GreenBiz.com Green and Sustainable Business News

5 Lessons in Futureproofing Products from Brown Toilet Paper

Marc Stoiber — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:07:43 +0000

Innovations -- even ones leading to the most sustainable products of their fields, like Cascades' new Moka recycled TP -- sometimes fail not because of any inherent fault of their own, but because they're launched at the wrong time.

Organic Valley Turns to Solar Windows for Green Power, Energy Savings

Leslie Guevarra — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:44:19 +0000

The co-op that brought sustainable farming to the dairy industry has adopted the latest twist in solar technology: windows embedded with solar cells that generate electricity and save energy by boosting the benefits of daylighting.

The Next Smart Sustainability Idea: A Net Positive Impact Business

Sonal Pandya-Dalal — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:45:42 +0000

Going beyond what is currently the leading edge of sustainability to a strategy that puts people and the planet at the heart of operations is going to be the key to survival in the 21st century, and a few smart companies are leading the pack.

Inside the Killer App for Buildings & Energy Management

Jim Sinopoli — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:45:45 +0000

Fault detection and diagnostics are at the core of the killer app in today’s building automation and building energy management industry.

As Biotech Debate Rages on, More GMOs Get Planted

Marc Gunther — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:46:27 +0000

Even as both sides continue to wage a battle around whether or not genetically modified organisms are good for the planet and its people, new data show that ever-larger swaths of land are being planted in biotech crops.

Hertz Sets Off on 'Living Journey' for Global Sustainability

Matthew Wheeland — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:19:19 +0000

The car rental firm today unveiled a three-pronged platform for strategic growth and sustainability, focused on smart mobility, low-carbon transportation, and community-focused philanthropy.

How Do Two Sustainability Departments Become One?

Ellen Weinreb — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:45:00 +0000

When Molson Coors and SABMiller created the MillerCoors joint venture, one unexpected challenges was how to coordinate two busy sustainability programs, and at the same time bring them to the next level.

Autodesk Cuts Data Center Energy Use 60%, Saves $7M

Leslie Guevarra — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:45:00 +0000

The design software giant talked up the results of its aggressive work to consolidate servers, as well as a new version of its cloud-enabled Green Building Studio web service and a success story from its Clean Tech Partnership Program in its latest Sustainability Summit.

Grad Students Design an 'EcoFridge' That Uses 40% Less Energy

Leslie Guevarra — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Grads students from UC Berkeley teamed with counterparts in Mexico to design an affordable, energy efficient household refrigerator that also helps curb wasteful habits when using the appliance.

Greenpeace Puts Google, Cisco, Fujitsu at Top of Green IT Rankings

Matthew Wheeland — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:03:39 +0000

The fifth version of the advocacy group's Cool IT Leaderboard ranks global computing giants on their efforts to embrace renewable energy as well as push for global clean energy policies.

Calif. Green Jobs Handled Recession Better than Conventional Jobs

Jonathan Bardelline — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Throughout 2009, California's green economy lost fewer than half as many jobs as the overall state economy, according to the latest report from Next 10.

Greenpeace's Cool IT Leaderboard, Version 5: Feb. 2012

GreenBiz Staff — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:03:40 +0000

The latest edition of the ranking of IT companies' efforts to reduce their own energy use and advocate for clean energy policies finds Google and Cisco in the top spots.

Color It Green: Nike to Adopt Waterless Textile Dyeing

Joel Makower — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:11:27 +0000

A innovative new technology uses recycled CO2 to color fabric, potentially saving billions of gallons of water and emissions.

Why Social Intrapreneurs Must Engage Coworkers and Break Down Siloes

Nathan Springer — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:45:18 +0000

No matter what field your company works in, or how broad or deep its commitment to sustainability, the consistently biggest challenge faced by social intrapreneurs is the persistence, patience and creativity needed to move the needle.

The Bigger Picture Behind Apple's China Problem

Marc Gunther — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:27:10 +0000

The major problems uncovered in Apple's -- and the IT industry's -- Chinese supply chain in a series of recent exposes go far beyond Apple to the heart of how companies measure their social and environmental impacts.

Mitsubishi i-MiEV Tops the Greenest Car List for 2012

Leslie Guevarra — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:01:00 +0000

A newcomer to the U.S market, the all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV takes the No. 1 spot on the ACEEE's annual list, knocking the Honda Civic Natural Gas vehicle from its eight-year reign as the greenest car.

