that consumers’ decision-making varies tremendously depending on the context. For companies, recognizing the unique contexts in which people make purchasing decisions can increase the likelihood of affecting those decisions, and ultimately steering people toward more sustainable choices. Read more
Measuring Environmental Performance: The Business Case for New Tools
Linda Hwang, Manager, Research; Sissel Waage, Senior Advisor
For years, environment and natural resource managers have been tracking individual parameters linked to air pollution, water, and energy consumption. Specific indicators are identified, measured, and trends tracked. Private, public, and nonprofit organizations have been diligently measuring water used, greenhouse gases emitted, waste averted or recycled, and many other individual metrics. Yet, academic, nonprofit, and public sectors are now placing greater attention on ecological systems. A set of tools to help companies take a systems approach is evolving, but to achieve significant uptake, the business case for these tools needs to be clearly demonstrated. BSR’s Environmental Services, Tools & Markets (ESTM) Working Group is working with member companies to define and articulate this case. Read more
‘Green Guides’ Help Steer Environmental Marketing
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently released its draft guidance on environmental marketing, which helps marketers avoid misleading customers—and avoid FTC actions against them. Read more
Three Tools for Managing Supply Chain Transparency on Climate
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
With guidance on supply chain reporting by the GHG Protocol just around the corner, companies will soon have more clarity on how to manage “Scope 3” emissions. At the same time, companies like HP and others in BSR’s Energy Efficiency Partnership are working on climate change with a growing number of suppliers. As a result of these developments, minimum expectations for climate reporting on the supply chain are rising. Read more
Climate Change and Supplier Energy Conservation
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
At the recent Energy Efficiency Partnership (EEP) kickoff meeting in Guangzhou, China, 11 companies including Starbucks, HP, and Levi Strauss & Co. gathered with more than 80 of their suppliers to share best practices and trends in energy management. Participants learned how to use energy action plans and take advantage of local service providers like CLP, which has a free energy audit program backed by the Chinese government. Read more
Practical Frameworks to Help Business Prepare for Climate Change
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
While it's impossible to predict the exact impacts climate change will have on business, several practical frameworks are designed to help managers understand and prepare for climate change: Read more
Preparing for the Unpredictable: Lessons on Adapting to Climate Change
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
With managers across industries under pressure to develop sophisticated views about how climate change will impact their company, it might seem natural to look to the insurance industry for guidance on how to act and communicate about risks and opportunities. Read more
New Eco Index for Improving Product Life-Cycle Impacts
The Eco Index—a new web-based environmental assessment tool created by the Outdoor Industry Association’s Eco Working Group—is aimed at helping companies in the apparel and outdoor industry understand (and ultimately improve) a product's impacts at different life-cycle stages. Read more
How Can Companies Use Life-Cycle Metrics for Sustainable Consumption?
Virginia Terry, Manager, Advisory Services
Now in its third year, the World Economic Forum's (WEF) sustainable consumption work is moving toward tangible actions in three different work streams: engaging consumers, exchanging innovation, and life-cycle metrics. Read more
Branding Sustainability in Hospitality and Tourism: A Q&A on Hilton’s LightStay Program
Interview with Christopher Corpuel, Vice President, Sustainability, Hilton Worldwide, by Eva Dienel, Communications Manager, BSR
After two years of development, Hilton Worldwide rolled out a new system to analyze the environmental impacts of its 3,600 properties. The company’s LightStay program measures energy, water, waste, and carbon impacts throughout 200 areas of hotel operations including housekeeping, paper product use, food waste, chemical storage, air quality, and transportation. In 2009, following the first year of the program, Hilton reported that the company has conserved enough energy to power 5,700 homes for a year, enough water to fill more than 650 Olympic-size pools, and the carbon emissions equivalent of taking 34,865 cars off the road. Hilton’s Christopher Corpuel spoke with us about how Hilton is using LightStay to save money—including more than US$29 million in utility costs alone in 2009—and elevate sustainability as a global brand standard. In its 3,600 properties around the world, Hilton has a variety of brands and also different operating models (some hotels are owned, some are managed, and some are franchised). Given that context, how does this program work at the ground level? Read more
Managing Risks and Opportunities of Biodiversity Loss and Ecosystem Degradation
Elissa Goldenberg, Associate, Advisory Services
A new study entitled The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) outlines the business risks and opportunities related to biodiversity. It also explores consumers' changing preference for environmentally friendly products; describes new initiatives and tools that enable businesses to measure, value, and report on their ecosystem impacts; and examines new business models that deliver biodiversity benefits. Read more
Business Opportunities in Sustainable Consumption
Linda Hwang, Manager, Research
