The GREEN MARKET ORACLE

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Webinar - How the Company of 2020 Will Operate in a Resource-Constrained World

How the Company of 2020 Will Operate in a Resource-Constrained World is a complimentary, one hour, on demand webinar from the Ethical Corporation.

In this presentation you will find our about:

Twenty of the most valuable selected findings from the discussions.
Results to our industry polls and surveys ran during the webinar.
Key topics covered in the webinar:
How to transition to a new “green” business model.
How to drive behaviour change using the latest green technology and engage managers and front-line staff to deliver efficiency gains.
Frontline supply chain engagement, how to engage and incentivise your suppliers to deliver change where it yields the greatest impact.
How to encourage a more sustainable consumption model among consumers.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Sustainable Australia Report 2013

According to a new report, crowded cities and bigger regional centers will drive sustainability in Australia. On 9 May 2013 The National Sustainability Council presented a landmark report titled Sustainable Australia 2013. According to the report an ageing population, rising health costs, growing cities and changes in traditional work and family roles are key issues.

The report provides a picture of Australia and tells the story of how the nation has changed over the last three decades. There has been significant progress (life span, health, education, economy, and employment), however inequality has increased and the health of Australia's natural environment has continued to decline in some key areas.

The Verdantix webinar, "Why GRI G4 Will Trigger New Directions In Sustainability Reporting," will take place on Thursday, May 30, 2013. In this complimentary webinar you will learn the new best practices for sustainability reporting and how to link mandatory reporting, voluntary frameworks and financial reporting.

Based on multiple Verdantix benchmarks covering stock exchanges, responsible supply chain assessments and a global survey of 250 heads of sustainability, this webinar helps heads of sustainability to chart out the best practices for sustainability reporting in a post GRI G4 world.

In 2012 a special report on extreme weather from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that we are likely to see coastal flooding and more extreme precipitation linked to human-induced climate change.

The report indicates that unusually high temperatures as well as more frequent and more intense precipitation and drought can be expected in most parts of the world by the end of the century.

Contributors to the report include experts on disaster recovery and risk management, together with members of the physical sciences and climate change mitigation and adaptation disciplines. The report marked the first time that the scientific literature on extreme events has been synthesised by a single team, It offers "an unprecedented level of detail regarding observed and expected changes in weather and climate extremes, based on a comprehensive assessment of over 1,000 scientific publications".

New Report on Extreme Weather in Australia

This 2013 report from the Climate Commission offers a review of the current state of our knowledge about different types of extreme weather events in Australia. These events include extreme temperatures, rainfall, drought, bush fires, storm surges, cyclones and storms. Here is a summary of some of the key findings from the report titled The Critical Decade: Extreme Weather.

1. Climate change is already increasing the intensity and frequency of many extreme weather events, adversely affecting Australians. Extreme events occur naturally and weather records are broken from time to time. However, climate change is influencing these events and record-breaking weather is becoming more common around the world.

Climate change causing greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), will cause less rain in areas that need it most and more rain in areas that need it least. According to recent NASA findings areas that get a lot of rain will get more, those areas that get moderate rainfall will get less, and those areas that get little rainfall may get none at all.

NASA's research is the product of an analysis of the computer simulations from 14 climate models. They span 140 years and they show that warming from carbon dioxide will change the frequency that regions around the planet receive rain.

Climate change and environmental degradation will make life unlivable for many people and this will force them to move. Whether in response to floods, droughts or extreme heat or to find water and food people all around the world will be displaced by the changing climate. These people are known as climate refugees and they are part of a new wave of environmental migration.

According to the United Nations' definition from the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951) a refugee is a person who "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country". In 1967 Protocol the definition of a refugee was expanded to include persons who had fled war or other violence. At present the United Nations does not formally provide long-term legal protection to refugees due to environmental factors and climate change.

Event - TBLI (Triple Bottom Line Investment) CONFERENCE™

TBLI (Triple Bottom Line Investment) CONFERENCE™ will take place on Monday and Tuesday, June 17-18, 2013 at the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), New York, NY.

The TBLI conference is unique event in that it offers finance professionals a global perspective on a comprehensive range of ESG and Impact Investment topics, covering all asset classes. Over 15 years, it has built an international reputation as the platform to learn and find business partners. TBLI offers access to the largest network of thought leaders in the sustainable finance industry.

Theme for 2013: "Rethink the Past and Move on"

❖ Attendees remain able to determine their workshop choice at the conference

❖ Please note: This program is subject to change without notice.

For more information click here.

Event - Creative Disruptive (Water) Leadership Workshop

Creative Disruptive (Water) Leadership workshop will take place Friday May 31 to Sundany June 2, 2013, in Wyebridge, Ontario.

