One Planet Summit Highlights the EU's Climate Leadership

As evidenced by the recent One Planet Summit, the EU and its member states are leading climate action. In the EU, governments, businesses and investors are all engaged in hopeful efforts and initiatives designed to combat climate change.

On the anniversary of the signing of the Paris Climate agreement on December 12, French President Macron convened a summit to encourage private and public financing for the implementation of the Paris agreement. The One Planet Summit was attended by governments, corporations and other organizations. At this event the European Union announced that it would invest at least €9 billion (US$10 billion) on clean energy, sustainable cities and agriculture. Even Theresa May, the less than green-minded prime minister of the UK, acknowledged the need for wealthy nations to help the developing world. She pledged to contribute £140 million to help poorer countries manage climate change.

European nations are also working towards the goal of eradicating emissions. Germany is already a climate leader and that nation has announced that it will slash its greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 95 percent by 2050. France has emerged as the global climate leader. The country in engaged in serious emission reduction efforts through the adoption of a host of forward looking initiatives.

The EU and its member states are leading producers of renewable energy. engaged in consorted efforts to reduce emissions, ratchet-up climate finance, move away from fossil fuels, grow the green economy, and invest in agricultural adaptation.

The EU's efforts are all the more important in the face of the fiasco that is the Trump administration. Trump has eviscerated the US government's climate action plan. Trump announced that he is withdrawing from the 2015 Paris Climate agreement.

The US is now the only nation on Earth that has will not honor to their emissions reduction pledges. In the face of an historically irresponsible US government the EU is leading nations, organizations and individuals who are committed to the goals of the Paris Accord.

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France Shows Trump What Climate Leadership Looks Like

France is leading climate action. The host nation for the signing of the historic Paris Agreement has repeatedly refuted Trump's climate denial while adopting a raft of measures as part of an ambitious national climate plan.  It is fair to say that with its support of science, climate focused political agenda, and progressive climate plan France is one of the most sustainable countries in the world.  French efforts have been ongoing for years and include everything from mandatory sustainability reporting to the problem of food waste. In May France announced that it was moving forward with 17 GW of clean energy investments. These are just some of the reason France has emerged as a global climate leader.


Science

The US under Donald Trump is the only nation in the world that is not signed on to the Paris Climate Agreement. In reponse to Trump's contempt for climate science, France awarded "Make Our Planet Great Again" grants to 18 researchers including 13 US climate scientists. The research grants will extend throughout the remainder of Trump's term (assuming he is able to avoid impeachment). The laureates include professors and researchers from Cornell University, Columbia University, and Stanford University.

Following Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Accord in June French President Emmanuel Macron said that France would cover the US share of funding for a U.N. climate change panel. When Macron and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger met in July they made fun of Trump's climate denial. "Now we will deliver together to make the planet great again," Macron said.

He also sent out an invitation to US climate scientists saying:

"To all scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs who were disappointed by the decision of the President of the United States I want to say that they will find in France a second homeland. I call them to come and work here, with us on concrete solutions for our climate and our environment. I can assure you that France will not give up the fight".

Macron awarded 3-5 year long climate research grants worth between €1 - €1.5 million. The grants cover research for climate modeling as well as well as the technological and social challenges associated with transitioning away from fossil fuels. At the beginning of 2018, France is teaming up with Germany to provide €60 million worth of grants to 50 projects.

Macron said during the ceremony: “We will be there to replace US financing of climate research. If we want to prepare for the changes of tomorrow, we need science”.

As reported by the Star one of the awardees lamented the "devaluing of science by this administration" These remarks came from Louis Derry, a leading professor of Earth and atmospheric sciences at Cornell, who also said that he is happy to be free of the "crazy stuff that goes on in Congress and with the current administration".

Another grant recipient is Núria Teixidó Ullod, a visiting scientist at Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University. Her research revealed the relationship between fossil fuels and drought. Another recipient of the French grant is Alessandra Giannini. Giannini is a Research Scientist at Columbia University. Giannini is well known for having conducted research that makes a causal connection between global warming and drought.

Trump is pleased to see these people go because their research flatly contradicts his climate denying narrative.

Politics

Macron has made it clear that climate action will continue regardless of what the ruling US administration does. After it has become clear that the US president has no interest in listening to reason, The French president seems to have decided that Trump is not relevant. Macron is part of a growing chorus that sees Trump as irrelevant. To make the point Trump was not invited to the climate-focused UN and World Bank's "One Planet Summit," that took place one day after the Macron's grant award ceremony.

France must also be acknowledged for having stemmed the tide of right-wing populism. In the wake of Trump's electoral victory, some were concerned that similar dystopia creating governments would pop up all across Europe.

Many are saying that France's rejection of the far right in recent elections killed the momentum that threatened all of Europe. Germans followed the French lead reelected Angela Merkle. Europeans seem to be rejecting the politics of Trump (and UK Prime Minister Theresa May), instead they are embracing progressive centrist forms of government. The importance of France in this respect cannot be overstated. France is a bulwark against the cancerous nationalism that is presently dividing Americans.

The fossil fuel industry pays the Repubublicans handsomely to deny climate science and the recent tax bill is an homage to that relationship. It would appear that Trump and the GOP are using nationalism to mask a plutocracy.

Although Macron's government is decidedly pro-capitalism, they are also anti-corruption. The Trump administration by contrast is the most corrupt administration in Amercian history. 

Economy

France is a model for Republicans who purport to be concerned about the economy and claim to be pro-business. Since 2015 the French economy has been steadily growing. Entrepreneurs seem to be thriving in the country and this has pushed France ahead of the rest of Europe in startup fundraising.Macron acknowledges the importance of climate consideration as both a health concern and an economic issue. This is evident in their appraisal of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada. In October France announced that they would only ratify the trade deal it will not affect the nation's climate policies and regulations.

