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June 17, 2008 What's Hot in Climate Today SLM Home | Climate News & Ideas | Connections | Events | About

Necessity: The Mother of Business Innovation The recent shelving of the Cli­mate Security Act of 2007, designed to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by nearly 70% by 2050, hasn’t stopped U.S. businesses from moving forward on their own. Despite doom-and-gloom economic predictions from the bill’s opponents, U.S. businesses seem keen to cut their carbon footprint anyway. Just look at what’s going on in the IT sector alone: Verizon is driving energy performance through their supply chain by “asking” its product suppliers to increase energy efficiency by 20%. (Sounds like a Wal-Mart approach?) Hewlett-Packard recently announced a drive to develop new markets for its green IT products, funding new technology research aimed at boosting datacenter energy efficiency by 75%. (Sounds like GE’s Ecomagination?) Sun Microsystems recently provided further quantification of the benefits of its Open Work telecommuting program. The flexwork initiative has already allowed Sun to reduce its office space by 15% for a cost savings of $63.9 million. Epson has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions 90% by 2050 as part of an overall plan to reduce resource use and biodiversity loss. Thanks to carbon footprint analysis, the company can focus its efforts on the areas that have the greatest climate impact – parts design, manufacturing, and shipping. BT has committed to reduce its carbon emission intensity (a ratio of emissions to GDP) by 80%. This aggressive goal will have wide-ranging effects on the company’s supply chain and energy purchasing policies. As lawmakers flirt with carbon constraints, smart companies are innovating as if the regulations are already on the books. It’s only a matter of time before the U.S. government makes it official. But by then, will the business world much care? ~Will Sarni, SLM Advisor What do you think? Post Your Comment Here! Also This Week... Horizon Lines Charts New Course for Sustainability U.S. shipping giant Horizon Lines has unveiled a companywide plan to boost performance in the areas of environmental protection and climate management. Read more... Volvo Truck Dealership Earns Extra Cash from Rooftop Solar Array The newly constructed Volvo Trucks dealership in Verona, Italy, is netting some extra income with a rooftop solar array that generates more energy than the facility needs, allowing Volvo to sell the excess power to the local grid. Read more... GE Helps Business Customers Cut Fleet Fuel Costs 15% GE has unveiled a new fleet solutions service that it says can help business customers reduce average fuel costs by 15%, saving up to $15,000 per vehicle. Read more... Sun's Open Work Program Saves Energy, Time, and Money Sun Microsystems has released new numbers detailing the carbon, commute, and cost benefits of its Open Work program, which encourages employees to telework whenever possible. Read more... More Climate Management News & Tools... We want to hear from you! Post your comments or questions below any SLM news story and we'll feature the best of them here. (Note: You must be a registered SLM user to post. Not yet signed up? Click here!) Forward to a Friend! Mike Hannigan on How Business Can "Give Something Back" Each year, California office-supply firm Give Something Back plows half of its profits back into local communities. We asked co-founder Mike Hannigan how his 17-year-old venture has managed to become the state’s largest independent office supplier, competing head-to-head with the likes of Office Depot and Staples, without losing any of its soul. Read more... Solution Providers Winning the War for Talent: How the Right Environmental Strategy Can Help Organizations are competing for the same top 10% of candidates in a talent market that is more mobile then ever. At SLM's recent Sustainable Brands '08 conference in Monterey, Calif., representatives from InterfaceFLOR and Seventh Generation shared their insights on how strong reputation for sustainability can improve a company’s capacity to recruit. By Revi Schlesinger Read more... Sustainable Performance Delivered "Integrity + Innovation = Sustainable Performance." The "I + I" formula for corporate sustainability has been a key success factor for retail giant Marks & Spencer, telecommunications behemoth BT, and global banking leader HSBC. This report shows how leading businesses including GE, Dow, and Novo Nordisk are also delivering sustainable performance by focusing on integrity and innovation. (Arthur D. Little) Download now (PDF)... Find Peers and Partners If you haven’t already joined the fastest growing online sustainable business community, create a profile now and start connecting. Advertise on SLM! Become a Sustainable Life Media advertiser or sponsor and reach thousands of business leaders looking for product or service solutions to help them build their sustainability story. Click here to learn more.

Sustainable Life Media is home for business professionals looking to build new value and competitive advantage by innovating more sustainable processes, practices and products. We bring you top stories related to the what, who and how of environmental and social innovation, and help you connect with thought leaders, peers, partners and solutions providers that can help you quickly reach your goals. This work is licensed under a CreativeCommons License. Copyright Sustainable Life Media Inc. 2008

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