One Planet Summit Highlights the EU's Climate Leadership

As evidenced by the recent One Planet Summit, the EU and its member states are leading climate action. In the EU, governments, businesses and investors are all engaged in hopeful efforts and initiatives designed to combat climate change.

On the anniversary of the signing of the Paris Climate agreement on December 12, French President Macron convened a summit to encourage private and public financing for the implementation of the Paris agreement. The One Planet Summit was attended by governments, corporations and other organizations. At this event the European Union announced that it would invest at least €9 billion (US$10 billion) on clean energy, sustainable cities and agriculture. Even Theresa May, the less than green-minded prime minister of the UK, acknowledged the need for wealthy nations to help the developing world. She pledged to contribute £140 million to help poorer countries manage climate change.

France Shows Trump What Climate Leadership Looks Like

France is leading climate action. The host nation for the signing of the historic Paris Agreement has repeatedly refuted Trump's climate denial while adopting a raft of measures as part of an ambitious national climate plan.  It is fair to say that with its support of science, climate focused political agenda, and progressive climate plan France is one of the most sustainable countries in the world.  French efforts have been ongoing for years and include everything from mandatory sustainability reporting to the problem of food waste. In May France announced that it was moving forward with 17 GW of clean energy investments. These are just some of the reason France has emerged as a global climate leader.

Corporations Need to Get Over their Fear of Reporting Failure

Corporations, particularly those who purport to be interested in sustainability, need to bravely report where no reports have gone before. Many firms instinctively shield their failures from the public, however, forward looking corporations know that even here there is value to transparency.  

Although it is hard to avoid getting defensive about shortcomings, being forthcoming about weakness augurs transformative opportunities. Those who have the courage to honestly acknowledge the facts are in a position to change the paradigm. Problems are transformed into an exercise in problem-solving. Identifying weakness becomes an invitation to improve. 

Apple's Earth Day Leadership in 2017

Leading corporations are helping to show the way forward this Earth Day and no company has come further in recent years than Apple. 

They were slow off the mark but since Tim Cook took over as CEO in 2011 and hired former EPA administrator Lisa Jackson in 2013 Apple has made amazing progress. Jackson is Apple's VP of environment, policy, and social initiatives. In the last four years Apple has significantly improved their environmental sustainability performance while ameliorating working conditions and transparency.

In 2017 Apple led the Greenpeace Tech Company Rankings and strengthened its competitive advantage by showing leadership in recycling, clean energy, emissions reduction, waste management and water stewardship.

Apple Leads Greenpeace Tech Company Rankings

For the third year in a row Apple is at the top of Greenpeace's environmental rankings for tech companies in 2017.  Apple led platform operators with a score of 83 percent on Greenpeace’s Clean Energy Index. Facebook came in second with a score of  and Google 67 percent and Google came in third with 56 percent.

Apple's final grade was an A for energy transparency, renewable energy commitment, energy efficiency and mitigation, and renewable procurement. The company received a B for advocacy. Google got all A's except for a B in the transparency category, however as noted above they did not fare well in the clean energy component.

2016 Corporate Sustainability Leaders

A bevy of iconic brands have been singled out as the world's leading sustainability companies. The results of the 2016 GlobeScan/SustainAbility survey of corporate sustainability leaders were released on June 7th 2016. The list is formally known as the The 2016 Sustainability Leaders and his year it was produced in partnership with Sustainable Brands,

The Sustainability Leaders Survey tracks expert opinions on the evolution of sustainability. These experts are now saying that values and purpose are "top drivers" of change. Leaders in sustainability excel at integrating social and environmental purpose into their core business. Leading companies also model innovation and set ambitious goals.

Glaxo­SmithKline Doing Well by Doing Good

Glaxo­SmithKline (GSK) is at the top of Fortune's 2016 Change the World list. They are being recognized for their exemplary corporate citizenship. In an age of rampant profiteering in the pharmaceutical industry, Glaxo­SmithKline (GSK) has stood out by making it their business to give back.

The practices of GSK stand in stark contrast to other recent pharmaceutical news. Martin Shkreli bought the rights to a life saving HIV drug called Daraprim,then he hiked up the price by 5,000 percent. CEO of Mylan Pharmaceuticals Heather Bresch raised the price of an EpiPen pack to more than $600.

Green Business Award Winners in 2016 (Guardian and Environmental Leader)

Here is a summary of sustainable businesses, projects and individuals that are leading the way forward. As we teeter on the brink of tipping points, sustainability leadership is more important than ever. Awards that recognize the best companies, projects and individuals lead by example and serve as valuable models. In addition to well deserved recognition these efforts put sustainability on display, showcasing achievements that other businesses can follow. Here is a summary of green awards that have been handed out to businesses and individuals in the first half of 2016. This list includes Guardian's Sustainable Business Awards as well as Environmental Leaders Product and Project of the year awards.

Apple's Apps for Earth Initiative Raised Awareness and Funds for WWF

Apps are big business and a partnership between Apple and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) funneled some of these revenues to ecological causes.  Given the number of apps and the volume of demand  using apps to generate revenues for the environment is a boon. As of June 2016 there are approximately 2.2 million apps available and 2 million in the Apple App Store. In 2015, global mobile app revenues amounted to $41.1 billion. In 2020, consumers are projected to spend over $101 billion on mobile apps via app stores.

