Publications by Tag: Transportation
Blog
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
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
Gearing Up by Slowing Down
Raj Sapru, Director, Advisory Services
The international container shipping industry is gearing up to take on a new business environment in which social and environmental performance will play a key role. In our latest industry report, which is based on interviews with more than 30 global customers and key stakeholders, the message is clear: The container shipping industry must reduce its environmental footprint. Read more
Know What You Carry
Peder Michael Pruzan-Jorgensen, Managing Director, Europe, Middle East, and Africa
“Know what you carry” was the threatening message that met me many years ago as I crossed the border between two South East Asian countries. The accompanying noose on the sign left no doubts to the consequences of not knowing what I was (inadvertently or not) transporting. 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
BSR Insight Articles
Sustainability Leadership in Manufacturing
Raj Sapru, Director, Advisory Services
Despite persistent volatility in the markets, the manufacturing sector is cautiously optimistic about growth. Sustaining this growth will require that sector become a lot more adept at anticipating the future. Read more
2012: Sustainability Steams Ahead in Uncertain Times
Aron Cramer, President and CEO
History moved fast in 2011, even as the economy was stuck in neutral, and 2012 promises to be a wild ride. Exactly how it will play out is hard to say. 2011 provides ample evidence of how difficult it is to foresee specific changes: Last January, few anticipated the Arab Spring, and Hosni Mubarak was ejected from office before the end of February. And early in 2011, any mention of the "Occupy Movement” was more likely to be considered a good name for a new indie rock band than one of the most potent political forces seen in years. 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
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
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
Climate Change Adaptation: Building Resiliency
Tiffany Finley, Associate, Advisory Services
Today, BSR is releasing the final four industry briefs in its “Climate Change Adaptation” series, which provides insight on climate-related risks and opportunities, actions companies are taking, and recommendations for how companies can lead their industries’ adaptation measures. Read more
The Future of Business-NGO Relationships
In my new role as BSR’s Director of Stakeholder Collaboration, I am focused on building relationships with NGO colleagues globally to bring their insights to our member companies and develop next-generation stakeholder engagement approaches that are outcome based and take into account trends in the field. BSR created this position to deepen relationships with civil society and foster collaboration between stakeholders and business. Read more
Why Is Living Wage So Complex?
Roger McElrath, Manager, Advisory Services
Ever since the United Nations adopted its new human rights framework, companies have had an added impetus to ensure that the treatment of their employees, workers in supply chain partners, and people in local communities is just and in accordance with international standards. 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
Breaking Through Complexity to Take Action on Global Goods Transportation
Eric Olson, Senior Vice President, Advisory Services
Over the past few years, interest in sustainable products has grown tremendously, and with it has come an increased focus on supply chain practices. Recently, major initiatives such as the Sustainability Consortium, Walmart’s Sustainability Index, Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan, and P&G’s Supplier Sustainability Scorecard have shined a bright light on the need to reduce the environmental impacts associated with the global production and transport of goods. Read more
BSR Around the World
From helping the world’s largest shipping company develop a sustainability strategy to building a multi-stakeholder coalition to address the challenge of conflict minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we work with business in all sectors and regions to redefine leadership in sustainable business. 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 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
Conducting Site-Level Human Rights Impact Assessments
Alejandra Martin, Manager, Advisory Services
Although more than 270 companies have human rights policy statements in place, few have implemented the policies, and even fewer have conducted human rights impact assessments at the site level. These assessments are particularly relevant for companies operating in remote areas where local governments and civil society have limited experience interacting with the private sector. Read more
Women and Sustainability: Integrating Women Into Your Business and Sustainability Strategies
Racheal Yeager, Manager, HERproject
Growth in women’s income, education levels, and labor participation rates makes them essential participants in the global economy, and engagement with women and girls increasingly critical to sustainable growth for every industry. Women contribute to the private sector’s social license to operate; market, crop, and supply chain stability; a talented and stable employee base; and market growth and innovation. Additionally, investments in women have a multiplier effect, as women are more likely to reinvest in education, health, and economic activities at the community level. 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
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
Gaining a Competitive Edge in the Shipping Industry
Angie Farrag, Manager, Advisory Services
