Scientists Think Santa's Carbon Footprint Should Earn Him Some Coal in His Stocking

December 18, 2013, 3:06 pm

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In an interesting yet ‘bah humbug’ kind of study, a group of scientists at the University of Leeds' School of Earth & Environment got together and calculated that Santa's carbon footprint from delivering Christmas gifts to the UK alone could be as high as 9 tons per stocking — 25 permits more than the average Brit emits in a year.

As part of the University's work with Yorkshire-based sustainability charity the United Bank of Carbon (UBC), the academics set out to highlight the possible environmental damage caused not only by Santa's sleigh and eight reindeer but the manufacturing of the presents themselves.

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What Mandela's Life Story, Another Mixed-Bag UN Conference, & the GNP Critique Offer Your Business

December 18, 2013, 4:32 pm

≫ Next: Pantene's 'Be Strong and Shine' Message Empowering Some, Raising Feminists' Hackles

≪ Previous: Scientists Think Santa's Carbon Footprint Should Earn Him Some Coal in His Stocking

In eight earlier parts of this series, we discussed 18 pitfalls in the sustainable business metrics field. (Find the first 7 articles here and the last one here.)

Two recent events — the passing of Nelson Mandela and the COP talks in Warsaw — and the re-occurrence of a familiar critique about GNP accounting give us new insights on the place of metrics in making change, and potential lessons for sustainable business.

Claire Sommer

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Pantene's 'Be Strong and Shine' Message Empowering Some, Raising Feminists' Hackles

December 19, 2013, 10:59 am

≫ Next: How Your Brand Can Counter the Cynics this Christmas

≪ Previous: What Mandela's Life Story, Another Mixed-Bag UN Conference, & the GNP Critique Offer Your Business

A 60-second ad released by Pantene last month in the Philippines called Be Strong and Shine, which tackles the dichotomy of gender labels, has gone viral far beyond the island country, with more than 5.9 million views and thousands of comments to date from around the world, according to Pantene parent company Procter & Gamble.

The video exposes hidden gender double standards in the workplace — a prevalent theme, not just in Filipino culture, where the notion still exists that women should not be too assertive or strong-willed when it comes to getting what they want. But does the connection of the ad’s message to using Pantene products diminish its power?

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How Your Brand Can Counter the Cynics this Christmas

December 19, 2013, 11:58 am

≫ Next: Mosaic and Mark Ruffalo Make New Year's Resolution to 'Put Solar on It'

≪ Previous: Pantene's 'Be Strong and Shine' Message Empowering Some, Raising Feminists' Hackles

Cynicism about the social role of brands soars at Christmas. Back in the 1950s, singer-songwriter Tom Lehrer riffed on various carols:

Hark the Herald Tribune sings,
Advertising wondrous things.
God rest ye merry, merchants,
May you make the Yuletide pay.
Angels we have heard on high
Tell us to go out and buy!

Could brands add something to Christmas beyond gifts and greed? Cultural rituals are all about community: We share food, read stories or sing songs to reinforce shared understandings of our history and the values we share as a society. How can brands help people to get to the heart of the community spirit?

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Mosaic and Mark Ruffalo Make New Year's Resolution to 'Put Solar on It'

December 19, 2013, 12:46 pm

≫ Next: USAID, P&G, Coke Partnering to Boost Entrepreneurship in Philippine Recovery Effort

≪ Previous: How Your Brand Can Counter the Cynics this Christmas

Mosaic, the first U.S. company to crowdsource investments for solar projects, is kicking off 2014 with a New Year’s Resolution campaign to “Put Solar on It.” The campaign invites anyone to pledge to put solar on a local home, school, place of worship, business or other property on PutSolarOnIt.com. Throughout 2014, Mosaic says it will provide people with the tools and network they need to make their pledge a reality.

Oscar-nominated actor Mark Ruffalo is leading the campaign with his pledge to put solar on his children’s school, Stephen Gaynor Elementary, in Manhattan.

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USAID, P&G, Coke Partnering to Boost Entrepreneurship in Philippine Recovery Effort

December 19, 2013, 1:56 pm

≫ Next: Engaging Outraged Stakeholders: The Power of Engagement (Part 2 of 2)

≪ Previous: Mosaic and Mark Ruffalo Make New Year's Resolution to 'Put Solar on It'

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today it has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Coca-Cola to support the revival of economic activity and livelihoods in Leyte, the Philippine province most devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in early November.

Under these MOUs, USAID, P&G and Coca-Cola will help establish new sari-sari stores (small community stores) and rehabilitate damaged or destroyed sari-sari stores located in public markets. In addition, the organizations will facilitate store owners’ access to microfinancing loans and other interventions to help them get back on their feet.

