More than two-thirds of all respondents say sustainability will play a more important role in the supply chains of the future. A number of companies have already started (1) investing in technologies to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions and (2) excluding any supply chain partners that don’t adhere to the highest ethical standards. But such examples are not yet widespread — aspirations tend to exceed action unless there is a clear cost reduction benefit or regulatory requirement being met.

To date, most firms have done very little on the sustainability front, but demand for sustainable products manufactured with sustainable raw materials is increasing; indeed, it now outstrips supply. Investors’ expectations are also rising, and manufacturing regulations are getting tighter. At the same time, greater use of low-cost and best-cost country sourcing is making it more difficult to control sustainability through the entire supply chain. And though a company can outsource specific business activities, it can’t abdicate responsibility for them.

At present, respondents see four main reasons for investing in sustainable supply chain management: to manage the risk of unintended environmental or social damage, to manage their company’s reputation and the expectations of its shareholders, to reduce costs and realize productivity improvements and to create sustainable products, thereby increasing revenues and enhancing the corporate brand.

The finding is contained in the first KPMG Green Tax Index, launched at the 2013 KPMG Asia Pacific Tax Summit in Shanghai. The KPMG Green Tax Index explores how governments are using their tax systems to respond to global challenges including energy security, water and resource scarcity, pollution and climate change. It analyzes green tax incentives and penalties in 21 major economies, focusing on key policy areas such as energy efficiency, water efficiency, carbon emissions, green innovation and green buildings.

The KPMG Green Tax Index is intended to raise corporate awareness of the rapidly evolving and complex global landscape of green tax incentives and penalties, and to encourage tax director sand sustainability chiefs to work together to factor green tax considerations into investment decisions.

The ranking shows:

The KPMG Green Tax Index attributes scores to green tax incentives and penalties according to arguable value and potential to influence corporate behavior. Scores should be taken as indicative, not absolute, in providing a view of governments with the most active and developed green tax systems in place.

The survey found that the majority of consumers are holding companies and corporations accountable for the environmental sustainability of their products and processes. Individuals are cognizant of “being green” as they shop, as 92 percent indicated a manufacturer’s operational sustainability or a product’s sustainable attributes have some impact on their purchasing decisions. According to surveyed consumers, the top three ways companies can show they are environmentally responsible are:

• Creating a product design that minimizes energy and water usage
• Minimizing generated waste
• Minimizing carbon emissions tied to waste

According to the survey results, Seattle, Wash., and Minneapolis, Minn., were home to the most recyclers, with 97 percent recycling either curbside or at a recycling center. Riverside, Calif., residents were the most serious recyclers with 63 percent committed to recycling everything they can, even if they have to take it to a recycling center themselves.

On the whole, recycling is on the rise, as 52 percent of consumers recycle more now than they did two years ago. Overall findings about U.S. consumer recycling habits indicate that 86 percent of those surveyed recycle, with more than one-third of respondents identifying themselves as serious recyclers (36 percent), recycling everything they possibly can even if it means going to a recycling center. Half say they recycle as long as curbside service is provided. Three quarters of respondents have a curbside service provided by their city or county.

In addition to recycling habits, the survey measured consumers’ opinions about ease of recycling a number of items, including motor oil, consumer electronics, tires, mattresses and household/office waste. Sixty percent of consumers surveyed found it difficult to recycle mattresses, which were seen as the most challenging item. Large appliances followed, with 51 percent scoring refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves and microwaves as “difficult” or “very difficult” to recycle. Thirty-seven percent regarded tires as difficult to recycle.

To find out more about Bridgestone’s sustainability initiatives, including our Spent Tire Program, visit: www.oneteamoneplanet.com

“Without a doubt, conflict minerals have taken center stage for thousands of buying organizations across the United States. And the more we write about conflict minerals, the more questions seem to come up. The most basic questions – including, ‘do my finished parts contain conflict minerals and/or does the stainless steel grade that I buy in my sub-assemblies contain conflict minerals?’ – may not seem like simple questions. In fact, we tried to pull together a Conflict Minerals webinar for later this month only to come to the conclusion that we’d have to offer several webinars on many different subjects to begin to scratch the surface of the myriad questions readers have sent our way.

Instead, we have opted to organize an event for May 6, 2013, in Chicago to provide readers with the opportunity to ask their most challenging questions of some of the industry’s most knowledgeable conflict minerals experts.”

Read More here: Conflict Minerals Edge.

