World Agrees on a Treaty Restricting Mercury

After protracted negotiations that spanned almost half a decade more than 140 countries have signed on to the world's first legally binding international agreement to control mercury emissions. The agreement puts in place rules that limit mercury emissions from power plants and industrial boilers as well as certain kinds of smelters handling metals like zinc and gold. The treaty phases out mercury laden products, like batteries and thermometers as well as certain types of fluorescent lamps, soaps and cosmetics. The agreement also establishes rules for direct mining of mercury and addresses safe storage of mercury waste.

UNEP Mercury Study: Levels of the Toxic Metal are Increasing

A UNEP study released in January 2013 found mercury pollution in the top layer of the world’s oceans has doubled in the past century. In the past 100 years, man-made emissions have caused the amount of mercury in the top 100 metres of the world's oceans to double. Concentrations in deeper waters have increased by up to 25 percent. The study also indicates that hundreds of tons of mercury have leaked from the soil into rivers and lakes around the world. The report says an estimated 260 tonnes of mercury - previously held in soils - are being released into rivers and lakes.

Legally Binding Treaty to Reduce Mercury Emissions

On Sunday January 13 delegates from more than 130 nations began a final round of negotiations with the intent of creating the world's first legally binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions. Mercury contamination is a major problem which has serious implications for pregnant women, women of childbearing age and young children. Mercury accumulates in fish and wildlife and goes up the food chain.

According to the U.N. environment program, which is also one of the sponsors of these talks, over the past century ocean based mercury contamination has doubled. The report demonstrates that hundreds of tons of mercury have leaked from the soil into rivers and lakes around the world. High rates of mercury pollution are largely attributable to coal burning, chemical production and small-scale mining, particularly what is known as artisanal gold production.

Stock Exchanges Increasingly Recommending Sustainability Reporting

A growing number of stock exchanges around the world are recommending sustainability reporting. A number of diverse groups support sustainability reporting including the Rio+20 (negotiating text) and the U.N. (secretary general’s High Level Panel on Global Sustainability).

The Brazilian stock exchange (BM&FBOVESPA), also recommends that its listed companies either publish sustainability reports or explain why they do not. The initiative is intended to create a public database of reporting which was made available at Rio+20. BM&FBOVESPA says it was the second exchange in the world and the first in the Americas to use the GRI sustainability reporting model in its own annual report, starting in 2010.

The EPA Seeks Historic Proposal to Protect Clean Air

In the last couple of months, more than 2 million Americans have submitted comments in support of the EPA's efforts to reduce carbon pollution. The proposal has received more comments than any agency has ever received. Carbon pollution is linked to significant health hazards like asthma-inducing smog. Carbon pollution is a pandemic in the US with half of Americans (158 million) living in counties with unacceptable air pollution levels.

EPA's Carbon Pollution Standard has Strong Support

Over one million people have expressed their strong support for the EPA's proposed protections from dangerous carbon pollution produced by new coal-fired power plants. The EPA wants to create regulations as authorized by the Clean Air Act (see Laws Statutes for the Clean Air Act). NSR permits have been required by regulations since the 1970's but the EPA is working to update and improve these regulations. The EPA action to adopt carbon pollution standards will help clean up and modernize the way we power the country and prevent life-threatening air pollution like toxic mercury, dirty soot and the smog that triggers asthma attacks.

EPA's Top Green Powered Organizations (Q1 2012)

In April 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its list of the Top 50 Green-Powered Organizations. This quarterly list is part of the Green Power Partnership which works with a wide variety of leading organizations in the US. This includes Fortune 500® companies, local, state and federal governments, and a growing number of colleges and universities.

The New 2012 CEC Sustainability Requirements

The new Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) has incorporated the latest sustainability requirements for electrical professionals, as well as business and home owners. The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) 22nd edition of the CEC's mandatory guidelines include 180 important updates and revisions. CSA Standards is a leading standards-based solutions organization in Canada. The CEC addresses electrical safety, shock, and fire hazards of electrical products.

Profiting from the New Rules of Green Marketing by Jacquie Ottman

On November 29th and 30th Humber College in Toronto Ontario is hosting a course and workshop entitled, Profiting from the New Rules of Green Marketing by Jacquie Ottman (SC 130). This workshop designed to bring to life the principles, strategies, tools and frameworks discussed in the award-winning book: The New Rules of Green Marketing: Strategies, Tools and Inspiration for Sustainable Branding by Jacquelyn Ottman (Berrett-Koehler, 2011).

Free Webinar: The Carbon Tax & Your Business

GreenBizCheck will be holding a free webinar on 29 November at 11 AM AEST. This webinar will help business owners gain a better understanding of the carbon tax and how it will affect their business.

10 Steps to Sustainability-Driven Innovation

1. Make innovating for sustainability a part of your company's vision: Update your company's stated visions, mission and list of values or principles to ensure that sustainability is at the heart, so that your company is publicly identified, both internally and externally, as sustainability-driven.

2. Formulate a strategy with sustainability at its heart: To really be effective, sustainability must be included in a new formulation of your business strategy. Simply bolting it on to an existing strategy is likely to leave it marginalised and insignificant.

3. Embed sustainability in every part of your business: Create an ongoing process for getting each part of the company to recognise and understand its environmental, economic and social impacts, and get each part thinking about how they can use that knowledge to innovate through a systematic and integrated approach.

4. Walk the talk: Top leadership in the business has to believe in it. Staff and other stakeholders need to hear their leaders explain regularly what responsibility and sustainability mean for the business and the innovation possibilities they hold, and see the actual programs implemented.

5. Set up a body with the power to make sustainability matter: Many of the leading sustainability-driven companies have a board committee devoted to ensuring that things move ahead. Others have a leading non-executive director in charge, while others still have a mixed committee of executives and non-executives. Whatever the arrangement, it is essential that the company regularly addresses sustainability and its strategic opportunities at the very highest level of decision making. Consider, review, evaluate and supervise integrated environmental, social and ethical policies. In collaboration with top management, make sure that responsibility and sustainability are taken into account during strategy formulations Advise the board of directors on responsibility and sustainability issues.

6. Set firm rules: Establish a code of conduct on sustainability covering both your employees and other stakeholders in your business, stating clearly that anyone who doesn't adhere to it has no place in your company or connected to your company.

7. Bring your stakeholders on board: Identify all the stakeholders in your business - shareholders, employees, suppliers, customers, the communities in which you operate - and engage with them on thinking about sustainability. Actively encourage them to participate in your innovation and encourage them to develop sustainable opportunities themselves.

8. Use people power: Ensure that sustainability is a clearly stated value at every stage of your people management process, whether it's advertising for staff, hiring, induction, performance appraisal, remuneration or promotion. Create a training department that includes a strong focus on creativity and innovation based on sustainability.

9. Join networks: A growing number of organisations, networks and other bodies dedicated to encouraging sustainable business are emerging. Get involved with groups such as the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the UN Global Compact, the International Business Leaders Forum and similar local bodies. Take part in sustainability investment rankings and monitors such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes and the Corporate Responsibility Index.

10. Think beyond reporting: Align all business systems with the company's vision of sustainability. Corporate social responsibility reporting helps focus but it should not be viewed as an end in itself. Sustainability should run through every core system, from talent management to supplier evaluation, customer relationship management (CRM), and, of course, the balanced scorecard. This approach can turn focus into coordinated action that matters.

Source: A New Mindset for Corporate Sustainability
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