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BD Issues 2011 Sustainability Report

05.23.2012 - 11:38AM

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE:BDX), a leading global medical technology company, announced today the publication of its 2011 Sustainability Report. The report focuses on the Company’s shared-value approach to sustainability, which focuses on the relationship among strong economic performance, social responsibility and respect for the environment.

"We are pleased to report on BD’s progress in achieving our sustainability goals, as well as how we are addressing the many challenges we face in the global business environment," said Vincent A. Forlenza, Chief Executive Officer and President. "We are broadening and redefining our approach to products, markets, services, productivity and even associate engagement, to drive higher shared value as well as higher shareholder value.”

This year, BD’s reporting aligns more closely with version 3.1 of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines, and the Company has self-assessed the new report at GRI application level B. BD’s 2011 Sustainability Report highlights strategic priorities and performance in areas including:

Governance and Ethics: BD remains committed to ethical operations and compliance with laws and regulations. In 2011, the Company updated its Code of Conduct and initiated Project Compass, the rollout of its enhanced global anti-corruption and anti-bribery program.

Product Responsibility: BD addresses social and environmental concerns in areas including product quality, patient and healthcare worker safety, and product stewardship from development to disposal. In 2011, the Company added a sustainability assessment to its Global Product Development System, inaugurated Procurement Sustainability Summits for suppliers, and became a member of the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Business Leadership Coalition, which is part of the Practice Greenhealth Greening the Supply Chain^™ initiative.

The Environment: BD continued to make progress toward meeting its 2015 Sustainability Targets, including reducing energy consumption 3.2% absolute and 13.2% normalized (against a goal of reducing 30% normalized by 2015) and reducing greenhouse gas emissions 21.6% absolute through a combination of energy conservation and purchase of renewable energy credits. Additionally, three BD locations received LEED Gold certification in 2011.

Society: BD deploys its core competencies, expertise, products and associates in an effort to improve global health standards and access to health for all. The Company develops and implements collaborative, cross-sector programs with governments, international agencies, nonprofit organizations and research institutions, focusing on areas that align societal needs with BD’s business strategy.

Associates: The success of BD's business depends on the creativity, innovation and commitment of the 29,000 people it employs in more than 50 countries around the world. The report highlights BD’s focus on health and safety in the workplace, providing learning and development opportunities, building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive culture.

The new report also highlights the many awards and recognitions that BD received in 2011 in the areas of sustainability, innovation, employer of choice, and environment, health and safety, including:

Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indexes
2011 Green Rankings Top 100 (Newsweek)
"World's Most Ethical Companies" (Ethisphere Council)
U.S. EPA Green Power Partnership Member – 2011 Leadership Club
CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ Accreditation
Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles (U.S. National Business Group on Health)

To view the full BD 2011 Sustainability Report online, visit www.bd.com/sustainability.

About BD

BD, a leading global medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents, is dedicated to improving people’s health throughout the world. BD is focused on improving drug therapy, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases, and advancing research and discovery of new drugs and vaccines. The Company’s capabilities are instrumental in combating many of the world’s most pressing diseases. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs approximately 29,000 associates in more than 50 countries throughout the world. The Company serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, industry and the general public. For more information, please visit www.bd.com.

Deckers Outdoor Corporation Joins Ceres Company Network

05.22.2012 - 09:45AM

Ceres announced today that it is has approved Deckers Outdoor Corporation (NASDAQ:DECK), a footwear and accessories company headquartered in Goleta, California, as a Ceres Network Company. Deckers manufactures footwear and accessories under the brands UGG® Australia, Teva®, Sanuk®, Ahnu®, Tsubo® and MOZO®. Companies that join Ceres commit to improve their sustainability disclosure and performance by engaging with investors, environmental and social groups and other stakeholders.

“Ceres is proud to welcome Deckers into our growing network of companies dedicated to improving their sustainability performance,” said Mindy Lubber, Ceres President. “While the company is still early on in its sustainability journey, Deckers has already made real progress on key sustainability issues including measuring the impact of its water and energy use and identifying opportunities to reduce the footprint of the products they sell. Ceres looks forward to working with Deckers to further embed sustainability across its business.”

Deckers began measuring the environmental impact of its energy use for the first time in 2010. This year the company plans to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions of its first tier factories with a goal to collect energy data from over 50% of factories and key suppliers by the end of 2012. Deckers also committed to minimizing the environmental footprint of water and waste in its operations—and will complete its water footprint assessment in 2012. Moving forward, Deckers will work closely with Ceres to strategically identify priorities for reducing the footprint of its direct operations, as well as its supply chain.

To reduce the impact of its products, Deckers is now considering sustainability at the design stage. Working with other companies in the outdoor and apparel industries, the company is helping to test and further develop the Sustainable Apparel Index—an environmental assessment tool used to measure and reduce the social and environmental impacts of products. Once the tool is finalized, Deckers will use it to identify areas for improved efficiency, cost savings and reduced impact through the use of more sustainable materials.

“It’s an honor to be approved as a Ceres Network Member,” said Deckers Outdoor Corporation’s Zohar Ziv, Chief Operating Officer. “We are moving in the right direction under our commitment to our Corporate Responsibility goals, but know we can do bigger and better things toward sustainability with the support of Ceres and its member companies.”

Working with Ceres, Deckers will publish its first sustainability report using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines. The company will also work with Ceres to formalize a robust stakeholder engagement program. Drawing on members of the Ceres Coalition, Ceres will work with Deckers to engage and learn from a diversity of stakeholders including investors, social and environmental groups and other key stakeholders.

About Ceres

Ceres is an advocate for sustainability leadership. Ceres mobilizes a powerful coalition of investors, companies and public interest groups to accelerate and expand the adoption of sustainable business practices and solutions to build a healthy global economy. Ceres also directs the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), a network of 100 institutional investors with collective assets totaling more than $10 trillion.

For more information, visit http://www.ceres.org and http://www.incr.com.

About Deckers Outdoor Corporation

Deckers Outdoor Corporation is a premier lifestyle marketer that builds niche brands into global market leaders by designing and marketing innovative, functional and fashion-oriented footwear developed for both high performance outdoor activities and everyday casual lifestyle use. Teva®, Sanuk®, UGG® Australia, TSUBO®, Ahnu® and MOZO® are registered trademarks of Deckers Outdoor Corporation.

EuroCharity and Leading Technology Institute AIT to Co-Organise Sustainability Forum 2012

05.21.2012 - 05:11PM

A training, networking and professional development event
Friday, October 5, 2012
AIT campus, 19th km., Markopoulo Avenue, GR-190 02 Peania, Athens, Greece

EuroCharity in collaboration with AIT (Athens Information Technology), an internationally-renowned, non-profit education and research centre of excellence, are pleased to announce their co-organisation of the Sustainability Forum 2012, a training, networking and professional development event that is scheduled to take place at AIT's state-of-the-art venue in Peania, Athens on October 5.

Internationally-acclaimed speakers and experts will share their hands-on expertise and experience with the delegates of this forthcoming, multi-stakeholder Forum.

The basic goal of this one-day Forum, which will have an educational character and focus on sustainability, is to showcase new prospects in these challenging times. The Forum aims at providing knowledge, developing abilities and exchanging best practices as well as experiences related to sustainability through parallel, expert workshops that focus on:

Core principles of sustainability
Sustainable smart cities / Environment
Green ICT / Footprint
Communicating Sustainability
Sustainable facilities and infrastructure systems
Creating a sustainablity strategy
Sustainability reporting assurance
Calculating and offsetting CO2 emissions
Sustainability and social media

Who should attend?

The Forum is aimed at all professionals involved or interested in sustainability, CSR Practitioners & Managers, HR Managers, PR Specialists, Marketing Managers, environmentalists, investors, third sector leaders, and others. Confirmed workshop tutors include Derwin Johnson, an independent senior communication consultant with more than 30 years of experience as a journalist, communication executive and educator who has served as U.S. Director of Media and Communications Training for one of the largest global public relations companies and spent seven years at Columbia University as Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Journalism, as well as Dr. Annie Pearce (www.mlsoc.vt.edu/users/apearce), an Associate Professor in the Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech specialising in sustainable facilities and infrastructure systems. Throughout her career, Annie has worked with practitioners in both public and private sectors to implement sustainability as part of building planning, design, construction, and operations.

As a LEED Accredited Professional, Annie brings the latest in green building methods, technologies, and best practices to the classroom. Her specific areas of interest include metrics of sustainability for built facilities, green building materials and systems, cost modeling to support sustainability implementation, and in situ performance of sustainable facility technologies. Along with others in the Myers-Lawson School, Annie is pioneering a new paradigm of construction research, education, and outreach that combines and synergises inputs from stakeholders in the construction industry with new technologies and research efforts to promote sustainable innovations. This educational ecosystem approach builds upon the principles of biomimicry to offer benefits to all entities within the system while tapping the resources they can offer to one another, all while moving the industry toward the goal of greater sustainability.

For further information on the Forum, event programme and participation form, please contact EuroCharity at info@eurocharity.org. Tel.: +30 210 927 1110-29.

About AIT

A leading technology institute that offers world-class education and research in the fields of information technology, telecommunications, and innovation management, AIT (Athens Information Technology) was founded by the INTRACOM Group in 2002. In creating AIT, INTRACOM's purpose was to build on the track record of excellence set by Greek scientists and engineers both in Greece and abroad, and to enable Greece to play a significant future role in these fields.

AIT collaborates with 58 leading European universities, research centres and ICT companies. The non-profit organisation has been internationally recognised through, among others, its pioneering co-operation with the Information Networking Institute (INI), a department of the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the educational partner of Carnegie Mellon Cylab, U.S.A.; via its Executive Training Programmes in Leadership, Negotiation and Strategy in collaboration with the Kokkalis Program on Southeastern and East-Central Europe at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, U.S.A.; and through its strategic collaboration with Aalborg University, Denmark.

The largest privately-funded education and research centre in South-East Europe, AIT utilises its state-of-the-art facilities, conveniently located near the Athens International Airport, affiliations with world-renowned universities and range of academic programs and scholarships to offer the finest advanced learning for professionals and executives and first-class education and career placement to an internationally diverse group of students from all walks of life.

AIT's mission is to:

Establish and maintain a centre of excellence for research and education in the areas of software engineering, telecommunications/networking, embedded systems and electronics;
Foster the development of top level competitive information and communication technology professionals capable of creating technological breakthroughs and skilled in technology and innovation management;
Continue to provide the education to meet future ICT trends;
Continue to provide education opportunities to gifted students through scholarships.

For further information on AIT, please visit www.ait.gr or download a PDF presentation at www.eurocharity.eu/publish/ait_presentation.pdf.

Innovating for Sustainability

05.21.2012 - 08:45AM

Exploring the link between sustainability and financial performance, this Harvard Business School program helps companies deliver value to both shareholders and society. You will discover how leading companies are developing innovative products, processes, and business models to achieve financial goals while meeting objectives—and government mandates—for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance.

Please visit www.exed.hbs.edu/programs/ifse or email executive_education@hbs.edu to learn more.

2012 LOHAS Speaker Line Up Defines the Future of Eco Integrity for $290 Billion Green Market

05.16.2012 - 11:45AM

The LOHAS Forum, the nation’s premier gathering of thought leaders, investors and industry executives focused on the $290 billion LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) market, announced today the speaker lineup and full program for this year’s LOHAS Forum 2012. Now in its sixteenth year, the event will take place June 12 – 14 in Boulder, Colorado with interactive discussions focused on a broad portfolio of current issues including alternative energy, health and wellness, social justice, branding, green customer loyalty and effective ways to raise capital.

Speakers at LOHAS Forum 2012 include Chip Conley with Joie de Vivre Hospitality, Toni J. Bellafiore with American Honda Motor Company, Inc., Gopi Kallayil with Google, Jodi Berg with VitaMix, Sue Harvey Brown with Patagonia Footwear, Madeleine Buckingham with Mother Jones, Mary Jo Cook with Fair Trade USA, Tom Laforge with The Coca-Cola Company, among many others.

LOHAS Forum 2012 will also feature a full schedule of interactive programming where attendees will be given access to thought leaders and industry experts with deep diving workshops, networking opportunities during daily receptions, meals and exercise activities; and intimate break-out sessions each afternoon.

For the first time ever, this year's LOHAS conference will integrate all the richness the city of Boulder has to offer. Taking advantage of the array of historical and significant local landmarks, cafes and restaurants, conveniently within walking distance of each other, serving as venues for the Forum's many events. Attendees will not only be treated to an inspiring and powerful event, but will also get to dive head first into the cultural roots of Boulder.

