Measuring Sustainability: April 2008 Archives
Jason McCormick with Conscientious Innovation, wrote the following in response to a recent blog story:
Many people think "green" is simple. The consumer media makes it look that way. "Just change your lightbulbs and convert to biodiesel." And all will be better. "Don't get overwhelmed. Keep it simple. Think green." But business greening is more complicated and like Jason says, it must be a metamorphosis of core competency -- much like the caterpillar turns into a butterfly.
Greening a business involves training the employees; changing the products from gas-guzzlers and energy-hogs to ever greater efficiency in design and production; optimizing operations; optimizing the fleet of transportation used both by the company and the employees...and more. Saving water. Saving the air. Saving natural resources. We rely on nature's bounty for the source of everything that keeps us alive and busy at work -- and greening is that integrated into how we do business.
So if you want to do the green thing...think green, educate yourself, and take it a step at a time. But get started because the future will leave you in a dusty barren wasteland if you don't. That's the growing future for much of the earth. (That's not meant to be an exaggeration. Desertification of arable lands is a growing problem for many nations...)
His company focuses on brand development for a wider range of issues than "green" or "environment."We’ve done the research (including a super recent 5,000 people study of what people think of this thing called ’sustainability’ - April, 2008), we know that people rate Global Warming and Pollution as important sustainability issues. But it didn’t top the list. Personal and social sustainability issues such as connecting with community and leading balanced life leapfrog environmental issues.
As one of the respondent from an early round of focus groups said’ How can i look after the environment, if i can’t look after myself??’.
What we’re seeing right now is a lot of what we call “knee-jerk green marketing” and it’s a big mistake. Companies are jumping on the green bandwagon because they think that’s the only way to get on the sustainability wave. What’s dangerous is that it’s leading to a lack of authenticity because it’s often done indiscriminately and without rigor. When brands make vague, philosophical claims about their pro-environment values, but don’t support them with specific, observable actions, it diminishes the eco story for everyone and begins to spark a backlash.He's right...what we're seeing is a lot of concerned parents who are also business people getting concerned and seeing both the opportunity for healthier community for themselves and their families...and the greening of their bottom line to keep up with the highly publicized shift toward greener products and processes.
Many people think "green" is simple. The consumer media makes it look that way. "Just change your lightbulbs and convert to biodiesel." And all will be better. "Don't get overwhelmed. Keep it simple. Think green." But business greening is more complicated and like Jason says, it must be a metamorphosis of core competency -- much like the caterpillar turns into a butterfly.
Greening a business involves training the employees; changing the products from gas-guzzlers and energy-hogs to ever greater efficiency in design and production; optimizing operations; optimizing the fleet of transportation used both by the company and the employees...and more. Saving water. Saving the air. Saving natural resources. We rely on nature's bounty for the source of everything that keeps us alive and busy at work -- and greening is that integrated into how we do business.
So if you want to do the green thing...think green, educate yourself, and take it a step at a time. But get started because the future will leave you in a dusty barren wasteland if you don't. That's the growing future for much of the earth. (That's not meant to be an exaggeration. Desertification of arable lands is a growing problem for many nations...)
Green purchasing is often referred to as environmentally
preferable purchasing. It’s the selection and acquisition of products
and services that minimize environmental impact throughout the course
of the manufacturing, transportation, use, and recycling or disposal
lifecycles.
Supply Management
As the core of the inbound supply chain, supply management plays a vital role in finding green opportunities. However, putting them in context can be difficult.PLUS Sustainability
A good reference point for any organization is to first understand what elements fall under the sustainability umbrella. Here are some of the greatest opportunities with which supply management can help their companies:- Switching from toxic to nontoxic substances
- Water reuse in manufacturing of supplied products
- Air emission and hazardous waste reductions
- Supplier energy efficiency
Lean + Pollution Prevention + Environmental Initiatives
The Green Supply Network (GSN)-a joint effort of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Commerce, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program-took the proven principles of lean and merged them with pollution prevention and the EPA’s environmental initiatives.GSN’s marriage of clean initiatives to the principles of lean provided the following lessons learned:
- Optimizing material use for less scrap yields reduced solid waste.
- Reducing inventory for less chemical spoilage equates to reduced hazardous waste.
- Reducing overproduction means less run time and an energy savings.
- Less transportation means a reduction in fuel consumption, which reduces air emissions.
What do you plan to do -- or not do -- for Earth Day?
Remember how your own mother just wanted you to be healthy and happy? You didn't need to make a fuss over her, just be good kids!