Not long ago, Southern California Edison conducted an experiment aimed at lowering household energy use. The utility company gave its customers ambient orbs that glowed red when their energy use was high and green when use was low. Within weeks, energy use in this pilot group declined by 40 percent during peak periods. Read more
Preparing for a Carbon Tax in China
Jason Ho, Manager, Advisory Services & CTI
According to a recent study (Chinese only) by the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance, China is well poised—in terms of need and feasibility—to launch a carbon tax in 2012. The tax would be the first market-based mechanism implemented by China aimed at helping the country reach its 2009 commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 40 to 45 percent of 2005 levels by 2020. Read more
Climate Change and Desertification: The Link to Corporate Responsibility
Laura Ediger, Environmental Manager
Throughout history, every continent has harbored dry landscapes that depend on limited rainfall and are vulnerable to desertification, the process through which vegetation and soil moisture is lost and dry lands become more like deserts. Now, global climate change is making the situation worse. Read more
Buyer’s Guide to GHG Accounting Tools
Despite (or perhaps because of) last year’s failed climate talks in Copenhagen, the demand for tools and software programs that help companies track greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has increased dramatically over the past year. Read more
Unlocking Energy Efficiency in China: A Guide to Partnering With Suppliers
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
BSR's new guide helps global sustainability professionals establish supply chain energy-efficiency programs, with a focus on China. The report outlines how companies can succeed with a four-step process that includes building foundations for a comprehensive program, helping suppliers take the first steps, facilitating progress over time, and enhancing the program's impacts. Read more
How Sustainability Can Transform the Travel and Tourism Sector
Kara Hurst, Vice President
In the past, social responsibility in the travel and tourism sector was equated with “ecotourism.” However, companies such as Accor, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Starwood are now implementing innovative solutions that also reduce the environmental impact of their operations, save money, and benefit local economic development. Read more
On the Horizon: The Shipping Industry’s Choppy Waters
Peder Michael Pruzan-Jorgensen, Managing Director, Europe, Middle East, and Africa
By all accounts, the shipping industry has an enormous economic footprint. It transports more than a third of the value of global trade and provides more than 4.2 million jobs. At any given point, the largest shipping lines transport more than 3 percent of the globe's gross national product. And because shipping routes—as a means to connect goods with markets—play a huge role in regional growth and the development of today's complex supply chains, the industry’s economic reach is even greater. Read more
B4E Leader Calls for Price on Carbon
Last week, BSR President and CEO Aron Cramer joined leaders from business, government, international agencies, and NGOs at the Business for Environment (B4E) Summit in Seoul to discuss business-driven solutions for the world's most urgent environmental challenges. Discussion topics ranged from women's empowerment and renewable energy to new business paradigms and population control. Read more
On the Horizon: BSR’s Research & Innovation Agenda 2010
Interview with Faris Natour, Director, Research & Innovation, by Eva Dienel, Manager, Communications
Each year, BSR’s Research & Innovation department produces independent, applied sustainability research to help BSR members stay ahead of the curve and to advance corporate responsibility as a whole. The team’s aim is to offer practical solutions that will address the key sustainability challenges of today and tomorrow, with insights informed by BSR’s consulting work, interviews with business leaders, and our active participation in global initiatives that address sustainability issues for the private sector. Read more
Nestlé Waters’ Design for Communities: Reorienting From Water to People
Julia Nelson, Manager, Advisory Services; Linda Hwang, Manager, Research
When we work with companies to integrate sustainability into their operations, we usually provide actionable advice that corporate managers can put into practice the very next day. Yet, in some ways, focusing on the tactics means losing sight of the “lived experience” of the individuals who are trying to envision and advocate for a new way of doing business. Indeed, achieving sustainability is a cultural transformation that reshapes the way corporate managers think about their daily responsibilities. Read more
New Web Portal Helps Investors and Businesses Understand China’s Water Crisis
The Asia Water Project (AWP) is a collaborative web portal that provides investors and businesses with information on China's growing water crisis, which is thought to be responsible for direct economic losses of US$35 billion every year. Read more
Following Walmart’s Lead: Driving Emissions Reductions
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
In late February, Walmart announced that it would eliminate 20 million tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its supply chain—a commitment that will address climate change, cut costs, and make the company’s suppliers leaner and more competitive. The initiative will likely influence thousands of other companies, as Walmart suppliers teach their suppliers, and other companies follow Walmart's lead. Read more
Corporate Climate Reporting: How to Communicate About Policy Engagement
Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
