IV International Wildlife Management Congress 2012

On July 9-12, 2012 in Durban, South Africa an event will be held for Wildlife Professionals. This event will explore rising world population, competition for resources and space between humans and wildlife. Today, human-wildlife interactions are more common than ever before. In an effort to retain vital biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, we need to explore ways to live and flourish together with wildlife. The theme for this year’s conference is “Cooperative Wildlife Management across Borders: Learning in the Face of Change.”

US Secretary of State at the Green Partnership for Growth Launch

Here is the address of US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen, Denmark on May 31, at the 2012 meeting of the Green Partnership for Growth
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We have tried to make green growth a center of our diplomacy here because we think we have a lot to learn from Denmark. It is certainly not a surprise that Denmark leads the world when it comes to clean energy and energy efficiency. Because, as the prime minister said, for the past few decades, Denmark has grown economically. As you have also made it clear, that can be done without significantly increasing your electricity use. Your national plan to be completely independent of fossil fuels by 2050 is a global first. And in true Danish fashion, the plan is comprehensive and rigorous. (Laughter.)

Lack of Canadian Co-ordination in Efforts to Reduce GHGs

According to a new report, there is a woeful lack of co-ordination in efforts to reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. This is the finding of a Conference Board of Canada report.

"Lack of co-ordination between governments in Canada has hindered both the effectiveness of efforts to reduce GHG emissions and their efficiency," the Conference Board of Canada says in its new report Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in Canada. "Although it is unrealistic to expect that a single tool can be applied to all sources of emissions, the efficiency of GHG reduction policies, regulations, and programs could be significantly improved through better coordination and broader, more consistent application."

For more information or to see the complete report click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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New Partnerships Manufacturing Greener Cars

Auto companies are pooling their resources to try to gain access to the growing market for hybrid and fully electric vehicles. Research and development partnerships already exist between Renault and Nissan and more recently Toyota and Tesla have agreed to work together.

Now BMW and PSA Peugeot-Citroën are forming a new partnership for the development of electric vehicle components.The partnership has been formed in order to create a standard for electric vehicle technology across the brands to ensure more efficient production and higher quality. Once such a standard is established it is believed that it will allow the electric vehicle market to grow much faster. They will also work together to develop hybrid technology and the software needed to allow a hybrid system to work efficiently.

Daimler AG, bought 10% of Tesla, and is working on a partnership agreement with Renault Nissan to develop small electric cars. Renault Nissan has partnered with Mitsubishi which promises electric versions of all new car models.

These are just a few examples of companies teaming up to share the formidable costs of developing hybrid and fully electric powertrains.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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WWF's Long History of Helping Businesses to be More Sustainable

The WWF has been a leader in cooperative partnerships with business for decades. In 1993 the group was instrumental in the development of the Forest Stewardship Council and in 1996 they co-founded the Marine Stewardship Council.

Through its Corporate Partnerships division, WWF works with private business on multiple levels. The WWF is also actively involved in training business executives for sustainability through its Sustainability Training Program.

The WWF has over 5 million members globally and works in over 100 countries. The organization is in the business of protecting nature and has set an ambitious goal: to conserve 19 of the world’s most natural places and change global markets to affect the future of nature, all by 2020.

The WWF works with companies to transform business practices to reduce overall environmental impact and bring about lasting environmental changes. The environmental expertise of the WWF team translates to sector and industry specific programs that are helping companies to implement more sustainable practices.

Some companies choose to partner with WWF through philanthropic efforts while others become partners in marketing, by leveraging the famous Panda logo to stimulate conservation efforts. No matter the scale or depth of collaboration, WWF keeps its doors open to all that are willing to contribute to the ambitious goals the organization has set for itself, and for the planet.

There are numerous examples of successful WWF corporate partnerships including Coca-Cola which has been working on freshwater conservation for almost five years. The WWF has also helps companies with responsible sourcing of materials like the wood and paper products which are part of its Global Forest and Trade Network.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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WWF-UK's Green Game-Changers Initiative for Business

WWF-UK's Green Game-Changers initiative is a "crowd-sourcing exercise" that asks companies to submit examples of green policies, products and business models that lower environmental impact and biodiversity loss.

WWF's Green Business Partnership programs acknowledge the importance of collaborative action to reverse the environmental crisis we are facing. The WWF is working closely with businesses to communicate best practices that ensure an ecologically and economically balanced future. The Green Game-Changers initiative, establishes WWF-UK as a leader in knowledge sharing for business.

If your organization has an innovative product, service or market approach, submit it here. You can also join the community via the Better Business LinkedIn group.