“The LOHAS community is looked at to pave the way for today’s consumers when it comes to the latest and greatest trends in healthy and sustainability – and it is events like the Forum that bring together the thought leaders in the space to facilitate open and creative dialogue,” said Ted Ning, director of the LOHAS Forum. “We could not be more excited for this year’s LOHAS Forum, as we will be turning Boulder into the ultimate eco-conscious hotspot and playing host to some of the most influential thinkers in sustainability.”

LOHAS 2012 Forum sponsors include Toyota, Mrs. Meyers, Gaiam TV, Presidio Graduate School, TAO Inspired Living, Think Thin, ECO Bonus, Ogden, NativeEnergy, Fair Trade USA, Sanitas Skincare, Cascadian Farm, VitaMix, New Hope 360, 1% for the Planet, Rancho La Puerta, LARABAR, Compendium, Natural Marketing Institute, DotGreen, BackJoy, Room214, Opti Bike, Shelton Group, Frey Vineyards, Haberman, Social K, Q-Link, Eco Spa 360, WhiteWave Foods, and Saeger Media Group. Media Sponsors include, Fast Company, CSRwire, Mother Jones, Spirituality & Health, Experience Life, Organic Spa, VividLife, Ethical Markets, Colorado Biz, Free Speech TV, ReDirect Guide, Ode, and Boulder County Business Report.

To view the full program and for registration, visit http://www.lohas.com/forum and to attend as a member of the press, contact Jessica Busch at jessica@saegermediagroup.com.

About LOHAS:

LOHAS, an acronym for ‘Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability,’ describes a marketplace focused on health, the environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living. One in four Americans is part of this group – nearly 41 million people and growing

Since its inception in 1996, LOHAS has been the catalyst for the adoption of sustainable living and environment-friendly practices for the globally conscious business community. The LOHAS Forum is the leading annual gathering of thought and opinion leaders in the LOHAS marketplace. The LOHAS Forum features highly influential speakers and panelists who address and explore some of today’s most prominent issues and business challenges, in the world of health and wellness. Other events include musical performances, workshops and networking receptions.

Hormel Foods Surpasses Water Reduction, Packaging and Solid Waste Minimization Goals

05.16.2012 - 08:00AM

Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL) today announced the release of its 2011 Hormel Foods Corporate Responsibility Report, available online at www.hormelfoods.com/csr.

This is the company’s fifth full report and the completion of the first set of five-year environmental goals. The report is self-declared Application Level B as confirmed by the Global Reporting Initiative.

The annual report focuses on the company’s commitment to being a responsible food manufacturer. Highlighted performance and initiatives throughout 2011 include:

Being listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the second consecutive year, placing the company among the world’s top 10 percent of sustainable companies.
Achieving outstanding results from the annual Environmental Sustainability Best of the Best competition among all Hormel Foods locations. In 2011, the competition generated entries throughout all business segments that resulted in the reduction of 695.2 tons of solid waste to landfill, an increase in recycling tonnage by 27 percent and more than 40.4 million gallons of water saved collectively.
Enhancing the On Our Way to Ending Hunger program, with contributions of more than $5 million in cash and product to aid hunger-relief efforts in the United States and abroad.
Distributing its Supplier Responsibility Principles, which were designed to ensure the quality of products and services received from suppliers follows the commitment of Hormel Foods to responsible environmental and social performance.
Expanding the number of facilities that have been certified under the Global Food Safety Initiative-recognized food safety management standards.
Improving performance on a number of key metrics, including:
- Beating the packaging minimization goal, reducing packaging by 4.2 million pounds;
- Beating the water reduction goal, reducing water consumption by 15 percent;
- Continuing to outperform the industry average for safety rates; and
- Implementing several significant capital projects designed to reduce energy use, expecting to see results in the 2012 fiscal year, as part of the new energy conservation goal.

"I am proud of our team for achieving outstanding results in fiscal 2011," said Jeffrey M. Ettinger, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer at Hormel Foods.

"We will continue to responsibly conduct business following Our Way - the Hormel Foods values statement that defines how we operate every day in our approach to people, process, products, performance and philanthropy."

The 2011 Hormel Foods Corporate Responsibility Report is the company’s fourth consecutive report that can be found entirely online. Also available is an executive summary that provides a condensed version of the full report along with key highlights. The online report can be accessed and the summary can be downloaded at www.hormelfoods.com/csr.

Using Social Media for Social Good

In alignment with the company’s commitment to philanthropy and in honor of the launch of the report, Hormel Foods will feature an online contest. For every retweet on Twitter announcing the release of the 2011 Hormel Foods Corporate Responsibility Report, the company will donate $6 to Feeding America (up to $5,000). Feeding America is the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity.

Hormel Foods plans to continue reporting on its environmental and social performance annually; the next report will be released in May 2013 for data spanning November 2011 to October 2012.

About Hormel Foods

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer-branded food and meat products, many of which are among the best known and trusted in the food industry. The company leverages its extensive expertise, innovation and high competencies in pork and turkey processing and marketing to bring branded, value-added products to the global marketplace. The company is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, Maplecroft Climate Innovation Indexes, and was named one of "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens” by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the fourth year in a row in 2012. The company enjoys a strong reputation among consumers, retail grocers, foodservice and industrial customers for products highly regarded for quality, taste, nutrition, convenience and value. For more information, visit http://www.hormelfoods.com.

BSR, Hilton Worldwide Launch Center to Help Business Make Sustainable Purchasing Decisions

05.15.2012 - 08:00AM

BSR and Hilton Worldwide launched the Center for Sustainable Procurement today to help global business procurement managers integrate sustainability into their purchasing decisions—providing a unique set of research and information that will help make sense of the increasingly available product sustainability data.

“Thanks to the important efforts of the Sustainability Consortium and a large number of industry and product-level programs, buyers now have access to more information on products’ sustainability attributes,” said Eric Olson, Senior Vice President, Advisory Services, BSR. “But they still lack the knowledge and guidance to use this new information alongside existing priorities like price, quality, and delivery. The Center will work to address these needs.”

Funded in full by Hilton Worldwide with day-to-day management by BSR, the Center will develop:

Research, case studies, and surveys on topics such as incentives for category managers, key issues for buyers to consider at the product level, the efficacy of third-party labels and certification, and more
Metrics analyses that focus on integrating sustainability into existing approaches such as “total cost of ownership”
Educational guidelines, webinars, and web content for companies to share with internal sourcing teams
One-on-one and collaborative consulting projects for a small group of BSR members to examine current purchasing processes, develop solutions for integrating sustainability into decisions, and share lessons collectively

The idea for the Center originated with the procurement and supply chain work BSR supported over a two-year period with Hilton Worldwide. Within its proprietary LightStay™ platform, the company developed an analysis and comparison tool focused on quantifying product sustainability to help inform buying decisions. The criteria looked at nearly 100 different measures, including core lifecycle-assessment components such as inputs, manufacturing, packaging, logistics, use, and end-of-life. In total, the company collected and assessed nearly 1,700 SKUs across multiple product categories such as food and beverage, property operations, and rooms, representing more than US$165 million in spend.

“Hotels purchase a range of products to support a great guest experience, and our work is focused on getting past product scoring and marketing labels to help our buyers quantify sustainability as part of overall product quality and cost,” said Bill Kornegay, Senior Vice President, Hilton Supply Management, Hilton Worldwide. “Taking mattresses as an example, costs notwithstanding, our buyers must make a decision regarding sustainability in the procurement process, which currently includes metrics for quality, services, delivery, and costs. We see the Center as an incredible opportunity to help us develop robust sustainability metrics to aid the buyer in making the best decision possible.”

Having worked for two decades with companies on a range of sustainability challenges and opportunities, BSR views the Center as a chance to increase the scale of its work on sustainable supply chains. “The Center for Sustainable Procurement gets to the heart of what we do at BSR: We work with companies to catalyze sustainability solutions that make a difference across multiple industries globally—and we’re doing this with very practical, easy-to-use resources,” said BSR’s Olson.

About BSR

BSR works with its global network of nearly 300 member companies to build a just and sustainable world. From its offices in Asia, Europe, and North and South America, BSR develops sustainable business strategies and solutions through consulting, research, and cross-sector collaboration. Visit www.bsr.org for more information about BSR’s more than 20 years of leadership in sustainability.

About Hilton Worldwide

Hilton Worldwide is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 93 years, Hilton Worldwide has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,800 hotels and timeshare properties, with 630,000 rooms in 88 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. Visit www.hiltonworldwide.com for more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide at www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide, www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide, www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide, www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwide and www.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide.

Participate In The 2012 CR & Sustainability Salary Survey

05.14.2012 - 09:11AM

How do you know if your salary is appropriate to your role? Can you be sure it’s competitive, locally or internationally? Is demand for your skills increasing? Well, you can help us answer these and other questions by completing the 2012 CR & Sustainability Salary Survey questionnaire which is now available online.

Now in its fourth year, the survey has been developed to provide a comprehensive insight into the salaries and benefits, responsibilities and backgrounds of people working in the sector - both in-house and for external consultancies. This year we are aiming to provide a deeper understanding of the broader corporate responsibility and sustainability sectors around the world to provide unique and valuable information for you and your fellow professionals.

What can you gain from taking part in the survey?

Learn how your salary and benefits compare to others in similar roles
Benchmark salaries and benefits for your existing team
Understand the varied backgrounds of CR and sustainability professionals

By participating, you will be the first to receive a full report on the findings and you will also be invited to a launch event in July, where you will have a chance to discuss the results and the implications for you and the sector.

Please note that this is 100% confidential – no participants' names or contact details will be published or made available to any third parties at any stage.

The quality of the observations we make will be based on you, the participant. Simply put - the more data we have the better, so please share with your colleagues and help us distribute this survey throughout the sector.

If you have any questions before completing it, please contact: steve@acre-resources.com

You can take the survey, find out more and download the results from previous years at: http://crsalarysurvey.com/

The 2012 CR & Sustainability Salary Survey is brought to you by Acre Resources, Acona, Flag and Ethical Performance.

The questionnaire will close on Friday 18^th May.

New Report: Wireless Products and Services Help Drive Socioeconomic Change

05.10.2012 - 06:37PM

Wireless products and services are a powerful agent of social change that provide billions of people around the world with anytime, anywhere access, according to a report released today by BSR and commissioned by CTIA-The Wireless Association. The “Socioeconomic Impacts of Wireless Technology” report cites a variety of case studies and uses on the adoption of, and trends in, wireless-enabled applications for finance, healthcare, education, and community engagement.

Mobile Finance: Around the world, there are billions of “underbanked” or “unbanked” people, but thanks to wireless technology, they have access to market information and banking services so they receive a fair price for their goods and services and protect their money.
Mobile Health (mHealth): From remote monitoring to disease management, wireless technology is helping improve healthcare outcomes and address the healthcare worker shortage. In the United States, chronic disease treatment costs more than US$1.4 trillion each year, but using mHealth could mean a savings of more than US$21.1 billion per year.
Mobile Education: By using mobile technology, interactive learning may happen at any time and virtually anywhere. Technology-based instruction can reduce the time it takes students to reach learning objectives by 30 to 80 percent.
Community Empowerment: Wireless technology empowers citizens around the world to create and interact with their communities and the world, hold their political leaders accountable, and organize for social, political, and economic change.

The report also highlights the role that licensed spectrum availability and the world’s 6 billion mobile connections have played in encouraging innovators to develop a range of applications.

“The wireless industry has already revolutionized the way we communicate, and we’re now seeing how it’s improving almost every other industry by making them more productive and efficient, and it’s changing peoples’ lives for the better all over the world,” said Steve Largent, president and CEO of CTIA. “In order to continue the great innovations that Americans and the rest of the world have come to expect from the U.S. wireless industry, our members must have access to spectrum so they may continue to create new products and services that will benefit individuals in developing and developed countries.”

“This report highlights just some of the exciting possibilities to meet urgent social needs,” said Marshall Chase, Manager, Advisory Services, BSR. “There are rapidly growing opportunities for people to create vibrant new communities, connect with critical services, and improve their quality of life using wireless technology. To ensure these benefits, the industry will have a critical role to play in providing access at an affordable price.”

The “Socioeconomic Impacts of Wireless Technology” report builds on BSR and CTIA’s 2011 report, “Wireless and the Environment.”