What Companies Can Learn From Cities on Climate Change

Ann Goodman — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:45:58 +0000

Cynthia Rosenzweig, a world-renowned urban climate change expert, explains what businesses and cities can do to help each other prepare for the threats posed by the warming planet.

Getting Beyond the Basics to Embrace the Science of Sustainability

John Chorley — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:45:48 +0000

Lots of firms have acknowledged the importance of managing their environmental impacts. Some have taken first steps toward actually reducing those impacts. But the biggest hurdle remains: Managing and measuring eco-data as part of your company's culture.

Why Sinking Cleantech Investment Data Aren't the End of the World

Adam Aston — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:56:46 +0000

The latest figures from Ernst & Young show a 4.5 percent dip in investments in clean technologies last year. Given how bad the Year of Solyndra was for all things green, there's reason for optimism.

Companies Get a Boost in Stock from Reporting Greenhouse Gas Info

Jonathan Bardelline — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:40:46 +0000

A new study suggests that companies that publish press releases on their carbon footprints -- and their efforts to shrink those footprints -- see a boost in share value in the days after announcements.

Bonnie Nixon Steps Down as Head of Sustainability Consortium

Matthew Wheeland — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:15:27 +0000

After 10 months as the leader of the group, Nixon is moving on, while the Consortium leans on McKinsey and its board to move the organization forward.

China Orders Its Airlines Not to Pay EU Emissions Fee

Matthew Wheeland — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:47:32 +0000

The country stepped up its opposition to the controversial Emissions Trading System, the latest move from a large number of countries that are opposed to paying for carbon emissions generated within European airspace.

Diversity, Innovation and Sustainability at Rio+2.0

Kathrin Winkler — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:04:50 +0000

The first full day of a technology-focused gathering in the run-up to this summer's Rio + 20 conference in Brazil highlighted how Big Data, coupled with innovative ideas for dealing with Big Data, can make big impacts at every level.

How She Leads: Hannah Jones of Nike

Maya Albanese — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:00:30 +0000

The head of sustainability and innovation at Nike offers her advice to entrepreneurs and other sustainability professionals, and details on how her company is experimenting with radically new and different materials, redesigning supply chains, and driving social innovation in the athletic apparel industry.

How Can Business Leaders Accept the Challenges of the New Energy Era?

Ned Harvey — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:45:43 +0000

A relatlively large number of business leaders are shifting their firms to be ready for the new energy economy, but important questions remain, including how to measure success and how to convince others to join in the quest.

A Hackathon for Geekery and the Greater Good

Sarah Krasley — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:45:12 +0000

From green data center management to real-time carbon emissions tracking, more than 100 developers and sustainability professionals gathered last week to hack together solutions for a greener planet.

Schick Unveils a Disposable Razor Made with Recycled Plastic

Leslie Guevarra — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:45:11 +0000

Plastic hangers, buckets and trays are being recycled to make the handles for a greener version of the Xtreme3 razor.

Using the Arts to Inspire a Sustainable Generation

Chrissy Coughlin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:00:18 +0000

The co-founder of Artists for Humanity talks about training in the arts, and all it entails in terms of community, responsibility and hard work, helps to set them up as future leaders of a more sustainable world.

Royal Caribbean, Sabre & More Pledge to Promote Green Tourism

Leslie Guevarra — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Royal Caribbean Cruises and the corporate parent of Travelocity are among the travel industry heavyweights that are lining up behind standards set by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

Why Super Bowl XLVI Will Be the Greenest Yet

Anna Clark — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:14:39 +0000

Although it's a festival of excess in many ways, Super Bowl XLVI, taking place this Sunday, reveals how far the NFL -- and pro sports in general -- has come in considering and trying to reduce their environmental impacts.

States Require Insurers to Respond to Climate Risk Survey

Robert Kropp — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:51:51 +0000

California joins New York and Washington in requiring insurers that that write in excess of $300 million in premiums to respond to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' Climate Risk Survey.

Sylvania Helps Feds Shine Brighter, Greener Light on National Mall

Leslie Guevarra — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:45:33 +0000

The National Park Service is cutting energy consumption for lighting on the National Mall by as much as 65 percent with the retrofit of 174 street lamps.