If the submission meets the green criteria established by WWF, then it will be featured on the NGO’s website and online networks. Examples of companies that got involved early include HP, Cisco and Xeros.

For a more complete summary, view the WWF's Game Changer Bank. See summary by sectors: Construction & materials, Consumer goods & healthcare , Energy, Finance, Partnerships/Networks, Transportation, Telecoms & technology, Water. See summary by benefits: Biodiversity & natural resources, Carbon reduction, Energy efficiency , Energy generation, Reduce, reuse and recycle, Water efficiency,

While the Game-Changers program is largely an effort of the WWF-UK, all organizations are welcomed to contribute submissions.

If you wish to share your green business with the WWF click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Deal Between Carbon Trust and Siemens Good for UK`s Green Economy

A major new deal between Carbon Trust and Siemens will boost green growth and unlock business investment in the low carbon economy in the UK. According to a deal announced in Germany on March, 4, 2011, Carbon Trust and Siemens have agreed to develop a financing program for green technology and equipment.

The new low carbon finance scheme will enable UK businesses to invest in cost effective energy efficiency equipment or other low carbon technologies. The joint venture will be worth up to £550 million over the next three years, but the financing is expected to pay for itself in cost savings.

The news prompted John Sauven, Executive Director of Greenpeace, to say: “This green finance deal is exactly the sort of initiative that we need to see happening more frequently in the future. A green growth strategy can only work if it is backed by green finance. Deals like this, alongside the development of a green infrastructure bank, could be a tipping point that the UK economy needs to get out of the current doldrums.”

Siemens Financial Services Ltd. in the UK (SFS UK) will provide the financial backing and manage the provision of funding and the Carbon Trust will use its expertise in carbon reduction. The Carbon Trust will also assess the carbon, energy and cost savings of the energy efficiency applications.

Tom Delay, chief executive of the Carbon Trust, commented: “Driving green growth in the UK is key to our economic recovery. A missing ingredient at present is access to affordable finance to enable business to make green investments. This new major finance facility will improve business competitiveness, cut carbon and boost green growth.”

James Gearey, CEO from Siemens Financial Services Ltd. UK commented: “We are delighted to be working with the Carbon Trust, their values very much match our own. Siemens has been reporting the performance of its environmental portfolio since 2002, not just the commercial performance, but also the hundreds of millions of tonnes of carbon emission reduction that has been delivered through Siemens technology. Siemens Financial Services has extensive experience of asset financing and lending to UK business and is particularly successful in the SME sector. This background combined with our ready access to funding means we are well placed to support the scheme and deliver the associated benefits to its future customers.”

This venture will increase the number of energy efficiency projects by offering procurement support to businesses wishing to purchase energy efficiency equipment at scale from a network of accredited suppliers.​

For more information see Siemen's press release.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Cooperation Between Environmental Organizations and Businesses

Increasingly we are seeing cooperation between environmental organizations and businesses. All around the world, grassroots environmental organizations are teaming up with corporations in the service of the environment.

Environmental organizations have commonly pressured corporations to change. Greenpeace's widely publicized campaigns against unsustainable companies are some of the best known examples.

Other environmental campaigns are less adversarial and more inclusive. There are many strong partnerships were the business community is working alongside environmmental groups. For example, Xerox has partnered with The Nature Conservancy to promote sustainable forestry, preserve biodiversity and help minimize forest loss and degradation that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

Strong partnerships are forming where non-profits are putting their expertise to work guiding businesses. Some of the most productive partnerships involve information sharing between environmental groups and companies. Greenpeace has partnered with companies like Cisco and Google, Carbon Trust has put out a Green Guide for SMEs and the WWF-UK has launched its Green Game-Changers initiative for Business. The WWF is involved in training business executives for sustainability through its Sustainability Training Program. The WWF has partnered with the IMD to create a Sustainable Business Program. The WWF also provides training to business leaders through its One Planet Leaders Program The Environmental Defense Fund has the comprehensive Innovation Exchange and Ceres has been integrating sustainability into capital markets for more than 20 years.

Other campaigns work with companies to foster change from within the business community. For example, 350.org's "The US Chamber of Commerce Doesn't Speak For Me," campaign.

Various professional and development organizations support sustainable businesses. The B Corporation, certifies businesses as change agents, The ISSP, International Society of Sustainability Professionals, promotes professional development, as well as providing networking and sharing of best practices.

Although the EPA is a government organization, the public - Private cooperation that fuels its Green Power Partnership program has yielded impressive results.

Cooperation between businesses and environmental organizations is helping to produce a greener world. These partnerships illustrate that capitalism and environmentalism can converge in ways that benefit the planet.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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