With the fiscal year drawing to a close for many companies, it’s writing season for corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports. As usual, reports provide a medium for communicating to investors who want to see companies creating value, customers who want to know which companies and products are leaders versus laggards, and watchdogs looking for inconsistencies. Read more
Virtual Sustainability Summit Showcases Smart ICT
"Smart ICT" is the first in a groundbreaking virtual event series focusing on sustainability in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. The event—co-sponsored by BSR—will feature an innovative format with virtual auditoriums for presentations, meeting rooms for networking, and an exhibit hall. International thought leaders, policymakers, advocacy groups, and experts will discuss concrete strategies on how the ICT sector can provide profitable opportunities and solutions to create a low-carbon society. Read more
Considering the Big Picture
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
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
Greenpeace Collaboration Behind Coca-Cola’s HFC-Free Pledge
Just before Copenhagen, the Coca-Cola Company pledged to make 100 percent of its new vending machines hydrofluorocarbon-free (HFC-free) by 2015. The company noted that the announcement is a direct result of a decade’s work with Greenpeace, which first challenged Coca-Cola to eliminate HFCs in the equipment it supplied to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Coca-Cola's head of energy and climate protection recently reflected on the evolution of the company's relationship with Greenpeace: Read more
A Commitment to Communities: Case Study of Nestlé Waters North America’s Water-Siting Plan
Julia Nelson, Manager, Advisory Services; Linda Hwang, Manager, Research
In a northeastern U.S. town of about 1,000 people, at the first public hearing to discuss Nestlé Waters North America’s (NWNA) interest in bottling water from a local spring, the company listened as citizens outlined their primary concerns about the project: increased costs to the town, negative impacts to residents, and feuds among neighbors. Read more
Reducing Water Pollution in China and Beyond
At a recent Nanjing University workshop on how to reduce water pollution in China's Yangtze River Delta, BSR joined researchers, NGOs, and government to provide insights on what business can do to address water pollution in their supply chains. There are several opportunities: Read more
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
What Copenhagen Means for Business: Five Key Issues to Watch Now and in the Future
Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
The headlines leading up to the UN-led climate negotiations that began yesterday in Copenhagen provide a nice snapshot of an extraordinary roller-coaster ride: Read more
New Report Urges Policymakers to Protect Ecosystems
Linda Hwang, Manager, Research
According to a new report from The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) initiative, policymakers can increase economic returns, jobs, and livelihoods by investing in ecological infrastructure; integrating ecosystem services values into price signals; and creating adequate institutions, regulatory frameworks, and financing opportunities to protect ecosystems. Read more
Want to Lead on Climate? Advance Straight to Policy
Laura Ediger, Environmental Manager; Ryan Schuchard, Manager, Climate and Energy
As negotiators gather in Copenhagen next month to discuss a global climate policy framework, there has never been a better time for companies to influence policy instruments that could dramatically affect the future of climate change. Read more
A Window Into the Future of Climate Change
The Climate Rapid Overview and Decision-Support Simulator (C-ROADS)—developed by the Sustainability Institute, Ventana Systems, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—simulates climate change, giving decision-makers a peek at the long-term implications of potential global climate agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Read more
The State of Sustainable Business
For a snapshot on the state of sustainable business, take a look at our brief report from the BSR/GlobeScan survey of nearly 300 business leaders at the BSR Conference 2009. Highlights include: Read more
Sustainable Business Models: Time for Innovation
Imagine that when you buy a pair of jeans you’re offered an agreement to sign before you pay: “I hereby promise to cold-wash, line-dry this clothing item, and own it for at least three years or ensure it is given away for someone else to enjoy.” When you sign, you are rewarded instantly with a coupon for cash back. The rebate is the estimated financial value of the carbon-dioxide emissions you save by avoiding hot-water washing, and by machine drying your jeans over the lifespan of the item. The clothing company is able to provide this discount by aggregating its consumers’ carbon credits and selling them on the open market. This model provides financial incentives for both the clothing company and the consumer to alter behavior. Read more
Business Models in a Low-Carbon World
Arthur D. Little's report "Business Models in a Low-Carbon World" asserts that the global economic recession triggered a radical change toward a less carbon-intensive world. According to the report, this new "low-carbon agenda" will affect every company, whether due to brand recognition implications, impacts on operating costs, or changes in investors’ perceptions of value. Read more
Minding the Gaps: Three Unmet Needs for Climate Leadership
By Besty Fargo and Ryan Schuchard
Building on our article last week on why climate matters for every company, managers should be aware that there are some important, and very specific, opportunities for creating business value while promoting climate stability. Read more
Planetary Boundaries: How Far Can We Go?