Great leaders learn to develop a capacity to navigate through complexity, to facilitate collaboration and to disrupt when the time is right. This workshop will focus on offering important techniques to move you along the spectrum of your leadership journey. We will offer you the inspiration and tools to become more creative, more innovative, and to build your leadership potential.

Event - Building Lasting Change: CaGBC National Green Building Conference and Expo 2013

Building Lasting Change: CaGBC National Green Building Conference and Exp will take place on Tuesday June 4 to Thursday June 6, 2013, in Vancouver, BC. Without staying informed, expanding traditional thinking, and adapting to new ideas – no real change is possible. Our industry is constantly pushing itself forward with new thinking that is changing the built environment in ways that will impact generations of Canadians. This is why in 2013 the CaGBC National Conference and Expo will be focused on not just building sustainably, but Building Lasting Change.

Business for the Environment: B4E Climate Summit, will take place on May 28 - 29, 2013 in London, England. The urgency of the global climate challenge demands ambitious goals and bold, coordinated action. The B4E Climate Summit 2013, themed “Net Zero, Climate positive”, will present growth strategies of leading global businesses committed to net zero carbon emissions and the most cutting edge innovations for climate positive impact.

Video - ALEC Bill on Capitol Hill

The Center for Media and Democracy, creator of ALECexposed, along with Alliance for a Better Utah, produced the following video with Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Mark Fiore illustrating, in “Schoolhouse Rock!” style, how a piece of legislation written by ALEC becomes a law. While leaving a legacy of pollution, the billionaire Koch Brothers, through groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), are using their influence to spread climate doubt and weaken renewable energy standards.

Video - Water in the Anthropocene

Water in the Anthropocene (Ambient Version) from Globaïa on Vimeo.

Water in the Anthropocene is a 3-minute film charting the global impact of humans on the water cycle. Evidence is growing that our global footprint is now so significant we have driven Earth into a new geological epoch — the Anthropocene. Human activities such as damming and agriculture are changing the global water cycle in significant ways.

The data visualisation was commissioned by the Global Water Systems Project for a major international conference (Water in the Anthropocene, Bonn, Germany, 21-24 May, 2013).

Video - Using TED Fishing Nets to Save Endangered Sea Turtles

Turtles shown escaping from trawl nets fitted with Turtle Excluder Device (TED). Thousands of turtles are caught and drown each year in trawl nets. TED's can be fitted so that Turtles and other large marine mammals can escape. This film was shot and edited by Scubazoo for the Marine Research Foundation & Conservation International.

Related Articles
Sea Turtles and the Commercial Fishing Industry
On June 8 Make a Promise for the Ocean
Video - World Oceans Day 2013
Ocean Frontiers the Movie
Video - Ocean Frontiers the Movie Trailer
The State of Our Oceans: We are Headed Towards a Marine Mass Extinction
Urgent Appeal to Save our Oceans
Seven Ways to Save the Seas
The International Day for Biological Diversity 2013

World Oceans Day in America (2012)
World Oceans Day UN Panel Discussion (2011)
Report on the UN's World Water Day Panel Discussion

Friday, May 24, 2013

Twelve Online Tools for Greener Businesses

There are a growing number of online tools that make it easier for businesses to understand and assess their environmental performance and that of their peers. Here are a suite of 12 online tools from Environmental Leader. These tools run the gamut and deal with a wide variety of issues from construction to water. They are presented in the order that they were published.

RSK Tool Helps Construction Companies Manage Environmental Risk

RSK Business Solutions has launched a web-based tool to help UK-based construction companies mitigate environmental risk and drive legal compliance. For more information click here.

BASF Launches Sustainable Construction Website

BASF’s Green Sense Concrete reduced the carbon footprint of the One World Trade Center by 15,838,267 kg CO2 in the construction. For more information click here.

Every year, the Ethisphere Institute reveals its annual World’s Most Ethical (WME) companies list. The companies on the WME list "truly go beyond making statements about doing business "ethically" and translate those words into action." WME honorees not only promote ethical business standards and practices internally, they exceed legal compliance minimums and shape future industry standards by introducing best practices today. In 2013, a record 145 companies made the list, which includes more than three dozen industries, from aerospace to wind power, with 43 of the WME winners headquartered outside the US. Since the list's inception, 23 companies have made the list all six years including: Aflac, American Express, Fluor, General Electric, Milliken & Company, Patagonia, Rabobank and Starbucks, among others.

