Macron Refutes Trump in his Address to Congress

Although French President Emmanuel Macron seemed to get along famously with Trump, he pulled no punches in his address to Congress on Wednesday April 25. Macron unflinchingly contradicted some of the central tenets of the Trump administration ranging from freedom and multilateralism to environmental protection and climate action.

Macron schooled the beleaguered American president on the meaning of leadership and many of the ways that the Trump administration has failed to live up to its historic responsibilities.

Macron Guides Trump While Defending Truth and Climate Action

French President Emmanuel Macron is using his personal relationship with Donald Trump to encourage the beleaguered American leader to be more flexible. Macron also tackled climate change, fake news and some other contentious issues in his address to Congress.

The unlikely relationship between these two men is surprising, to say the least. Macron is a centrist who is diplomatic and eloquent in two languages. Trump has far right tendencies bordering on fascism. At his best Trump has been described as inarticulate at his worst incoherent.

The Illusion of Growth and the Fallacy of Kuznets Curve

Much of what we call growth is an illusion that is harmful to both humanity and the biosphere. Some have even ventured to put forward the absurd suggestion that economic growth as we currently define it can be good for both equality and biodiversity. This idea is expressed in what is known as a Kuznets Curve. In economics, a Kuznets Curve graphs the notion that as an economy develops, market forces first increase and then decrease economic inequality. The Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesizes that in the early stages of growth, biodiversity tends to suffer and in the later stages it benefits. However, both of these hypotheses are contradicted by the facts. Inequality is increasing and so are the destructive impacts we are having on our ecosystems.

A 2013 Economist magazine special report uses the logic of the environmental Kuznets Curve to suggest that we may not need to be concerned about growth because among other things, as income rises people can focus on nature. It is premised on the belief that as a nation's prosperity increases so too will their support for the environment. This has not materialized as research shows that the environmental impact of wealthier nations is greater than that of poorer nations.

Event - 2018 Texas Corporate Responsibility Summit

The fourth annual Corporate Responsibility Summit will take place on May 17, 2018, at the Houston Food Bank, 535 Portwall Street, Houston, Texas. Brought to you by the Council for Corporate Responsibility, the theme of the Summit is Global Reach, Local Impact. It will focus on business efforts to promote corporate citizenship. The goal is to bring the sharpest CR professionals from companies, corporations, and organizations together to share best practices on the Seven Pillars of Corporate Responsibility.

The Summit focuses on business efforts to promote corporate citizenship, bringing together companies, corporations, and organizations to share best practices on the Seven Pillars of Corporate Responsibility:

The Perils of Growth and the Ubiquity of Growthism

"To hasten growth is to hasten decay."
- Lao Tzu

Our growth focused economic models are destroying the earth's natural systems. When we factor environmental and social considerations our fixation with growth is revealed to be a road to ruin. This is evident from hotter temperatures, rising sea levels, extreme weather, melting ice, collapsing fisheries, water scarcity, expanding deserts, forest fires, dying coral reefs and species extinctions.

Event - 2018 Shared Value Leadership Summit

This event will take place on April 30 – May 2, in Conrad, New York. The 2018 Shared Value Leadership Summit will dive deep into the world’s greatest opportunities. This includes access to medicine, clean energy, smart technologies and workforce opportunities.  The Summit will be attended by the women and men who are taking shared value strategy from the boardroom to shared value reality on the ground.  The list of speakers includes former US Secretary of State and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Event - The World Environment Expo 2018

The World Environment Expo 2018 will take place on June 5 - 7 in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Green Society of India in association with Indian Exhibition Services is organizing the first ever World Environment Expo (WEE 2018), on 5-7 June 2018 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. This international exhibition on environment protection and clean & green energy is being hosted concurrently with World Environment Protection Congress 2018 and India Buildtech 2018 Expo.

Learning - Sustainability Strategy (Certificate, Diploma and Program)

In 2018 the certificate course in Sustainability Strategy will take place at St Gobain Innovation Centre, 95 Great Portland St, London, UK on June 4 - 5, August 6 - 7, October 1 - 5, and December 3 - 4. The Diploma in Sustainability Strategy will take place on August 6 - 7.

These courses of study are provided by ©Sustainability & CSR Insights, a business strategy think-tank and an Accredited Continuing Professional Development (CPD) company providing courses approved by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) for the ©Certificate in Sustainability Strategy, ©Diploma in Sustainability Strategy and dual certification The W. Edwards Deming Institute® Sustainability Strategy Program.

