We do all like to talk about the weather. Maybe it’s just because there’s so much of it and it’s something we all can share. Looking back on 2011, rainfall patterns in the UK were attenuated with London getting about 28% (46mm) of its Spring rainfall while Edinburgh was drenched in 433mm (175%).
Water just doesn’t seem as reliable as it once was. Our relationship with water based resources is changing in other ways too, but not always smoothly and consistently. Rarely today is fresh water considered to be a free good and two leading sustainability NGOs have recently released thought provoking water management pieces. In October, CERES released a new tool for evaluating business exposure to water risk which it hopes will be used as a roadmap to enhanced water stewardship. The same month GRI launched a new publication discussing how a company’s impacts and dependence on freshwater, (also climate change regulation and pollination) should be measured and reported.
Attitudes are also shifting in the exploitation of marine resources. US retailing giant, Target announced in October that it was committed to only selling sustainable and traceable seafood by 2015. This initiative will be achieved through its partnership with Fishwise. Swimming against this tide is independently minded Iceland who continue to rape the seas of fin whales for Japanese tables in contravention of the CITES Appendix 1 which prohibits this trade. Also coming under attack for its part in this 1500 tonne trade is Yahoo! An unlikely target except that they permit whale meat to be sold via Yahoo! Japan. While every whale lost is unfortunate the Icelander’s trade may come to an end, not through action against Yahoo!, but through Iceland’s accession to the EU in 2013-14.
Ian Buckland is an Associate Director at Corporate Citizenship. Contact him at ian.buckland@corporate-citizenship.com to discuss sustainability strategy, communications and sustainable transport.
UPS Announces Global Forestry Initiative
In line with one of their official philanthropic focus areas, environmental sustainability, The UPS Foundation has announced a new environmental initiative with funding to help plant, protect and preserve trees in urban and rural areas in the United States and around the world. Nearly $2 million in new environmental grants will be distributed by the Foundation and UPS is collaborating with some of the world’s leading environmental organizations to manage and preserve forests in the US, Belgium, Canada, Brazil and China. The company will provide both financial and employee volunteer support “UPS long has sought to be part of the solution when it comes to the environment, and this combination of financial support and local UPS volunteers continues that commitment” said Ken Sternad, president of The UPS Foundation.
Deloitte survey finds CFOs will need to take a more energetic role in embedding sustainability into business strategy
Almost one third, 31%, of CFO’s say they are rarely or not involved at all in sustainability strategy and governance at their companies according to a new survey by Deloitte. These results come despite the awareness that sustainability will profoundly affect their “mainstream” duties. The document, Sustainable Finance: The risks and opportunities that (some) CFOs are overlooking, was conducted among 208 CFOs of large companies in 10 countries during the first half of 2011.“The findings of the survey suggest that CFOs can and should take a more energetic role in embedding sustainability into business strategy if they want to gain a competitive edge,” says Nick Main, Global Leader, Sustainability & Climate Change Services, DTTL.
KPMG and Dominion Transmission are amongst those recently named winners of the 2011 Energy Star CHP Award. Dominion Transmission has been using the CHP system which consists of three microturbines generating enough power to meet 100% of the station’s electricity demand.
With an operating efficiency of almost 73%, the CHP system requires approximately 25% less fuel than a typical system with similar output and prevents an estimated 440 tons of CO2 emissions annually. KPMG launched its Living Green program in 2007 to reduce the firm’s consumption of natural resources and its carbon footprint. In the first three years of the programme, KPMG reports it met its goals and reduced its carbon emissions by 22%. Its CHP system is a key factor in that success.
Contact: US Environmental Protection Agency. www.epa.gov
Companies to report their impacts and reliance on freshwater, climate regulation and pollination
The GRI has recently launched a new reporting framework to guide companies in measuring and reporting the ways in which they impact and depend on freshwater, climate regulation and pollination. The new framework allows organizations to look at ecosystem as service providers and monitor the impacts and dependencies they have on these ecosystems. The publication, Approach for reporting on ecosystem services: Incorporating system services into an organization’s performance disclosure, gives companies options for reporting and outlines indicators they could use to assess and report their impacts on ecosystems. These include the nature and amount of natural resources harvested, volume of water consumed by the organization by sources related to total water availability in areas of operation.
Yahoo! urged to stop selling the meat of endangered whales
According to the Environmental Investigation Agency, a further 131 tonnes of Icelandic fin whale has been shipped to Japan. This brings the total amount oh fin whale exported to Japan to 1,500 tonnes despite the CITES Appendix 1 listing of fin whales which prohibits its use in international trade. The EIA is calling on global retailer Yahoo! To prohibit the sale of the endangered species. Yahoo Japan! Sells numerous Icelandic fin whale products but fin whale meat has also been found to be available from 10 different retailers according to a survey by EIA.
Contact: Environmental Investigation Agency www.eia-international.org
Target commits to selling only sustainable and traceable seafood by 2015
Target has announced a commitment in partnership with Fishwire to sell only sustainable and traceable seafood in its stores by 2015. This will apply to all of targets fresh and frozen seafood products. Target will aim to ensure all their seafood products are caught and raised in an environmentally sensitive manner and refrain from jeopardizing ecosystems. IN this respect, Fishwire will aid Target to help ensure environmentally responsible business practices are adhered to. Target al so plans to encourage their suppliers to engage in improvement projects and encourage their consumers to make sustainable choices and engage with NGOs, industry bodies and certification bodies to trace seafood from the supply chain to its source.
New tool for companies to manage risks of worldwide water supply pressures
Ceres has released a new tool fir evaluating global water supply risks which can be used by investors and companies as a roadmap to achieve water stewardship. This report comes in response to as increase in water-related risks around the world are intensifying, sever droughts have affected Russia and China and extreme flooding has impacted upon Australia and Pakistan and water pressures are likely to worsen over the coming years. The Aqua gauge has been developed to allow investors to score a company’s water management strategies against industry leading peers and detailed definitions of leading practice. The report also provides companies with a step-by-step framework to ensure they develop robust water strategies round four key areas: measurement, governance and management, stakeholder engagement and transparency and disclosure.
Manufacturers realise the importance of sustainability
The results of the 2011 Next Generation Manufacturing Study have been published. The NGM Study looks at how US manufacturers can develop strategies to help capture competitive advantages and offer best practices to help with this and performance goals against which to measure their progress. The Study finds that in 2011 sustainability has become increasingly important to the success of manufacturer’s organisations. 595 rated sustainability as important or highly important this year, compared with only 35% in 2009. 28% of manufacturers have also reported they were near or at world class sustainability in 2011, an increase on 8% since 2009. Despite this, overall sustainability performance levels have not increased since 2009.
Vodafone achieve 6 start Green Star rating in South Africa
Vodacom and its parent company Vodafone have achieved the first ever 6-start Green Star SA rating for the Vodafone Innovation Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg. The Vodafone Innovation Centre will be powered by renewable energy and utilises innovative cooling and heating technologies. The building will house a team dedicated to creating energy efficient solutions to significantly reduce Vodafone’s global emissions. The Centre is expected to open in the first quarter of 2012.
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