France has seen tremendous economic returns from their investments in clean energy.  First with nuclear and increasingly with renewables France is a clean energy titan. France is currently a low carbon energy leader getting more than 75 percent of its electricity from nuclear power. It produces so much energy, in fact, that it exports much of it to nearby nations to the annual tune of $3.2 billion.

"France wants to become the No. 1 green economy." This is part of France's ambitious climate plan. After the announcement Shares of French automaker, PSA Group rose 2.4 percent and Renault SA gained 1.9 percent, making them the day’s best performers on the Bloomberg 500 Autos Index.

Climate plan

In July French Ecological Transition Minister Nicolas Hulot unveiled details of a national climate plan to help France eliminate net carbon emissions by 2050.  Macron's predecessor President Francois Hollande, strongly supported renewable energy and he made bold strides towards ramping up capacity.  Holland announced that France will close all of the nation's coal-fired power plants by 2022.

Macron is continuing Holland's agenda by ramping up renewables and encouraging homeowners to produce their own energy. Last summer Macron announced that he is planning a massive home renovation retrofit program that will reduce energy consumption and cut CO2 emissions.

France is embracing renewables are abandoning fossil fuels. This includes an initiative to end the sale of fossil fuel powered cars by 2040. Hulot said that the government will stop issuing licenses for oil and gas exploration on French territory. "There will be no new exploration licenses for hydrocarbons," Hulot told BFMTV. Hulot has previously indicated that France will offer tax incentives to help get fossil fuel powered vehicles--especially older vehicles--off of the road. Hulot has also expressed an interest in raising diesel taxes.

On the issue of climate change Trump is like Macron's polar opposite just as Scott Pruitt is Huot's evil antithesis. Trump and Pruitt are eroding support for renewables and smoothing the path for more fossil fuel development.  The contrast between the climate focus of Macron's government and the rampant denial in the Trump administration could not be starker. The two governments have diametrically opposed climate narratives. While Macron is charting a course into the future, Trump is reaching back to the darkness that got us here.

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Corporations Need to Get Over their Fear of Reporting Failure

Corporations, particularly those who purport to be interested in sustainability, need to bravely report where no reports have gone before. Many firms instinctively shield their failures from the public, however, forward looking corporations know that even here there is value to transparency.  

Although it is hard to avoid getting defensive about shortcomings, being forthcoming about weakness augurs transformative opportunities. Those who have the courage to honestly acknowledge the facts are in a position to change the paradigm. Problems are transformed into an exercise in problem-solving. Identifying weakness becomes an invitation to improve. 

PR guru Lou Hoffman says that transparency pays. Hoffman is the founder of PR firm The Hoffman Agency. "[A] company can garner goodwill from the public for being honest, transparent, and accountable," Hoffman said in an EcoBusiness interview at the recent Asia 360 conference in Singapore.

"In the earnest, fact-based world of sustainability communications there is no room for spin, but companies need to be brave enough to talk about failure." Companies hate talking about their failures, especially when it comes to sustainability. According to Hoffman, being open about their weaknesses as well their achievements might help firms avoid one of the biggest corporate communications sins - being boring. A company that has been forthright about their shortcomings will build trust so that consumers will be more forgiving if things go wrong.

Missteps are part of a good sustainability story. Having problems is not the problem while failing to report them in a clear and accurate way can be. However, disclosing weaknesses in the absence of corrective action is a recipe for disaster. Companies can redeem themselves if they are  prepared to respond. As explained by Hoffman.

"If a company doesn’t have a solution, it would be risky. But if the company has taken the right steps and has addressed the issue, then it’s no longer in question whether or not they will do the right thing."

The key proviso here is sincerity, an organization that is truly earnest will benefit from transparency. Hoffman says that by admitting mistakes companies can bank goodwill and that can pay lucrative dividends when something goes seriously wrong.

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Apple's Earth Day Leadership in 2017

Leading corporations are helping to show the way forward this Earth Day and no company has come further in recent years than Apple. 

They were slow off the mark but since Tim Cook took over as CEO in 2011 and hired former EPA administrator Lisa Jackson in 2013 Apple has made amazing progress. Jackson is Apple's VP of environment, policy, and social initiatives. In the last four years Apple has significantly improved their environmental sustainability performance while ameliorating working conditions and transparency.

In 2017 Apple led the Greenpeace Tech Company Rankings and strengthened its competitive advantage by showing leadership in recycling, clean energy, emissions reduction, waste management and water stewardship.

Standing up to Trump

Despite the anti-environmental orientation of Trump and Republicans, Apple continues to honor and improve on the climate pledges it made under President Obama. In the US Apple has been building giant solar power plants near its data centers and offices in North Carolina, Nevada and California. Jackson is letting the Trump administration know where Apple stands. "One thing this administration has made clear is that they want to hear from business and so we’re going to do everything we can to make our values known," Jackson said. 

There are lots of good reasons why businesses are combating climate change. Apple is one of several companies that are resisting Trump and rejecting his false narrative that regulations are bad for business.

Recycling

Apple is a recycling leader. Just in time for Earth Day Apple vowed to add to their efforts by ending mining and using only recycled materials. This commitment is motivated by environmental concerns and to mitigate against risks associated with supply chain shortages. Apple is acknowledging the impact that electronics manufacturing is having on the planet. Rather than mine the earth for rare minerals and metals Apple plans to use only recycled materials for its products. "Climate change is undeniable," the company said in a recent report. "Earth's resources won't last forever. And technology must be safe for people to make and use. We don't question these realities -- we challenge ourselves to ask what we can do about them in every part of our business."

Apple makes the point that bold commitments are required even if the details have yet to be ironed out. Although the specific supply chains have yet to be identified there are sufficient raw materials in the billions of discarded phones and other recyclable electronics.

"We're actually doing something we rarely do, which is announce a goal before we've completely figured out how to do it," Jackson told Vice. "So we're a little nervous, but we also think it's really important, because as a sector we believe it's where technology should be going."