White Wave Looks to the Farm to Improve Environmental Footprint

Tilde Herrera — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:45:14 +0000

To lower its carbon footprint, White Wave Foods is tackling methane emissions, carbon sequestration and utilities, such electricity and gasoline.

The 4 Big Mistakes We Made in Launching Our Green Business

Dennis Salazar — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:00:02 +0000

After surviving -- and thriving -- in five of the roughest economic years the country has known, there's a lot we should have done differently when we opened the doors of our green packaging company. Here's to helping others repeat the same mistakes.

The Major Dividends Cities Reap from Investing in Green Infrastructure

Larry Levine — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:40:23 +0000

A new report shows that U.S. cities can save billions in costs -- while cleaning waterways and green neighborhoods -- by leveraging private investment in green infrastructure.

'Greenest College' Rankings Get Easier with New Data-Gathering Effort

Matthew Wheeland — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:00:37 +0000

The Princeton Review, Sierra Magazine, and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education have teamed up to promote a new tool that makes it free and relatively easy for any education institution to report its environmental impacts.

Kraft Achieves Zero Waste at 36 Food Plants Around the World

Leslie Guevarra — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:47:50 +0000

The company has now reduced its global waste generation by 50 percent since 2005, far surpassing a goal to pare down waste by just 15 percent by 2011.

Stop Wasting Waste: Fixing the Travesty of Lost Value in Recycling

Champa Gujjanudu — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:45:15 +0000

The market for tapping value from recyclable waste streams is caught in a series of binds that keep it from scaling, even though countless companies have achieved major benefits from cutting waste out of the loop.

Tracking the Evolution of Sustainable Investing

Robert Kropp — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:49:38 +0000

A new book from Trucost executive Cary Krosinsky looks at how sustainable investment in an era of growing resource scarcity can yield significant opportunities for boosting your portfolio's performance.

Siemens, JCI Land $60M in Army Contracts for Green Power, Efficiency

Leslie Guevarra — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:45:00 +0000

Siemens and Johnson Controls win energy performance contracts from the U.S. Army totaling more than $60 million for solar, wind and retrofit projects to improve efficiency.

What Will It Take to Power the US Military with Green Energy?

Leslie Guevarra — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:53:48 +0000

Just how much energy does the U.S. military use, what the costs in dollars and the risk to soldiers, and how can they all be reduced? The American Council On Renewable Energy and Advanced Energy Economy are working with the Defense Department to answer those questions.

Why Google Invests in Clean Energy

Marc Gunther — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:15:36 +0000

Last year, Google invested more than $900 million in clean energy projects. But does it have an energy policy? Does it need one?

Intel, Kohl's, Walmart Lead EPA's Green Power Purchasers List

Matthew Wheeland — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:49:17 +0000

Walmart in particular marks a big leap forward, coming up from 15th place three months ago to land in third place. Generating green power on-site -- where Walmart is the second-biggest green power creator -- is what helped move the retailer up.

Green Spending by UK Firms Forecast to Grow 20 Times Faster Than GDP

Leslie Guevarra — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Research by Verdantix pegs sustainability spending to grow 20 times faster than the GDP in 2012 with continued growth averaging 16 percent a year through 2015.

Unlocking the Potential of Low-Carbon Supply Chains

Frances Way — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:05:34 +0000

The CDP's brand-new 2012 supply chain report tracks the impressive economic savings that companies that manage their scope 3 emissions are earning -- but also highlights how few companies are taking advantage of these benefits.

What Will it Take to Bring EVs to the Mass Market?

Kit Hagen — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:45:06 +0000

By all accounts, the electric vehicle industry appears to be a market on the brink of mainstream adoption, yet they're still falling short of expectations. What's the missing element?

3 Ways Carbon Management Software Firms Can Capture the Market

Christopher Mines — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:45:10 +0000

From big players like IBM and SAP to smaller startups like C3, vendors of energy and carbon management software have a big challenge to capture a slice of the broad demand for companies of all sizes.

Army Looks to Cloud Computing to Trim IT Bootprint

Tilde Herrera — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:25:46 +0000

Keeping in line with a mandate to trim its data centers from about 200 to 20, the Army recently awarded its first cloud computing contract to several contractors, including Microtech, Lockheed Martin Corp. and IBM.

