Top Stories
Obama: Gulf spill 'echoes 9/11'.—reliability
high.
"Obama--facing mounting criticism of his handling of the BP gusher,
even from longtime allies--vowed to make a "bold" push for a new energy
law even as the calamity continues to unfold. And he said he will use
the rest of his presidency to try to put the United States on a course
toward a 'new way of doing business when it comes to energy.' 'In the
same way that our view of our vulnerabilities and our foreign policy
was shaped profoundly by 9/11,' the president said in an Oval Office
interview on Friday, 'I think this disaster is going to shape how we
think about the environment and energy for many years to come.'" See Politico.
Second Carrots and Sticks Report Surveys
Current Status of Sustainability Reporting.—reliability
high.
"The new report, published by the GRI in partnership with the UNEP and
KPMG, surveys the current landscape of sustainability reporting, noting
the dominant trends that have taken hold since 2006 and providing
recommendations for a basis of sustainability reporting in which what
Isabella Pagotto, Manager of Governmental Relations & International
Organizations for the GRI, described for SocialFunds.com as 'a
proliferation of regulations, as well as a trend toward greater
coherence' in the international arena. 'One of the trends identified in
the report is that governments are becoming more and more important,'
Pagotto told SocialFunds.com. 'More governments are making
sustainability reporting mandatory.'" More highlights. From Greener
World Media. PDF of report here.
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
The Reds go green after achieving Carbon
Trust standard.—reliability high.
"Manchester United Football Club has become the 250th company in the
UK to achieve the Carbon Trust Standard for reducing its carbon
emissions by 10 per cent. ... It has also reduced energy consumption
across Old Trafford through direct light “switch-offs” on non-match
days and optimising the control system for heating and ventilation of
the stadium. Reducing lighting by 50 per cent in the North Stand tunnel
alone is already saving the club £10,000 each year, The Carbon Trust
said. For financial year 2008/09, Manchester United's carbon management
efforts helped the club save over £125,000 in electricity, £110,000 in
gas and £235,000 in total energy use in seven months." Story at Crain's
Manchester Business.
Marks & Spencer set to replicate Andhra
Pradesh green story.—reliability high.
"UK's largest apparel retailer Marks & Spencer said its "cotton
sustainability project" in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh had
started bearing fruit. The company is ready to increase the number of
farmers under the project from 1,500 to 10,000. ... After two years,
Sumner said, water use was down 50 per cent, pesticide use fell 80 per
cent and synthetic fertiliser use was down 20 per cent. A fully
functioning farmers' cooperative has also been established across 28
villages. Cotton, along with rice and sugar, is among the top three
water-intensive crops in India." More at rediff
from Business Standard.
10 Green NGOs Businesses Should Know About.—reliability
medium.
"Who are the NGOs that companies turn to most often -- and most
effectively? To answer that question, we spoke with companies with long
experience working with nonprofits, scanned our coverage over the last
10 years, and compared notes. Several NGOs stood out for their efforts
to show the business community how they could operate leaner, greener,
more profitably and more transparently." Ceres, EDF, Rainforest
Alliance and others. From GreenBiz
blog.
2009's 'Great Recession' Slashed Carbon
Market in Half.—reliability high.
"The value of the voluntary carbon market shrunk 47 percent to $387
million in 2009 as the recession shrank the amount of offsets purchased
for corporate social responsibility purposes. Transactions for the year
equaled 94 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reductions, a
26 percent decline from 2008, despite growth in emissions reductions
bought for pre-compliance purposes, according to the State of the
Voluntary Carbon Market Report 2010." Story at Greener
World Media. Access report here.
Impact of B2B Green Marketing in an
Increasingly Environmentally Conscious World.—reliability
medium.
"Today, however, with more major companies becoming
environmentally-conscious — with some even mandating the purchase of
'Green' products that save energy, conserve resources, reduce
emissions, and are biodegradable or recyclable – and government
agencies implementing Environmentally Preferred Purchasing (EPP) plans,
there is a new variable in this age-old mix. ... For these companies,
agencies, and institutions whom are mandating the purchase of green
products, green has become a fundamental part of the decision making
process." How to present yourself and your product? Example from Miura
Boiler. See Environmental
Leader.
Unifi Integrates Sustainable Supply Chain.—reliability
high.
"In the mid 2000’s, Unifi developed REPREVE recycled polyester to
provide customers and consumers with an eco-friendly, 100 percent
recycled product that performs like virgin fibers and conserves natural
resources. To improve the availability of recycled raw materials and
significantly increase the company’s product capabilities, Unifi will
invest in the backward integration of the REPREVE supply chain. In
addition to providing greater control over the production of the
recycled chip that is used to make REPREVE polyester fibers, the new
recycling technology will provide opportunities to recycle
post-consumer and post industrial fabric waste back into REPREVE." Environmental
Leader story.
Government and
Regulation
Delaware raises $2.1 million from auction of
CO2.—reliability high.
"Delaware raised $2.1 million last week at the latest regional auction
of credits for power plant carbon dioxide emissions, completing the
deal on a day when Congress was squabbling over federal authority to
regulate the very same pollutant. The sale brought Delaware's total
earnings from Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
membership to $16 million, with nearly all of it earmarked for energy
efficiency and conservation programs or aid for clean energy
activities." See Delawareonline.
[Crossposted from HaraBara.com courtesy of HaraBara, Inc. Copyright © 2010 HaraBara, Inc.]