About CTIA-The Wireless Association
CTIA-The Wireless Association (www.ctia.org) is an international organization representing the wireless communications industry. Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data services and products. CTIA advocates on behalf of its members at all levels of government. The association also coordinates the industry’s voluntary best practices and initiatives, and sponsors the industry’s leading wireless tradeshows. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, D.C.

About BSR
BSR works with its global network of nearly 300 member companies to build a just and sustainable world. From its offices in Asia, Europe, and North and South America, BSR develops sustainable business strategies and solutions through consulting, research, and cross-sector collaboration. Visit www.bsr.org for more information about BSR’s more than 20 years of leadership in sustainability.

Huawei Releases 2011 Corporate Sustainability Report

05.10.2012 - 12:00PM

Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today released its 2011 Corporate Sustainability Report. The report provides an overview of Huawei’s commitments and practices with regard to its corporate social responsibilities, including bridging the digital divide, caring for employees, fair operations, environmental protection, social contribution, supply chain CSR management, stakeholder communications and safe operations. The report, which demonstrates Huawei’s efforts and contributions in driving the sustainable development of the economy, society, and the environment, is online at http://www.huawei.com/en/csr2011.

“We adhere to a corporate strategy of establishing a more favorable social image and exemplifying good corporate citizenship everywhere we operate by incorporating CSR into our business operations” said Sun Yafang, Chairwoman of Huawei.

As outlined in the report, in 2011, Huawei worked proactively to fulfill its social responsibilities as a global corporate citizen. Huawei optimized its CSR management system based on the social responsibility guidance ISO26000, in order to continuously improve the company's CSR management. Huawei also established a CSR Committee and related organizations to ensure that its CSR strategy is effectively implemented, including technical planning, implementation, and supervision.

This is Huawei’s fourth annual CSR report. The report was compiled in compliance with the G3 guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and it disclosed Huawei’s efforts and practices in a systematic and standardized manner. Huawei disclosed more GRI indicators compared to 2010 and the application level of the report is B+. Notable highlights in this year’s report include:

Established a 5-year roadmap that sets progressive goals for its CSR strategy, focused on optimizing, solidifying, enhancing and improving the CSR Management System.
Continued Phone Lady Initiative - which has been recognized by the World Economic Forum and Boston Consulting Group - with largest local carrier in Bangladesh to help people in remote areas increase their incomes, find jobs, and receive timely information. In 2011, more than 28,000 proprietors were able to achieve an average income that is three times higher than the per capita income in Bangladesh.
Used Instant Network technology - which is a portable GSM network co-developed with a customer that can provide telecoms services in disaster areas in less than 40 minutes - during a humanitarian mission in Barsaloi, Kenya, enabling local residents to connect to their families.
Saved the equivalent of the annual power consumption of 250,000 families via Huawei’s green broadband network technology.
Reduced tree consumption by 5,300m3 and lowered CO2 emissions by 13,000 tons via Huawei’s green packaging solutions.
Supported the Kenya Red Cross Society in its mission to fight drought and hunger; Granted scholarships to students via the Telecom Seeds for the Future program; provided school children with access to an e-education in remote areas of India via the eHope program.
Certified 27 suppliers as Huawei green partners and 441 suppliers signed commitments to not procure or use conflict minerals.

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Through our dedication to customer-centric innovation and strong partnerships, we have established end-to-end advantages in telecom networks, devices and cloud computing. We are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers by providing competitive solutions and services. Our products and solutions have been deployed in over 140 countries, serving more than one third of the world’s population.

For more information, visit Huawei online: www.huawei.com

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/HuaweiPress

Stewardship Action Council Releases First Annual Report

05.08.2012 - 10:00AM

The Stewardship Action Council (SAC) has released its first annual report, highlighting the growth of the association and the activities of its membership. The 60-page report features an Executive Summary, which includes highlights of SAC’s first year, its creation, membership, organizational goals and accomplishments. A complete copy is posted on the SAC website.

“In just one short year, SAC has grown to 73 members. Our mission – to raise the level of social, environmental, and economic performance through shared responsibility and collaboration among business, non-governmental, academic, and government organizations – is one our members take to heart,” said SAC Executive Director Anne Vogel-Marr.

Founding members of SAC include: American University, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, BMW, Calvert Investments, CLF Ventures, DM Petroleum, Johnson & Johnson, Michelin, Pfizer, PRIZIM, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Wildlife Habitat Council and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. A complete list of SAC members is available on the SAC website.

“We are a learning organization, sharing best practices and unique perspectives with each other in many ways over the past year. Topics have spanned the ecological and natural resources arena, workers and their surrounding communities, and the interface of these resources in creating an ever more sustainable economy. And we are planning to do much more in 2012,” added SAC President Bill Bozzo, DM Petroleum Operations Company.

About the Stewardship Action Council (SAC)

SAC is a membership based organization, open to non-governmental organizations, states and local government, social investment companies, academic institutions and industry. Our mission is to raise the level of social, environmental, and economic performance through shared responsibility and collaboration.

Global Sustainable Partnerships Announces Threefold Expansion of Tanzania Safe Water Program

05.07.2012 - 12:41PM

Global Sustainable Partnerships (GSP), a Grand Rapids-based nonprofit, today announced the shipment of an additional 150 Hydraid® BioSand Water Filters for installation in 30 Tanzanian schools, tripling the size of GSP’s water relief program in Tanzania just six months after its launch.

The installation of the filters is expected to positively impact more than 24,000 school-aged children in a region of sub-Saharan Africa that has been losing young lives to waterborne illness at an astonishing rate. GSP’s latest shipment follows the November 2011 installation of an initial 30 Hydraid filters in 10 Tanzanian schools – units that have continued to provide potentially life-saving benefit to more than 8,000 children.

"Global Sustainable Partnerships’ pilot program to bring safe drinking water to Tanzania continues to be an enormous success," said GSP founder and president Kimberly Fogg. "Our fundraising efforts to purchase and install filtration systems are paying off, and we're particularly grateful to the U.S. Navy's Project Handclasp, which is enabling the delivery to Tanzania at minimal cost." Project Handclasp is a public/private logistics and humanitarian support initiative that enables the delivery of donations worldwide.

GSP’s safe water initiative involves the installation of Hydraid® filters provided by Triple Quest, a collaborative venture involving Grand Rapids-based manufacturer Cascade Engineering and The Windquest Group, a private investment fund also based in West Michigan. The Hydraid filter is a simple, lightweight unit powered by gravity with no moving parts to replace. Users can reduce biological contaminants by pouring surface or ground water through the filter to obtain water that is safe for drinking, food preparation, personal hygiene and sanitation.

GSP co-founder Mary Barth underscored the critical need for continued funding to support GSP's efforts in Tanzania. "There are still more than 70,000 at-risk children in Tanzania alone," Barth said. "Our school-based program can easily reach these children and their teachers, but further funding is needed to purchase more filters and get them where there are most needed.”

"Unsafe drinking water is a primary health issue throughout the developing world," added Fogg. "The absence of such a basic resource goes well beyond health concerns; it is also a major contributor to poverty and a block to economic development."

About Global Sustainable Partnerships

Global Sustainable Partnerships, Inc. (GSP) was founded by Kimberly L. Fogg and Mary Barth, who is from Tanzania. GSP is a 501(c)(3) certified by the Center for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST). The organization transfers knowledge and skills through training and education in the construction and maintenance of the Hydraid® BioSand Water Filter and the overall education of health, sanitation and hygiene practices for children in primary and secondary schools and their families in developing countries.

To view photos and video of the Hydraid® implementation in Tanzania, click on:

www.gspartnerships.org

Bainbridge Graduate Institute Supports StartZone Programs for Low Income and Disadvantaged Businesses

05.06.2012 - 05:56PM

The Bainbridge Graduate Institute, a pioneer in offering Sustainable MBA and certificate programs, is currently exploring options with the StartZone program to provide support in extending their reach to economically disadvantaged business owners. The program at Highline Community College provides entrepreneurship for immigrants, minorities, women and people of disability in Southwest King County. BGI will also serve as a primary sponsor for StartZone’s upcoming reception and client showcase.

BGI Dean, John Gardner Ph.D. stated, “we are excited to partner with HCC, the home for StartZone and the institution who has seen it through the proof of concept stage. As a private, non-profit business school, our goal is to build capacity through our students and innovative network and provide the agility to spawn other sites outside south King County in areas where the service is most likely to succeed.”

StartZone programs help disadvantaged and low-income South King County residents achieve financial self-sufficiency by providing accessible and affordable training, consulting and other support for building small businesses that are bankable, profitable and sustainably connected to the local economy. StartZone has over 400 members and provides a range of workshops, consulting and other business support services. The program is funded by a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

The StartZone reception and client showcase will be held from 4-6pm on May 18^th at the Burien Community Center. Representatives from BGI and StartZone will be present to discuss their shared vision to help create economic self-sufficiency for disadvantaged small businesses. The showcase will provide marketing opportunities for nearly 20 client businesses including arts and crafts, food, and a range of service providers. The event is open to the public.

About The Bainbridge Graduate Institute

The Bainbridge Graduate Institute was the first school to offer an MBA in Sustainable business. Founded in 2002, BGI offers evening and weekend MBA and Certificate programs that thoroughly integrate environmental and social responsibility into every subject of the traditional core business curriculum. BGI works to help other business schools become more sustainable.

About Highline Community College

Highline Community College was founded in 1961 as the first community college in King County. With approximately 18,300 students and 350,000 alumni, it is one of the state’s largest institutions of higher education. The college offers a wide range of academic transfer and professional-technical education programs, with day, evening and weekend classes. Alumni include former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice, entrepreneur Junki Yoshida and Washington state poet laureate Sam Green.

About StartZone

StartZone is a program of Highline Community College that helps disadvantaged and low-income South King County residents achieve financial self-sufficiency by providing accessible and affordable training, consulting and other support for building small businesses that are bankable, profitable and sustainably connected to the local economy.

6th Largest Organic Program in the World Supports Ethikus' Shop Your Values Week Movement – Anvil Knitwear Joins SYVW

05.04.2012 - 02:46PM

Furthering their commitment towards making the earth a better place to live and work, Anvil Knitwear has signed on to become a sponsor of Shop Your Values Week.

SYVW is a citywide “do good” event presented by ethikus encouraging consumers to shop with their hearts in 2012 by pledging to shop locally, ethically, and sustainably. Over 200 local and sustainable businesses have signed on to participate in SYVW by offering incentives to anyone who takes the online pledge (www.shopyourvaluesweek.com). These incentives range from free samples and storewide discounts, to free admission to special events across NYC.

“We’re excited to have Anvil Knitwear on board with SYVW,” said Jeff Hittner, Co-founder of ethikus. “Whether it's creating programs for kids to track the journey of their t-shirts from cotton farm to their homes, or building an eco clothing line that includes shirts made from recycled plastic bottles and organic cotton, Anvil is actively working to build a more sustainable business for all involved.”

Anvil Knitwear has generously donated 750 Sustainable shirts (see image) to ethikus in support of the SYVW movement. Anvil Knitwear ’s Sustainability line contains around 3 plastic bottles per shirt, are made up of 50% organic combed ring spun cotton, and 50% post-consumer P.E.T recycled polyester.

“Anvil is excited to align with Shop Your Values Week, promoting sustainable businesses in our New York City community”, says Heather Stefani, EVP of Marketing at Anvil Knitwear. “As a brand that operates with a deep and continued commitment to respecting the environment, we understand the challenges businesses face in their efforts to be sustainable. It’s therefore important to support others doing right by our planet. We salute the team at Shop Your Values Week for their continued work at pushing this message.”

Ethikus team members will be scattered across the greater NYC area handing out these sustainable shirts during SYVW (May 3rd-10th) – encouraging people to take the online pledge, upload photos of them in their new sustainable SYVW swag to fb.me/ethikus, and remember to shop with their hearts.

About Anvil Knitwear
Anvil Knitwear, Inc., an American Brand since 1899, is a leading manufacturer of sportswear and accessories primarily serving the imagewear and private label markets. Anvil offers a wide variety of styles from their American Tee Collection to a complete line of t-shirts made of sustainable fibers including certified organic cotton and recycled PET bottles. Anvil Knitwear is the largest purchaser of organic cotton in the United States, and is helping traditional cotton farmers' transition to growing organic cotton through Anvil's 'Double It' program. Anvil was recently ranked the 6th largest organic program in the world by the Organic Exchange. For more information, please visit www .anvilknitwear .com.