Being a little nervous means they are pushing the envelope of the possible and that is precisely the kind of effort we need to see from the corporate world.

"We are committing as a company to not necessarily having to source from the earth for everything that we need," Jackson said.

Given the rising rates of cell phone use and the low recycling rates (approximately 16 percent in 2014) Apple sees an opportunity and is prepared to lead the industry in the area of using recycled materials. 

Renewable Energy

Apple is among several companies that have taken the "100% Renewables" pledge. Apple relies on renewables in 24 countries accounting for 96 percent of its energy usage. Apple has also encouraged their suppliers to do use renewable sources of power. “We look at our carbon footprint as so much more than just our office, our data centers, our stores – even our distribution centers,” Jackson said. “All that’s included in our 96 percent, but now we’re moving on to our supply chain.”

In April, Environmental Leader reported three more suppliers (Compal Electronics, Sunwoda Electronics and Biel Crystal Manufactory) have committed to using renewable energy to manufacture Apple components. There are now a total of seven Apple suppliers who have taken the 100 percent renewables pledge.

Apple and its suppliers expect to generate over 2.5 billion kWh annually of clean energy by the end of 2018. Apple is also getting ready to add clean power to the grid. In June 2016 Apple applied for a federal license to sell any excess solar electricity.

Emissions reduction

Apple has adopted science-based emissions reduction targets and they are also working to reduce supply chain emissions by increasing suppliers’ renewable energy use. In the first year of the company’s energy efficiency program, suppliers at 13 sites prevented more than 13,800 metric tons of carbon emissions through replacing outdated or inefficient heating, cooling, and lighting systems, repairing compressed air leaks, and recovering and redirecting waste heat.

In 2016, Apple tripled the number of supplier sites participating in its energy efficiency program. Through this effort Apple suppliers have reduced their carbon emissions by 150,000 metric tons. Apple’s 2017 Supplier Responsibility progress report indicates that the adoption of renewables by several large suppliers will reduce carbon emissions by 7,000,000 metric tons per year by the end of 2018.

Waste management

In 2015 Apple suppliers diverted more than 73,000 metric tons of waste from landfills in 2016, the company’s suppliers diverted more than 200,000 metric tons of waste from landfills. As reported by Environmental Leader (EL) in March, Apple’s 2017 Supplier Responsibility progress report indicates that the company’s suppliers had for the first time achieved 100 percent UL Zero Waste to Landfill validation for all final assembly sites in China.

The average environment assessment score across Apple’s 705 supply chain assessments in 2016 was 87 out of 100.

Apple worked with Tech-Com final assembly supplier in Shanghai and the local recycling facility to develop a better process for separating and recycling industrial waste and managing food waste. This enabled Tech-Com to recycle 100 percent of its manufacturing and composting its food waste. Since 2015, Tech-Com has diverted more than 10,000 metric tons of waste from landfills. Apple supplier Foxconn Zhengzhou recycling efforts succeeded in diverting 40 percent of landfill-bound waste and much of the remaining waste went to waste-to-energy facilities. In early 2016 Foxconn Zhengzhou was already 96 percent landfill-free and by the end of the year they had achieved their goal of being 100 percent landfill free.

Hazardous materials

Last year 100 percent of process chemicals at all final assembly facilities were free of “Apple-prohibited substances”. Apple has identified a list of hazardous chemicals in their Regulated Substances Specification list. Apple has prohibited or limited the use of these chemicals in their manufacturing processes. The company is now working with its suppliers to identify and eliminate the use of these chemicals at its non-final assembly facilities.

Water stewardship

Apple’s 2017 Supplier Responsibility progress report also highlights efforts to improve water management. Apple’s Clean Water Program, which focuses on using less freshwater in suppliers’ processes and increasing the reuse and recycling of treated wastewater, saved more than 3.8 billion gallons of freshwater in 2016. This represents a 35 percent average reuse rate across 86 sites. Since 2013, Apple’s water management program has saved more than 8 billion gallons of freshwater, Apple says.

Competitiveness

Apple’s sustainability efforts are a model that others should follow. These efforts are not just good for the planet they are benefiting the bottom line and reducing risks by becoming more resistant to threats. As reported by environmental leader, Apple Foxcoon Zhengzhou recyclingApple’s latest supply chain audit report shows its push for more rigorous environmental standards and renewable energy production across its supply chain is working.

"We’re proud of the progress we’ve made so far," writes Apple COO Jeff Williams, in a letter at the beginning of the supplier responsibility report. "Yet even as you read this, Apple continues to address challenges throughout the supply chain. We are openly working with industry partners, governments, NGOs, and others who share our vision of improving lives and caring for the environment."

As explained in the EL article, "other companies should take note, and look for ways they can improve their supply chain sustainability to stay competitive." Leading companies can take a page from Apple’s playbook and continue pursing environmental sustainability goals across the supply chain.

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Apple Leads Greenpeace Tech Company Rankings

For the third year in a row Apple is at the top of Greenpeace's environmental rankings for tech companies in 2017.  Apple led platform operators with a score of 83 percent on Greenpeace’s Clean Energy Index. Facebook came in second with a score of  and Google 67 percent and Google came in third with 56 percent.

Apple's final grade was an A for energy transparency, renewable energy commitment, energy efficiency and mitigation, and renewable procurement. The company received a B for advocacy. Google got all A's except for a B in the transparency category, however as noted above they did not fare well in the clean energy component.

These rankings assess the energy footprints of large data center operators. They appeared in a Greenpeace USA report titled, "Clicking Clean: Who is Winning the Race to Build a Green Internet?" This is the eighth annual ranking of tech companies conducted by Greenpeace that is released early in the new year. This report was released on January 10, 2017.

Apple has evolved into one of the most environmentally progressive companies in the world. They have some very ambitious plans for the near future. They will soon move into their Apple Campus 2. When it opens it will be powered by almost three quarters of a million square feed of solar panels.