Kinder Morgan Pipeline is as Good as Dead

The Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion has been a thorny issue for Justin Trudeau's ruling Liberal government. The $7.8-billion pipeline would ferry 890,000 barrels of tar sands crude 1,150-kilometres from Edmonton to a terminal in Burnaby, B.C., near Vancouver, where it would be exported to markets in Asia.

The battle over the Kinder Morgan pipeline is about more than just the dangers of transporting oil by pipe, it is also about bitumen-filled supertankers in ecologically sensitive coastal waters. If it is built the pipeline will increase tanker and barge traffic 700 percent in the Salish Sea and Puget Sound. This will expose communities and the marine environment to the risk of an oil spill and imperil marine life including BC's Orca population.

Pruitt is Purging Scientists at the EPA

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt is purging science and scientitsts. To make matters worse many of the scientists that have been let go have been replaced with fossil fuel industry lobbyists and lawyers. Under Pruitt remaining scientists are muzzled and facts are suppressed. In addition to repealing regulations Pruitt is burying the science that supports the agency's rules.

The EPA under Pruitt has abandoned science and with it actions based on evidence. Instead of being guided by facts the agency is now guided by the very industries it is charged to regulate. The EPA was once one a paragon of science, now scientific conclusions that are incompatible with Pruitt's pro-polluter agenda are censored. Pruitt not only removed references to climate change from the EPA website, the agency's new four year strategic plan does not mention climate change once.

Event - 2018 Ceres Conference (Boston)

This Ceres conference will take place April 24-26 at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts. We urgently need to scale up sustainable solutions to climate change, water scarcity and pollution, and human rights abuses to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy and deliver on the goals of the global Paris Agreement. At Ceres Conference 2018, you will hear from institutional investors, C-Suite company executives and capital market leaders who understand the financial imperative of addressing these sustainability threats. Join 600 influential leaders across the U.S. and around the globe and help transform the economy to build a more sustainable future for generations to come. Ceres Conference 2017 in San Francisco brought together more more than 600 investor and company leaders and advocates who are catalyzing the biggest breakthroughs on sustainability. This year’s conference will also feature ‘World Ceres Talks’ to showcase innovative and inspiring leaders who bring a distinct message and unique perspective on a wide range of topics.

Event - International Coporate Citizensship Conference: Resilience, Responsibility, Results

The International Coporate Citizensship Conference, subtitled Resilience, Responsibility and Results will take place on April 8th 2018 in Los Angeles, California. At this conference, the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship will explore how strong corporate social responsibility programs can ensure a sustainable and prosperous future while delivering strong returns. This is the best place to connect and network with “who’s who” in the field.

Leading companies are demonstrating resilience and corporate responsibility to achieve results. They are advocating for environmental, social, and governance action at an unprecedented scale—and in doing so are investing now in what will make them stronger later.

Webinar - Sustainability Reporting is Evolving. Are you Adapting your Reporting?

This free webinaar will take place on Tuesday, April 10, 2018, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT.

Join speakers from Mentis Solutions and Greenstone for this free webinar to gain further insight into the sustainability reporting landscape and major trends that could impact the way you report going forward.

Pruitt's Advocacy on Behalf of Polluters is Killing Americans

Scott Pruitt makes his living sucking the teat of big polluters. Although Pruitt has all but ignored environmental groups he has regularly met with regulated concerns. The fossil fuel industry is now running the EPA and chemical industry lobbyists are writing the agency's toxic chemical rules.

Pruitt has quietly sought to eviscerate key protections including the Clean Power Plan, the Clean Water Rule, methane emission limits, and bans on dangerous pesticides like chlorpyrifos. Pruitt thinks industry should be allowed to discharge unlimited amounts of climate change causing emissions (carbon and methane), smog-forming volatile organic compounds, and cancer-causing pollutants like benzene into the air we breathe.

Pruitt is Destroying the EPA

The fact that Scott Pruitt is a climate denier and an oil industry minion does not mean he is ineffectual. Pruitt is not like his tempestuous and bellicose boss, he is a smooth operator. He took the job as EPA administrator with the intent of dismantling the agency he was tapped to lead. Despite concerns about his personal spending, his ability to execute his dirty industry agenda has made him Trump's most successful appointee. In the 14 months that he has been at the helm of the EPA he has succeeded in crippling the agency. The EPA's executive committee and the vast majority of subcommittees have been decimated. The agency is a shadow of its former self and what remains is being transformed into an instrument for political propaganda.