About Shop Your Values Week
Shop Your Values Week is a week-long citywide sustainable shopping and business initiative that seeks to encourage consumers to shop with their hearts by pledging to shop locally, ethically, and sustainably. Currently 216 local and sustainable businesses have signed on to participate in Shop Your Values Week. These businesses are offering a wide range of incentives such as free samples, storewide discounts, and free admission to special events across NYC free to anyone who takes the online pledge at www .shopyourvaluesweek .com.

Free Dance Party on the East River with FAB & Solar One in Celebration of Shop Your Values Week

05.04.2012 - 09:50AM

This Friday from 6:30-11pm Solar One and Fourth Arts Block (FAB) will be hosting a Dance Your Values Party in celebration of Shop Your Values Week and its efforts to get New Yorkers to put their money towards real systemic change for a better NYC economy.

The night will be accompanied with great music, awesome giveaways, a cool outdoor setting by the river, tons of tasty food and beer, and the opportunity to help align the moral compass for a better world. The Dance Party will kick off at 6:30pm with live music from electro pop band Strega and $3 beers to anyone who’s taken the online pledge at www.shopyourvaluesweek.com.

The music will then be handed over to a Sea to Sun DJ where he’ll pump up the bass, and get the party bumping. At 7:30pm the Dance Your Values Dance Off! will begin. The Dance Off! will be a tap-to-award contest where a SYVW team of judges will be going around and tapping people on the shoulder to inform them that they’ve been dancing their values off. Everyone who is tapped will be asked to meet up at 8:30 and will be awarded one of several prizes.

The prizes include:

1 yr membership to the 14 st Y
3 Davis Worshow Kohler Shower Heads
Babeland adult toys (at the end of the evening)
- Lyla rechareable vibrator by lelo
- bottle of babelube
- Pair of workshop tickets

The event will be held at the Solar One, the ciy’s first solar-powered “Green Energy, Arts, and Education Center.

Directions to Solar One:

L train to 1st Ave

Walk north to 20th St., east to the FDR Drive. Cross under the highway and walk north through Stuyvesant Cove Park to the Solar 1 building.

6 Train to 23rd St.

Walk east to the FDR Drive. Cross under the highway and walk south to the Solar 1 Building.

About Solar One

Solar One, the City’s first solar-powered “Green Energy, Arts, and Education Center,” inspires New Yorkers to become environmentally responsible city dwellers. They do this through a variety of unique programs that seek to reach out to broad sections of the New York City population in order to connect people to the urban environment around them. They provide in-school, education, job training, outreach and cultural programs while also maintaining one of New York’s most unique public spaces at Stuyvesant Cove Park

About Fab

Fourth Arts Block (FAB) is a non-profit organization founded in 2001 by cultural and community groups to establish and advance the East 4th Street Cultural District, between 2nd Avenue and Bowery. FAB provides a variety of services to its member organizations including leading the development and conversion of 100,000 square feet of cultural space, marketing and promotion of the district, as well as offering discount ticketing and other community events and programs.

About Shop Your Values Week

Shop Your Values Week is a week-long citywide sustainable shopping and business initiative that seeks to encourage consumers to shop with their hearts by pledging to shop locally, ethically, and sustainably. Currently 216 local and sustainable businesses have signed on to participate in Shop Your Values Week. These businesses are offering a wide range of incentives such as free samples, storewide discounts, and free admission to special events across NYC free to anyone who takes the online pledge at www.shopyourvaluesweek.com.

Paraben-Free Cosmetic Formulations Gaining Popularity

05.03.2012 - 09:27AM

New alternative preservation systems for cosmetic products are gaining popularity. In its new Technical Insights report, Organic Monitor (www.organicmonitor.com) finds the move to new alternative preservative systems is driven by high consumer demand for natural & organic cosmetics as well as the growing trend of formulators avoiding parabens.

Parabens are the most widely used preservatives, present in thousands of personal care products that include moisturizers, shampoos, toothpastes, lubricants, and gels. However, a growing number of formulators are avoiding them because of possible safety concerns. Although not scientifically proven, parabens are thought to mimic oestrogen and have been associated with breast cancer. The French and Danish governments are considering a ban on parabens in cosmetic products because of these possible links. Concerns over a possible ban are leading cosmetic companies to develop paraben-free formulations.

Natural & organic cosmetic products do not use conventional preservatives, such as parabens and phenoxyethanol. Natural & organic products have traditionally used natural preservatives like grapefruit seed extract, however new materials and technologies are gaining acceptance.

According to Judi Beerling at Organic Monitor, “many companies are using preservative systems that comprise multi-functional natural ingredients”. By using such ‘synergistic blends’, the material has anti-microbial properties whilst not having to be registered as a preservative with the respective authorities. Examples of such preservative systems include blended botanical extracts and spice extracts.

Another development is self-preservation techniques, with some methods originating from the food industry. Hurdle technology involves creating hurdles to block growth of micro-organisms in cosmetic formulations; for instance, using materials that reduce the pH of the formulation. Some companies are adding emollients with membrane disrupting properties in cosmetic formulations, whilst others are boosting natural preservative systems by the use of chelating agents or a glycol alternative.

A major finding from the Technical Insights study is that these new alternative preservative systems are usually not as cost-effective as parabens. Most alternative preservatives have prices in multiples of that for parabens. There are also stability and safety issues associated with natural materials. Supply could also be an issue for large-scale production of cosmetic products.

Customization is another major development. Formulators are realizing the ideal preservative system needs to be customized according to the product type, formulation and packaging. Packaging also plays an important role, with many natural & organic cosmetic companies using airless packaging to reduce contamination risks.

As will be shown in the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit (www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com), preservation is usually the number one technical issue associated with natural and organic cosmetics. The differing stances of certification agencies add to the complexity of the preservative conundrum. Significant differences remain between standards in terms of permitted and prohibited preservatives. Apart from the use of synthetic chemicals, differences relate to nature-identical and naturally-derived materials. Precise details of the preservative options available to formulators of certified natural and organic cosmetics will be given in a dedicated workshop at the summit.

Research Publication

#8041-13 Technical Insights: Paraben-Free Preservative Systems for Cosmetics http://www.organicmonitor.com/804113.htm

Workshop at Sustainable Cosmetics Summit

Organic Monitor will be presenting key findings from this new Technical Insights report in a workshop titled ‘Formulating Paraben-Free Cosmetics’ at the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit. The North American edition of the summit will take place at InterContinental New York Barclay hotel on 17-19th May 2012. More information is available from

www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com

About Organic Monitor

Organic Monitor is a London-based specialist research, consulting & training company that focuses on the global organic & related product industries. Since 2001, we have been providing a range of business services to operators in high-growth ethical & sustainable industries. Our services include market research publications, business & technical consulting, seminars & workshops, and sustainability summits. Visit us at www.organicmonitor.com

Sainsbury’s Tops Retailers with Industry-Leading Sustainability Score

05.02.2012 - 12:41PM

Sainsbury’s has been awarded the top spot in the retail sector for its ambitious work on sustainability by the FTSE4Good Index.

The score in the independent, highly regarded index evaluates participating businesses from around the globe against key social, environmental and governance practices. Sainsbury’s achieved an absolute score of 4.4 out of five, against a global sector average of around 2.43, making it not only a leader in its sector but in the top tier of all the businesses taking part.

The retailer also scored a five for its work on climate change, which is considered ‘best practice’ in the sector.

Stuart Wright, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Sainsbury’s, said: “Last year we set out ambitious sustainability commitments in our 20 by 20 Sustainability Plan. This accolade is a great endorsement of the progress we’re already making.”

Sainsbury’s published its 20 by 20 Sustainability Plan in October 2011. This industry-leading plan is built into Sainsbury's business strategy and sets out 20 targets to be achieved by 2020.

The commitments address four key areas of focus:

Sustainable and Healthy Products - including Best for British: By 2020, we'll double the amount of British food we sell
Operational Excellence - including operational carbon emission reduction: By 2020, we'll have reduced our operational carbon emissions by 30 per cent absolute and 65 per cent relative, compared with 2005.
Colleagues - including 20 years service: By 2020, 20,000 of our colleagues will have reached 20 years service at Sainsbury's.
Communities - including new jobs and skills: By 2020, we'll create 50,000 new jobs in the UK.

Sainsbury's goal is to be a leader in sustainability and ethics. The company has transformed the market for Fairtrade products, becoming the world's largest Fairtrade retailer. It is also the largest retailer of MSC certified fish and RSPCA Freedom Food certified products. Sainsbury's also has a long track record of pursuing climate change and biodiversity strategies, and championing community investment, not least through its support for Comic Relief and the Paralympic Games.

Initiatives include using carbon-saving technologies for new and existing stores that will drive down energy usage, thereby reducing energy costs. There is also be an increased focus on providing customers with more British food as the company seeks to double the amount it currently sells.

Notes to editors:

Sainsbury’s 20 by 20 Sustainability commitments are:

Sourcing with Integrity

1. We’ll source all of our key raw materials and commodities sustainably to an independent standard.

2. Our own brand products won’t contribute to global deforestation.

3. All the fish we sell will be independently certified as sustainable and we’ll strengthen our position as the leading retailer for sustainable seafood.

4. Our sales of fairly traded products will hit £1 billion.

5. We’ll double the amount of British food we sell.

6. All our meat, poultry, eggs, game and dairy products will be sourced from suppliers who adhere to independent higher welfare standards.

7. Our suppliers will also be leaders in meeting or exceeding our social and environmental standards.

Best for food and health

8. We’ll continue to reduce salt, saturated fat, fat and sugar in our own brand products and we will lead on providing clear nutritional information, enabling our customers to make informed choices.

9. We’ll double the sales of lighter alcohol wine and reduce the average alcohol content (ABV) of own brand wine and beer.

Respect for our Environment

10. We’ll put all waste to positive use.

11. We’ll make sure that our own packaging has been reduced by a half compared to 2005.

12. We’ll have reduced our operational carbon emissions by 30 per cent absolute and 65 per cent relative, compared with 2005.

13. Through robust water stewardship, we’ll ensure that our supply chain approach is sustainable in areas of water vulnerability.

14. We’ll have worked with our own brand suppliers to reduce carbon emissions across all of our own brand products by 50 per cent relative.

Making a positive difference to our community

15. We’ll have encouraged over 20 million children to enjoy physical activity in the decade.

16. We’ll have donated over £400 million to charitable causes in the decade.

A great place to work

17. We’ll create 50,000 new job opportunities in the UK and at least half of our colleagues will have received externally accredited training.

18. 20,000 of our colleagues will have reached 20 years of service at Sainsbury’s.

19. We’ll increase the number of colleagues with shares in our business by 25 per cent.

20. We’ll have provided 30,000 people from disadvantaged groups with work opportunities.

Media Report Shows that Ethics and Trust are Material to Investors

05.02.2012 - 11:59AM

Eurosif announces the launch of the Eurosif Media Sector Report 2012. The report, based on research by Ethix SRI Advisors, describes the key environmental, social and governance issues facing the sector and their importance in investment decisions. These include trust and freedom of expression issues as well as privacy and intellectual property, environmental and content diversity issues.

Executive Director of Eurosif, François Passant notes that “ Investors are aware that the media sector faces specific risks particularly relating to trust and ethics which can have very significant financial impacts, as seen in the UK’s phone hacking case. In our report we recommend that publishers are more transparent about the reliability of their sources, adhere to accepted ethical standards and distinguish more clearly, fact and opinion. By enhancing trust, publications grow their audience and advertising revenue, which appeals to investors.” Alma Media, a new case-study in the report, is experimenting with several imaginative techniques to build trust with its readers.

Ulrika Hasselgren, CEO Ethix SRI Advisors, said: “The media sector is going through huge changes driven by new technologies, the convergence of the media sector with the technology and communications sectors, and the need for companies to radically transform their business models as growing number of consumers expect to access content anywhere anytime, without charge. What this means is that companies need to be acutely aware that their business risk profile may be changing dramatically: software companies may be sued for breaches of copyright law, telecommunications companies may find that their overall footprint increases as they partner with traditional print media companies, all companies will be under pressure to properly manage personal data and information”.

Dr Rory Sullivan, Strategic advisor Ethix SRI Advisors commented: “From an investment perspective, it is very difficult to assess the investment implications of ESG issues at a sectoral level. Instead analysts will need to analyse these issues at the individual company level and frequently at the level of individual business lines. Moreover, this analysis is not static; the rate of change in the sector means that, now more than ever, investors need to look forward and try and understand how the company and the sector as a whole are changing”.

