Whole Foods Markets and Bass Pro Shops are using the company's reclaimed snowfences - wooden retaining walls for snowdrifts - as design features in their stores across the U.S.
Centennial Woods has so far reclaimed 5 million feet of Wyoming snowfence, preventing more than 9,000 tons of CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere and saving the state more than $9 million, according to company estimates.
Snowfences are naturally dried over decades of exposure, producing a extremely durable material that requires little maintenance, designers say.
"Designers, architects, and builders tell us they absolutely love the texture, patina, character and strength of our reclaimed Wyoming snowfence," says John Pope, CEO of Centennial Woods. "We plan to continue to cultivate partnerships with professionals who seek naturally beautiful, healthy materials with a truly green pedigree."
Sabertec's Blade tailpipe attachment works to reduce the duration of a vehicle’s cold-start operation and improve the volumetric efficiency of the engine. Independent testing has concluded that the device boosts fuel economy by an average of 4% - one percentage point higher than the 3% required by EPA to be considered a "real effect."
Based on Sabertec’s Impact Diesel Particulate Filter emissions-reduction technology, Blade was originally designed to filter particulate material that can pose dangers to human health. When early test results indicated a climate benefit as well, Sabertec ordered this second round of tests according to EPA guidelines.
Sabertec hopes the new findings will broaden the market for its product, according to company CEO Bill O'Brien. "The task at hand for us over the next decade is to provide consumers, businesses, and government agencies with an affordable and highly effective, non-catalytic solution to reduce vehicle air pollution,†he says.
For a demonstration of the new technology, watch this video:
The report finds that some companies are responding to the risks and opportunities presented by climate change, primarily by setting emissions-reduction targets, boosting energy-efficiency efforts, expanding renewable energy purchases, and integrating climate factors into product design.
Companies were ranked on a 100-point scale based on Cere's Climate Change Governance Framework. Technology, pharmaceutical, and semiconductor firms scored particularly well, with IT companies such as IBM (79 points), Dell (77 points) and Intel (72 points) making strong showings in product and service innovation, datacenter efficiency, and boosting energy performance throughout product lines.
However, the report notes that many other companies are "still largely ignoring" climate change, especially at the board and CEO level. More than half of the 63 companies scored under 50 points, with a median score of 38 points. Only 11 of the 63 companies have their boards receive climate-specific updates from management, just seven of the CEOs among these firms have taken leadership roles on climate change initiatives, and none of the companies have linked C-suite executive compensation directly to climate-related performance.
"Many companies, especially technology and pharmaceutical firms, are doing a better job of integrating climate change into their business strategies," says Mindy S. Lubber, president of Ceres. "But the overall responses among these companies are very spotty, especially in the restaurant, real estate, and travel and leisure sectors where climate change is barely on their radar. With or without a recession, climate change is a core business issue that all consumer and tech companies should be focused on.â€
Leading institutional investors requested the report to get a better idea of which consumer and technology companies have the best management systems in place to mitigate climate risks and which companies are pursuing strategic opportunities with their customers and suppliers.
"Green strategies that save energy and fight global warming have broad consumer appeal and political support," says Doug Cogan, director of Climate Risk Management for RiskMetrics Group, which produced the report for Ceres. "Companies that seize the initiative can gain market share, build investor confidence and insulate themselves against future energy shocks and climate change regulations. It’s simply smart business to employ these governance practices today."
Ceres concludes that more action is needed to align company strategies with the level of emissions reduction that scientists say is needed to avoid dangerous impacts from climate change. Recommendations include:
To download the complete report, "Corporate Governance and Climate Change: Consumer and Technology Companies," click here (PDF).
Cisco reports seeing the most cost benefit from using less paper, saving 2.7 million sheets of paper and at least $1.2 million a year just by converting paper documentation to CDs. The company is saving another 22 million sheets of paper and $1 million in printing costs by changing the format and reducing the font size of required printed material.
Cisco chalks up a further $880,000 annual savings by recycling 13% of the plastic used in the production of its IP phones.
Finally, the company is redeploying about 57% of the $275 million worth of products received through its closed-loop reverse supply chain takeback program. (That s a 63% jump in value recovery from FY07 to FY08.) Products that are not redeployed are recycled, leaving less than 1% of nonrecyclable material as true scrap, according to Cisco.
These initiatives all contribute to the company s aim of reducing its absolute greenhouse gas emissions 25% from 2007 levels by 2012.
Cisco considers itself a "virtual manufacturer," outsourcing the bulk of its manufacturing operations to supply partners. Cisco says it is working closely with supply chain partners and monitoring their ongoing compliance with the company's Supplier Code of Conduct (PDF).