Decoupling Economic Growth and Resource Consumption

The decoupling of resource consumption and economic growth is among the greatest challenges we face. Although it is challenging such decoupling is a sensible approach to a serious problem. As explained by Achim Steiner, the former head of UNEP, "Decoupling makes sense on all the economic, social and environmental dials." .

Recent research exploring resource consumption in the context of respecting planetary boundaries* indicates that we are nowhere near where we need to be. Of the 150 countries studied, none afford resource use at a globally sustainable level.

Easter and the Environment: Spiritual and Cultural Transformation

The symbolism of Easter offers an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the natural world and the shift of consciousness required for the survival of life on this planet. If we are to find a way forward we urgently need to address climate change and environmental degradation.  To alter our perilous trajectory we need to assume responsibility for the state of our world. Science alone will not take us where we need to go. We need a spiritual transformation that will enable us to address the wide range of human activities that are adversely impacting the Earth's geology and ecosystems.  James Gustave Speth is an environmental scientist who believes that science cannot solve the crisis we face.

"I used to think the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that with 30 years of good science we could address those problems. But I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed, and apathy." Speth said, adding, "to deal with those we need a spiritual and cultural transformation - and we scientists don't know how to do that." Speth is the dean and professor in the practice of environmental policy and sustainable development at Yale University’s School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.

Canada Failing to Meet its Emission Reduction Commitments

Canada's first ever review of its climate policies indicate that thenation will not meet it's 2020 emission reduction commitments. The election of Justin Trudeau's Liberal government was met with tremendous optimism from those concerned about climate change.

Although this government portrays itself as a climate leader, it is now clear that Canada will not meet its 2020 emissions reduction commitments. Canada has pledged to reduce its emissions by 17 percent compared to 2005 levels. This shortfall is in stark contrast to the ruling Liberal party's climate action rhetoric and it is at odds with this government's support for decreasing the upper temperature limit to 1.5° C as opposed to 2° C.

The Death of Decoupling is a Major Blow to Climate Action

The evidence documenting the decoupling of economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions has been growing for years. The CDC has concluded that growth is compatible with emission reduction and Carbon Brief reported that 35 countries are showing signs of decoupling. If emissions coupled to growth is the problem then decoupling is the solution. This is the key to market driven solutions.

Event - Impact Capitalism Summit

The tenth annual Impact Capitalism Summit will take place on April 17-18, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. Referred to as the "The DAVOS of Impact Investing".  The Impact Capitalism Summit is the largest convening of investors focused on maximizing impact and maximizing return across asset classes.

Impact Driving Alpha & Diversity Driving Alpha are this year's themes at the Impact Capitalism Summit in Chicago. This year's conference will explore how institutional investors are finding market performance returns and better by looking at diversity as a potential source of arbitrage. "Talent is equally distributed but opportunity is not." Across asset classes, there is a large segment of our economy that is on the sidelines. Non-white, non-male fund managers, CEOs, and entrepreneurs have little access to the fuel needed to bring about meaningful innovation. Because of this, what great fund, company and investment strategy has not been funded?

Event - Alliance Conference on the Environment, Health, Safety and Quality

The EGSQ event will take place on April 18 - 20, 2018 at the Fairmont Austin in Texas. This event will be attended by world’s leading EHSQ professionals to Change Business for Good.

Network, learn and collaborate with hundreds of users, Intelex personnel and industry experts to transform business.

Event - Environmental Social Governance Summit: A Driver of Shareholder Value

The 4th annual Environmental Social Governance Summit will take place on April 5th 2018 at the Crowne Plaza Times Square, New York, NY.

The program will convene 200 heads of ESG, pension funds, institutional investors, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, and operational leaders to discuss how the ESG enterprise is reshaping itself to meet stakeholder expectations and best practices to improve company resilience.

The Skytop Strategies team is dedicated to crafting thought provoking agendas that are diverse, not only in areas of thought and experience, but in the broad range of attending speakers.

Event - Sustainable Brands Istanbul Turkey

This event will take place on April 18-19, 2018 at the Fairmont Quasar Istanbul in Istanbul, Turkey.  Looking to drive better business results? Sustainable Brands is home to the premier global community of brand leaders who are tapping environmental and social purpose to drive innovation and deliver new business and brand value.

Discover how shifting consumer demands around the world are changing the 21st-century economy. Benefit from NEW, fresh-from-the-field RESEARCH and CASE STUDIES to help you deliver positive social impact while strengthening your brand’s performance.