As stated in the report, Apple has "played a catalytic role within its IT supply chain, pushing other IT data center and cloud operators who help deliver pieces of Apple’s corner of the internet to follow their lead in powering their operations with renewable energy."

There was a new winner this year in the colocation and content delivery network company category. Las Vegas based Switch develops data centers and is involved with the telecommunication, cloud, and colocation services. They appear on the list for the first time due to the fact that they are already entirely powered by renewable energy. Switch was given all A’s and 100 percent on the clean energy index.

As part of the RE100 pledge Apple, Facebook and Google are all converting to clean energy. All three tech giants have all pledged to power their operations with 100 percent renewables.  Growth at both Apple and Google is powered by clean energy.

According to the report information technology companies are increasingly relying on renewables. The IT industry is an energy hog so the more it relies on renewable energy the less it will have to draw from a (fossil fuel) powered grid.

This trend towards clean energy is all the more important in light of the fact that streaming is projected to significantly increase power consumption in the sector. The IT industry currently consumes more than 7 percent of global electricity and it is expected to grow exponentially in the future.

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2016 Corporate Sustainability Leaders

A bevy of iconic brands have been singled out as the world's leading sustainability companies. The results of the 2016 GlobeScan/SustainAbility survey of corporate sustainability leaders were released on June 7th 2016. The list is formally known as the The 2016 Sustainability Leaders and his year it was produced in partnership with Sustainable Brands,

The Sustainability Leaders Survey tracks expert opinions on the evolution of sustainability. These experts are now saying that values and purpose are "top drivers" of change. Leaders in sustainability excel at integrating social and environmental purpose into their core business. Leading companies also model innovation and set ambitious goals.

Mark Lee, Executive Director at SustainAbility commented: “Sustainability experts now believe that national governments and the private sector must take equal responsibility for advancing sustainable development over the next two decades, with 34% of experts rating each as vital to progress. Expectations for governments to lead have gradually decreased in recent years, while those for the private sector have been rising. Multi-sectoral partnerships are also seen as playing a central role.”

This year Unilever, Patagonia, Interface, IKEA, Tesla, Nestlé and Natura are among the top-rated global leaders on sustainability. Tesla is the only new addition in the top 13 this year.

The survey sampled 900 experts in 84 countries were asked to identify three companies that are leaders in integrating sustainability into their business strategy. Four in ten experts singled out Unilever as a global leader on sustainability. This is the sixth year in a row that Unilever has made the list. A feat not accomplished by any other company in the survey's almost two decade long history.

North America is the most competitive when it comes to sustainability: Patagonia leads with 16 percent followed by Nike at 10 percent, Interface at 8 percent and at Walmart 7 percent.

To see the full results of the survey click here.

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Glaxo­SmithKline Doing Well by Doing Good

Glaxo­SmithKline (GSK) is at the top of Fortune's 2016 Change the World list. They are being recognized for their exemplary corporate citizenship. In an age of rampant profiteering in the pharmaceutical industry, Glaxo­SmithKline (GSK) has stood out by making it their business to give back.

The practices of GSK stand in stark contrast to other recent pharmaceutical news. Martin Shkreli bought the rights to a life saving HIV drug called Daraprim,then he hiked up the price by 5,000 percent. CEO of Mylan Pharmaceuticals Heather Bresch raised the price of an EpiPen pack to more than $600.

As reviewed in Fortune, Glaxo­SmithKline is a 300 year old company that built its name with products like baby formula and penicillin. The company made almost $16 billion in 2015 and they use their wealth to do good. They are working on vaccines for malaria and the Zika virus and they support HIV treatment programs in places like Botswana. The prices they charge are a function of people's means and the company reinvests 20 percent of the profits to local health care infrastructure and worker training.

Sustainability is part of Glaxo. As they say on the website GSK is focused on, "improving the quality of human life." They are committed to reducing the environmental impacts of their products and they have set ambitious goals to reduce carbon, water and waste. They are leaders in green chemistry.

In 2014 Glaxo was recognised for outstanding sustainable business practices at the Singapore Environmental Achievement Awards 2014 and in 2010 they recieved the Environmental Stewardship Award from Nalco.

Glaxo is number one on Fortune's annual Change the World list. This list of 50 companies are leading efforts to address major societal problems, reducing damage to the environment, strengthening communities, serving the underserved, and significantly improving lives. They are also generating a profit. The average return on publicly traded stocks in last year’s list was 16.6 percent which was even better than the S&P 500.

For the complete Change the World 2016 list of companies click here.

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Green Business Award Winners in 2016 (Guardian and Environmental Leader)

Here is a summary of sustainable businesses, projects and individuals that are leading the way forward. As we teeter on the brink of tipping points, sustainability leadership is more important than ever. Awards that recognize the best companies, projects and individuals lead by example and serve as valuable models. In addition to well deserved recognition these efforts put sustainability on display, showcasing achievements that other businesses can follow. Here is a summary of green awards that have been handed out to businesses and individuals in the first half of 2016. This list includes Guardian's Sustainable Business Awards as well as Environmental Leaders Product and Project of the year awards.


Guardian 2016 Sustainable Business Awards

The sixth annual Guardian Sustainable Business Awards celebrate those organizations and individuals going above and beyond to tackle the global challenges we face. As explained by Environmental Leader:

"In the wake of the Paris climate talks and the launch of the global goals, 2016 is the year that businesses are ramping up their engagement with sustainability."