"Standardizing the process of measuring environmental impacts throughout a company s supply chain is still in the formative stage," the report says. "The scale and magnitude of the task requires collaboration with industry peers and supply chain partners."
Cisco received third-party audit reports from just 31 of its 600 suppliers last year. The company says it plans to implement quantitative environmental metrics for measuring greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and other areas of sustainability throughout its entire supply chain in FY09.
To view Cisco s 2008 sustainability report, click here.
The energy-efficient bulbs are just one aspect of the industrywide Broadway Goes Green initiative, launched last week. Theater production shops are building sets from environmentally preferable materials and developing plans to recycle or reuse scenery. Costumes are being washed in cold water to save energy, and re-chargeable batteries are being used in sound equipment whenever possible. And touring shows are offsetting the carbon emissions from transporting their equipment by investing in new wind and renewable power projects.
Goals for the first year of the program include:
Conducting greenhouse gas inventories for the theaters and integrate the reduction goals into long-term business plans Developing information for producers and vendors to make green choices when choosing materials for sets, costumes, lighting and transportation Working with stage lighting manufacturers to develop more energy-efficiency technology that still meets necessary aesthetic qualities Giving preference to local, sustainability-focused vendors for scenery, lighting, projection, sound, and costumes Optimizing show transportation routes, schedules, and loads to reduce mileage and trips Creating an avenue through which productions can recover and reuse materialParticipants in Broadway Goes Green expect the initiative to influence patrons habits as well. Theaters will hand out tip cards to tell their audiences actions they can take to reduce their carbon footprint at home, and Playbill magazine will print theater related eco-tips throughout the year.
"Broadway reaches a huge audience, so in addition to Broadway doing our part to help the Earth, we hope to encourage theatergoers to take personal action to make meaningful changes in their daily lives," says Nina Lannan, chair of the Broadway League.
Broadway Goes Green is the latest in a series of initiatives supported by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to green the city's iconic industries, including its taxi and limo services. Bloomberg's PlaNYC program aims to the New York's carbon footprint 30% by 2030.
"It's shocking how consistent consumer needs are worldwide for information about green electronics," says Michael Gale, CEO of market research firm Strategic Oxygen which, along with Cohn & Wolfe, conducts the GreenFactor survey. "There is a global green ethos emerging with global definitions for how consumers see green."
Consumers are twice as likely to base their assessment of a product's "green-ness" on packaging (33%) than actual design (12%), according to the survey. They also prefer to rely on themselves for information when choosing an electronic product. Nearly a third of consumers say they do their own research on company websites, compared to just 13% who would rather consult a friend for green-product advice, the survey finds.
On the other hand, consumers' perceptions of a brand's green-ness often have little to do actual environmental performance. Researchers weighed the GreenFactor results against Greenpeace's "Guide to Greener Electronics," finding that the brands most associated with green do not necessarily adhere to the greenest of practices as defined by Greenpeace. Conversely, some brands are not getting the credit with consumers for their green efforts.
"When we compare GreenFactor results with Greenpeace's assessments of consumer electronics brands it becomes glaringly obvious that many brands have consumers believing they're investing much more into their green programs than is true," says Gale. "Some companies, like Nokia, have an opportunity to better communicate their green initiatives to earn a higher spot on the perception scale."
The importance of a brand's green image also appears to differ by age group. More than half (54%) of 25-34 year-olds say they are willing to pay more for green technology, while 23% of those 65 and older say a green electronics approach is not important to them.
"Technology companies have a significant opportunity to establish leadership as innovative and sustainable companies, and many of them are rising to the occasion," says Annie Longsworth, global sustainability practice leader for Cohn & Wolfe. "Our research clearly shows, however, that there's a disconnect between what drives consumer purchase and loyalty, and what consumer electronics brands are prioritizing and communicating."
Some companies are doing better than others, of course. HP and Apple, for example, are both meeting consumer demand for more product transparency by posting environmental performance data for individual products.
Additional information on the GreenFactor survey can be found here.