Okay, a fuss was okay...and appreciated -- but making a fuss wasn't enough if she caught you being naughty at the same time!
That's kind of how I look at Earth Day. Mother Nature just wants us to be healthy and happy. And stay out of trouble. So what can we do to be healthier and happier...and just get along? And what can we NOT do that will make us healthier, happier and kinder to our mother? Kinder so she doesn't have to clean up after us?
Here are just a few ideas of things to do that would make your Mama proud:
Eat your organic veggies.
Clean your room with nontoxic cleansers.
Use water sparingly.
Tell someone something kind and loving about your Mom!
And here are a few things NOT to do that will make your Mama equally proud:
Don't drive if you don't have to -- and drive a little slower! :-)
Don't throw all that great paper into the trash -- recycle it!
Don't use toxics. Remember, everything goes into our water supply...and you wouldn't want to drink that junk, would you?
Don't leave the screen door open! Or the refrigerator door!
Isn't it amazing that so many of your mother's lessons apply on the global scale? Hmmmm, maybe there's something to this living within our means, caring for others like we care for ourselves...and being responsible for our own mess!
Thank you, Mama!
Carolyn
Remember how your own mother just wanted you to be healthy and happy? You didn't need to make a fuss over her, just be good kids!
Okay, a fuss was okay...and appreciated -- but making a fuss wasn't enough if she caught you being naughty at the same time!
That's kind of how I look at Earth Day. Mother Nature just wants us to be healthy and happy. And stay out of trouble. So what can we do to be healthier and happier...and just get along? And what can we NOT do that will make us healthier, happier and kinder to our mother? Kinder so she doesn't have to clean up after us?
Here are just a few ideas of things to do that would make your Mama proud:
Eat your organic veggies.
Clean your room with nontoxic cleansers.
Use water sparingly.
Tell someone something kind and loving about your Mom!
And here are a few things NOT to do that will make your Mama equally proud:
Don't drive if you don't have to -- and drive a little slower! :-)
Don't throw all that great paper into the trash -- recycle it!
Don't use toxics. Remember, everything goes into our water supply...and you wouldn't want to drink that junk, would you?
Don't leave the screen door open! Or the refrigerator door!
Isn't it amazing that so many of your mother's lessons apply on the global scale? Hmmmm, maybe there's something to this living within our means, caring for others like we care for ourselves...and being responsible for our own mess!
Thank you, Mama!
Carolyn
California counts on hundreds of thousands of volunteers to help preserve its environmental legacy.
Statewide, 54% of the counties and 10% of the cities responded to a survey which revealed an annual cost of $34 million for litter and illegal dumping abatement costs.
Representatives from the federal government, which owns over 50% of the land in California, estimate their illegal dumping and abatement costs match that of local governments.
Caltrans’ annual costs are over $62 million, not including enforcement costs, nor does that take into account the volunteer efforts by Adopt-A-Highway Volunteers, which are estimated at a value of approximately $15 million.
A conservative estimate of the cost of litter and illegal dumping to Californians would be $200 million.
This legislation would allow the continued involvement of volunteers supporting local efforts, saving both state and local government valuable resources.
Statewide, 54% of the counties and 10% of the cities responded to a survey which revealed an annual cost of $34 million for litter and illegal dumping abatement costs.
Representatives from the federal government, which owns over 50% of the land in California, estimate their illegal dumping and abatement costs match that of local governments.
Caltrans’ annual costs are over $62 million, not including enforcement costs, nor does that take into account the volunteer efforts by Adopt-A-Highway Volunteers, which are estimated at a value of approximately $15 million.
A conservative estimate of the cost of litter and illegal dumping to Californians would be $200 million.
This legislation would allow the continued involvement of volunteers supporting local efforts, saving both state and local government valuable resources.
Why is this important?
Senate Bill 1345 will permanently remove the requirement that volunteers on public works projects, such as river cleanups, be paid prevailing wages!
In 2004, the Governor signed legislation to remove this constraint, but without further legislative action this year, this legislation will expire. The Governor is committed to empowering the state's robust volunteer force and will continue to call on the legislature to take action.
SOURCE: April, 2008, Keep California Beautiful
Compliance regulations are difficult to execute and tools that help with compliance can also help a company with the transparency reporting for social responsibility. Craft Strategies is a publisher of compliance software and a librarian of standard compliance content.