In a new report by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, scientists assert that to avoid catastrophic environmental change, humanity must stay within defined "planetary boundaries" for nine essential Earth-system processes: climate change, stratospheric ozone, land-use change, freshwater use, biological diversity, ocean acidification, nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to the biosphere and oceans, aerosol loading, and chemical pollution. Read more
Not Just for Heavy Emitters: Why Climate Change Matters to Every Company
Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services
Recently, BSR has fielded inquiries from a range of member companies asking how climate change is relevant to their business. The timing of these questions is obvious: With prospective climate change legislation and policy discussions in the United States and elsewhere, intensive international negotiations culminating later this year, and ongoing stakeholder interest, companies are scrambling to develop or boost their climate change strategies, assess their internal and supply chain emissions, and examine the potential risks and opportunities throughout their operations, value chain, and industry. Read more
Moving Toward an Ecosystem Approach to Natural Resources Management
Linda Hwang, Manager, Research
As we prepare for the Copenhagen climate negotiations, there is a parallel discussion about the need for an "ecosystem approach" that includes ecological restoration and biological conservation to counter the loss of ecosystem services caused by climate change. Ecosystem services—the collective benefits, such as clean water, that people obtain from healthy, functioning ecosystems—represent a new development in the relationship between society and nature. Read more
Hero for Troubled Waters: A Q&A with Sylvia Earle
Interview with Sylvia Earle by Eva Dienel, Communications Manager, BSR
The ringtone for renowned ocean explorer Sylvia Earle’s royal blue mobile phone is the hollow ping of a sonar device, a constant but unnecessary reminder to its owner that the world is mostly ocean, what Earle calls our planet’s “life-support system.” Earle, a 2009 TED Prize winner who will be speaking at the BSR Conference 2009, recently sat down to talk with us about her new book, The World Is Blue (released today by National Geographic Books), and why business should put nature—and especially the world’s water resources—on the balance sheet. Read more
Events
The Guide to Complying With Licensors’ Social and Environmental Requirements
This webinar will answer the most common questions on key topics from the “Good Practices” guide, produced by LIMA, BSR, and the Licensing Working Group. Learn more
BSR Conference 2011: Leadership Required
Leadership in business is changing fast. In today’s global, integrated, and transparent world, business is expected to do more than deliver shareholder returns. At its best, business is a creative force and an integral player in delivering prosperity for 9 billion people, applying game-changing technologies for social benefit, and radically reducing our use of natural resources. Learn more
Reports
The Quiet (R)Evolution in Expectations of Corporate Environmental Performance
The amount of activity related to ecosystem services within government, business, financial services, and academics indicates that the concept has finally come of age. Read more
Global Public Sector Trends in Ecosystem Services, 2009—2011 Summary
Ecosystem services are gaining attention among government officials around the world. Although much of the ongoing work is occurring within research or exploratory phases, interesting policy developments in certain countries could shape expectations and potentially even future regulations. Read more
Good Practices for Complying with Licensors’ Social and Environmental Requirements
This guide serves as a starting point for licensee executives and professionals to understand how they can meet licensors’ requirements related to social and environmental compliance. It also provides guidance on how licensees can improve working conditions within their direct and contract manufacturing operations and supply chains. Read more
Wireless and the Environment: A Review of Opportunities and Challenges
The world is witnessing tremendous innovation in wireless technologies, leading to significant changes in how humans and machines interact with one another. These new wireless technologies and the changes they support are generating exciting opportunities to address environmental impacts in a range of fields, from agriculture to utilities. Read more
New Business Decision-Making Aids in an Era of Complexity, Scrutiny, and Uncertainty
As ecosystem services is emerging as a potential category of corporate performance metrics, tools to support corporate decision-making are being launched. This new report summarizes the findings of the world’s first comparison of multiple ecosystem services assessment tools within one pilot application. The full report can be downloaded here and supplementary materials are available here. Read more