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Engaging Outraged Stakeholders: The Power of Engagement (Part 2 of 2)

December 19, 2013, 2:47 pm

≫ Next: Kid President Continues to Spread His Infectious Brand of Cheer for the Holidays

≪ Previous: USAID, P&G, Coke Partnering to Boost Entrepreneurship in Philippine Recovery Effort

This is the second in a series of excerpts from Engaging Outraged Stakeholders: A How-To Guide for Uniting the Left, Right, Capitalists and Activists (Affinity Press, 2013), the new book from Future 500, co-written by CEO Bill Shireman, COO Erik Wohlgemuth and VP of Stakeholder Engagement Danna Pfahl. Last week, we posted the first part of Chapter Two: The Power of Engagement and learned two of six reasons to engage your activist stakeholders. Here, we continue with reason number three ....

Danna Pfahl

Erik Wohlgemuth

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Kid President Continues to Spread His Infectious Brand of Cheer for the Holidays

December 19, 2013, 3:50 pm

≫ Next: Lincoln Introducing Tree-Based Alternative to Fiberglass for Interior Parts in 2014 MKX

≪ Previous: Engaging Outraged Stakeholders: The Power of Engagement (Part 2 of 2)

Kid President, whose viral “pep talk” we loved so much we showed it onstage at SB ’13 in June, is back this holiday season with a pertinent question: What if we all gave a gift that made the world a little bit better?

The wise young sage, aka 10-year-old Robby Novak, is on a mission this holiday season to make sure we remember what’s important: The perfect gifts include those that spread love, save lives and make the world more awesome.

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Lincoln Introducing Tree-Based Alternative to Fiberglass for Interior Parts in 2014 MKX

December 19, 2013, 4:44 pm

≫ Next: 30 Leading CEOs and Companies Join ‘CEO Force for Good’ in 2013

≪ Previous: Kid President Continues to Spread His Infectious Brand of Cheer for the Holidays

While many Lincoln MKX drivers may be tying trees to the top of their vehicles this time of year, 2014 will see the MKX crossover with tree-based components inside the vehicle.

A three-year collaboration between The Lincoln Motor Company, timber giant Weyerhaeuser and auto parts supplier Johnson Controls has birthed a tree-based, renewable alternative to fiberglass for use in auto parts.

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30 Leading CEOs and Companies Join ‘CEO Force for Good’ in 2013

December 19, 2013, 11:40 pm

≫ Next: Monadnock Reduces Water Consumption by 55% in 15 Years

≪ Previous: Lincoln Introducing Tree-Based Alternative to Fiberglass for Interior Parts in 2014 MKX

Twenty-nine of the world’s leading CEOs and companies in 2013 joined CECP, a coalition of CEOs united in the belief that societal improvement is an essential measure of business performance, founded in 1999 by actor Paul Newman.

These CEOs and companies work with CECP to elevate their societal investment strategies and connect them to their core business, as they are a direct line to employee engagement, innovation, customers, new markets, stronger brands and sustainability, as well as mitigating risk and building trust. CECP convenes and supports CEOs, whose companies committed $14 billion last year to solving pressing community challenges.

In 2013, CECP welcomed the following 10 CEOs into its ranks:

· Sheri McCoy, Avon Products, Inc.

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Monadnock Reduces Water Consumption by 55% in 15 Years

December 19, 2013, 10:20 pm

≫ Next: Woody Harrelson Using Equity Crowdfunding to Scale Straw Paper Enterprise

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In the past 15 years, Monadnock Paper Mills has reduced its water consumption by 55 percent through the installation of water recycling equipment, utilizing valve restrictors and instituting other projects identified by the company’s water conservation team, according to the paper manufacturer’s first Sustainability Progress Report.

Monadnock says it has worked to exceed aggressive impact reduction goals for the last 40 years. The company tracks impact reductions in several areas, including electricity consumption, carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, water usage and solid waste, among others.

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Woody Harrelson Using Equity Crowdfunding to Scale Straw Paper Enterprise

December 20, 2013, 3:36 pm

≫ Next: Study: Little Progress for Hispanic Inclusion on Corporate Boards in Past 20 Years

≪ Previous: Monadnock Reduces Water Consumption by 55% in 15 Years

Last week, institutional crowdfunding marketplace Optimize Capital Markets released a call for accredited investors looking to profit by disrupting an environmentally destructive industry while solving a massive waste problem: Optimize’s client, Prairie Paper Ventures, co-founded by actor Woody Harrelson, makes paper from agricultural waste.

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Study: Little Progress for Hispanic Inclusion on Corporate Boards in Past 20 Years

December 22, 2013, 5:43 pm

≫ Next: U.S. Green Building Council Certifies 20,000th LEED Commercial Project

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Seventy percent, or nearly 350 of the Fortune 500 companies do not have a Hispanic member on their board, according to a new study by the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR).