Craft Strategies is a full service organization focused upon Profit Improvement by blending the right people (development of human assets), technology and governance. By offering CBOS’ ComplyBase Compliance Software and Content Library, Craft can save its clients up to 80% of the cost for SOX compliance by using CBOS’ pre-existing compliance library and customizing it to your company’s work flow.
“Craft” stands for Corporate Responsibility, Accountability, Fairness and Transparency.
Thomas Troiani, Founder of Craft Strategies, is also the author of “Vision to Reality; Making governance work for you”. His book describes the board member’s new responsibilities, as a result of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and provides them with a checklist of criteria by which they can assess the wellness of the company and the performance of the Chief Executive Officer.
Craft Strategies, has the complete SOX suite that will satisfy C-SOX, JSOX compliance and any risk management solution, to include advisory and consulting services. We can improve the speed, efficiency and quality of your compliance process as we have already developed the following contents (templates) that can save you the out-of pocket cost of compliance, and about 4 to 6 months in elapsed time.
Companies can take advantage of the recent adoption of AS5 to integrate and combine most, if not all, of their compliance issues (SOX, ISO, and other Governance, Risk and compliances (GRC) requirements) to simplify the processes and permit the organization focus on operations.
Craft Strategies provides:
· Test Samples
· Policy & Procedures
· Control Procedures
· Flowcharts
· Risk Management Assessment
· Control Objectives
· Control Definitions
· Business/Operation Assessment (walkthrough)
CONTACT INFO:
Craft Strategies is a full service organization focused upon Profit Improvement by blending the right people (development of human assets), technology and governance. By offering CBOS’ ComplyBase Compliance Software and Content Library, Craft can save its clients up to 80% of the cost for SOX compliance by using CBOS’ pre-existing compliance library and customizing it to your company’s work flow.
“Craft” stands for Corporate Responsibility, Accountability, Fairness and Transparency.
Thomas Troiani, Founder of Craft Strategies, is also the author of “Vision to Reality; Making governance work for you”. His book describes the board member’s new responsibilities, as a result of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and provides them with a checklist of criteria by which they can assess the wellness of the company and the performance of the Chief Executive Officer.
Craft Strategies, has the complete SOX suite that will satisfy C-SOX, JSOX compliance and any risk management solution, to include advisory and consulting services. We can improve the speed, efficiency and quality of your compliance process as we have already developed the following contents (templates) that can save you the out-of pocket cost of compliance, and about 4 to 6 months in elapsed time.
Companies can take advantage of the recent adoption of AS5 to integrate and combine most, if not all, of their compliance issues (SOX, ISO, and other Governance, Risk and compliances (GRC) requirements) to simplify the processes and permit the organization focus on operations.
Craft Strategies provides:
· Test Samples
· Policy & Procedures
· Control Procedures
· Flowcharts
· Risk Management Assessment
· Control Objectives
· Control Definitions
· Business/Operation Assessment (walkthrough)
CONTACT INFO:
Strategies to Manage Risks and Opportunities Arising from Ecosystem Degradation
To prepare businesses for this new landscape, three organizations have launched a set of guidelines designed to help companies proactively develop strategies to manage risks and opportunities arising from ecosystem degradation.
The guidelines, called the Corporate Ecosystem Services Review (3.5 MB)
were developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) in collaboration
with the Meridian Institute and World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WBCSD). Five WBCSD members - Akzo Nobel, BC Hydro, Mondi,
Rio Tinto, and Syngenta - "road-tested" the methodology and provided
input to its design.
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Ecosystems provide companies with a wide variety of benefits or services including
- Freshwater
- Wood
- Pollination
- Climate regulation
- Protection from natural hazards,
"Ecosystem services are often unacknowledged, yet they underpin many corporate activities," said John Ehrmann, Managing Partner of the Meridian Institute. "I am pleased with the feedback from company managers who are finding the guidelines helpful for developing strategies that improve both corporate performance and ecosystem stewardship."
Guideline Benefits
The road-testers found that the guidelines can provide a number of other benefits as well.- They can help companies anticipate new markets and government policies that may emerge in response to ecosystem degradation.
- They can strengthen corporate environmental impact assessments by adding considerations traditional methods may overlook.
- They also can help companies better manage conflicts over resources, identifying options for better trade-offs between ecosystem services.
"We're going to be hearing a lot about the Corporate Ecosystem Services Review. A couple dozen more WBCSD members are already taking it up this year," said Björn Stigson, President of the WBCSD. "Leading companies realize that they need to be prepared for the business challenges posed by ecosystem decline."
Download Corporate Ecosystem Services Review"