80% of Execs Expect Climate Regulation Within Five Years
Few companies have set concrete targets for emissions reduction, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of executives expect “some form of climate regulation” to soon take effect in the country where their business is headquartered. These are the findings of a new study published in McKinsey Quarterly, which reports that four out of five executives anticipate new climate regulations to be enacted within five years, and one out of three think such legislation may be just one or two years away. Read more...
Also This Week...
Bank of America Ditches Partnership with Carbon Offset Company
Bank of America has backed out of a deal to buy a major stake in the Climate Exchange, the U.K. company that runs both the Chicago and European carbon-offset trading exchanges. The deal, signed last July, called for BofA to market Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) carbon offsets to its customers. Read more...
Staples Axes Forest-Plundering Paper Supplier
Staples has canceled its contract with Asia Pulp & Paper (APP). The office supplies giant follows in the footsteps of other large U.S. paper sellers, including rival Office Depot, which have severed ties with the Singapore-based company amid concerns over deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Read more...
Wal-Mart Will Pay More for Greener Products
Wal-Mart is prepared to pay more for more durable, environmentally sensitive products. Matt Kistler, the company’s senior vice president of sustainability, says that despite anticipated cost increases at the wholesale level, the decision won’t necessarily translate to higher prices on store shelves. Read more...
Woolworths CEO on Climate Action: “Just Do It”
Companies need to stop “navel gazing” and start taking concrete steps to reduce their carbon footprints, says Woolworths CEO Michael Luscombe. The head of Australia’s largest supermarket chain told a gathering of business executives to “just get out there and do it,” adding that “you might not get it all right, but you will learn a hell of a lot along the way." Read more...
Google Says Green Tech Innovation a Matter of Scale
Google is touting its alternative-energy investment program as the key to developing new energy projects that, without the backing of major corporations, would never scrape together the necessary financing. The web-search giant pledged last November to invest heavily in research and development for new renewable energy sources that produce electricity more cheaply than coal. Read more...
65% of Companies Lack Green Supply Chain Strategy
A new study finds that two-thirds of companies lack an explicit plan for reducing the environmental impact of their supply chains. The survey, from management consultancy BearingPoint, quizzed 600 companies reporting at least $100 million in annual revenue on their supply chain efforts. Read more...
EU's Cleaner Planes Project Takes Off
The European Commission has officially kicked off its Clean Sky program, a $2.4 billion collaboration with the aeronautics industry to design cleaner airplanes, Reuters reports. Under the program, aerospace firms will pool the money to research and develop planes that make less noise, consume less energy, and can run on alternative fuels. Read more...
Texas Instruments, MIT Develop Super Efficient Microchip
Researchers at Texas Instruments and the Massachussets Institute of Technology have unveiled a new chip design for portable electronics that can be up to ten times more energy-efficient than current technology. The design could lead to cell phones, implantable medical devices, and sensors that last far longer when running from a battery, the researchers say. Read more...
Top Magazine Publishers Join Recycling Push
Publishing heavyweights Hearst Corporation, Pratt Industries, Time Warner Cable have joined forces to boost magazine recycling in the Big Apple. The publishers have partnered with various city agencies to launch ReMix ("Recycling Magazines is Excellent!"), a public education campaign aimed at increasing residential recycling of magazines and catalogs, in New York City. Read more...
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The Cost Versus Price of Sustainability
What does it really cost for a manufacturer to deliver a more sustainable product or package to the retail store shelf - and what should the resulting price be for consumers? Dennis Salazar, president of Salazar Packaging, does the math. (Sustainable Is Good) Read more...
PODCAST: Plan A Delivers Early Results for M&S
Leading U.K. retailer Marks & Spencer launched its Plan A scheme in response to the growing challenges of climate change and sustainable resourcing, with the intention of improving how the business is run and reaching out to its customers. One year into his company's five-year environmental program, M&S CEO Sir Stuart Rose is already seeing the benefits, he tells The Times of London in this podcast. (Run Time: 15 Min.) Listen now...
Hotel Best Practices Guide
Flex Your Power offers hotels simple energy-saving tips that can cut costs while increasing aesthetics and comfort. Tips come from all aspects of hotel operations, covering lighting, water, HVAC, windows, roofs, restaurants, laundry, vending and ice machines, office equipment, exercise rooms, pools, saunas, hot tubs, and demand response programs. Read more...
Save the Date for SB08!
Mark your calendar and plan now to join your peers at Sustainable Brands '08, where we'll explore together the latest in innovation for sustainable brands. The event will be held in California at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort from June 2-5, 2008.
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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.
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