The organization’s 2013 Corporate Governance Study (CGS) measures Hispanic inclusion in the C-Suite and boardrooms in Fortune 500 companies, revealing that there has been little progress for Hispanic inclusion on corporate boards over the last 20 years.

Some other key findings include:

· Latinas only hold 37 out of 5,511 board seats in the Fortune 500

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U.S. Green Building Council Certifies 20,000th LEED Commercial Project

December 22, 2013, 6:42 pm

≫ Next: EPA Releases Screening Data on 1,800 Chemicals, Announces ToxCast Data Challenges

≪ Previous: Study: Little Progress for Hispanic Inclusion on Corporate Boards in Past 20 Years

The Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) plant in Knoxville, Tenn., last week became the 20,000^th LEED certification for a commercial project issued by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

As the world’s most widely used and recognized green building rating system, LEED guides the design, construction and operation of 10.5 billion square feet of commercial and institutional space worldwide. By using less energy, LEED-certified spaces save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce carbon emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

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EPA Releases Screening Data on 1,800 Chemicals, Announces ToxCast Data Challenges

December 23, 2013, 12:28 pm

≫ Next: Sherwin-Williams, ConAgra, NL Industries Fined $1.1 Billion in 1990 Lead-Paint Poison Case

≪ Previous: U.S. Green Building Council Certifies 20,000th LEED Commercial Project

“EPA’s use of cost-effective advanced chemical screening techniques has transformed this country’s knowledge of the safety of almost 2,000 chemicals currently in use,” said Lek Kadeli, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “[This] release marks an important milestone in communicating and improving our understanding of the impact chemicals have on human health and the environment.

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Sherwin-Williams, ConAgra, NL Industries Fined $1.1 Billion in 1990 Lead-Paint Poison Case

December 23, 2013, 1:25 pm

≫ Next: Hershey Ups Palm Oil Sustainability Goals, But NGOs Push for More

≪ Previous: EPA Releases Screening Data on 1,800 Chemicals, Announces ToxCast Data Challenges

Sherwin-Williams, NL Industries and ConAgra Foods have been found liable for removing lead-based paint from the interiors of thousands of homes throughout California to the tune of $1.1 billion, thanks to a ruling by Santa Clara County Superior Court.

The San Jose Mercury News reported that Judge James Kleinberg awarded the funds to 10 California cities and counties that sued former and current paint companies for promoting the sale of lead-based paints before it was banned in 1978. Lead poisoning can result in kidney damage, hearing problems and other issues, while in children it can slow growth and cause behavioral and attention disorders.

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Hershey Ups Palm Oil Sustainability Goals, But NGOs Push for More

December 24, 2013, 12:06 pm

≫ Next: I'm Dreaming of a Toxin-Free Christmas

≪ Previous: Sherwin-Williams, ConAgra, NL Industries Fined $1.1 Billion in 1990 Lead-Paint Poison Case

In addition to achieving its commitment to source 100 percent mass-balanced RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil)-certified palm oil more than a year ahead of its original 2015 commitment, The Hershey Company announced last week it will also work with its suppliers to achieve 100 percent traceable and sustainably sourced palm oil by the end of 2014.

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I'm Dreaming of a Toxin-Free Christmas

December 23, 2013, 9:32 pm

≫ Next: 'Women Empowered' Highlights Role of Women in IT Innovation

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With the holidays fast approaching,many of us are scrambling to make last-minute purchases for friends and family. As items cross the check-out counter, products enter our lives carrying with them a chemical footprint that is often overlooked. While no overarching labeling scheme reveals the chemical makeup of most products, we can cheer some inspiring activity moving us toward toxin-free consumer products in the future. We may not see immediate changes in product chemistry this holiday season, but there is reason to hold onto hope for next year’s shopping list.

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'Women Empowered' Highlights Role of Women in IT Innovation

December 23, 2013, 10:24 pm

≫ Next: Stopping Global Deforestation: How to Turn Around a Giant (Part 1 of 2)

≪ Previous: I'm Dreaming of a Toxin-Free Christmas

This post is part of a series written by MBA and MPA candidates in Presidio Graduate School’s Managerial Marketing course, examining the role of marketing in advancing sustainability across all sectors.

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Stopping Global Deforestation: How to Turn Around a Giant (Part 1 of 2)

December 24, 2013, 12:05 am

≫ Next: UK Brewers Meet 2020 Carbon Target Eight Years Early

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This is the third in a series of excerpts from Engaging Outraged Stakeholders: A How-To Guide for Uniting the Left, Right, Capitalists and Activists(Affinity Press, 2013), the new book from Future 500. Earlier this month, we posted the beginning of Chapter Two: The Power of Engagement, and learned six reasons to engage your activist stakeholders. Here we continue further into Chapter Two to examine one of seven examples of how engaging activists stakeholders has helped companies serve their purpose.

Nick Rowley

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