Here is the WME list for 2013:

A new survey shows that 90 percent of consumers indicate they would boycott a company if they learned of irresponsible behavior. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now de rigueur as consumers are increasingly demanding that companies assume responsibility for social and environmental issues. According to the 2013 Cone Communications/Eco Global CSR Study, 93 percent of those surveyed want to see more corporate social responsibility in the products and services they purchase.

2013 World's Most Admired Companies (Fortune Magazine)

Fortune Magazine's 2013 list of "World's Most Admired Companies," is an annual ranking of the world's most admired and respected companies.

Companies are assessed based on their performance in several key areas including innovation and social responsibility.

This annual ranking from Fortune is widely considered a definitive report card on corporate reputations. According to Fortune, these companies have shown a commitment to social responsibility and high ethical standards.

Here are the rankings of the top 50 companies as assessed by Fortune Magazine:

May 23 is World Turtle Day but due largely to commercial fishing many species of sea turtles are in trouble (six out of seven species are endangered). Climate change and pollution are destabilizing marine environments across the world, but fishing is by far the worst threat to sea turtles.. Turtles are being destroyed at alarming rates due to destructive fishing methods. In the US alone more than 250,000 sea turtles are accidentally captured, injured or killed by US fishermen. In 2004, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) identified more than 70 fisheries, operating in state and federal waters, as potentially harmful to sea turtles. Their fate is even worse in the national waters of other countries or in international waters.

A new project called Sustainability Base draws on NASA's space experience to offer a futuristic look into sustainable building design. The prototype was designed by William McDonough and Partners. The building is ultra-efficient and far exceeds the necessary requirements to secure LEED® Platinum certification. It is designed to use renewable energy and closed-loop water maintenance facilities.

The building's design offers phenomenal structural stability thanks to an exoskeleton. Its is earthquake resistant and it was conceived in a wind tunnel so it can withstand high winds. It also offers glare-free daylighting and shading, natural ventilation and a connection to the outdoors.

The two-story building boasts more than 50,000-square feet. On the rooftop there is a solid-oxide fuel cell and solar arrays which supply all of the buildings energy. A central computer optimizes building performance and controls lighting, heating, and cooling, coordinating weather forecasts with scheduled usage of building facilities, adjusting its formulas to learn and improve.

New Water Quality Runoff Tool from the USDA

A new online tool gives farmers and ranchers a better understanding of the quality of water flowing off their fields and into waterways. The new tool is called the Water Quality Index for Agricultural Runoff (WQIag) and was developed by scientists at USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Water is a precious natural resource. In the US at least two-thirds of the country have recently experienced water shortages. Conserving water also saves money. The first sections offers five tips for conserving water in a business context. The next section offers five easy ways to conserve water at home and the last section offers an additional 100 water saving tips.

Five Simple Tips to Help your Business with Water Conservation Practices:

1) Make a Plan. Share your commitment to water conservation with employees. Assign an employee as water conservation manager to monitor and implement your water conservation plan.

The United Nations has proclaimed May 22 The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. The theme for this year is Water and Biodiversity. The International Day for Biological Diversity (or World Biodiversity Day) is a United Nations–sanctioned international day for the promotion of biodiversity issues. It is currently held on May 22.

Investing in Energy Efficiency

One of the most promising investment areas for 2013 may come from the area of energy efficiency. Unlike some other investments, this compelling investment opportunity is being driven by companies seeking immediate cost savings. For the investor this can translate to a shorter payback period. According to most estimates, global power needs are expected to rise more than 50 percent in the next few decades. This growing investment arena will increase the market demand for energy efficient lighting, engines and buildings.

Climate Change as an Investment Risk or Opportunity

Climate change is a material investment risk or opportunity and it has emerged as a strategic issue for asset owners and asset managers. The vast majority of investors now incorporate climate change into their risk assessments. This is the conclusion of a report, titled the Global Investor Survey on Climate Change, conducted by Mercer and commissioned by the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR) and Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC). This report clearly illustrates that climate change is increasingly a salient part of the investment practices of asset managers and asset owners.

Based on survey responses from 44 asset owners and 46 asset managers with collective assets totaling more than $12 trillion, the report found that 87 percent of asset managers and 98 percent of asset owners now incorporate climate change risk assessments into their investment processes.

On May 16, 2013, TarSandsRealityCheck.com (TSRC) was Launched in Canada, Europe and the US. TSRC provides reliable information on the Alberta tar sands. This site is meant to counter misinformation from the Canadian government and oil sands lobbyists. The peer reviewed science provided on this site addresses topical issues like the Keystone XL pipeline in North America and the Fuel Quality Directive in Europe.

