Archive for January 2012

Home Archive for January 2012

GHG Protocol and Scope 3 Accounting and Reporting Standard

January 31, 2012 Add Comment Edit

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) is the most widely used international accounting tool for government and business leaders to understand, quantify, and manage greenhouse gas emissions. A decade-long partnership between the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for...

The Success of RGGI Carbon Trading Shows Cap-and-Trade Works

January 31, 2012 Add Comment Edit

Despite opposition from Republicans, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) has been shown to be very successful. A January 28th New York Times article reviewed RGGI a carbon trading initiative launched by ten northeastern states in January 2009. According to independent reports the emissions...

What can be Done to Manage the Green Business Slowdown in 2012?

January 30, 2012 Add Comment Edit

The 2012 State of Green Business Report anticipates a slowdown in 2012, but there are strategies to best manage the hard times ahead. Innovation is the key and this can be achieved through collaboration and cross-fertilization. Collaboration within industries and between industries is crucial to unlock...

January 30, 2012 Add Comment Edit

There are indications that as government money dries up, it will auger hard times for green business in 2012. The financial crisis saw a capital infusion into the green economy of around 2.400 billion USD. In 2012 we are seeing widespread spending cuts and funding has slowed dramatically. This is the...

January 29, 2012 Add Comment Edit

In 2010, CSA Standards, a leading standards-based solutions organization, introduced standards for use by event organizers seeking to plan and execute sustainable events. A sustainable event entails incorporating considerations of the environmental, social, and economic impacts of hosting an event...

Participate in the 2012 Green California Summit & Expo

January 29, 2012 Add Comment Edit

The Green California Summit and Expo is the largest annual event focused on green policy, practice and technology. This event will take place on April 26th and 27th 2012 in Sacramento. For the second year in a row THE GREEN MARKET is proud to be an outreach sponsor for the sixth annual Green California...

Video: National Landscape Conservation System

January 28, 2012 Add Comment Edit

This video narrated by actor and conservationist Edward Norton, reviews a land conservation system for the twenty-first century. See some of America's most prized landscapes known as the Conservation Lands. A new land ethic is focused on protecting some of the most beautiful American lands from development....

Video: Reducing Emissions Through Forest Preservation with REDD

January 28, 2012 Add Comment Edit

This video deals with the crucial role that forests play to reduce emissions and manage climage change. Specifically the video offers a simplified understanding of REDD which is an abbreviation for "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries." This video explains...

January 28, 2012 Add Comment Edit

This video offers a simplified explanation of carbon credits and carbon finance. First it reviews greenhouse gases or GHGs, then it uses the example of a coal plant in the developing world to demonstrate how credits are earned and traded.© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserve...

Canadian Prime Minister Criticized Over Tar Sands Development at Davos

January 27, 2012 Add Comment Edit

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper advocated for European investment and reiterated his support for oil expansion. Harper is concerned about the new European Fuel Quality Directive, which targets dirty sources of energy, like Alberta's tar sands.According...

Sustainable Brands' Five Trends for 2012

January 26, 2012 Add Comment Edit

Early in January Sustainable Brands published an article by Raphael Bemporad that addressed five trends that he believes will shape sustainable brands in 2012. Bemporad is the founding partner and Chief Strategy Officer of BBMG, he is a passionate champion for a new approach to brand innovation that...

Top Business Sustainability Trends for 2012

January 26, 2012 Add Comment Edit

In 2012 it is becoming increasingly clear that sustainability adds value and helps to make an organization more competitive. Sustainability is moving beyond public relations and becoming a matter of survival. More organizations are engaging robust risk management and environmentally conscious operations....

Clean Energy Excerpts of President Obama's 2012 State of the Union Speech

January 25, 2012 Add Comment Edit

Members of the US House and Senate, along with hundreds of distinguished guests, convened at the Capitol on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 9 p.m. for President Obama's third State of the Union Address. According to article II, Section 3, Clause 1 of the US Constitution, the President must “give to the...

Will 2012 be the Best Year Ever For Clean-Tech Investment?