Bold move
Winner - Páramo
Runner up - Southern Water

Waste
Winner - Winnow
Runner up - Interface

Water
Winner - Innocent drinks

Finance for good
Winner - Social Stock Exchange
Runner up - Carbon Tracker Initiative

Supply chain
Winner - SABMiller
Runner up - Pennine Pack Ltd

Social impact
Winner - The University of Manchester
Runners up - Shared Interest Society and Neighbourly

Diversity and inclusion
Winner - Marcatus QED
Runner up - Microlink PC (UK) Ltd

Net positive
Winner - IKEA UK and Ireland
Runner up - Good Energy

Communicating sustainability
Winner - Climate-KIC
Runner up - CTC and Diva Creative Ltd

Collaboration
Winner - Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation
Runner up - Falcon Coffees Limited

Carbon and energy management
Winner - Wyke Farms
Runner up - ENWORKS

Built environment
Winner - The Enterprise Centre, University of East Anglia
Runner up - XCO2 Energy

Startup of the year 
Winner - Winnow
Runner up - Guru Systems

Sustainable business leader of the year 
Paul Corcoran

Unsung sustainability hero of the year
Rachel Bradley

Click here for the full list.

Environmental Leader's 2016 Product & Project Awards

The fourth annual Environmental Leader Product & Project Awards, recognizes excellence in the fields of environmental sustainability and energy management. As explained by Environmental Leader:

"Each year since the inception of the Environmental Leader Product and Project Awards program, the range and quality of the entries has risen... The community of providers continues to address the rising demand for cost-effective solutions to address complex environmental, sustainability, and energy management challenges. And end-user organizations are becoming more creative in applying the available solutions to get real results."

Product of the Year Award winners:

3M: 3M Petrifilm Plates
AkzoNobel's Marine Coatings Business, International: Carbon Credits
Big Ass Solutions: Essence
Big Ass Solutions: Haiku Light
Bloomberg LP, The Water Risk Valuation Tool: Lee Ballin
DePuy Synthes, Companies of Johnson & Johnson: ATTUNE Knee System LOGICLOCK tibial Base
DePuy Synthes, Companies of Johnson & Johnson: Attune Knee INTUITION
Ecometrica: the Ecometrica Platform
Enablon: The Enablon Enterprise-Class Platform
FoundationFootprint: FoundationFootprint
GridPoint: GridPoint Energy Management System
Hilton Worldwide: LightStay
IHS: Repsol EMISphere
Lakeshore Recycling Systems: Lakeshore Recycling Systems Sustainable Business Model
Leidos: AMPLIFY Application Management Platform for Energy Efficiency Programs
Panasonic Industrial Devices Sales Co. of America: Panasonic Vacuum Insulation Panel
Petro-Canada Lubricants Inc: HYDREX XV
Quantis: Life Cycle Perceptions Game
Rapport: Rapport
Source Intelligence: Supply Chain Compliance Tool
SunPower Corporation: Cradle to Cradle Certified SunPower E and X Series DC Panels
Thermo King, a brand of Ingersoll Rand: Thermo King Truck and Trailer Refrigeration Units in Europe
Thinkstep Compliance Limited: EC4P
Thinkstep Compliance Limited: BOMcheck Substances Declarations Web Database
Trane, a brand of Ingersoll Rand: CenTraVac Water Chiller Models CVHH and CDHH
Trane, a brand of Ingersoll Rand: Sintesis
UL EHS Sustainability: cr360
Urjanet: Urjanet Utility Data Service
Waste to Energy Partners: Bolder Black
WeNow: WeNowBox

Top Project of the Year Award winners:

ALDI Inc: ALDI Energy Management Systems, Siemens Rollout
AMD: 25 x 20 Energy Efficiency Initiative
Ameresco: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
Arby's, Ecova, Powerhouse Dynamics and Weathermatic: How Arby's Leveraged Ecova and a Partnered Water Meter Solution to Save over 7M Gallons of Water
Caesars Entertainment: Enterprise Waste Diversion Project
Consumer Technology Association and National Cable & Telecommunications Association: Voluntary Agreement for Ongoing Improvement to the Energy Efficiency of Set-Top Boxes
Domtar: Plymouth K-Lime
Dow Water & Process Solutions: Camp de Tarragona DEMOWARE Municipal Wastewater Reuse Project
General Motors: Chevrolet Volt Battery Secondary Reuse Project
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport: Energy Management Program
IHS: Repsol EMISphere
Jackson Family Wines: Tesla Stationary Energy Storage System
Leidos: Hawaii Energy Conservation and Efficiency Program
MillerCoors: MillerCoors Irwindale Brewery Solar Array
Timberland: Empowering Haitian Farmers through Tree Planting
United States Business Council for Sustainable Development: United States Materials Marketplace

Click here to download the full Awards Report.

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Apple's Apps for Earth Initiative Raised Awareness and Funds for WWF

Apps are big business and a partnership between Apple and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) funneled some of these revenues to ecological causes.  Given the number of apps and the volume of demand  using apps to generate revenues for the environment is a boon. As of June 2016 there are approximately 2.2 million apps available and 2 million in the Apple App Store. In 2015, global mobile app revenues amounted to $41.1 billion. In 2020, consumers are projected to spend over $101 billion on mobile apps via app stores.

This spring an initiative called Apps for Earth, saw 100 percent of revenues from 27 apps at the Apple Store go to WWF over a ten day period that ended on April 24th. This campaign not only raised awareness it generated more than $8 million to support hte WWF’s conservation work.

As Lisa Jackson, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency and now an Apple executive, explained in a Washington Post interview:

"This is really our first big step into engaging customers in our mission."

This is not the first time these two organizations have collaborated. In 2015 Apple partnered with WWF to launch a multi-year partnership to protect a million acres of responsibly managed forest across China.

Apple has also engaged in a number of eco-initiatives in house. Apple has supported the US Clean Power Plan and the company responded to the White House's request to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and increase their supply of renewable energy.  Apple's green efforts are more than a marketing ploy, these efforts have contributed to their bottom line.