TSRC is designed for the public, media, politicians and the environmental community and includes groups like Environmental Defence Canada, Equiterre, Forest Ethics Advocacy, Greenpeace Canada, Natural Resources Defense Council (US), 350.org, Sierra Club U.S., and Transport and Environment (Europe).

The launch of TSRC coincides with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's trip to New York where he tried to sell the Keystone XL to the Council of Foreign Relations. In addition to Harper's pro tar sands pitch, the Canadian government has launched a new website which tries to put a positive spin on Alberta's fossil fuel industry.

Program - Summer Institute in Sustainability Leadership (SISL)

Summer Institute in Sustainability Leadership (SISL) will take place on July 8-12, 2013 at UBC in British Columbia, Canada. SISL is an intensive one-week professional development program designed for those taking a leadership role in establishing policy, creating plans and implementing sustainability projects in businesses, colleges, universities, and across all levels of government. This award-winning program provides you the opportunity to engage in creative thinking about your role as a sustainability leader and the actions your organization can take to move the sustainability agenda forward.

For more information or to register click here.

Related Articles
Top 10 Sustainability Reports of 2012
20 Studies Demonstrate the Business Case for Sustainability
Sustainability Calling: Its Now or Never
Corporate Sustainability Leadership in America
The Overwhelming Logic of Sustainable Business
Sustainability is an Unstoppable Megatrend
Adopt CSR or Risk a Consumer Boycott
Increasing Sustainable Innovation Demands Change
Video - Sustainability in a Business Context
Video - Sustainability 101

Event - International Conference on Sustainability (IMESH 2013)

The International Conference on Sustainability (IMESH 2013) will be held on 2th –3th Jun, 2013 at the St. Regis Hotel in Abu Dhabi under the headliner called, “Enhancing the concept of sustainability in governmental and private institutions.”

The concept of Sustainability in governmental institutions and private companies is considered to be a key index for identifying the significance of the institutional work and its ability to secure development and sustainable systems. IMESH 2013 will exhibit speakers joined by top experts, academics and pioneers in the field of sustainability and its varieties. In addition, leaders from the public and private sectors will be presented. The conference will be covered by the multimedia, locally, regionally and internationally.

The conference will also feature an exhibition that demonstrates the most recent practices and innovations in sustainability presented by governmental institutes and private companies.

For more information click here.

Related Articles
Top 10 Sustainability Reports of 2012
20 Studies Demonstrate the Business Case for Sustainability
Sustainability Calling: Its Now or Never
Corporate Sustainability Leadership in America
The Overwhelming Logic of Sustainable Business
Sustainability is an Unstoppable Megatrend
Adopt CSR or Risk a Consumer Boycott
Increasing Sustainable Innovation Demands Change
Video - Sustainability in a Business Context
Video - Sustainability 101

Event - 2013 ACEEE National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource

2013 ACEEE National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource will take place on September 22, 2013 in Nashville, TN. ACEEE’s (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy) National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource, a biennial event first held in 2001, is widely recognized as the premiere event for examining energy efficiency as a strategic and critical utility system resource. This conference draws together leading experts from a broad spectrum of energy industry stakeholders---including utilities, regulatory commissions, state government, consultants, manufacturers, environmental organizations, consumer groups and research institutes.

Video - International Day Of Protest Against Monsanto & GMO Foods MAY 25, 2013

An international protest is planned for May 25, 2013 against biotechnology company Monsanto in more than 250 cities in six continents and demonstrations are planned in tens of countries. Monsanto, a titan of the emerging biotech industry, has come under attack from environmentalists, agriculturalists and average consumers over the company's conduct in the realm of genetically-modified organisms and genetically-engineered foods. Monsanto has lobbied hard in Washington and around the globe to be able to continue manufacturing lab-made foods without the oversight that many have demanded. This protest comes in the wake of the passage of the "Monsanto protection act" that will protect GMO companies from assuming any liability.

Related Articles
Video - The Passage of the "Monsanto Protection Act"
Genetic Engineering: The Dark Side of Climate Ready Crops
Cleantech Troubles in 2013

Video - The Passage of the "Monsanto Protection Act"

A new law protects GMO companies from liability and takes away American's right to know what is on their plates. Congress approved and President Obama signed a bill that gives Monsanto and other GMO companies immunity from liability against the deleterious effects of the foods that they provide. The Protect Interstate Commerce Act (PICA), is an amendment inserted into the 2013 Farm Bill passed by the House of Representatives' Agriculture Committee. It revokes the ability of individual states' lawmakers to pass GMO-labeling laws.