Hawkings Urges Climate Action to Halt Global Warming

One of greatest minds the world has ever known has died leaving behind some disturbing predictions about climate change. British professor Stephen Hawkings warned, "we are close to the tipping point where global warming becomes irreversible". Hawkings was a ground breaking theoretical physicist, often described as the world's smartest man. He contributed to our understanding of space and time but he is best known for his finding that black holes are not entirely black. He succumbed to complications from the motor neuron disease ALS on March 14th at the age of 76.

Public-Private Wastewater Partnerships

Public-private partnerships involving wastewater are part of an innovative approach to sustainability that delivers results. Wastewater is an overlooked and underutilized resource that delivers results. Businesses, communities, residents, and the environment all stand to benefit from wastewater initiatives. This reduces demand for clean water which is particularly important in areas subject to drought. Corporations are coming to terms with issues related to resource scarcity and increasingly showing leadership in water management.

Combating Climate Change to Slow Species Extinction

"We are entering a new era in Earth’s history: the Anthropocene. An era in which humans rather than natural forces are the primary drivers of planetary change. But we can also redefine our relationship with our planet, from a wasteful, unsustainable and predatory one, to one where people and nature can coexist in harmony."

WWF International director general Marco Lambertini

We are facing the sixth mass extinction event. According to a 2015 report one sixth of the world's species face extinction because of climate change. Human activity is eradicating species at an alarming pace and the death of the last male Northern White Rhino is a clarion call.

Republicans Protect the NRA and the Fossil Fuel Industry for Blood Money

Both the NRA and the fossil fuel industry are the harbingers of death they wield their power with legislative impunity thanks to their minions in the GOP. Republicans receive generous compensation in return for the political protection they provide.

Americans are being killed by the NRA's gun advocacy and the fossil fuel industry's pollution. Both the NRA and the fossil fuel industry deceive Americans through sophisticated misinformation campaigns and outright lies. Wanting to protect kids from gun violence in schools is something everyone can agree with. Similarly, we should also want to protect our kids from the far more deadly effects of climate change.

Webinar - Clean Air Act Policy Change

This webinar will take place on March 21, 2018. The full title of the webinar is "Clean Air Act Policy Change: How the End of the ‘Once In, Always In’ Policy Could Impact Major Source Emitters About the Webinar".  On January 25, 2018, the EPA announced that it was withdrawing the “Once in, Always in” policy for the classification of major sources of hazardous air pollutants under section 112 of the Clean Air Act. With the new guidance, sources of hazardous air pollutants previously classified as “major sources” may be reclassified as “area” sources at any time, as long as the facility limits its potential to emit below major source thresholds.

Webinar - Climate Adaptation Policy at the State and Local Level

A webinar titled "Climate Adaptation Policy at the State and Local Level" will take place on Monday, Apr 16th 2018 at 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM EDT. The webinar is presented by Arizona State University's School of Sustainability, with the American Society of Adaptation Professionals and the University of the District of Columbia's College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences. This is the first in a new five-webinar series titled "Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience Leadership Series".

Student Led Movement Challenges the NRA and the GOP

A student-led movement is taking on the NRA, the GOP and the president. This is not only manifesting as a series of protests, this is a movement that may augur major political changes. A solid majority of Americans want to see common sense gun legislation, the NRA and the GOP do not. People and corporations are taking on the NRA and demanding change in the wake the February 14th Parkland Florida shooting at a school named after conservationist Marjory Stoneman Douglas. However, the real heroes of this story are the students themselves.

Event - Sustainability Action in Turbulent Times

This Action Lab event will take place on Wednesday, 14 March 2018 from 18:30 to 21:00 (GMT) at the St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, 78 Bishopsgate, London, United Kingdom.

At this event you will find like-minded sustainability professionals taking part in an action-packed evening of meaningful conversations, idea generation and professional skill building. In true form for The Action Lab, expect immersive learning and speed networking through thought-provoking activities and valuable dialogue. All this at our awesome venue - The Bedouin Tent, in the heart of the city with drinks and canapes included in your ticket price.

Webinar - Women and Sustainability: Your Green Career Audit

This free online event will take place on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at 3 pm (15:00). Your Green Career Audit is a one hour long webinar by Rhian Sherrington, Executive & Career Coach, Founder, Women in Sustainability.

Where exactly ARE you right now in your 'green career'? Do you know what you simply must have in your working life in order to enjoy a fulfilling and meaningful career? Gain clarity and perspective by particpating in this powerful training derived from Envision Circle Group Coaching Programme.