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Hilary Clinton is our Last Best Hope of Tackling Climate Change

Anyone interested in climate action needs to appreciate that Hilary Clinton is our last best hope. Clinton has emerged as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and she is a far better choice than the Republican candidate Donald Trump. To get a handle on what is at stake, voters need to understand that without US involvement, efforts to reign-in climate change are doomed to fail. Clinton has recently received endorsements from the greenest candidate in this election cycle Tom O'Malley and Potus himself, President Barack Obama.

Clinton is now in a position to be the first women ever to be president of the United States. This is even more significant following on the heels of the successful presidency of Barack Obama. The first African American president and the greenest president in US history. Regardless of who becomes president Clinton is the first female presidential nominee of the two major US parties.

Arguably even more import than this historic achievement, Clinton is now the only one who can stop the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Make no mistake about it, a Trump presidency at this juncture would kill any hope we have of reigning in climate change. We are rapidly running out of time before we trigger unstoppable tipping points from which we could not recover. So in this sense, Clinton is the best hope we have to tackle climate change.

As revealed by Clinton's recent evisceration of Trump, she has the toughness that it takes to do what the field of Republican presidential contenders could not. 

Clinton has made her views on climate change known in the first Democratic primary debate and through her published policy positions. Here is a brief summary of her climate and energy policies:

Paris Climate Agreement

Clinton accepts the veracity of climate change and the 1.5 - 2.0 degree Celsius upper threshold temperature limits included in the Paris Climate Agreement. She will increase US emissions reductions to 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. This is a slight improvement on the Obama administration's goals of cutting emissions 26 to 28 percent. She will also work to preserve Obama's climate actions including the Clean Power Plan, which faces stiff opposition from Republicans. Clinton will also continue Obama's national fuel efficiency standards and the new methane rules.

Social and Environmental Justice

She has also indicated that she will try to make the transition to cleaner sources of energy more palatable to the majority of Americans. To illustrate she has indicated that she will work on economic development in coal mining communities that are out of work. Clinton recently released a comprehensive plan on environmental injustice that includes efforts to address lead.

Renewables and Efficiency

On her website she pledges that all American homes will be powered by renewables within a decade and she will oversee the installation of half a billion solar panels by the end of her first term. She will also work to make America more energy efficient saving $8 billion a year in energy and health care costs.

Clinton has also proposed a National Infrastructure Bank that would support grid investments for distributed energy, and investments in clean energy R&D. She would also ease permitting on new electricity transmission, increase the amount of renewable energy used in federal buildings and on public land. raise the bar on efficiency standards for all federal procurement and federally funded infrastructure.

Through a program called the Clean Energy Challenge, she has promised $60 billion in grants provided to states who show climate leadership.

Fossil Fuels

One of her biggest climate fails may be her support for natural gas as a bridge fuel. However, Clinton wants natural gas to be cleaner. She has proposed a National Infrastructure Bank that would reduce the number of leaks in natural gas pipelines, Through clean energy and efficiency measures she has also promised to reduce US oil consumption by a third. She does not support oil and gas production in the Arctic and the Atlantic coast, and she supports Obama's moratorium on new coal leasing. She does not support a blanket ban on new oil and gas leases on public land.

Nuclear

Clinton wants to keep existing nuclear plants operational. While Bernie Sanders has indicated that he would like to phase them out over time. Nuclear power provides 20 percent of all electricity generation in the US and 60 percent of all zero-carbon energy. Clinton also wants to increase investment in new forms of nuclear power.

Comparison

There are a number of differences that have emerged between Clinton and Sanders. A side by side comparison reveals that Clinton is not be as green as Sanders and certainly not as green as O'Malley, but she is the last person standing capable of taking on Trump.

Anyone but Trump

Trump's policy positions, if you can call them that, are largely unintelligible. His populism appears to be cobbled together on the spot so it is hard to weave a coherent narrative out of his rants. Although he may not have a proper platform, many of his stated actions would cause great harm. This is not only about climate change and the environment. A Trump presidency would hobble the economy and derail America's energy agenda. When compared to the horror-show that a Trump Presidency would augur, Clinton is the best choice by a country mile. Those who support climate action may not have an ideal candidate, but unless they want to abet disaster by abstaining to vote, they must support Clinton.

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Extracting Value from Recycling - Apple's e-waste Management (Video)

Apple has mined a small fortune from its own waste in both dollars and social capital. While Apple has only recently become a sustainability leader, they have been focused on recycling for many years dating back to the time when Steve Jobs was still at the helm. The problem of waste is increasingly serious but Apple is ahead of the curve and leading the way forward.

The volume of waste keeps increasing while many landfills are rapidly nearing capacity. Smart businesses need to follow Apple's lead as we anticipate a more stringent regulatory regimes in the form of Extended Provider Responsibility regulations.

Recycling has come a long way and it is destined to undergo a lot more changes, particularly with regard to e-waste in the years to come. In 2013 620 million pounds of consumer electronics were recycled in the US setting a new record. Apple is not alone in its recycling efforts, cell phone manufacturers are working on reducing waste. Verizon has already collected more than 2 million pound of e-waste and the company plans to collect another 2 million pounds of e-waste by 2020. Dating back several years we have seen e-waste recycling efforts from Samsung, Sprint, LG, AT&T, and others. Recycling is now a business imperative and led by Apple, Verizon and others 2016 may stand out as a year in which recycling comes into its own.

As reviewed in a Triple Pundit article, Best Buys e-waste take back is excellent customer service. As explained by Manufacturing.Net:

"Creating a closed loop with consumers is an excellent way to drive business growth, delight customers and make significant progress towards lowering a company’s carbon footprint."

Recycling not only benefits the environment and the economy it can create millions of jobs. It can also create new revenue streams. According to an IBISWorld report, revenue for the cell phone recycling industry is estimated to increase until 2019.

Smart companies are analyzing their waste data and collaborating with stakeholders to assume greater control of the waste management process. Examples of recycling collaboration in the electronic industry are EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Electronics Challenge and the R2 Responsible Recycling Leader Program. In 2014 EClaim Recovery Specialists created a new revenue sharing program with businesses that generate large amounts of electronic waste from electronics, computers and networking equipment.