Hilary Clinton is our Last Best Hope of Tackling Climate Change

Anyone interested in climate action needs to appreciate that Hilary Clinton is our last best hope. Clinton has emerged as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and she is a far better choice than the Republican candidate Donald Trump. To get a handle on what is at stake, voters need to understand that without US involvement, efforts to reign-in climate change are doomed to fail. Clinton has recently received endorsements from the greenest candidate in this election cycle Tom O'Malley and Potus himself, President Barack Obama.

Extracting Value from Recycling - Apple's e-waste Management (Video)

Apple has mined a small fortune from its own waste in both dollars and social capital. While Apple has only recently become a sustainability leader, they have been focused on recycling for many years dating back to the time when Steve Jobs was still at the helm. The problem of waste is increasingly serious but Apple is ahead of the curve and leading the way forward.

The volume of waste keeps increasing while many landfills are rapidly nearing capacity. Smart businesses need to follow Apple's lead as we anticipate a more stringent regulatory regimes in the form of Extended Provider Responsibility regulations.

Apple's Growth Streak Has Ended but its Sustainability Leadership is Still Going Strong

Apple's growth streak may have come to an end but as a mature company its sustainability leadership is going stronger than ever. In fact Apple is poised to double down on sustainability. Every product has a life cycle and Apple's products are no different. Smartphones may have reached market saturation as the global smartphone market has shrunk for the first time. Despite the dropping demand for its premiere product line,  this corporate giant will continue to be a powerful sustainability leader for years to come.

The Top Sustainability Focused Innovations of 2015

Innovation is more than a buzzword, it is an absolutely essential component of the required efforts needed to address the environmental and climate crisis we are facing. Here is a summary of some of the best sustainability focused innovations of 2015 from Sustainia.

On December 6th, 2015 the fourth Sustainia awards celebrated a number of groundbreaking sustainability solutions, technologies and projects from around the world. In honor of COP21 the awards took place in Paris, home to the COP21 climate talks.

Germany Continues its Green Dominance in 2015 (Video)

Europe has the highest concentration of national sustainability efforts in the world. In 2015 Nordic countries once again assumed a leadership role along with France. In addition to being an economic giant Germany is also an environmental titan. Germany is ranked fourth in the Global Green Economy Index.and seventh in a RobecoSAM study. Germany has distinguished itself as an early adopter of clean power and it has a secure place in history as a renewable energy pioneer.

France: One of the Most Sustainable Countries in 2015

In 2015 France stood out as one of the most sustainable countries in the world due to the scope of their national efforts and the wider economic implications of their actions. While Nordic countries and their neighbor Germany have ranked very highly on a number of national sustainability assessments, France must be including on any list of the greenest European countries in 2015. France is listed among the top ten countries in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranking of 180 nations. 

As hosts of the COP21 climate talks last December French leadership was essential. This is particularly true in light of the Paris terror attacks that took place just prior to the start of the final round of negotiations. Under the leadership of Francois Hollande France has been a global climate leader. In addition to being the host of the most important climate conference in human history, France introduced a number of sustainability measures in 2015. From managing food waste to supporting renewable energy France showed that it is walking the talk last year.

The Best of Green in 2015: Products, Projects, Leaders, Corporations, CEOs and Chemistry

Here are some of the best of the best in the green economy from 2015. This includes the best products and projects of the year, the top sustainability leaders and corporate citizens, leading innovative bioeconomy CEOs and the best green chemistry companies. These lists are derived from Energy Manager Today, edie, Corporate Responsiblity (CR) Magazine, Il Bioeconomista and the EPA.

Obama Signs Executive Order to Reduce GHGs in the Federal Government and Across their Supply Chain

President Obama is leading by example and significantly reducing the federal government's greenhouse gas emissions. In the first week of November the President signed an executive order that cuts emissions and weaves sustainability into the fabric of the federal government.

The move will cut government greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40 percent and avert 26 million metric tons of GHG emissions by 2025. The White House claims that this will save tax payers up to $18 billion in energy costs and increase the share of federal energy derived from renewables by at least 25 percent.

Apple's Renewable Energy Investments in China

On October 21, 2015 Apple announced that it is ramping up its renewable energy investments in China. The company is working with its Chinese suppliers to produce 2.2 gigawatts of solar power and other renewable energy. This move will decrease Apple's carbon footprint by an estimated 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas as more of its suppliers rely on renewable energy between now and 2020.

France Makes Sustainability Reporting Mandatory

There is a growing trend towards mandatory sustainability reporting and France is leading the way by introducing obligatory carbon reporting for financial institutions. This means that pension funds, insurance companies and other institutional investors in France will have to disclose environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.

These ESG issues, including risks associated with climate change, are of increasing interest to investors as the world transitions to a low carbon economy. Under the new rules investors will need to set targets and measure progress. They will also be held accountable if these targets are not met.

Apple Makes Sustainability Investments in China

Apple is making China greener and expanding their market presence. From solar farms, to forests and greener supply chains Apple is making some serious sustainability focused investments in China.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is presently in China. He announced his arrival on his new Weibo account (the Chinese equivalent of Twitter). He said that he is in China to launch, "innovative environmental programs." As of Tuesday morning Cook already had 400,000 followers.