Extending Supply Chain Sustainability Metrics to Terminal Operations
This report—supported by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund—highlights the risks and opportunities associated with improving the sustainability performance of ports and terminal operations, a part of the supply chain often left out of broader supply chain sustainability efforts. Read more
Adapting to Climate Change: A Guide for the ICT Industry
This primer on climate change adaptation in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry summarizes how ICT companies are reporting on climate change risks and opportunities. It outlines current and emerging best practices and guidance for ICT companies on how to develop a proactive approach to climate change adaptation, and makes recommendations. Read more
Adapting to Climate Change: A Guide for the Food, Beverage, and Agriculture Industry
This is a primer on climate change adaptation for food, beverage, and agriculture (FBA) executives. It summarizes how FBA companies are reporting on climate change risks and opportunities, which include supply chain security, water scarcity, infrastructure and distribution, evolving consumer demands, and workforce stability. It also outlines common current practices and discusses practices that can be expected to grow in importance. This guide serves as a resource for executives considering material issues tied to climate change and provides guidance on developing a proactive and responsible approach to adaptation. Read more
Electronics Supply Networks and Water Pollution in China: Understanding and Mitigating Potential Impacts
Electronics manufacturing has become an important economic contributor to China’s success, but its rapid growth has come with environmental costs as well, including negative impacts on water quality. As governmental enforcement of wastewater standards improves, along with public awareness and civil society engagement on environmental issues, global companies have a growing need to effectively understand and mitigate potential risks. For this study, BSR worked with the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) to better understand the environmental performance of a sample of China-based suppliers to EICC members in relation to wastewater management. Read more
The New Frontier in Sustainability
Framed for years as a limitation on business, sustainable consumption—an economic system that allows all individuals to meet their daily needs without disrupting the planet’s healthy ecosystems—actually represents the new frontier of sustainability for business. In a world where our consumption patterns outpace the planet’s ability to regenerate resources by 30 percent, companies that figure out how to deliver value with radically reduced material inputs will be well-positioned for success. Our new report outlines how business can promote sustainable consumption by addressing parts of the value chain cycle that have been overlooked in first-generation sustainability efforts: product design, consumer engagement and use, and end-of-use. Also included are strategies that will help business redefine core activities through the multiple lenses of innovation, education, collaboration, and measurement to create to systemwide changes to consumption. Read more
Building Long-Term Solutions: Retail Shopping Bag Impacts and Options
The purpose of this report is to provide a high-level understanding of the environmental impacts of different kinds of bags, and to identify the types and magnitudes of environmental impacts associated with each kind of bag through a literature review of four publicly available life-cycle assessment studies. Read more
A Practical Approach to Greening the Electronics Supply Chain
This report, published by BSR and the Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC), reflects on the EICC’s efforts to increase transparency and focus on emissions reduction with respect to greenhouse gases (GHG) in the electronics industry. Read more
Supply Chain Sustainability: A Practical Guide for Continuous Improvement
More and more companies are extending their commitment to responsible business practices to their value chains, from subsidiaries to suppliers. They do so not only because of the inherent social and environmental risks and the governance challenges the supply chain poses, but also because of the many rewards supply chain sustainability can deliver. Indeed, sustainable supply chain management can be a strong driver of value and success--for business as much as for society. Read more
Seeding Positive Impacts: How Business and Civil Society Can Contribute to the Sustainability of Chinese Agriculture
This report features examples of private-sector and civil-society initiatives that address the environmental impacts of agricultural supply chains in China. Read more
Unlocking Energy Efficiency in China