Remembering Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school is now synonymous with a Valentines Day massacre, however, the school in Parkland Florida was named after a leading figure in the history of American conservationism. Marjory was a writer best known for her Everglades conservation advocacy. Marjory helped people to understand that the well being of humanity is inextricably linked to the health of the environment. One of her critics described her as having both "moral authority" and a tongue like a "switchblade".

The core of Marjory's enduring legacy is her stalwart defense of the Everglades. Over the period of many decades, she succeeded in fighting off development efforts in the Everglades. She galvanized people in defense of what she described as an ecosystem worth protecting. If it were not for her, the Everglades may very well have been drained and developed. Consequently, she has earned the appellation of "Grand Dame of the Everglades".

Women are the Key to a More Sustainable Future

The importance of women to the future of our species goes way beyond their procreative power.  Female leadership is better leadership and this augurs a better world.

Women's Day is an opportunity to advocate for true equality and to share the evidence revealing why women are the more sustainable sex. Empowering them is good for people, the planet and profits. If we want to move forward we need to unambiguously assign blame. Women's rights are human rights and men that deny these rights need to be called out.

Panel Discussion - Women: Key to Sustainability’

Women: Key to Sustainabiltiy will take place on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Avogadro’s Number (605 S Mason Street Fort Collins, Colorado 80524.

This Managing the Planet panel discussion will address the powerful contribution women are making towards sustainable development. It will make the point that the pressing challenges facing humanity today and issues from poverty to climate change can be mitigated through the empowerment and education of women. There is a growing awareness that women are a force in decisions from the local to the global level; they provide knowledge that draws attention to health care, education and discriminatory policies where balance serves as a prerequisite for sustainable development. The panel of scientists will provide insight on how women are forging the path toward environmental stewardship, social justice, and equal economic opportunity.

Corporate America Resists Trump and Embraces Sustainability

Corporations have the power to resist the most powerful office in the land and they are beginning to bring that power to bear. They are tackling some of the most urgent problems of our times including pressing social issues and daunting environmental threats.

Climate concerns are at the leading edge of resistance to Trump and corporations are at the forefront. Sustainability leaders are coming to understand that they cannot afford to ignore the elephant in the room they must resist. In the era of Trump sustainability matters more than ever. There are a large and growing number of companies that are making the case against Trump by taking sustainability to new heights. Sustainability is both a bulwark against this administration and a pro-social form of protest that refutes much of what Trump stands for.

Event - Citizens' Climate Lobby

The 9th Annual Citizens’ Climate International Conference & Lobby Day will take place on June 10-12, 2018 at the Omni Shoreham 2500 Calvert Street NW (Red Line – Woodley Park) Washington, DC 20008. In the face of political divisiveness, the Citizens' Climate Lobby is bringing Republicans and Democrats together. In the face of uncertainty and distraction, they will maintain a laser-like focus on their goal.

Everyone from brand new CCL volunteers to seasoned citizen lobbyists will receive special training on how to communicate about climate change and climate solutions.

Event - She is Still Sustainable (SiSS)

The She is Still Sustainable (SiSS) event will take place on March 27-28 2018, in Central London, near Liverpool Street station. This lunchtime-to-lunchtime event will offer networking, workshops, and panels. There will also be a Forum for the Future’s Sara Parkin OBE, Solitaire Townsend (author of The Happy Hero), Becky Willis (former Deputy Chair of the Sustainable Development Commission), Sophie Banks (Transition Towns’ Inner Transition) and dozens of other fabulous women.

Exxon Oil Deal with Russia Falls Through

Despite the Trump administration's efforts, the half trillion dollar Exxon oil deal with Russia has finally succumbed to sanctions.

There is evidence to suggest that the fossil fuel venture may have been the financial impetus behind Russian interference in the US election in 2016. It is an incontrovertible fact that the Russian government used their resources to support the candidacy of Donald Trump. There are good reasons to believe that this deal may have played a role in this extraordinary breach of US sovereignty that some have called an act of war on a par with Pearl Harbor.

Corporate America Versus the NRA

Leading American businesses are going toe to toe with the National Rifle Association (NRA). Corporate America is heeding the call for change in the wake of the shooting that killed 17 people at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida.

More than 20 companies have severed their ties with the NRA because the gun advocacy group refuses to consider common sense solutions. The NRA controversy is unfolding against the backdrop of a changing landscape where it may no longer possible for companies to remain neutral.