First launched in August 2006, the guide ranks leading electronics makers according to their policies and practices on toxic chemicals, recycling, and energy. Since June 2008, the guide has ranked companies on five climate and energy criteria:
Support for global mandatory reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions Disclosure of the company s own GHG emissions plus emissions from two stages of the supply chain Commitment to reduce the company s own GHG emissions with timelines Amount of renewable energy used Energy efficiency of new modelsAnd the results this time around are particularly underwhelming, according to Greenpeace:
Of the 18 market-leading companies included in the guide, only Sharp, Fujitsu Siemens, and Philips show full support for the necessary cuts of 30% for industrial nations by 2020. Only HP and Philips have made commitments to make substantial cuts in their own emissions. All the other companies in the guide make vague or essentially meaningless statements about global emissions reductions and have no plans to make absolute emissions cuts themselves. With the need for deep emission cuts becoming ever more urgent it's vital big companies support a global deal and take effective measures now to reduce their overall emissions.Taking into account all criteria in the guide, Nokia remains on top, Toshiba makes a big improvement to third place, and Sharp and Motorola make big jumps up the ranking. The big PC makers - Dell, HP, Apple, and Acer - all drop down (although Apple's overall score got a bump this year, thanks to better reporting on the carbon footprint of its products).
"It is disappointing that such innovative and fast-changing companies are moving so slowly, when they could be turning the regulation we need on global emissions into a golden business opportunity, says Mel Francis, a Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner.
Download the tenth edition of Greenpeace's "Guide to Greener Electronics" here (PDF).
In addition, the catalog now features greener technology options registered under the newly developed Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), an environmental rating system supported by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Also new to this year's Green Book is suggested framework to help customers create a green purchasing policy and better prioritize their environmental efforts.
"Thousands of Office Depot customers from the largest Fortune 500 companies to the smallest non-profit organization have made the decision to go green in their purchasing habits," says Steve Schmidt, president of Office Depot s Business Solutions Division. "The Green Book is one of many solutions Office Depot offers these customers to help them succeed in business."
Office Depot's sales of green products hit $1.6 billion last year, thanks in large part to the success of the retialer's Green Book catalog. Sales from the Green Book alone jumped 10% in 2007 along, the company reports.
Effective marketing for green products has been the focus of a longstanding internal conversation at Office Depot, according to Yalmaz Siddiqui, the company's director of environmental strategy. Listen to our recent interview with Siddiqui here.
Hear Siddiqui speak about Office Depot's green journey at Sustainable Brands International in Miami Beach, Fla., on Wednesday, Dec. 10. Register today!
"Our study clearly illustrates that sustainability and clean technology initiatives have achieved a tipping point and are no longer perceived by U.S. organizations as an optional expense," says Scott Packard, VP of quantitative research for Panel Intelligence. "Rather, sustainability is an opportunity to achieve a greater competitive advantage and higher efficiency, even in a down economy."
Through its Gimme 5 program, Preserve will collect the filters to use in its line of eco-friendly, products, while the filter ingredients - activated carbon and additional ion-exchange resin - will be regenerated for alternative use or converted into energy.
"By working with Preserve, we are able to strengthen our sustainability commitment and identify a Brita filter recycling solution that is a win for consumers, the environment, and our company," says Don Knauss, chairman and CEO of Clorox, makers of Brita products.
Consumers may drop off their used, dry Brita pitcher filters at participating Whole Foods Market stores or mail them directly to Preserve.
"The Brita filter recycling program gives Brita pitcher filters new life as Preserve products," says Preserve director of environment John Lively. "We calculated that the benefits of keeping Brita filters out of landfills outweigh the impact of shipping them for recycling through this program."
The chocolate Eco-Egg, wrapped exclusively in foil, reduces the use of cardboard by 65% and PVC by about 78%, according to Cadbury.
The design has been recognized at this year s Green Awards for Best Green Packaging for what judges say is the strong green message it portrays to consumers and the precedent it sets for competitors.
"We have set ourselves aggressive targets to reduce our seasonal packaging and it is critical that we take people with us on our green journey," says Jo Grice, giving and seasonal senior brand manager. "We are delighted that this award recognizes the work we have done to date and our goals for the future."
The Eco-Eggs have won the support of customers at the U.K. supermarket chain Tesco, as well as external stakeholders such as the Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP), according to Grice.
The Eco-Egg packaging design is part of Cadbury's commitment, unveiled in its latest sustainability report, to reduce standard packaging 10% and seasonal packaging 25% by 2020.
The show, "The Vanishing Frog," will follow scientists' rescue efforts to save frogs from a mysterious fungus known as chytrid, which is said to be the cause of the most significant mass extinction since the dinosaurs.
During the rescues, scientist use a bleach solution to treat any equipment that has contacted water - from boots and clothing to instruments and transport containers - to help control the spread of the fungus to new, uncontaminated areas.
In addition to sponsoring the documentary, Clorox is also donating supplies of bleach to the conservation efforts and is providing funding to complete the construction of a visitors and education center at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center in Panama.