This guide helps global sustainability professionals establish supply chain energy-efficiency programs, with a focus on China. The report outlines how companies can succeed with a four-step process that includes building foundations for a comprehensive program, helping suppliers take the first steps, facilitating progress over time, and enhancing the program’s impacts. Read more
Future Expectations of Corporate Environmental Performance
This report—written with support from members of BSR's Environmental Services, Tools, & Markets Working Group—explores how managing environmental issues is broadening from a discrete, single approach to one that includes an assessment of how business may be affecting landscape-level ecological dynamics, such as flows of ecosystem services. Read more
Communicating on Climate Policy Engagement
Public policy engagement has rapidly become a crucial aspect of reporting on climate change. While reporting on direct climate impacts and on risks and opportunities remains important, environmental advocates and other stakeholders are calling on companies to demonstrate how they are playing a role in climate policy development. In response, a growing number of companies are reporting on their climate policy engagement efforts, and emerging third-party measurement frameworks are providing a basis for comparison Read more
2009 State of Global Ecosystem Services Policy Developments
This report lays out key 2009 developments and important ongoing efforts in the policy realm, ranging from new regulations in select geographic areas through administrative decisions and voluntary initiatives that could influence legislative and regulatory policy around ecosystem services. Read more
Sustainable Business Models: Time for Innovation
Business leaders face not only the economic fallout of the financial crisis, they face the substantial challenge of transitioning to a low-carbon economy that is constrained by dwindling natural resources. These pressures also represent opportunities to innovate new business models—including ones that help consumers make sustainable choices. Read about four categories of innovation that, with more development and experimentation, will ensure business success in a reset world. Read more
Achieving Effective REACH Implementation: A BSR Issue Brief on New European Registration, Evaluation
Public Policy and the Promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility
In the past decade, governments have become increasingly proactive in promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR) through their public policies. Most recently, companies have seen increased government involvement in the business sector—partially due to the global financial crisis—and this trend is expected to continue into the future. Keeping this in mind, it is likely that government promotion of corporate responsibility and good governance will continue to grow in the coming years. Read more
Water Quality and Environmental Health in Southern China
The Pearl River Delta in southern China combines abundant freshwater resources and high population density with one of the most intensive export manufacturing zones in the world. The rapid development of the area over the last 20 years has created a similar boom in water pollution discharge, which provincial environmental protection officials have been scrambling to contain. Read more
Understanding and Preventing Greenwash: A Business Guide
Do you trust business? Read more
Apparel Industry Life Cycle Carbon Mapping
Business efforts are increasingly focused on understanding and addressing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As these efforts mature, greater attention is being focused on GHG emissions throughout company value chains and product life cycles, from raw material extraction to disposal, as a complement to company-specific carbon footprinting. Read more
Building Carbon Inventories in China
Value Chain Approaches to a Low-Carbon Economy: Business and Policy Partnerships
This paper is prepared in support of a workshop at the World Business Summit on Climate Change Summit on leveraging value chains to reduce climate impacts and build a low-carbon economy. Read more
Supplementary Materials for Future Expectations of Corporate Environmental Performance
Measuring Corporate Impact on Ecosystems: A Comprehensive Review of New Tools
Learn how to integrate new ecosystem services into your corporate planning and daily decision-making. This report on ecosystem services—the collective benefits provided by a community of animals and plants interacting with one another and with their physical environment, such as clean water and pollination of plants—allows you to compare the various tools that measure and assess the value of ecosystem services. Read more
Word from the Street: Toxicity & Health
This brief includes a framework companies can use to evaluate their level of risk exposure to issues surrounding toxicity and health in order to respond to the growing community of institutional investors, investment advisers and investors who have incorporated environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into their investment decision-making. Read more