Why San Francisco Can Be the World's First VERGE City

Derek Top — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:27:29 +0000

Harnessing the huge amount of data found in city services for buildings, transportation, and energy management could help cities find new ways to generate revenue and improve the quality of life

Boeing, Facebook, Verizon Join New Class of EDF Climate Corps Firms

Scott Wood — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:23:07 +0000

EDF today announced the first 20 companies slated to take part in the fifth annual energy-efficiency partnership program, which pairs MBA students with companies looking to take a bite out of their energy bills.

11 Steps to Mainstream Your Green Products

Nancy Schneider — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:37:58 +0000

Who is really committed to buying green, what are their motivations, and how can we reach them? OgilvyEarth has figured it out, and presented their findings from a new report, presented at the GreenBiz Forum in New York City.

Non-News is Good News

Joel Makower — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:00:51 +0000

Perhaps the best trend in sustainable business is how major green milestones -- ranging from LEED Platinum buildings to zero-waste facilities -- have become so commonplace as to be not "news."

Want to Sell a Green Product? Don't Call It Green

Tilde Herrera — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:49:29 +0000

In a wide-ranging conversation with GreenBiz Executive Editor Joel Makower today, the co-founders of Method explained why a company created with environmental responsibility written into its DNA would distance itself from the green label.

Hitting the Sweet Spot of Employees, Innovation & Sustainability

Matthew Wheeland — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:45:35 +0000

Tapping in to the massive -- and often wasted -- resource of employee ideas can provide a win-win-win -- increasing employees' job satisfaction, saving money and reducing your environmental impacts.

Adobe's 4-Step Path Toward a Net Zero Energy Balance

Leslie Guevarra — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:36:09 +0000

Adobe Systems didn't set out to become a net zero company, one that generates or offsets as much energy as it uses. But now that's one of the firm's central sustainability goals, the chief of global facilities told the GreenBiz Forum.

How eBay Harnesses Users & Employees to Make Shopping Greener

Matthew Wheeland — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:36:50 +0000

John Donahoe, the CEO of the online retail platform, talks about how the company backed into sustainability as part of its business model, how it gathers green ideas from employees, and why 'users' are the new 'consumers.'

Unlocking the 3 Keys to ElectronVault's Success

Tilde Herrera — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:11:07 +0000

The self-funded battery storage company took a Henry Ford approach to its business, inspired by his low capital costs on assembly, ease of repair and modularity and standard parts. Here are lessons the company has learned along the way that may benefit any business.

Nest Thermostats: Making Home Energy Use Smarter & Sexier

Leslie Guevarra — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:02:13 +0000

What if the smart thermostat in your house were as easy to use as your smartphone -- and as good-looking, too? That's challenge that Nest is taking on.

Tesco Considers Dropping Carbon Footprinting Labels from Products

Will Nichols — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:52:59 +0000

The supermarket is 'reviewing options' about its use of Carbon Trust carbon labeling following a disappointing take-up of carbon labelling by other retailers.

The Importance of Mobilizing Allies for Social Intrapreneurs

Nathan Springer — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:16:44 +0000

As part of our ongoing look at how to make change from within the enterprise, there are three social network tools that may make it easier to do the hard work of mobilizing allies to sow the seeds of sustainability inside the business.

The 6 Biggest Trends in Sustainability Reporting

Ann Goodman — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:45:59 +0000

At the GreenBiz Forum in New York City, E&Y offered a preview of the results of a recent survey of trends in sustainability reporting from 24 different sectors.

Sustainable Apparel Rating Tool Set For Mid-Year Public Launch

Jonathan Bardelline — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:00:01 +0000

On the cusp of its one-year anniversary, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition appointed its first executive director and will start tweaking its Apparel Index rating tool for a mid-year public release.

I'd Love to Change the World, But Where Do I Start?

Steve McCoy-Thompson — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:45:16 +0000

Although many of the world's greatest companies have announced their intention to make sustainability part of business as usual, they are all too often struggling with where to begin.

'Big Data' Creates Big Opportunities

Joel Makower — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:10:37 +0000

While nearly every device is getting smaller and more efficient, information is getting much bigger and unwieldy.