"Through the dedication of so many, dozens of amphibian species could be saved from immediate extinction," says Benno Dorer, Clorox, vice president and general manager, Cleaning Division. "We are honored to be able to help."
Though can be difficult to quantify the payoffs, major companies continue to expand their cause marketing efforts. Haagen Dazs, for example, is sponsoring research into saving the now-endangered honey bee in an indirect effort to save the 73 of its flavors that rely on bee pollination.
The Green500 differs from its sister ranking, the Top500 list of the world's most powerful supercomputers, in that it emphasizes performance per watt of energy consumed.
IBM s petaflop supercomputer at Los Alamos National Laboratories, which currently hold first rank on the Top500, made the top ten on the new Green500 list. (The second most powerful supercomputer in the world, manufactured by Cray, ranked 80th in terms of energy efficiency.)
IBM notes that the average energy efficiency of all its Green500-ranked systems is 135.58 Mflops per watt - significantly higher than the 76.34 Mflops-per-watt average of non-IBM systems.
"Modern supercomputers can no longer focus only on raw performance. To be commercially viable these systems most also be energy efficient," says David Turek, vice president of deep computing at IBM. "IBM has significantly increased microprocessor energy efficiency...and driven advances that include our Cool Blue technology portfolio and Project Big Green solutions that are designed to simultaneously reduce datacenter costs and energy use."
In the Green500 rankings published last June, all ten top finishers run on either BladeCenter or Blue Gene technology provided by IBM.
To view the new Green500 rankings, click here.
Step #1: Don't buy more than you need.
"With hardware, if you purchased it, then you are just stuck with it and you have to find a way to dispose of it," explains Gartner analyst Alvin Park, an expert on IT asset management. "You could resell it or try to get the vendor to take it, or you could try to cancel orders that you have placed. However, all this has to be done on a contract-by-contract basis."
Step #2: Revisit leasing agreements.
If leasing machines, ask your vendors if they would be willing to let your company cancel or at least delay outstanding contracts for desktops and notebooks until you have a better idea of your current needs.
Step #3: Update your IT equipment portfolio by repurposing the best leftover machines.
Reassign the newest computers, either to other tasks within the organization or to employees who are working on older machines.
Clearing hard drives (or re-imaging) can be time-consuming for IT staff, so automate the process as much as possible, recommends Robert Rosen, CIO for the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. "The way we are set up, our desktop support people fire off a half dozen re-images and then go do something else," Rosen says. "So while there is a fair amount of labor, it is not too bad as they don't have to stand there while it is going on."
Step #4: Leverage asset-recovery services for no-fuss recycling on the oldest hardware.
Several computermakers have launched asset recovery services in recent years, from big players like Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM to smaller shops like Intechra and Redemtech. These services frequently include wiping hard disks and even destroying (according to current e-waste regulations) the PCs that contain the most sensitive data.
"The benefit here is that when you are sourcing PCs or servers, you can tie into the contracts that these companies like HP and Dell will come and dispose of your PCs," explains Doug Washburn, an analyst at Forrester Research. "If you are buying thousands of PCs or servers from these organizations, they might give you a bit of a discount on the recovery aspect."
Step #5: Donate the usable but slightly outdated machines.
IT equipment that meets basic performance requirements can frequently be donated to nonprofit organizations or schools - and there may be some financial incentives to do so.
Paul Baltzell, a director of Distributed Services for the Indiana Office of Technology, says his department regularly goes this route. "If we have machines that are older and have not been refreshed just yet, we will send it out to our surplus department...and if the computer is still in good shape, surplus will distribute it to the schools," he says. "I would say in a business case that a lot of these PCs can be donated and you can get a tax credit for it. That's definitely an option."
In October 2005, Scott set out three major sustainability goals for the company: to be supplied 100% by renewable energy, to create zero waste, and to sell greener products.
Since then, Scott has acted as the very public face of Wal-Mart's sustainability push. In January, Scott expanded on his company's commitment, pledging to take action on energy efficiency, ethical sourcing, and affordable health care. As recently as last month, Scott outlined a roadmap for building a more environmentally and socially responsible supply chain in China and throughout the world.
Scott took the helm at Wal-Mart in 2000 amid stalling sales, but has engineered an impressive turnaround in recent years. One indication of Wal-Mart's successful strategic shift is its transition from "Always Low Prices" to "Save Money. Live Better" - driven in part by the retailer's commitment to developing and marketing greener products.