Notes to Editors

1. The Eurosif Media Sector Report is the fifteenth in a series of sector reports http://www.eurosif.org/research/sector-reports . The report was researched by Ethix SRI Advisors and compiled by Eurosif.

2. Ethix SRI Advisors advises leading large institutional investors around Europe in the area of responsible investment including policy development, portfolio monitoring, engagement and communication www.ethix.se.

3. Eurosif (the European Sustainable Investment Forum) is a not-for-profit, think tank whose mission is to develop sustainability in European financial markets. Eurosif’s Board of Directors is drawn from the national Sustainable Investment Forums (“SIF”s) of France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Belgium. These SIFs assist Eurosif to represent their national members, in addition to Eurosif’s member affiliates, at a European level. As a multi-stakeholder organisation, Eurosif speaks authoritatively and broadly on SRI issues. As a discussion platform for its member affiliates, Eurosif nurtures best SRI practices and the sharing of experience on the implementation of SRI policies. Eurosif’s Member Affiliates include institutional investors, academic institutes, trade unions and NGOs. The association is a not-for-profit entity that represents assets totalling over €1 trillion through its Member Affiliates. A biography of François Passant, Executive Director of Eurosif is available here.

Eurosif Procurement Report 2012

05.02.2012 - 11:56AM

Eurosif Media Sector Report

05.02.2012 - 11:56AM

Smarter Sustainability Reporting

04.27.2012 - 09:07AM

The Smarter Sustainability Reporting Conference is taking place on May 15, 2012 at 76 Portland Place, London, UK. CSRwire members can receive 15% off when quoting CSR15 at the time of registration.

Smarter Sustainability Reporting is global event which illustrates strategies for companies to improve upon the development, quality and communication of their sustainability report. Speaking organisations include Wyndham Worldwide, Novo Nordisk, DuPont, Coca-Cola Enterprises, GRI, IIRC and more.

Food Authenticity Encouraging Sustainable Supply Chains

04.27.2012 - 08:40AM

Food authentication techniques are gaining popularity, partly because of growing concerns about fraud involving organic and sustainable foods. Organic Monitor (www.organicmonitor.com) finds this development is encouraging sustainability by providing greater traceability across the supply chain.

The market for organic and eco-labelled foods has grown from almost nothing to over USD 60 billion within 20 years. High market growth rates and the premium associated with sustainable foods have attracted unscrupulous businesses looking to profit from ethical consumerism. Indeed, the number of fraudulent incidents involving food products has mushroomed in recent years. Last month, an American broker was jailed for 2 years for passing off conventional corn as organic. Since February 2011, the USDA has reported 12 incidents of fake organic certificates; the origins of these fake certificates - Asia, Africa, Middle-East, Caribbean and Europe - demonstrate how international food fraud has become.

Since organic products have audit trails and traceable certificates, incidents of fraud are relatively low compared to conventional food products. The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) of the UK estimates that fraud could be affecting up to 10% of all foods bought by consumers. At the upcoming Sustainable Foods Summit (www.sustainablefoodssummit.com), the agency will highlight the analytical tools available to combat the various forms of food fraud: counterfeiting, mislabeling, species substitution, geographic origins, concealment, adulteration, etc. Case studies will be given on how to authenticate food products - such as olive oil, wine, seafood, rice, honey and meats - in terms of their geographic origins and production methods.

The growing prominence of food authenticity is making analytical techniques, such as mass spectrometry and chromatography, crossover from chemical labs to quality assurance departments at food companies. Such techniques can detect pesticide residues and toxins in foods. New technologies are emerging like DNA fingerprinting and isotope analysis that can authenticate food products by their chemical compositions. Such technologies can detect genetically modified organisms, adulteration and verify seafood and meat species. Isotope analysis can trace meat products to within 5 miles of where the livestock was raised, and state whether the animals were reared free-range or in cages. Food products with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) can also be verified.

To maintain the integrity of sustainable foods, some certification agencies are using a combination of analytical techniques and new technologies. Ecocert is monitoring its supply chains for organic and fair trade products by using fingerprinting methods, mass spectrometry and Earth Observation techniques. The latter involves satellites taking ‘spectral images’ of agricultural fields to monitor agro-chemical usage. The Italian certification agency ICEA is using social networks to augment analytical methods, whilst others are forming strategic alliances to track organic certificates via online databases.

As will be shown at the Sustainable Foods Summit, food authentication techniques are also promoting sustainability. By providing traceability to food manufacturers and retailers, they are encouraging production of organic and eco-labelled products. By reducing incidents of food fraud, consumer trust in sustainable foods is strengthened. They can also encourage shorter and tighter supply chains, removing unnecessary intermediaries. A major challenge however, is the separation and integration of supply chains in an increasingly global food industry.

Food authenticity is a focal theme of the upcoming Sustainable Foods Summit, taking place in Amsterdam on 7-8th June. The summit will cover the range of analytical techniques and technologies to authenticate food products. FERA UK, Ecocert, ICEA, as well as leading sustainable food companies will be participating.

About the Sustainable Foods Summit

Organised by Organic Monitor, the aim of the Sustainable Foods Summit is to explore new horizons for eco-labels and sustainability in the food industry by discussing key industry issues in a high level forum. The sixth edition of this international series of summits will take place in Amsterdam on 7-8th June 2012. More information is available from www.sustainablefoodssummit.com

About Organic Monitor

Organic Monitor is a specialist research, consulting & training company that focuses on the global organic & related product industries. We have been tracking the global organic products industry since 2001. Our business services include market research publications, business & technical consulting, seminars & workshops, and sustainability summits. Visit us at www.organicmonitor.com

The MasterCard Foundation and EARTH University Partner to Create $19.5 Million Scholarship Program

04.26.2012 - 11:30AM

The MasterCard Foundation and EARTH University announced today a seven-year, USD 19.5 million partnership to provide educational opportunities to young people from disadvantaged communities in Africa, Latin America and The Caribbean. The partnership will offer comprehensive scholarships to 120 students at EARTH University - an international, non-profit university in Costa Rica with an innovative four-year program in sustainable agriculture, natural resource management and community development.

“This scholarship program offers young people the opportunity to be part of EARTH’s extraordinary learning environment,” said Reeta Roy, President and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation. “They will become leaders who will make significant contributions to agricultural and economic initiatives in their countries.”

The MasterCard Foundation Scholars will be engaged in a culture of philanthropy and volunteerism, encouraging them to transition from being beneficiaries to benefactors and active contributors in their communities. The program also integrates complementary supports such as mentoring, career counseling, service learning opportunities and internships. Following successful completion of EARTH University’s four-year program, the Scholars will return to their countries to be part of a cohort of new leaders committed to transforming the agricultural sector and contributing to sustainable livelihoods. The partnership is part of The MasterCard Foundation’s Youth Learning Program, which works with institutions like EARTH University to enable young people in developing countries – particularly Sub-Saharan Africa – to make successful transitions to the workforce and actively engage with their communities.

“Since our inception we have been committed to giving educational opportunities to young people who want to make a difference, but lack the financial resources for a higher education. To this end, 60 percent of our students receive full scholarships. We could not achieve this, particularly given the tough global economic conditions, without committed partners like The MasterCard Foundation, and hope the alliance inspires others to join our effort to change the world through education,” remarked EARTH University President, José Zaglul.

EARTH Alumni Contributing to Development Process in Africa

EARTH University has 19 alumni from Africa promoting sustainable agriculture, economic development and entrepreneurship in their home countries.

One alumnus, Kalema Andrew Joseph, returned to his native Uganda in 2004 after graduating from EARTH. He began working with a program called Export Promotion of Organic Products from Africa (EPOPA) as an assistant project leader, developing internal control systems for organic certification and conducting baseline and impact surveys of projects. When the program ended in 2008, Kalema began working with the Louis Bolk Institute and now directs their East African office. He organizes producers into groups, then associations and then links them to local and international markets. He helps farmers build capacity, improve management practices and increase productivity, and links them to financing institutions. In the last seven years, he has worked with five producer associations (each comprised of approximately 650 farmers) that have all managed to export products.

Kalema is also an independent consultant. In 2009, he designed and implemented a successful pilot project, funded by the Progreso Program, to promote the production of bioferments, bokashi, micro-organisms and organic fertilizers among two coffee producing associations and one cocoa association in Uganda.

Since 2005, Kalema has managed his own 5.5 hectare farm where he is growing sustainable pineapple and passion fruit sold locally.

Says Kalema about his experience at EARTH, “EARTH is a one-stop university where you can get innovative ideas for social change. My education at EARTH has enabled me to be successful in Uganda, to be very proactive and hands-on in promoting agricultural development.”

Visit www.earth.ac.cr/study-at-earth/mastercardfdn for profiles of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars, student blogs, information about the partnership, and to get involved with EARTH.

About The MasterCard Foundation

The MasterCard Foundation advances microfinance and youth learning to promote financial inclusion and prosperity. Through collaboration with committed partners in 48 countries, The MasterCard Foundation is helping people living in poverty to access opportunities to learn and prosper. An independent, private Foundation based in Toronto, Canada, the Foundation was established through the generosity of MasterCard Worldwide at the time of the company’s initial public offering in 2006. For more information, visit www.mastercardfdn.org.

About EARTH University

Since 1990, EARTH University’s innovative educational approach has been preparing young people from Latin America, the Caribbean and other regions, including Africa and Asia, to contribute to the sustainable development of their countries and construct a prosperous and just society. EARTH offers a rigorous four-year undergraduate program in agricultural sciences and natural resources management and a prestigious, international faculty, providing a world-class education that emphasizes science and technology, values, ethical entrepreneurship and environmental and social commitment. Students graduate from EARTH with a licenciatura degree in the Agricultural Sciences, which is between a bachelor’s and a master’s degree of science. For more information, visit www.earth.ac.cr.

Business Excellence through Sustainable Trust: CSRwire Joins BEST! and Issues Call For Nominations

04.26.2012 - 08:00AM

CSRwire, the most trusted source for corporate social responsibility and sustainability news, views and trends, today announced its participation as a founding member of BEST! Business Excellence through Sustainable Trust.

BEST! is a collaborative media program guaranteeing media coverage for trustworthy companies.

“We are living through a crisis of trust in organizations and many of today’s news channels are stuck on one channel . . . what is wrong in corporate America. BEST! – a collaborative media-based program showcasing best practices in building and maintaining trust ‑ will draw public attention to what is right –– with the goal of restoring trust in business, and combating the often misplaced perception of systemic corporate greed," says Barbara Kimmel, Executive Director of Trust Across America, and coordinator of the BEST! Program.

BEST! is a “by invitation” program that leverages a voluntary fraternity of well-respected media organizations to collaboratively disseminate articles about corporate leadership, innovation and success ‑ to a guaranteed audience. We want to showcase role models for other companies to emulate.

The founding members of BEST! reach an audience of millions through their websites, media outreach and social networking. Companies selected to participate as BEST! members will be guaranteed coverage to this wide audience. Additional media are expected to join as the program expands in scope and awareness.

"We are thrilled to be a founding member of BEST! CSRwire's mission aligns well with Trust Across America's objective in promoting and scaling trustworthy businesses. We look forward to working with our BEST! partners in celebrating leadership and innovation that upholds ethical decision making and trustworthy business," says Aman Singh, Editorial Director, CSRwire.

Founder members of BEST! include:

Accountability-Central
CSRwire
Ethical Markets Media
Forbes.com
Good-B
Marketwire
Trust Across America
Trusted Advsior Associates
Triple Pundit
Voice America Radio

For more information, please visit Trust Across America.

To schedule an interview with Barbara Kimmel, please call (908) 879-6625 or email barbara@trustacrossamerica.com.

Discussion Paper: Objection Handling Tactics for the Sustainability Professional

04.25.2012 - 08:00AM

"We can’t afford it right now."

"We don’t see a business case."

"It’s not one of our current strategic objectives."

"There aren’t the resources to devote to such initiatives."

How many sustainability professionals have faced objections like these when trying to move a sustainability initiative forward?

One hundred and twenty sustainability champions gathered at the offices of Bennett Jones LLP in Toronto, Ontario, on February 16, 2012, to participate in an Objection Handling Workshop for Sustainability Professionals conducted by Bob Willard, author of The Sustainability Advantage – and the updated The New Sustainability Advantage.

Today, Toronto Sustainability Speaker Series releases its much anticipated TSSS Objection Handling Discussion Paper, which presents both general and specific strategies to assist sustainability professionals in addressing and overcoming any objections they encounter.

