Earth Day 2012 and Business

Earth Day is about sharing an awareness that results in lasting change and nowhere is this more important than in the business community. Everyone needs to be involved and invested to enact the scope of the changes required. But as a leading contributor of climate change causing emissions business has a unique responsibility. As part of efforts to raise awareness businesses are reaching out to employees, customers and their supply chains.

Changes in the way we do business are key to planetary health. We all have the responsibility to engage people in our personal and professional circles. Most importantly we need to lead by example. For businesses this means engaging sustainability and adopting best practices.

The business community is at the forefront of the sustainability revolution. One of the notable Earth Day activities for business involves partnerships between the Earth Day Network and some major corporations. Two examples of close collaboration with the Earth Day Network come from Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC (BATO) and Best Western International.

Earth Day is indeed a marketing bonanza, but it is more than just one day of smoke and mirrors. Earth Day is an opportunity to share sustainability initiatives, kick off environmental activities and highlight employee engagement programs that last throughout the year.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Greenpeace Exposes the Koch Brothers

Greenpeace has been following the climate killing crusades of the infamous Koch brothers for a long time. Greenpeace has reported on how these brothers have used their vast oil wealth and influence to divert huge sums money for massive misinformation campaigns. The Koch brothers are big funders of right-wing think-tanks such as Americans for Prosperity, the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute, which they use as part of their propaganda arsenal.

Most recently they reported on a secret meeting of prominent figures at Rancho Mirage in the Californian desert. In June, about 200 key figures in business, energy, the media and law gathered to raise political influence money and fight the Obama administration. According to Politico, some $25 million in donations to Koch-backed groups was pledged at the lunch on the final day, including several individual pledges of $1 million and $12 million by the Koch brothers themselves.

Greenpeace and other organizations sponsored an airship which greeted attendees with the words,"Koch brothers dirty money."

Greenpeace researchers estimated that the 200 or so participants in Aspen contributed more than $61 million to political campaigns between 1990 and 2010. They successfully wielded this influence during the 2010 mid-term elections.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Lego and Mattel Bow to Greenpeace Pressure and Eliminate Unsustainable Packaging

Lego has bowed to Greenpeace pressure and has discontinued its sourcing of packaging made from unsustainable forests. Lego has agreed to drop supplier Asia Pulp and Paper, and vows to use packaging material certified by the Forest Stewardship Council from now on.

Greenpeace considers APP the worst forest offender in Indonesia. The non-profit has requested that all toy companies stop buying paper products from APP and its associates. Greenpeace also called on the companies to implement new sustainable procurement policies for purchase of all pulp and paper products.

Lego has now announced that it is aiming to reduce the amount of packaging material it uses; where possible use only recycled materials; and where a recycled option is not possible, use only FSC-certified fibers.

In addition to welcoming Lego's decision, Greenpeace blamed other major toy companies for their inadequate response to the APP allegations. While they publicly lauded Lego's decision they continued to pressure other toy makers.

Clever pressure campaigns appear to be working. In June Greenpeace scaled Mattel’s headquarters and unfurled a banner featuring a picture of toy Ken that read, “Barbie, it’s over. I don’t date girls that are into deforestation.” The next day, Mattel released a statement confirming that it had put a hold on purchasing supplies that originate from APP, and pledging to create a sustainable procurement policy.

Greepeace has a long history of pressuring reluctant companies to engage more sustainable approaches to commerce. For corporations that refuse to see the wisdom and accept the responsibility, Greenpeace offers another approach to move business towards sustainability.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Nike and H&M Bow to Greenpeace's Detox Challenge

A Greenpeace initiative known as the "Detox Challenge," is working to create a future free of toxic substances. Nike bowed to pressure from the Greenpeace campaign after only five weeks, and H&M agreed to comply not long after that. Both companies have promised to eliminate hazardous chemicals throughout their entire supply chains.

Nike has vowed to remove hazardous substances from across their entire supply chain, and the entire life-cycle of its products, by 2020. The sportswear giant have also promised to use their influence, knowledge and experience to bring about “widespread elimination” of hazardous chemicals from the clothing industry, Greenpeace says.

“Within eight weeks, Nike Inc. will announce its action plan for the goal of eliminating hazardous chemicals within our supply chain addressing transparency, chemical management, including how we will address the need for industry disclosure in line with right to know principles and a timeline for the elimination of the highest priority hazardous chemicals,” Nike said in a statement. “Nike Inc. is committed to the goal of zero discharge of hazardous chemicals by 2020.”

Most recently Greenpeace asked H&M, Europe’s second largest clothing retailer to commit to eliminating all uses and discharges of hazardous chemicals throughout its entire supply chain. In late summer of 2011, H&M joined Nike, Puma and adidas in pledging to eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals from all its product production processes by 2020.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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