Companies are beginning to appreciate that it makes no sense to pay a third party to remove waste that has value. Waste is big business, more than $100 billion are generated each year by the US scrap metal industry alone.

Most electronics devices still end up in landfills at their end of life making e-waste recycling a huge largely untapped opportunity. While there are a wide variety of items that can be recycled, there is no greater or more urgent opportunity than the one afforded by e-waste. The e-waste from up to 1 billion computers will need to be recycled by 2020. In 2014 there were 1.8 billion new cell phones and only 3 percent were recycled. Last year we generated roughly 42 metric tons of e-waste worth about $52 billion. Only one-sixth of e-waste is currently diverted for proper recycling and reuse. According to StEP, by 2017 the volume of e-waste is estimated to reach almost 66 metric tons.

E-waste has value in the form of iron, copper, gold, silver, aluminum and other resources. An average mobile phone contains about 300 mg of silver and 30 mg of gold. When added up across all phones to be sold the two metals alone are worth billions. However the value lies in separating valuable metals, plastic and glass from toxic materials like leaded glass, batteries, mercury, cadmium and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Apple proves that while sustainability is good for people and the environment, it also benefits their brand and the bottom line. Apple is generating significant revenues from its recycling efforts.

As reported by Environmental Leader, Apple diverts massive amounts of e-waste away from landfills. The company collected about 90 million pounds of e-waste last year or 71 percent of the total weight of the products sold seven years earlier. This is both responsible business and a lucrative source of revenue.

Apple's recycling efforts are paying dividends and benefiting the environment by reducing their demand for resources. They have yielded 2,204 pounds of gold worth $43.6 million from recycled electronic devices last year. Apples recycling efforts also recouped 6,600 pounds of silver, 3 million pounds of copper, 23 million pounds of steel; 13 million pounds of plastic, 12 million pounds of glass and 4.5 million pounds of aluminum. Instead of ending up in a landfill, Apple will reuse 61.4 million pounds of recovered material from last year.

To increase the efficiency of their recycling efforts Apple has developed a robot named Liam designed to dismantle iPhone into useful materials. Liam can disassemble 1.2 million phones a year.

At Apple's March 21 2016 event on Monday, vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson took to the stage to discuss the company's environmental initiatives, and debut its robot.


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Apple's Growth Streak Has Ended but its Sustainability Leadership is Still Going Strong

Apple's growth streak may have come to an end but as a mature company its sustainability leadership is going stronger than ever. In fact Apple is poised to double down on sustainability. Every product has a life cycle and Apple's products are no different. Smartphones may have reached market saturation as the global smartphone market has shrunk for the first time. Despite the dropping demand for its premiere product line,  this corporate giant will continue to be a powerful sustainability leader for years to come.

As revealed by Apple's second-quarter earnings, the company's stellar 13 year growth streak has ended. However Apple continues to be the dominant player in the technology sector.

In recent years Apple has transitioned from a sustainability laggard into a sustainability leader. Their initiatives include renewable energy, recycling, sustainable forest management, sourcing and manufacturing. Apple has been serious about sustainability for more than a few years. In 2013 Apple was already getting all of the power for its data centers from renewable energy.

As reported by UNEP's Climate Action, in February Apple issued $1.5 billion in green bonds to finance low-carbon projects across its global operations. This includes renewable energy, storage, efficiency, green buildings and resource conservation. This is the largest issuance of its kind by an American company.

Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives said Apple’s new green bond “will allow investors to show they will put their money where their hearts and concerns are."

Apple has also embarked on what it has called "Project Titan" which is an electric car project with a shipping date of 2019.

Apple is also among the companies that supported the US Clean Power Plan and they responded to a White House initiative to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and increase their supply of renewable energy.

Apple's green efforts have contributed to their bottom line valuation and there is no reason to believe that this will not continue.

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The Top Sustainability Focused Innovations of 2015

Innovation is more than a buzzword, it is an absolutely essential component of the required efforts needed to address the environmental and climate crisis we are facing. Here is a summary of some of the best sustainability focused innovations of 2015 from Sustainia.

On December 6th, 2015 the fourth Sustainia awards celebrated a number of groundbreaking sustainability solutions, technologies and projects from around the world. In honor of COP21 the awards took place in Paris, home to the COP21 climate talks.

The Sustania Award Committee is composed of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Honorary Chair of Sustainia, Chair of Regions20 and Former Governor of California; Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC; Connie Hedegaard, Chair, KR Foundation, Former European Commissioner for Climate Action and Dr. Rajendra Pachauri Former Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC.

Sustania's top ten finalists for the most sustainable innovations of 2015 are:

Buildings: Archiblox (Australia) - energy-positive prefabricated houses.
Food: SunCulture (US) - solar-powered drip irrigation for smallholders.
Fashion: Vigga.us (Denmark) - leasing organic kids-wear.
IT: Mapdwell, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US) - 3D solar potential mapping tool.
Education: Seoul Metropolitan Government (South Korea) - citizen engagement for voluntary behaviour change.
Energy: Mobisol (Germany) - micro-financed off-grid solar power.
Health: Solar Ear (Brazil) - solar-powered hearing aids with open source design.
Cities: City of Johannesburg (South Africa) - green bonds finance city climate action.

The winner of the 2015 Sustania Award

In 2015 the Sustania Award went to a transportation redesign for the Indian city Chennai. This innovation was created by the Corporation of Chennai, Institute for Transportation & Development Policy and Chennai City Connect Foundation (India). The redesign is focused on creating streets for walking and biking as a solution to the city’s air pollution and traffic casualties.

The solution requires at least 60 per cent of the city’s transport budget to be allocated to a full-scale redesign including expanded footpaths, safe pedestrian crossings, protected cycle tracks, properly scaled carriageways, conveniently placed bus stops and clearly designated on-street parking.

