The Power of Procurement to Reduce Both Emissions and Costs

Leveraging action across supply chains is a critical part of efforts to address the climate crisis.  We are seeing tremendous growth in companies investing in sustainability and these corporations are helping to drive the transition to a low-carbon economy. Reports demonstrate that this is both an indispensable strategy to manage risk and an important part of cost cutting efforts. The financial and environmental benefits include energy and resource efficiency.

According to a 2019 CDP/Carbon Trust global supply chain report, over the last decade some of the world's biggest purchasers have leveraged their buying power and demanded transparency from their suppliers. In the process they have cut carbon emissions by 633 million metric tons and saved an average of almost $20 billion annually.

Infographic - Growing Belief in Global Warming by State (Even Among Republicans!)

A growing number of Americans now accept the science of climate change and they are calling for action to combat it. Even those that belong to the Republic party -- traditionally a bastion of climate denial -- are coming to terms with the veracity of global warming. As reported in the Guardian, a new study from Stanford University social psychologist Jon Krosnick shows  "a vast majority of red-state Americans believe climate change is real and at least two-thirds of those want the government to cut greenhouse gas emissions."

Supply Chain Report 2012: Sustainability Offers a Competitive Advantage

According to an article in Forbes careful measurement and management of sustainability provides short-term, hard-nosed business advantages, especially when it comes to logistics. This is the finding in Supply Chain Report 2012 (pdf) from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). In this report researchers asked companies about their sustainability initiatives and those of their suppliers, and found an increasing expectation that suppliers take a genuine interest in sustainability.

Extreme Weather is Causing More Americans to Accept Climate Change and Call for Government Action

A new Associated Press-GfK poll finds that amost 4 out of 5 Americans now think the globe is warming and they further believe that this constitutes a serious problem for the US if we continue with business as usual. What is most noteworthy about this study is the fact that there is increasing awareness about global warming from people who do not normally subscribe to a science driven world view. Amongst people who trust scientists only a little or not at all, (one third of those surveyed) 61 percent now say temperatures have been rising over the past 100 years. That's a substantial increase from 2009, when the AP-GfK poll found that only 47 percent of those with little or no trust in scientists believed the world was getting warmer.

Creating Value from Sustainability Webinar and Why Business Leaders are Prioritising Sustainability

At 11 am on the 22nd of November 2012, Edie and Temple Group are hosting a webinar based on the results of a recently published survey of why businesses are prioritising sustainability. With contributions from CBI Head of Energy and Climate Change Dr Matthew Brown, Temple Group Head of Sustainability Carol Somper and some of the exemplar case study subjects featured in the report itself, this webinar will introduce the reasons for taking a sustainable approach and asks what the benefits are to business.

American Voters Want More Renewable Energy

As reviewed in a Huffington Post article, Americans want more renewable energy whether they support Obama, Romney or are undecided. On the issue of global warming, the 7 percent of voters who are undecided tend to be more like Obama supporters than Romney supporters. Undecided voters tend to believe in anthropogenic climate change and support renewable energy.

Sixty-one percent of the undecided voters said they see global warming as an "important issue" they'll consider when making their choice. Seventy-five percent of Obama supporters said the same, while only 32 percent of likely Romney supporters see global warming as an important issue.

Led by Quebec Canadians Believe that Climate Change is Real

Of all Canadian provinces, Quebec is most likely to accept the reality of climate change, while people in the Prairies are the most resistant. According to IPAC-CO2 Research Inc., only two per cent of Canadians believe that climate change is not occurring. However, when it comes to the cause of climate change or what to do about it, Canadians are woefully ignorant. While most Canadians believe that Climate Change is real (54%), the majority still do not attribute it to human activity. When asked about anthropogenic climate change the East is better informed than the West. When asked whether they believed climate change is a man made phenomenon, twice as many people from the East agreed with the statement.

MIT Survey Shows More Businesses are Embracing Sustainability and Turning a Profit

More companies are getting serious about sustainability and they are turning a profit in the process. This is the conclusion of the third annual survey titled Sustainability and Innovation Global Executive Study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The 2011 survey gathered more than 4000 responses from executives and managers across all industries and regions. Results were published in January 2012.

Launching of the New Global Green Economy Index (SM)

The 3rd edition of the annual Global Green Economy Index (GGEI) will be launched in September 2012. It measures perceptions and performance of 27 National & City Green Economies. The GGEI has a new index measuring cities, in addition to the 27 nations already being tracked. The enhanced 2012 GGEI will also feature more in-depth perception survey data and greater geographic sampling in emerging markets, solidifying its position as a leading analytic tool for international stakeholders in the green economy.

US Wants Government Action on the Environment but Less Fond of the Environmental Movement

Polls suggest that Americans want to see their government act on environmental issues, but they do not have much love for the environmental movement. According to a number of different surveys, people in the US have seemingly contradictory views on the environment. American public opinion may be divided but there are some issues that enjoy the support of the majority.

Global Survey on Sustainability

As reported in an April 30, 2012 Environmental Leader article, 72 percent of US companies say sustainability influences their purchasing decisions and is an important factor when selecting a service provider. Outside of the US, 91 percent of the companies polled said sustainability was part of their purchasing decisions. These numbers are from a survey called 2012 Rackspace Green Survey from cloud computing firm Rackspace Hosting.

Earth Day Poll: Environment is Important

According to an Earth Day SodaHead.com poll, 85 percent of respondents said being “eco-friendly” is very important or moderately important. SodaHead.com is the web’s largest opinion-based community; in this survey they polled their users on the state of the environment, recycling, organics and hybrid cars.

The GfK MRI Survey of the American Consumer™

A total of 65 percent of American adults agree with the statement "preserving the environment is very important," according to the Survey of the American Consumer released by GfK MRI.

Study on US Environmental Attitudes and Implications for Business

A new report titled “Twenty Year Evolution of Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors“ from GfK and SC Johnson is an updated version of the groundbreaking 1990 study, “The Environment: Public Attitudes and Individual Behavior,” executed by the Roper Organization (now a part of GfK). The SC Johnson research was the precursor to Green Gauge®, the world’s longest-running survey research program probing the appetite for green among consumers in the United States.

Canadians Support Efforts to Combat Climate Change

Unlike their Conservative federal leadership, Canadians support efforts on climate change. According to a joint study released in April 2011, Canadians are more likely to believe in the veracity of climate change then Americans.

The study also found Canadians are more willing than their friends to the south to pay for energy from renewable sources. A majority of Canadians said they would support a carbon tax or cap-and-trade scheme, even if it came with a cost of $50 per month in energy expenses.

A report from the Conference Board of Canada indicated that the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government spend a lot money trying to understand the implications of climate change. However, they are inefficient and there is a striking lack of coordination.

The report suggests that Canadians need a carbon pricing scheme like those in place in BC and Quebec.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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