Water Management in China's Apparel and Textile Factories
This report summarizes the activities and findings of the first phase of the Water Quality Initiative in China. A joint effort by Business for Social Responsibility and the Center for Water Research at Peking University, the Initiative has two expected outcomes: 1) improvements in water quality management and water use in apparel factories (textile manufacturers, dye houses and laundries/washing facilities); and 2) decreased water risk in the China-based supply chains for global apparel companies and retailers. Read more
Beyond Compliance: Assessing Water Management Practices and Opportunities in Chinese Apparel Factories
Eco-Promising: Communicating the Environmental Credentials of Your Products and Services
This business briefing is intended to help managers in consumer- facing companies to communicate the environmental credentials of products honestly and convincingly. We examine why businesses are increasingly using environmental messaging on products, how different formats (such as eco-labels) have developed, and the risks and challenges associated with making environmental claims. Read more
Drinking It In: The Evolution of a Global Water Stewardship Program at The Coca-Cola Company
This report explores the role of the private sector in responsible management of global water resources by providing an overview of the development and implementation of The Coca-Cola Company’s (TCCC) global water stewardship program. By summarizing the journey of TCCC over five years, this report aims to demonstrate how companies can be proactively involved in water management along their supply chains and within the walls of their own facilities. This report profiles one company’s experience in advancing an integrated water strategy throughout its global operations and across the many networks in which it participates. It provides a brief review of the parameters of TCCC’s commitments and highlights the complexity of true water stewardship. Read more
Offsetting Emissions: A Business Brief on the Voluntary Carbon Market (Second Edition)
This business brief is intended for companies that are considering the purchase of voluntary offsets for their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It offers clear steps that guide early assessments and enable corporate decision makers to become educated consumers within voluntary carbon markets. Read more
The New Markets for Environmental Services: A Corporate Manager's Resource Guide to Trading in Air, Climate, Water and Biodiversity Assets
The natural environment provides society with essential services—such as clean air and reliable flows of clean water—which are increasingly being valued in financial terms. Environmental markets— some regulatory and others voluntary—are now trading credits as well as derivatives. Regulatory environmental markets are operating in Europe, the U.S., Australia and other countries around the world. Voluntary markets and business-to-business “payments for environmental services” (PES) deals are also underway, in both industrialized and developing countries. These markets and transactions are sending price signals about environmental values. The result is that businesses can place a financial value not only on environmental compliance, but also increasingly on voluntary actions. Read more
Biofuels for Transportation: The Next Energy Revolution or a Fix That Fails?
Bio-Carbon and Corporate Climate Strategy: A Business Brief on Emissions Reductions Via Forestry and Land Use Projects [PRESENTATION]
Bio-Carbon and Corporate Climate Strategy: A Business Brief on Emissions Reductions Via Forestry and Land Use Projects
Environmental Markets, Executive Briefing
A shift is occurring in how environmental issues are understood and what corporate environmental expectations exist. The current focus on incremental improvements and discrete issues is becoming outmoded. Key regulators’ and stakeholders’ approaches to environmental issues are broadening to include the overall function of ecological systems as well as the application of market-based of incentives for environmental performance. Read more
Beyond Neutrality: Moving Your Company Toward Climate Leadership, PRESENTATION
Beyond Neutrality: Moving Your Company Toward Climate Leadership
At the Crest of a Wave: A Proactive Approach to Corporate Water Strategy
Getting Carbon Offsets Right
Companies around the world are taking a closer look at their contributions to climate change,1 with an increasing number voluntarily reducing their “carbon footprints” by purchasing offsets elsewhere. In a practice known as offsetting, businesses pay to outsource emissions reductions when it is more cost-effective or technologically feasible than doing so in-house. The market for these voluntary offsets, fueled by corporate commitments to become “carbon neutral,” is growing rapidly. Read more
Who's Going Carbon Neutral?