Such efforts appear to be paying off, with customers increasingly adopting environmentally preferable products that also save money, such as CFL lightbulbs. Thanks in part to its focus on stocking money-saving, resource-efficient products, Wal-Mart continues to post strong numbers even as most retailers gird for the coming recession.
Scott himself maintains that Wal-Mart's sustainability efforts have helped reposition the company as a market innovator. "It wasn't done as a marketing ploy," Scott said at Wal-Mart's Live Better Sustainability Summit in Arkansas last October. "It wasn't done for any other reason that this was an extraordinary business opportunity, but the outcome for our shareholders and for the environment has been clearly an improvement in Wal-Mart's perception among the influence makers in this country."
The world's largest retailer is not without its critics, of course, and Scott has been careful not to overplay the company's progress on sustainability issues. "We make no claims of being a green company. And we're not saying we're better than other companies," Scott wrote in the foreword to Wal-Mart's first-ever sustainability report, released last November. "[W]hat we are saying is we're doing sustainability in a way that's real and right for Wal-Mart and is touching the lives of millions of people around the world."
Scott's big-picture thinking and matter-of-fact approach have won support from some unlikely quarters. For example, Seventh Generation CEO Jeff Hollender - noted for his criticism of Wal-Mart's business practices - recently agreed to sell his company's green cleaning products in Wal-Mart stores, based largely on his favorable impression of Scott.
It's unclear what effect - if any - the transition from Scott to Duke might have on Wal-Mart's sustainability initiatives. Given the company's strong market position, however, it's unlikely that the changeover will result in any major shifts in direction, as Duke himself has made clear.
Wal-Mart is very well positioned in today s economy, growing market share and returns, and is more relevant to its customers than ever," Duke said in a press release Friday. "Our strategy is sound."
The new toner product also uses uses up to 50% less material, Xerox says.
"This was the most difficult toner design we ever worked on," says Hadi Mahabadi, Xerox vice president and manager of XRCC. "We had to push the envelope to the limit to achieve lower melting temperature and higher gloss while keeping other performance the same as or better than current EA toner."
Xerox expects to start production of the toner early next year, and has already designed more than 50 products that will use the new toner.
Xerox Canada is seeking to make a name for itself in greening corporate print functions. In September the company announced it will use only paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council when it sends its employees to manage clients' document processes on-site.
The Jetta TDI s advanced clean diesel engine and $21,000 price tag gave it the edge over the BMW 335d, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid, and smart fortwo.
The car features a 2.0-liter, turbocharged direct injection engine featuring the latest in diesel injection and emissions technology that allows it to meet strict emissions standards in all 50 states.
In awarding the prize, Green Car Journal notes that the Volkswagen's new-generation diesel powerplant is also exceptionally quiet for a diesel, reflecting just how far advanced diesel technology has come in recent years.
"The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI epitomizes what the Green Car of the Year honor is all about," says Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. "It raises the bar significantly in environmental performance with its EPA estimated 41 mpg highway fuel economy, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and extremely low tailpipe emissions. This is all the more impressive when you consider the Jetta TDI is a clean diesel, achieving the kind of fuel efficiency offered by gasoline-electric hybrids but in a more affordable way."
The choice is a surprise for many as automakers are struggle to promote "clean diesel" technology among Americans, who still see it as gasoline's dirtier, poorer cousin, despite the technological gains. The selection also stands in stark contrast to last year's pick, Chevy's hybrid SUV.
"McGraw Hill Constructions SmartMarket Report" finds operating costs 60% lower than in 2005 and the perceived value of green building among architects, engineering firms, contractors, and owners up 45% over the last three years. Seventy-seven percent of respondents expect revenues to grow as a result of green building.
"Clearly, companies have been seeing green buildings pay off. In every area of business performance, the entire industry - including owners - is reporting benefits. This speaks to green buildings being equated with good business as well as responsible social practices," says Harvey M. Bernstein, vice president of Industry Analytics, Alliances and Strategic Initiatives at McGraw-Hill Construction. "The market has exploded. It is exciting to watch the green building transformation and the ways it has surpassed expectations in just three years."
Here are some other key findings of the report:
The largest share of green building work in 2013 will be from the education sector. Nearly two-thirds of the industry report that publicity is a major reason for going green. Green building products are becoming more common in use, and new products are also emerging to serve this growing market. There are still significant branding opportunities for industry-specific products. Mechanical products still have the strongest brand recognition among green products, followed by green plumbing, and building automation systems.A separate McGraw-Hill Construction report released last week, predicts that the green building industry could triple to as much as $140 billion by 2013.
To order a copy of "McGraw Hill Constructions SmartMarket Report, Commercial and Institutional Green Building" click here.