Winning over Sustainability Skeptics

Are you unsure of whether sustainability truly has the potential to positively impact the bottom line? Do you have a colleague or a friend who just doesn’t understand the business case for sustainability? This paper is perfect for sustainability skeptics who will find compelling responses to their concerns along with concrete examples from experienced practitioners in the field.

Implementing Sustainability

For sustainability advocates, this paper will offer you critical objection handling tactics and empower you with specific strategies to sway any remaining skeptics. The paper not only outlines how to ‘win over’ objectors, but also details how to effectively present and implement sustainability initiatives through an understanding of people’s psychological mindsets and the principles of organizational change. You will find critical insights from a wide range of business professionals and key pieces of actionable advice from Willard.

Download your free copy today!

Shop Your Values Week to Host "Bard MBA in Sustainability Scholarship Competition" for up to $20,000

04.24.2012 - 06:00AM

Shop Your Values Week announced today that it will host a “Shop Your Values Week Bard MBA in Sustainability Scholarship” competition from April 19th,2012 – June 15th, 2012. The competition will be held on Shop Your Values Week’s website located at http://syvw.us/bardmba. The winner of the competition will receive a scholarship for up to $20,000 towards tuition for Bard College’s, low-residency MBA in Sustainability, based in NYC.

“We believe business can have a hugely positive influence on our communities and the environment,” said Jeff Hittner, Co-founder and CEO of ethikus. “The Bard MBA in Sustainability helps to accelerate this movement from ‘business as usual’ to ‘business for good’ and being able to offer a scholarship in support of it, fits squarely within Shop Your Values Week’s goals for positive social change.”

The Shop Your Values Week Bard MBA in Sustainability Scholarship is based on academic merit and the candidate’s ability to live their values in all spheres of their life. The scholarship award starts at $1,000 and will be increased by $25, up to a maximum value of $20,000 for the two-year program1, for every person that shares on Facebook or tweets “I just added $25 to the Bard MBA in Sustainability Scholarship for #SYVW! http://syvw.us/bardmba” on Twitter

In order to be considered for the scholarship, candidates must submit the following:

Upload a 2-3 minute video to the Shop Your Values Week Facebook page focused on this question: How will you ACT ON your values during and after your Bard MBA experience? (on or before June 15th. 2012)
Bard MBA application form and materials, completed by June 15th, 2012.

Scholarship finalists will include those who are accepted into the MBA program for Fall 2012, and who submit their video. The scholarship will be awarded to a candidate from this pool by a selection committee including representatives from the Bard MBA and Shop Your Values Week.

For more information regarding the Shop Your Values Week $20,000 Bard MBA in Sustainability Scholarship please visit: http://shopyourvaluesweek.com/scholarship

1 To be awarded in equal amounts each year, eg, $10,000 in the first year of study, and $10,000 in the second year, for a student enrolled full-time in the program.

About the Bard MBA in Sustainability
The Bard MBA is one of a handful of programs around the world that focus on the business case for sustainability, integrating economic, environmental, and social objectives to create successful businesses that build a more sustainable world. The low-residency program, based in New York City, is structured around monthly weekend intensives. Classes take place over four days, beginning Friday morning and ending Monday afternoon. Students also attend online classes Tuesday and Thursday evenings during the semester. The program provides a rigorous education in core business principles, as well as sustainable business practices, with a focus throughout on economics, environment, and social equity. Graduates of the Bard MBA program will transform existing companies, start their own, and pioneer new ways of doing business that will meet human needs while protecting and restoring the earth’s natural systems.

About Shop Your Values Week
Shop Your Values Week is a city-wide event created by a collaboration of local non-profits, community organizers, small business groups and business improvement districts brought together by the silicon-alley startup ethikus, which connects people with ethical and sustainable businesses across New York City. The ultimate mission for Shop Your Values Week is to create support for ethical, local, and sustainable economies in NYC.

Business Civic Leadership Center and Green Plus Launch Environmental Help Desk for Small Businesses & Local Chambers

04.23.2012 - 05:35PM

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) and the Institute for Sustainable Development’s Green Plus™ program today announced the creation of an online help desk to assist U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises with environmental business issues. The Environmental Help Desk for Business, launched to coincide with Earth Day 2012, will provide clear, accessible advice on green supply chain requirements, green business certifications, and environmental innovations that can reduce both cost and environmental impact.

“Entrepreneurs, business development experts, and small business owners are becoming more and more engaged in “green” business opportunities, processes, tools and techniques,” said Stephen Jordan, founder and executive director of BCLC. “This is why BCLC is proud to team up with the Institute for Sustainable Development to create the BCLC Environmental Help Desk to research and answer these questions.”

The Institute for Sustainable Development’s Green Plus™ staff will manage the Environmental Help Desk for Business, with support from business, environmental, and policy graduate students from Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and other universities in the Green Plus™ network. Additionally, a variety of experts will offer insights about cutting-edge innovations and green supply chain trends.

“The Environmental Help Desk partnership with BCLC is a great way to extend our mission of making sustainable business best practices available to America’s small business community,” said Chris Carmody, executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Development and the Green Plus™ program. “Being green and sustainable is no longer only a cost-reduction tactic for small business – it’s also the price of admission to competing for business from the world’s largest companies.”

Since 2007, the U.S. Chamber BCLC has managed the Office Depot Foundation-sponsored National Disaster Help Desk for Business. This service has fielded more than 18,000 inquiries from across the nation and has directly served nearly 8,000 small businesses and chambers of commerce by connecting callers with simple and fast information. The success of this original help desk paved the way for the Environmental Help Desk for Business.

The Environmental Help Desk can be reached by phone: (919) 886-4228, on Twitter, and through Facebook. Visit the Help Desk online for more information.

About The Institute for Sustainabe Development and Green Plus™

The Institute for Sustainable Development / Green Plus™ is a 501(c)3 non-profit partnership of business and universities in North Carolina’s Research Triangle. The Institute is dedicated to democratizing sustainability, helping small businesses and their communities understand and use best practices in business and environmental management, as well as excellent employee and community engagement. Through its Green Plus program, the Institute provides open source sustainability expertise throughout the U.S., and serves business in the Green Plus™ Certification program in fifteen states. For more information on the Institute, please see www.gogreenplus.org.

About BCLC

BCLC is the U.S. Chamber’s resource and voice for businesses’ social and philanthropic interests. Its mission is to advance the positive role of business in society. Visit http://bclc.uschamber.com.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

Webinar: Making the most of CDP

04.23.2012 - 02:36PM

Investor survey, many companies are already beginning to get their submissions ready. But what’s the real benefit of a CDP submission and how do smart companies get the most value from it?

Corporate Citizenship, a CDP Consultancy Partner in the UK and a 2012 Accredited Provider, is offering a free webinar to provide insights into the CDP reporting process.

Megan DeYoung, Director, US Office and Yohan Hill, Senior Consultant will leverage their experience advising companies on environmental reporting, assurance and corporate responsibility index submissions to discuss the following topics:

How to maximize the value of your CDP submission.
Internal benefits of CDP reporting.
Tips to creating an effective CDP response.

The free webinar will be offered two times on Thursday, April 26th 2012:

First offering at 9:00 AM EDT / 2:00 PM BST.
Registration: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/786121761

Second offering at 12:00 PM EDT / 5:00 PM BST.
Registration: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/130413784

About Corporate Citizenship

Corporate Citizenship is a full service corporate responsibility management consulting company, with offices in the US and the UK. Since 1997, we have advised leading, multinational corporations on how to enhance and align their citizenship and traditional business activities to create strategic business value. Our clients are international and domestic companies from many industries including Unilever, Abbott, HSBC, Verizon, National Grid, State Street, and Diageo.

GOJO Sustainability Report

04.23.2012 - 01:03PM

Business Must Grasp Opportunities Of Delivering Global Growth With Managing Scarce Food, Water And Energy Resources

04.23.2012 - 11:02AM

The international business and finance community must take the lead in solving increasing food, energy and water scarcity as population growth and economic development puts greater strains on the planet’s resources.

The call to action was issued today by Re|Source 2012, a new initiative created by the University of Oxford, its Smith School of Enterprise and Environment and The Rothschild Foundation to tackle resource scarcity and highlight the business opportunities of sustainable management.

Sir David King, co-director of Re|Source and former chief scientific adviser to the UK government, said: “The growing demand for food, energy and water by our growing and increasingly wealthy population is creating unprecedented pressures on our finite natural resources.

“The associated risks represent major opportunities for innovative business communities. Managing resources efficiently and effectively in a way that protects the environment and meets rising demand is the only productive way forward.”

The need to better manage the challenges of resource scarcity is now rising rapidly up the agenda for governments, investors and businesses alike, as well as environmental leaders and organisations. It has become a critical security issue for corporate leaders trying to ensure a reliable supply of water and energy to manufacture products and for governments concerned about energy or food supplies.

The world is expected to grow from seven billion people today to nine billion by 2050 - to meet this growth it will need to produce 70 per cent more food – which will place consequential demands on water and energy. More than 40 of the world’s top 100 economies are companies. Only eight per cent of the world’s fresh water is used by individuals – the rest is used by agriculture and industry.

Sir David, director of the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment at Oxford University, continued:

“Managing issues arising from resource scarcity and management is one of the over-riding issues of the first half of the 21st century. It is not just a matter of empty threats and negativity.

“There are huge advantages and opportunities for business, finance and government in responsible resource management. Companies and investors can enjoy far greater returns and rewards by effective resource management.

“This can be a win-win for everyone if we can engage the financial, business and environmental communities together to tackle these issues.”

To help drive this change Re|Source is bringing together 250 of the world’s most influential thinkers and leaders at Oxford University in July to start a new conversation on managing natural resources, longer-term thinking and aligning people and profit.

They will address key questions including: how will resource scarcity and volatility affect political, business and military planning? How can the financial community change to encourage CEOs and investee companies to rise to these global resource challenges? And how will capitalism evolve in a resource constrained world?

Key speakers include:

President Bill Clinton, Founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States
Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, on the investment opportunities in tomorrow’s economies
David Nabarro, the UN’s Special Representative on Food Security and Nutrition
Peter Brabeck, Chairman of Nestle, the world’s largest food company, and Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of the Environment and Water Resource in Singapore, speaking on the business and political risks of water security
Jeremy Grantham, founder of GMO, one of the world’s largest investment funds, on commodity pricing and volatility and Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen on the economics of resource scarcity
Rt Hon David Miliband MP, former UK Foreign Secretary, on the role of government and Lord Browne of Madingley, former CEO of BP energy and now partner of Riverstone Holdings LLC, on private sector leadership
Plus senior military figures including Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti, Climate and Energy Security Envoy of the UK Ministry of Defence and FCO, and high-ranking officials from NATO (to be confirmed)
In addition, James Cameron, internationally acclaimed film director, environmentalist and explorer, will give a special presentation at a dinner at the Ashmolean Museum.

Notes to editors:

Re|Source 2012 is hosted by the University of Oxford and its Smith School of Enterprise and Environment, in co-operation with The Rothschild Foundation. It will take place on July 12-13. For more information please visit: www.resource2012.org and follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/resource2012

Journalist invites and accreditation details will be sent out closer to the event and you are invited to send requests for information to the media contacts below.

2011 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Report

04.23.2012 - 10:40AM

Spring of Sustainability

04.20.2012 - 06:50PM

What if you could get on the phone with a world-class leader in sustainability every day for three months? ... and had access to a free replay if you couldn't make the call in real time?

The Spring of Sustainability, lasting through June 22, 2012, is bringing renowned sustainability pioneers to the public in free daily phone/webcast interviews, featuring Q&A’s that allow callers to interact with leaders and luminaries directly.

For Earth Day, Spring of Sustainability is offering a two-hour live-stream webcast presentation from 11am-1pm Pacific on Saturday, April 21 (after registering for the program, you can view the event at www.swcoalition.org/programs/earthday). The event will feature performances with Earth-honoring messages, including members of the Thrive movie creative team, Gary Malkin and Neal Rogin, award-winning poet Drew Dellinger, and a "sonic invocation" by Mystic Alchemy.

The core of the event will be a short, breathtaking film, The Awakening Universe, which powerfully expresses the evolutionary context of the Earth.