Europe's share of renewable energy will increase between 40 and 50 percent by 2020. Oil and gas will decline over that period which will enable renewable energy to eclipse fossil fuels in Europe by 2020.
New highly efficient GE wind turbine is using the internet to generate power more effectively.
BP is getting out of solar and wind to focus on oil and gas.
Vancouver based Perfect Lithium has developed highly efficient battery processing technique that can reduce energy storage costs by as much as 50 percent.

Video - The Tar Sands Give Canada the Worst Climate Record in the Western World

Due in large part to the tar sands, Canada's climate performance is worst in the Western world. If Prime Minister Stephen Harper has his way, it will get worse, far worse. As the debate on the Keystone XL pipeline rages in the US, Canada's fossil fuel industry is planning to triple production of the tar sands. This video provides facts that refute the spin coming from Canada's ruling Conservative party.

Guide - Green City Philosophy

There has never been a greater need for the people planning and running our cities, as well as the residents themselves, to understand the critical significance of green space in our urban environment. Working with green is a way to respond to the true needs of people when designing buildings, the public realm, transport and communications infrastructure. This is a goal to which every professional can apply themselves.

These guidelines are a starting point so interested parties can come together internationally and discuss techniques for urban development. What this set of guidelines shows is that the knowledge is already there. The theory, substantiated by empirical scientific research, proves that green infrastructure is a key element in constructing living spaces that work. This is powerful information at a time when budgets are being cut and every cost scrutinised. This set of guidelines and techniques will demonstrate to practitioners that investment and maintenance in green infrastructure is not a cost but brings value from a social, economic and environmental point of view – in summary the ‘Green City Philosophy’.

This guideline on Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) was prepared by International Finance Corporation (IFC) and World Bank Group. The health and well being of a workforce is a key part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and it is crucial to the wider issue of sustainable development.

Research by Nuffield Health and Ashridge Business School asserts that “companies need to develop a strategic approach to health and well being and concentrate on building a ‘sustainable workforce’ if they are to remain competitive.” The UK-based report, Developing a strategy for employee wellbeing: a framework for planning and action, calls on companies to focus on improving employee well being as a way of strengthening an organization and reducing risk.

At a 2012 briefing in London, Nuffield Health chief executive David Mobbs said, “We already worry about the sustainability of the environment, but in the future it’s going to be about the sustainability of the health of your workforce. Health and wellbeing will become the new CSR,” said Mobbs.

Environmental sustainability has been a recurring topic in the corporate world for the past few decades. Whether from internal or external pressure, organizations are being held accountable for their impact on the environment and the community in which they operate.

Join Greg Scandrett, VP of Product Development for Enviance in this groundbreaking webinar, where he discusses the current approach many organizations take on corporate environmental sustainability and why it is a failed model.

By comparing the similarities between the current corporate environmental sustainability model and the quality movement from the 20th century, you will be challenged to question some of your concepts on what organizations should be doing to achieve corporate environmental sustainability.

Genetic Engineering: The Dark Side of Climate Ready Crops

Climate change is already affecting food supplies around the world as heat waves and drought reduce grain harvests and food prices soar. For every 1˚ C rise above optimum growing season temperatures, farmers will likely experience a 10 percent decline in their yields. And with a growing global population expected to hit 9 billion by 2050, 80 million more people need to be fed each year.

Between 2008 and 2010, at least 261 patents were filed or issued related to “climate-ready” crops—seeds supposedly able to withstand extreme conditions like droughts and floods; of these patents close to 80 percent were controlled by just six agribusiness giants, (DuPont, BASF, Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer and Dow). This represents an exclusive monopoly and control over the world’s plant biomass.

Organic and certified sustainability seafoods are increasingly popular, they are also healthier and environmentally less damaging than traditional foods. Organically grown foods are less destructive to the land, and because they do not require chemical fertilizers and they have a lower greenhouse gas profile.

According to a recent United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report titled Green Economy and Trade-Trends, Challenges and Opportunities, The global market for organic food and beverages is projected to grow from $62.9 billion in 2011 to $105 billion by 2015.

The total value of seafood that has been farmed according to certified sustainability standards is forecast to increase to $1.25 billion by 2015, up from $300 million in 2008, according to the report.

As the impacts of climate change worsen, extreme weather including drought will make it harder to grow enough food to feed the world. In addition, rising population levels, particularly in urban centers, will put added pressure on already constrained food resources.

By 2030, over 9 billion people will need to be fed, along with the billions of animals raised annually for food and as pets. Meanwhile, land and water pollution from intensive livestock production and over-grazing are leading to forest degradation, thereby contributing to climate change.

Pages

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Monday, May 27, 2013

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Friday, May 24, 2013

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Monday, May 20, 2013

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Friday, May 17, 2013

Thursday, May 16, 2013