Smart transport adaptations will reduce air pollution which is Chennai’s (and many other cities) top health risk. Given that motorized transport in cities are a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions, this is a solution with far-reaching health and environmental benefits. It is also designed to reduce the 10,000 traffic accidents and resulting deaths and injuries in Chennai.

Sustainia Community Award

The people's choice award known as the Sustainia Community Award went to resources finalist for a project called Social Plastic. It was designed by the: Plastic Bank (Canada) and it turns plastic waste into currency. This innovative solution to resource management offers communities a way to collect waste plastic and repurpose it as a form of currency. While removing plastic waste from the environment, it also gives individuals the chance to improve their livelihoods and encourages companies to purchase and use this recycled material. With as much as 12.7 tons of plastic washes into the ocean every year, this innovation is a way to save all the animals that are killed by plastic each year, it will also help protect human health from the toxins that leach from the plastic into the food chain.

The Plastic Bank (TPB) offers a concrete solution encouraging the behaviour change needed to meet this systemic challenge. Operating as a social enterprise , TPB removes plastic litter from beaches and oceans by offering local communities the opportunity to bring collected waste to a plastic bank facility, where it can be repurposed. In exchange, they receive basic goods and tools, in addition to access to 3D printers enabling them to create items for themselves and to sell within the community. Furthermore, TPB also encourages businesses to take part in the initiative by buying social plastic.

Over 400 people representing more than 70 different countries have already applied to operate a Social Plastic Recycling Market in their region. In 2015, meetings were held at the home offices of Unilever, Seventh Generation, Method Home and various other global brands to discuss the process for the ongoing purchase and promotion of Social Plastic®.. TPB was awarded the Recycling Council of British Columbia’s Innovation Award in May 2014 for developing 3D printing technology. Their open source 3D printing filament extruder can create the source stock for 3D printers using recycled Social Plastic®.

TPB’s Vancouver Lab is successfully producing recycled 3D printable filament for 30 cents per pound. This same filament can be used to create products that are worth $ 5, $ 10 or even $ 100 per pound, according to the organization. Repurposing at scale: Marine plastic waste can wash up on any shore, in any part of the world, as freely as the wind blows and the tides turn.

Click here for the complete list of Sutainia's 100 sustainable innovations for 2015.

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Germany Continues its Green Dominance in 2015 (Video)

Europe has the highest concentration of national sustainability efforts in the world. In 2015 Nordic countries once again assumed a leadership role along with France. In addition to being an economic giant Germany is also an environmental titan. Germany is ranked fourth in the Global Green Economy Index.and seventh in a RobecoSAM study. Germany has distinguished itself as an early adopter of clean power and it has a secure place in history as a renewable energy pioneer.

The country has passed legislation in support of renewable energy and it is producing results. In 2015 Germany set solar power records and surpassed some major renewable energy milestones that are the envy of governments around the world.

German efforts extend beyond renewable energy and encompass green building. Germany was ranked number 6 in the world by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2014.

The German government led by Angela Merkel has joined other major powers in endorsing ambitious climate objectives. This includes a statement calls for, "deep cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions," and "decarbonisation of the global economy over the course of this century."

Germany is not a newcomer to climate action and Merkel has been at the forefront of this movement for two decades. In 1996 Merkel was a German representative in the European Council of environment ministers that were the first political body to declare the goal of keeping temperatures below 2C was the goal.

Germany is a world leading renewable energy power getting as much of three quarters of its daily demand from clean sources. On July 25, 2015, Germany obtained 78 percent of its electricity from renewable sources.

Year after year German production of renewable energy has increased. In 2015 Germany generated 193 billion kilowatt hours (billion kWh), or one third of its energy from renewable sources up one fifth from the year before.

Cleantech not only reduces the countries emissions it is providing jobs. Nearly 800,000 jobs people work in the cleantech sector and 214,000 people work in renewables in Germany.

The German government has supported the growth of renewable energy and managed to radically reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. As part of a policy called "energiewende" (energy transition) policies Germany is embarking on complete de-fossilization. Germany is already on the cusp of getting 34 percent of its energy from renewables a target it had set to achieve by 2020. The country expects to get 100 percent of its electricity requirements from renewables by 2050.

Cities across Germany are ramping up their renewable energy capacity. The small German town of Feldheim gets all of its electricity from renewables and Munich, Germany's third largest city is working to get all of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025. The city of Frankfurt has pledged to have zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Frankfurt 's comprehensive energy management scheme has decoupled growth from emissions. The city has reduced its emissions by 15 percent since 1990 and grew its economy by 50 percent. The nation as a whole has also succeeded in decoupling economic growth and emissions. Germany's GDP has grown while their GHGs have fallen. 

German cities also support for car free zones and green spaces. There German city of Hamburg has what may be the most climate friendly motto's in the world: “Understanding climate change — reducing climate change — master the effects of climate change.”

In 2015, Hamburg announced plans to eliminate fossil fuel powered cars in the next couple of decades and cover a two-mile section of the Autobahn with greenspaces. These "roof-parks" will cover 60 acres and have forests, gardens, and trails.

Germany's support for renewable energy also extends to other countries. In 2015 the nation gave India a 125 billion Euro loan for green energy projects. The Indo-German partnership is designed to fund transmission infrastructure of renewable energy projects. The German loans will fund green energy projects in Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

Germany is a model for the world that is a real world refutation of some of the criticism leveled against renewables. The fossil fuel lobby frequently point to the problem of intermittancy of renewables (eg the sun is not always shining and the wind is not always blowing). However, as pointed out in a Bloomberg article, Germany proves that intermittancy can be overcome.

In this short film, Germany Trade & Invest focus on Germany’s Renewable Energy Revolution. Scientists, industry leaders, and politicians review the country's achievements, next steps, and the opportunities the energy transition offers.



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