January 25, 2012 Add Comment Edit

Global investment in clean technology is expected to set a record in 2012 beating the record of $260 billion set in 2011. “Despite some of the well-publicized headwinds, venture capitalists continue to invest in clean-tech,” said Sheeraz Haji, chief executive officer of Cleantech Group, “Based on our...

US Regains Lead from China as Clean Energy Leader

January 24, 2012 Add Comment Edit

It may be the Chinese new year, but according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, in 2011 the US regained its place as the world’s number one investor in clean energy. According to this data the US has reclaimed the top spot from China which had been the leading country since 2008.Bloomberg’s figures...

China is Leading in terms of Renewable Energy Attractiveness

January 24, 2012 Add Comment Edit

According to Ernst & Young’s Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index, China is the best place in the world for renewable energy investment. In 2011 the Chinese government announced that it will hold tenders for 2GW of projects to reach its target of 5GW of offshore power by 2015. But Ernst...

January 23, 2012 Add Comment Edit

Many organizations that practice corporate social responsibility (CSR) are expanding their reach in 2012. Corporations are increasingly seeing the value of environmental sustainability. In addition to making more environmentally responsible decisions in 2012, organizations are realizing the value of...

January 23, 2012 Add Comment Edit

The stock market has not performed well in 2011 and green stocks are no exception. If the US can maintain its current trajectory and Europe can avoid slipping into recession, 2012 may prove to be a better year for the alternative energy and cleantech sector. The overall environment was not the only...

Course on Life Cycle Assessment of Products, Processes & Services

January 22, 2012 Add Comment Edit

A course is now being offered on the life cycle approach. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is being used by businesses and governments to improve the sustainability of products, processes and services. Businesses like 3M, Alcan, HP, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and others are using LCA to reduce product...

January 22, 2012 Add Comment Edit

This four hour workshop is designed to help green teams audit their energy, waste, water, transportation and health. The goal is to understand their "gap" and develop a plan to "green up" their facility. Course ContentCourse content includes a discussion of best practices for employee engagement for...

Video: GE Creating Jobs with Fuel Efficient Airplanes

January 21, 2012 Add Comment Edit

GE has launched a new ad campaign that shows American innovation at work and the company’s commitment to providing Americans jobs by building quieter and more fuel-efficient airplanes.© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserve...

January 21, 2012 Add Comment Edit

Walmart's sustainability efforts are making a positive impact on a global scale. These efforts are evident from the products they sell to the packaging, to the way those products are used by their customers. Sustainability is inextricably embedded within their overall business strategy and carbon reduction...

Video: Aveda's Ongoing Culture of Sustainability

January 21, 2012 Add Comment Edit

Dominique Nils Conseil became president of Aveda in 2000, taking over from Horst Rechelbacher. He has maintained the company mission which was focused on safe and environmentally friendly products. Aveda's emphasis on planet friendly approach to business has helped make the company one of the world's...

Video: Creating a Culture of Sustainability

January 21, 2012 Add Comment Edit

The way to achieve corporate sustainability is by creating the culture from the ground up. Leading sustainability expert and author of Capitalism at the Crossroads, Stuart L. Hart, believes that when sustainability is viewed from the appropriate set of business lenses, leaders can create a culture...

January 20, 2012 Add Comment Edit

The number of green jobs is proliferating around the world, but some places are better than others. In countries like the US, China, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore the recycling industry is experiencing significant growth to address their waste management issues. In the US, California, Florida, Michigan...

January 20, 2012 Add Comment Edit

Green jobs are growing rapidly around the world. Sectors involved with employment that is better for the environment are amongst the very few that are showing positive signs of growth in 2012 and beyond. According to Examiner.com, here are the sectors that are most likely to create jobs.1. Energy Efficiency...

January 19, 2012 Add Comment Edit

Claire Easley the senior editor at Builder recently published an article about Jerry Yudelson impressions for the green building industry in 2012. Yudelson has more than 25 years of work in sustainability, he has been a member of the U.S. Green Building Council’s board of directors, a LEED national...