BSR's new report—based on more than 30 interviews with the international container shipping industry’s biggest customers—provides a summary of the sector's key sustainability challenges and explores how leading companies can turn these potential business risks into opportunities to develop new services, improve operating models, and deepen customer loyalty. 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
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
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
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
Events
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
How Logistics and Transportation Can Help You Achieve Your Sustainability Goals
Join BSR for a webinar about the Clean Cargo Working–the leading ocean supply chain sustainability collaboration among global retailers, manufacturers, ocean carriers, and logistics providers. Learn more
Reports
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
Adapting to Climate Change: A Guide for the Transportation Industry
This primer on climate change adaptation in the transportation industry summarizes how transportation companies are reporting on climate change risks and opportunities. Key risks and opportunities include disruptions to service operations, threats to assets and infrastructure, and changes to underlying markets. The brief outlines current and emerging best practices and guidance for transportation companies on how to develop a proactive approach to climate change adaptation, and makes recommendations. 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
Maximizing Benefits From a Sustainable Supply Chain
Leading companies are working to improve the social and environmental performance of their supply chains by building closer relations with suppliers, developing supplier capacity, and identifying and investing in opportunities for improvements along the supply chain. Read more
Beyond the Factory Gates: How Brands Improve Supply Chain Sustainability Through Shipping and Logistics
BSR's Clean Cargo Working Group (CCWG) produced this report, which includes an overview of CCWG tools used for benchmarking performance, estimating average CO2 emissions for global trade lanes, and understanding the environmental challenges and opportunities in the sector. Read more
Sustainability Trends in the Container Shipping Industry
This report—based on more than 30 interviews with the international container shipping industry’s biggest customers and stakeholders—provides a summary of the industry's key sustainability challenges and explores how leading companies can turn these potential business risks into opportunities to develop new services, improve operating models, and deepen customer loyalty. Read more
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
Biofuels for Transportation: The Next Energy Revolution or a Fix That Fails?
Case Studies Report
BSR Membership: A Global Network of Sustainability Leaders
BSR is proud to support and partner with our powerful network of member companies, who share with us a focus on building a just and sustainable world. We work every day to provide our member companies with value based on the insights, expertise, and relationships we’ve built through years of hands-on work in the field. Learn more
Maersk Line: Developing a ‘Future-Proofed’ Sustainability Strategy
We helped Maersk Line set a strong sustainability vision supported by clear objectives: reducing carbon-dioxide emissions by 25 percent by 2015 and striving for zero sulfur-dioxide emissions. Learn more
Leading Business Action on Conflict Minerals
In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where armed conflict has claimed more than 5.4 million lives over the past 15 years, militant groups controlling most of the region’s mines use the trade in tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold as important sources of funding. At the same time, this trade—which feeds into complex supply chains for products ranging from cell phones and cutting tools to jet engines and jewelry—is an important source of income for a million people in the region. Learn more
The Automotive Industry Action Group
The automotive global supply chain touches nearly every other industry, including steel, plastics, textiles, electronics, and more. As scrutiny of human rights practices in other industries heated up, the automotive sector knew it could soon become a target if it did not proactively address the social impacts of its operations. In an effort to improve the working conditions of the automotive supply chain, five major auto companies sought BSR's help to create a set of working conditions guidelines and other tools. BSR was assisted by a sizeable grant from the U.S. State Department to fund this initiative. Learn more
Sustainability Matters
Preparing for the 2011 Proxy Voting Season
Proxy voting is an important tool that many investors use to show their support for ESG issues, with a goal of garnering attention for areas they view as critical to a company's business.
Learn moreMoving Beyond the Factory Gates
Global companies are increasingly looking to their supply chains to meet their sustainability goals, including reduced carbon emissions and lower overall lifecycle impacts. The logistics and transportation sector sits at the center of global supply chains, providing services to retailers and manufacturers, and can be a key partner for extending your company's sustainability beyond the factory gates. 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
BSR Review
Women and Sustainability
In response to a question about Saudi Arabia's economic competitiveness in 2007, Bill Gates famously announced to the gender-segregated audience: "If you're not fully utilizing half the talent in the country, you're not going to get too close to the top." View email publication
Other Publications & Events Tagged, Transportation
- Blog [ 5 ]
- BSR Conference Session Summaries [ 0 ]
- BSR Insight Articles [ 25 ]
- BSR Review [ 1 ]
- Case Studies [ 1 ]
- Events [ 3 ]
- Research Reports [ 8 ]
- Sustainable Investment in China Article [ 0 ]
- Sustainability Matters [ 3 ]
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