The SEC has promulgated new conflict mineral reporting rules, with initial disclosures due in early 2014. As this deadline approaches, many companies still don’t understand how many of their products may include conflict minerals sourced at any tier in their supply chains. And even for those that do, few are ready to provide disclosure to the SEC, and to submit an independent audit report detailing those sources. Even companies that are not regulated by the SEC will be impacted, and you need to be ready!

Join Aravo Solutions and EY to learn about your Conflict Minerals reporting and auditing requirements. Niul Burton, Principal, Performance Improvement Advisory Services, who leads EY’s Supplier Risk Services in the US, and Rich Goode, Senior Manager, EY’s Conflict Minerals Practice, will begin the program with a discussion of the Dodd-Frank requirements and the impacts on your business. Robert Shecterle of Aravo Solutions will then briefly explore technology solutions available to assist with Dodd-Frank compliance. The webinar will explore:

• Background of the legislation
• What we have learned
• How companies are coping with the rules
• Actionable steps you can take to meet your tracking and reporting requirements

Join Aravo and EY on Tuesday, March 26^th, from 9-10am Pacific Time, Noon-1:00pm Eastern Time for this exciting webinar. Click HERE to register today.

The 10th anniversary edition of the Sustainability Yearbook highlights the regions and sectors that have recorded significant improvements in the area of sustainability.

It evaluates the sustainability performance of over 2000 companies worldwide based on 58 sectors and determines the changes in criteria that have occurred over the years. The Yearbook offers insights into the sustainability trends targeted to gain more importance in the future.

Each of the reviewed sectors of the Sustainability Yearbook 2013 provides a summary of the associated sustainability opportunities and risks. The Yearbook also highlights the unique economic environment and social dimensions that are relevant to the sustainability analysis of each sector.

As a point of note nine US-based companies including Molson Coors, Alcoa, Sonoco Products, Herman Miller and UnitedHealth Group have been awarded gold medals for sustainability practices in the Yearbook. This places the US higher than any other country in the rankings.

Read the complete Sustainability Yearbook 2013 here.

But of course reducing rampant deforestation, the ultimate purpose of the Forest Footprint Disclosure Project (FFD), is not just about carbon. It is a global imperative in the move towards more responsible and sustainable use of natural capital. This underpins wealth creation in the world economy and the security of water, energy, food and health for millions of people.

Read the entire report here: Forest Footprint Disclosure

NBS’s Leadership Council met in September 2012 to identify the issues inside their organizations, in their value chains, in the marketplace, in government and in society that limit sustainable development. In a one-day roundtable facilitated by management researcher and executive director of NBS Tima Bansal, these leaders identified 10 issues facing Canadian businesses and phrased them as questions for the research community and other members of the business community to start answering:

The 10 Sustainability Challenges For Canadian Business in 2013

1. How can businesses contribute to effective, integrated public policy on the right issues?
2. How can companies best engage value chain, industry and NGO partners to achieve sustainability goals?
3. How can businesses help Canadians become informed, inspired and engaged in a national dialogue about responsible consumption?
4. What corporate structures enable companies to deliver on sustainability goals?
5. How can companies keep their long-term sustainability agenda on track despite leadership changes?
6. How should companies navigate issues regarding Aboriginal rights and entitlements?
7. How can Canadian organizations become more innovative?
8. How can companies embed social license to operate into their strategy?
9. How can business and society prepare effectively for the impacts of climate change?
10. How can companies respond to the proliferation of voluntary and mandatory reporting requirements?

Over the next year, NBS will conduct a systematic review (comprehensive research study) of Challenge #2: Collaboration. They will commission the best academic team in the world to review the existing body of knowledge, and from that review, they will produce a practical guide for business leaders to engage value chain, industry and NGO partners in sustainability. They will also convene a public forum to address Challenge #3: Civic Engagement. Bringing together researchers, business leaders and policymakers, the forum will start a national dialogue on sustainability.

GBIG provides a transparent view of places, projects, collections and credits, detailing the actions and activities of LEED building owners and project teams over time. The tool provides maps, analytics and insights that reveal trends, patterns and processes in green building practice.

• GBIG is a global platform for innovation and insights.
• GBIG seeks to use data-driven insights to create value and competitive advantage for high performing green building projects around the world.

Users can search and explore green building activity around the world, analyze trends and patterns in green building practice and discover connections between projects, people, products and services.

The vision of SERIIOUS is to create an innovative and cooperative environment without borders to develop revolutionary solar electricity technologies. IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IISC are some of the prominent institutes associated with the initiative while Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy(C-STEP); Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd are the significant industries. Institutes and industries from the US include Purdue University, Stanford University and RAND Corporation among others.

More details of SERIIUS and the work proposed to be done are available at

www.seriius.org