Spring of Sustainability highlights for the period surrounding Earth Day:

• Friday, April 20 – eco-philosopher Joanna Macy (free replay available for short time)

• Monday, April 23 - former Sierra Club President Adam Werbach

• Tuesday, April 24 – Your Money or Your Life author Vicki Robin

• Wednesday, April 25 – Endangered Species Coalition President Brock Evans

• …and coming up in a few weeks – former Presidential adviser Van Jones (Wednesday, May 16)

The half-hour weekday interviews are webcast – and accessible by phone – live at noon Pacific. A replay window is available for 24 hours.

Registration for the Spring of Sustainability is free, as is access to all the teleseminars. Sign-up is available at https://shiftnetwork.infusionsoft.com/go/SoSAffiliate/csrwire/ . Downloads and transcripts of the entire series are available for purchase.

Major environmental organizations are also participating in this massive, unprecedented global initiative.

The Sustainability Consortium's Tools Used by Product Buyers

04.20.2012 - 02:31PM

During its annual Global Sustainability Milestone Meeting on April 18^th, Walmart announced that it is integrating the knowledge products produced by The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) into the retailer’s Sustainability Index and Live Better Scorecard. Walmart will use these tools to help its merchants evaluate suppliers and their products and collaborate to make the products on Walmart shelves more sustainable.

Walmart representatives expressed that they are particularly excited about integrating TSC’s Category Sustainability Profiles (CSPs) and corresponding Key Performance Indicators into their Sustainability Index this year. Both Walmart and Sam’s Club will be using these tools as a basis for ranking suppliers in a particular category according to their sustainability progress and to inform buyers about actionable opportunities for improvement.

Linda Hefner, EVP of Merchandising for Sam’s Club, says that using The Consortium’s CSPs can “further the collaboration with suppliers to make more progress…with some meaningful measure behind them.” .

A Category Sustainability Profile (CSP) is a summary of the best available, credible, and actionable knowledge about the sustainability aspects related to a product over its entire life cycle. CSPs are developed and managed by The Sustainability Consortium, which is currently finalizing the first 22 Category Sustainability Profiles for its members. This will help some of the world’s largest companies prioritize and focus their sustainability efforts on the most pressing issues in those product categories. Some of the categories include; beef, milk, plastic toys, computers, laundry detergent, televisions, toilet tissue, packaged cereal, copy paper, bread, surface cleaners, showering products, farmed salmon, printers, beer, and wine. TSC plans to release additional CSPs that cover a vast range of products to its members before the end of the year.

“(Walmart) is working to improve the sustainability of the products our customers love. Providing our merchants with simple tools to identify leaders and laggards, and giving them actionable recommendations for what they can do to drive improvements, will help us accelerate and deepen our impact on consumer goods sustainability,” says Andrea Thomas, Senior VP, Sustainability at Walmart.

Kevin Dooley, Academic Director at The Sustainability Consortium, comments, "I was very excited to see Walmart talking about the product sustainability scorecard in Walmart’s Global Milestone Meeting, as I know the hard work that researchers and stakeholders have done to convert vision to reality. We look forward to facilitating positive change in the product categories that we will cover by the end of 2012, and the products we will additionally cover in 2013 and beyond."

Walmart’s Global Sustainability Milestone Meeting can be viewed in its entirety at http://www.sustainabilityconsortium.org/walmartlive/.

About The Sustainability Consortium

The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) is an independent organization of diverse global participants that work collaboratively to build a scientific foundation that drives innovation to improve consumer product sustainability. TSC develops transparent methodologies, tools, and strategies to drive a new generation of products and supply networks that address environmental, social, and economic imperatives. The Sustainability Consortium advocates for a credible, scalable, and transparent process and system. The organization boasts over 75 members from all corners of business employing over 57 million people and whose combined revenues total over $1.5 Trillion. Arizona State University and the University of Arkansas jointly administer The Sustainability Consortium, with additional operations at Wageningen University in The Netherlands. Learn more at www.sustainabilityconsortium.org / Twitter: follow @TSC_news http://twitter.com/tsc_news

Building a sustainable RBS

04.18.2012 - 10:00AM

Ceres Conference 2012

04.17.2012 - 02:14PM

A weak economy, partisan politics and fragmented and unsettled environmental policies have created a wrongful perception that climate change and other sustainability threats are being ignored by the global marketplace.

In reality, companies and investors, from Akron to Asia, from Billings to Brazil are innovating to use fewer resources, utilizing cutting edge low-carbon technologies and adopting paradigm-changing business models that will build the sustainable global economy.

Over the course of two days, Ceres conference attendees will engage in a dynamic and interactive program that will examine some of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges, create a forum for sharing best practices and present groundbreaking solutions that will drive us toward a more sustainable economy.

Tim Hortons: A Quiet Sustainability Leader

04.17.2012 - 09:18AM

If you haven’t heard the Tim Hortons sustainability story you’re not alone – this is an organization that does things quietly. But don’t mistake quiet for ineffective; whether you’re talking about coffee, cups, community or culture – Tim Hortons is a true sustainability leader.

Attendees of this event will learn more about the Tim Hortons Coffee Partnership and…

Why eco-labels (especially for coffee) often don’t tell the whole story

Tim Horton’s supplier codes for coffee – driven by ethics and transparency

How investing in the Tim Horton’s Coffee Partnership led to other business benefits

How sustainability reporting drove change at Tim Hortons

And engage in an open discussion about, “Whose responsibility are all those cups?”

For more information or to register, please click here. This event is also available via FREE WEBCAST and offers a webcast/Twitter chat hosted by Aman Singh, Editorial Director of CSRwire.

Gulf Conference on Social Responsibility & ISO 26000

04.10.2012 - 08:55AM

Under the Patronage of His Excellency Dr. Rashid Ahmad bin Fahad Minister of Environment and Water, Chairman of ESMA,we are pleased to announce the Gulf Conference on Social Responsibility & ISO 26000.

Around the world, any organization's performance in relation to the wider society and environment it operates in has become a critical part of measuring its overall performance. Now more than ever, organizations, whether they are big multi-nationals, sector corporations, SMEs, non-governmental or government agencies, are subject to greater scrutiny by their various stakeholders.

ISO 26000, launched in November 2010, provides social responsibility guidance for all types of organizations. The seven principles of socially responsible behavior as outlined in the standard are: accountability, transparency, ethical behavior, respect for stakeholder interests, respect for the rule of law, respect for international norms of behavior, and respect for human rights.

As the world moves towards an age of radical transparency, organizations and stakeholders are becoming increasingly aware of the need for socially and environmentally responsible behavior. ISO 26000 is thus a timely and relevant guide to help organizations understand what social responsibility is and what they need to do to operate in a socially responsible way.

In response to this, the Emirates Authority For Standardization & Metrology (ESMA), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Abu Dhabi University / AIM Events are pleased to provide you details of the forthcoming first Gulf Conference on Social Responsibility & ISO 26000.

Free Webinar: P&G Supplier Environmental Scorecard and YOU

04.09.2012 - 10:05AM

Take advantage of this opportunity to hear from those on the forefront of P&G’s global sustainability efforts. We’ll share what we’ve learned as a Company over the past few years developing an environmental supply chain scorecard. We’ll also show you how you can apply it to your own business.

In this webinar, you’ll see:

The lessons we’ve learned since launching our Scorecard
A live demo of the Scorecard in use
Ideas for reapplying the Scorecard to your own business—including how to use the publicly-available scorecard analysis tool

Speakers:

Dr. Peter White, Director of Global Sustainability, P&G
Larry Loftus, Director of Purchases Capability & Strategy, P&G

Date:

Wednesday April 18th, 9-10am EDT (3-4pm CEST)

Click here to register for this free Webinar: www.cvent.com/d/lcqpfp

For information on the results of P&G's Supply Chain Scorecard, view the recent press release here.

General Mills 2012 Global Responsibility Report

04.03.2012 - 11:59PM

The Evolving Metrics for Corporate Sustainability: Beyond Water, Waste and Energy

03.13.2012 - 09:35AM

Passion isn’t enough to create a more sustainable world. The metrics of corporate sustainability must change. We need to better define sustainability in a holistic way that goes well beyond simply reducing waste, water and energy.The goal of corporate sustainability must be broadened to include improvements in labour practices, reductions in supply chain toxicity, protection of biodiversity and innovation that leads to cradle to cradle solutions.

During the event attendees will learn:

What the future holds for the way that companies measure and report their sustainability performance
How to instantly understand and explain your sustainability performance
Why you are improving or falling behind on your environmental, social or economic performance
How truly transparent reporting will transform entire sectors
Concrete techniques to define and apply a SDI (Sustainable Development Index) using a specific case study example

For more information or to register please click here. This event is also available via live FREE WEBCAST and offers a webcast/twitter chat hosted by Aman Singh, Editorial Director of CSRwire.

SustaiNext Summit (EU): Universal Sustainability - Engaging Business & Education Towards a Sustainable Future

02.28.2012 - 02:52PM

Global Challenges, Local Solutions: A Summit at DCU: Dublin, Ireland HELIX JUNE 21 and 22, 2012

Showcasing best practices for the green economy

Spaces are Limited - Register Today

Dublin City University, Ireland’s University of Enterprise and the Sustainability Collaborative SustaiNext LLC, the leading sustainability collaborative in the United States, present a not-to-be missed Summit on Universal Sustainability that will address the greatest challenges for businesses and society in the 21st century.

It will explore:

Creating, Operating and Improving Sustainable Business Practices within business and healthcare
Business Agriculture and Food Organizations - The Mobility and Transportation sectors
Sustainable Education in the Third Level -Global 21st Century Society

The Summit is designed to be a stimulating, interactive, productive, and enjoyable experience, where those interested in sustainability, from a number of diverse perspectives can share their ideas and experiences in the field.

Admission: Business Delegates - €450

Academic/NGO/Government - €150

Students - €50

For more information or to register, please visit www.sustainext.wordpress.com. For questions about this event, please contact Sustainext2012@dcu.ie

Fireside Chat: Canadian Corporate Leaders to share culture building strategies in the green economy

02.10.2012 - 06:40PM

A strong business plan is vital, but it is only when you capture the hearts and minds of your employees and customers that you unleash a whole new world of opportunity. Join us for a fireside chat with two highly respected Canadian entrepreneurs who have seized upon a special mix of culture and entrepreneurship to propel their companies forward in the green economy.

During the discussion you will learn:

The value of communicating a clear vision throughout your organization
Specific examples of culture building strategies
How triple bottom line thinking drives profitable decision making
The importance of partnerships in building a successful brand
How building shared values is the ultimate competitive advantage in the Green Economy

To learn more Click Here

More about TSSS

TSSS is a live an online community that promotes dialogue and problem solving among sustainability thought leaders. Our events occur 8 times each year and act not only as a learning opportunity but also as a networking forum for individuals to come together as allies and partners in efforts to promote sustainable business practices. To Learn More Click Here

Sustainable Cosmetics Summit

02.09.2012 - 08:26AM

Sustainable Cosmetics Summit - Change the face of the beauty industry by sustainable development!

For the third successive year, Organic Monitor is hosting the North American edition of its Sustainable Cosmetics Summit in New York City. Taking place at the Intercontinental New York Barclay on 17-19 May 2012, focal themes of this seventh edition are green formulations and sustainable packaging.The major technical issues of formulating green cosmetics (natural & organic) are covered in a dedicated session and interactive workshop.With the use of case studies, the gamut of sustainable packaging options is reviewed. As in previous editions, case studies will be given of cosmetic & ingredient companies at the cutting edge of sustainable development.

Organized by Organic Monitor, the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit is a series of international summits that focuses on the leading issues the beauty industry faces concerning sustainability, natural, organic, fair trade and ecological products. The aim of the summit is to encourage sustainability in the beauty industry by bringing together key stake-holders and debate these major issues in a high-level forum.

More info on: www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com

Sustainable Venture Development Conference

01.13.2012 - 11:43AM

The Sustainable Venture Development Conference is a one-day event bringing together low-carbon industry leaders, investors and stakeholders to focus on identifying, building and growing sustainable low carbon businesses.

The conference will provide delegates with an unrivalled template and toolkit for the development of new ventures in the low carbon sector. Drawing on Sustainable Ventures’ proprietary methodology, the event will provide essential and in-depth analysis of the origination, delivery and early management phases of a new low carbon business.

Speakers include regulatory experts, investment professionals, coal-face case studies and providers of essential support services. The event includes evening drinks and an awards ceremony, highlighting the country’s leading low carbon entrepreneurs and corporate venturing teams.

We are pleased to offer CSRwire members a 15% discount on delegate passes. Early bird tickets are available until February 10. For more information about the event or to book tickets, please visit: www.svdconf.co.uk. Promotional code: CSR15.