Companies, non-profits, government agencies, individuals and even cities are claiming to be -- or announcing their intent to become -- carbon neutral. With the number of such claims growing rapidly in both number and type, BSR is working with our member companies to ensure that business voices are incorporated into emerging NGO efforts to set guidelines for “carbon neutrality.” Read more
Dipping Their Toes In
Some see carbon as merely the first of a whole range of markets for ecosystem services. But, as Sissel Waage and Emma Stewart found, the corporate world is approaching with caution Read more
Environmental Markets: Opportunities & Risks for Business
A shift is occurring in how environmental issues are understood and what corporate environmental expectations exist. The current focus on incremental improvements and discrete issues is becoming outmoded. Key regulators’ and stakeholders’ approaches to environmental issues are broadening to include the overall function of ecological systems as well as the application of market-based of incentives for environmental performance. Read more
Sustainable Investment in China Articles
Principle 5: We Will Work Together to Enhance Our Effectiveness in Implementing the Principles
Looking to China’s Philanthropic Sector to Push Sustainable Investing Forward
BSR Associate Stephanie Tian explores the challenges that Chinese foundations face in terms of driving sustainable investing forward as well as recommendations for how to overcome them. Read more
Case Studies
Walmart: Improving Supplier Energy Efficiency
In 2008, Walmart committed to improving the energy efficiency of its top 200 suppliers’ factories in China by 20 percent by 2012. With the aim not only to benefit the environment but also to help suppliers become more competitive, Walmart sought to replicate the success it has had in Europe and the United States in increasing supply chain efficiency. In China, however, the company found that its suppliers often prioritize overall growth over increased energy efficiency. As a result, operations managers commonly lack the necessary incentives and know-how to achieve efficiency improvements. An additional challenge in China is the lack of a developed professional energy-efficiency industry to provide equipment and data-measurement tools that make this process easier in other regions. To help overcome these barriers, Walmart enlisted BSR’s help. Learn more
Archer Daniels Midland: A Sustainable Supply Chain for Agribusiness
As one of the largest agricultural processors in the world—producing food, feed, and bio-energy products—Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) addresses one of the world’s most pressing challenges: meeting the growing global demand for agricultural products, while balancing the need to use such resources for food, fuel, or animal feed, and minimizing environmental degradation. Seeking guidance as it navigated these interconnected issues, ADM engaged BSR, beginning in 2007, to help the company align its supply chain management with best practices in social and environmental stewardship. Learn more
Sustainability Matters
Unlocking Energy Efficiency in China
In this webinar, we explored emerging standards and tools for partnering with suppliers on energy efficiency. Learn more
Communicating on Climate Policy Engagement
Listen to our discussion on the findings of BSR's report, "Communicating on Climate Policy Engagement," and understand how they apply to your job today. Learn more
Future Expectations of Corporate Environmental Performance
Listen to our discussion of the new findings from BSR's new report "Future Expectations of Corporate Environmental Performance," and understand how they apply to your job today. Learn more
Global Trends in Chemicals Policies
There is increasing evidence that some industrial chemicals found in common household goods cause human disease and have negative environmental impacts. A lack of information to help buyers—from individual consumers to global companies—choose the least hazardous chemicals and products has led to calls for major reforms in industrial chemicals policies worldwide. Learn more
Sustainable Transport and Logistics
In this webinar, you will learn how the 27 members of BSR's Clean Cargo Working Group are integrating environmentally responsible business principles into transportation and logistics management. Learn more
Understanding and Preventing Greenwash
In this webinar, you will learn about the key themes from BSR's new report, "Understanding and Preventing Greenwash: A Business Guide," cowritten with U.K.-based Futerra. Learn more
Emerging Trends in Corporate Water Stewardship
In this webinar, learn how the Bonneville Environmental Foundation's Water Restoration Certificates program creates a framework for companies to both shrink their water footprints and restore freshwater ecosystems. Learn more
BSR Review
Information and Communications Technology
The information and communications technology (ICT) industry is in a unique position to advance the sustainability agenda. With an annual spend of around US$2 trillion and a growth rate faster than other industries, the ICT sector is becoming a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and e-waste. It has also contributed to lesser-known negative social impacts such as poor working conditions in some factories, slavery, child labor, and other human rights abuses. View email publication
Sustainability in the Chinese Context
With China's incredible growth, it will soon become the world's second-largest economy. However, the country strives for more than just economic prosperity—sustainable development is a top priority for the country, as evidenced by the latest 12th Five-Year Development Plan. View email publication
Ecosystem Services
In January 2011, Dow Chemical and the Nature Conservancy committed US$10 million to establish a new approach to resource management. During the announcement, Dow President and CEO Andrew N. Liveris said: "Going forward, the businesses that are best positioned to get ahead will be the ones that truly build a full approach to ecosystem management and biodiversity economics into all of their plans." View email publication
Other Publications & Events Tagged, Environment
- Blog [ 29 ]
- BSR Conference Session Summaries [ 1 ]
- BSR Insight Articles [ 113 ]
- BSR Review [ 3 ]
- Case Studies [ 2 ]
- Events [ 2 ]
- Research Reports [ 48 ]
- Sustainable Investment in China Article [ 2 ]
- Sustainability Matters [ 7 ]
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