Sustainable Foods Summit

12.09.2011 - 12:48PM

The food industry is under growing pressure to reduce its environmental and social impacts, however what practical methods are successful and what role do eco-labels play? How can sustainable ingredients contribute to the ecological / social footprint? What are the gamut of sustainable packaging options available to food and beverage companies? What are the best-practices in the industry? The next edition of the Sustainable Foods Summit aims to address such issues in a high-level forum.

The fifth edition of the Sustainable Foods Summit will take place in San Francisco on 17-18th January 2012. Major topics on the summit agenda include sustainable proteins, food security, sourcing local, raw foodism, ethical finance, ecological packaging, sustainability metrics, marketing best-practices and consumer insights.

More details here.

Objection Handling Workshop for Sustainability Professionals

12.06.2011 - 07:18PM

Are you able to drive your sustainability ideas forward in your organization or are you encountering resistance?

Are you achieving the best possible outcome at your meetings?

Do you ever wonder if you could have achieved a better result and why your ideas weren’t resonating with your colleagues?

Suppose you find yourself on an elevator with a senior executive and courageously decide that this is your opportunity to convince him/her to integrate sustainability into his/her core business strategies.

How would you open the conversation?
When he/she throws objections at you, how will you respond?
What’s your value proposition?

If you've struggled with any of these questions or you just want to sharpen your skills, then you don't want to miss our Objection Handling Workshop taught by international sustainability expert and author Bob Willard.

To learn more Click Here

More about TSSS

To Learn More Click Here

Carbon Farming Course: Workshops in Regenerative Agriculture

11.29.2011 - 05:52PM

Carbon Farming: Workshops in Regenerative Agriculture

Carbon Farming combines cutting-edge agricultural practices with the tools of ecological design to build healthy soil and profitable farms. The Carbon Farming Course is hosted by the Stone Barns Center in Tarrytown, NY and the Treefold Educational Center in Chestnut Ridge, NY, home of the Pfeiffer Center for Biodynamic Agriculture.

Don't miss these incredible workshops:

Joel Salatin, Polyface Farms, Local Food Systems: The Polyface Farm strategy for economic abundance.
Wes Jackson, The Land Institute, Perennial Agriculture: Mimic ecosystems for resilience and risk-management.
Dave Jacke: Edible Forest Gardens, Perennial Agriculture: Low-maintenance food forests for farm & forest.
Eric Toensmeier: Perennial Vegetables, Tree crops & Agroforestry: Perennial systems to multiply your yields.
Elaine Ingham: Rodale Institute & Soil Foodweb, Inc. Living Soils: Learn to use the Soil Foodweb to activate soil biology and increase fertility.
Darren Doherty: Regen Ag (Joining us from Australia!) Keyline Farming: Whole farm permaculture planning and rapid soil development.
Ann Adams: Holistic Management International, Essential tools for on-the-farm decision-making, holistic goal creation, and profitable farming.

Follow Carbon Farming on Facebook and Twitter.

Group discounts up to 50% contact Ethan or Jeanne below for details.

Third Party Assurance of Sustainability Reports

11.27.2011 - 05:01PM

As more publicly traded companies issue Sustainability or Corporate Social Responsibility reports, stakeholder pressure for third party report verification will grow. The webinar will focus on:

Primary drivers for doing verification/assurance
Levels of assurance
Assurance standards
Discussion of methods used by third parties to conduct assurance activities
What approaches companies have found to be more and less effective
Cost versus value considerations

Featuring presentations by:

Lisa S. Barnes, Technical Director, Climate Change Services, Bureau Veritas North America Inc.
Lex de Bruijn, Director, FIRA

Dec. 6, 2011, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (ET) - Register today!

Cost: Members, $79, Non-members, $99

The 2011 Net Impact Conference

10.26.2011 - 08:18AM

Good works. When profits align with the interests of society and the planet, everyone benefits. But the journey isn’t always easy. In fact, it often takes us in surprising directions.

The 2011 Net Impact Conference will spotlight the many unexpected places people find where good works. This year, 2,600 changemakers will convene in the sustainability-oriented community of Portland, Oregon for eye-opening keynotes and sessions, powerful dialogue, and new professional connections. At the end of the weekend, attendees will leave ready to leverage their business skills and careers to tackle the world’s biggest problems.

Join us October 27th-29th for the largest and most inspirational event for students and professionals who are changing the world through business. Learn more at www.netimpact.org/conference.

Sustainability: Walking the Walk

10.14.2011 - 04:37PM

Joe Sibilia, Chief Executive Officer, CSRwire, founder and chief executive officer, Meadowbrook Lane Capital.
Rosalinda Sanquiche, Executive Director, Ethical Markets Media.
Aman Singh, corporate social responsibility journalist and communications strategist.

For the sustainability movement. To be truly sustainable, we must ensure that organizations walk the walk. Companies acting consistently with their talk should be rewarded with increased brand value. Those that diverge from their words must put their words into actions or change what they say.

Discover how to create an active environment of measuring words and deeds within your organization.
Examine the challenges in comparing words and deeds, and finding objective sources of deeds, such as the blogosphere, websites and quantitative information.
Learn techniques for performing those comparisons, including semantic mining and concept/ontology-driven information extraction.
Make the connection between sustainability and increased brand value.

Be Part of The Solution. Join the ESF Canada Today!

09.09.2011 - 04:06PM

Due to popular demand, we are pleased to announce that Intertek will be hosting a Canadian edition of the Ethical Sourcing Forum in Montreal, Quebec on November 9, 2011.

Join us along with leading Canadian and international brands, manufacturers and retailers as we focus on Impact 2.0 - sustainability's power to maximize business value. We will discuss innovations and leading practices in CSR, ethical sourcing and sustainable supply chain with sessions that will include the latest in research, best practices in shifting from a risk management to an industry collaboration model, and incorporating environmental considerations into your supply chain decision-making process.

When: November 9th, 8:30 - 5:00 pm

Where: Hilton Montreal Bonaventure

Fee: $450 Early Bird Corporate Pass ($550 Full Fee); $399 NGO/Academia Pass

Register Here

Can brands and marketing deliver a sustainable future?

09.05.2011 - 09:52AM

Guardian Sustainable Business has teamed up with Forum for the Future to bring you another event in New York. Join us from 6-9 on Wednesday October 12 for a stimulating evening of insight, intelligence and lively debate, exploring the growing role of brands as change agents and their potential to achieve transformation.

The evening is free to attend for sustainability professionals. If you are based in the US or planning to be there in October, we hope you'll join us.

Apply for your place here.

Jo Confino, executive editor of the Guardian and chair of Guardian Sustainable Business, will chair a lively panel debate and Q&A, with speakers including:

Jeffrey Hollender, co-founder Seventh Generation, sustainability author and activist
Sara Howe, sustainability director, Tata Global Beverages
Sally Uren, deputy chief executive, Forum for the Future
Ian Yolles, chief sustainability officer, Recyclebank

Following the panel session, we'll move into small discussion groups to share in-depth insights around key corporate sustainability challenges. After this you'll have the opportunity to network with peers over refreshments.

For full details of the event and to apply for a place click here.

Please note that places are limited and priority is given to professionals who drive their organisation's sustainability.

Sustainable Business: Responsibilities & Results

08.29.2011 - 01:38PM

Featuring Peter Senge, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Business has entered a new era of responsibility and accountability. In addition to producing solid financial results, business leaders are now responsible for managing their company’s environmental and social impacts, as well as addressing the expectations of stakeholders including legislators, investors, customers and employees.

By embracing these increased responsibilities, business leaders can foster their employees’ creativity and innovation – leading to resource and waste efficiencies, cost savings, new market opportunities, greater bottom-line results and a more sustainable future for the world.

Attendees will:

Discover a “systems approach” to sustainability that boosts creativity and innovation
Interact with business leaders who have increased bottom-line results by embracing sustainability best-practices
Learn how to gain competitive advantage in a more sustainability-driven business environment

If you are interested in how sustainability can add value to your organization, this is a must-attend event. www.duq.edu/beard-symposium

Sustainable Industries Economic Forum

08.22.2011 - 04:19PM

The Access Economy
Create | Scale | Engage

Create.
Alex Bogusky, who made history as a founding partner of the world's most awarded agency (Crispin Porter + Bogusky), and then turned heads with the launch of the FearLess Revolution, shares his inspiring story and introduces his new venture, Common, a collaborative community/brand for social entrepreneurs.

Scale.
Bonnie Nixon, who redefined supply chain ethics and stakeholder engagement as Director of Environmental Sustainability at HP, talks about scaling the Access Economy in the world's most impactful corporations from her new role as Executive Director of The Sustainability Consortium.

Engage.
BBMG unveils a new branding campaign and the lessons learned from a case study with the founders of Getaround, a fast-growing, San Francisco-based Access Economy starlet, winner of the 2010 BBMG Collective Prize presented by Sustainable Industries.

…Followed by interactive Q&A with the experts, and high-impact networking, all at the 2011 Sustainable Industries Economic Forum, held the morning of Oct. 20 at the St. Regis in San Francisco.

The Sustainable Industries Economic Forums are annual, high-profile business breakfasts that feature inspiring keynotes, interactive workshops and high-powered networking. Now in its 8th year, the event series has featured luminary speakers Cameron Sinclair, Paul Hawken, Ray Anderson, Arianna Huffington, Van Jones, governors, mayors, leading economists, and dozens of Sustainable Industries most innovative CEOs. Our mission is to re-inspire the inspired, connect sustainable business thought leaders, and help get business done.

Reserve your seat now before the room sells out!

NAEM's 2011 Annual EHS Management Forum

08.17.2011 - 10:43AM

Be inspired as 75+ leading companies share best practices that cover all aspects of EHS and Sustainability management at the EHS Management Forum.

With a program developed by leading environmental, health, safety and sustainability professionals, the Forum continues a tradition of offering content that is always timely and on-point.

Join more than 500 EHS and sustainability managers, directors and vice presidents in Tucson, Ariz. to benchmark your program and learn the latest skills and strategies.

The Forum features 24 sessions that cover:

Foundational EHS Excellence
Defining and Delivering Sustainability
Supply Chain Strategies
21st Century Leadership

GE 2010 Citizenship Report, "Sustainable Growth"

07.25.2011 - 08:48AM

CSR Asia Summit 2011

07.22.2011 - 10:38AM

The CSR Asia Summit is the annual flagship event of CSR Asia which aims to be the most innovative and thought-provoking gathering on corporate social responsibility in Asia. Themed "Asian Growth: Global Responsibility," the conference will bring together over 400 international delegates to discuss key CSR issues and strategies, and provide new insights for businesses, governments, CSR practitioners and NGOs.

Participants will understand the latest CSR issues, address challenges and opportunities, learn from leading sustainability practitioners, and acquire crucial tools and resources to build your sustainable business strategies in Asia.

For more details about CSR Asia and the Summit, please visit www.csr-asia.com/summit2011.

Bayer Sustainable Development Report 2010

07.14.2011 - 03:20PM

Delhaize Group Corporate Responsibility Progress Report

06.20.2011 - 08:58AM

CVS Caremark 2010 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

05.10.2011 - 03:46PM

Delivering Real Benefits - Anglo American Sustainable Development Report 2010

05.09.2011 - 08:13AM

Cascade Engineering Triple Bottom Line Report 2010

04.27.2011 - 02:26PM

Heineken Sustainability Report 2010

04.18.2011 - 08:51AM

Maersk Line 2010 Sustainability Progress Report

04.07.2011 - 03:00PM

General Mills 2011 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

03.24.2011 - 01:24PM

PwC Canada - Corporate Responsibility - Highlights 2010

02.16.2011 - 09:00AM

Bayer Sustainable Development Report 2009

08.30.2010 - 10:27AM

NovaGold Sustainability Report 2010

06.09.2010 - 04:19PM

CSR 2.0: The Responsibility Revolution Takes Off

04.22.2010 - 12:47PM

Novo Nordisk Annual Report 2009

02.05.2010 - 11:50AM

Live Positively: Our commitment to making a positive difference in the world.

11.11.2009 - 10:51AM

Transurban Sustainability Report 2009

11.09.2009 - 10:09AM

Ford’s 10th Annual Sustainability Report Details Progress on Blueprint for Sustainability

06.15.2009 - 02:16PM

GREEN CITIES How Urban Sustainability Efforts Can and Must Drive America’s Climate Change Policies

05.07.2009 - 12:00AM

Improving Outcomes

05.05.2009 - 12:00AM