Energy & Climate | Clean Tech | Greenbiz.com

Autodesk Draws Up a New Way to Set Carbon Footprint Goals

ClimateBiz Staff — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:15:26 +0000

The Autodesk team announced this week it has devised a new way of setting goals to reduce its carbon footprint. It's called the Corporate Finance Approach to Climate-Stabilizing Targets, or C-FACT, and the company hopes other businesses will adopt it and even help Autodesk make it better.

Marriott to Launch Prototype for Green Design of Courtyard Hotels

Leslie Guevarra — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:38:19 +0000

In the latest move to expand its sustainability efforts, Marriott International Inc. says its green hotel portfolio will grow tenfold in the next five years with the introduction of a design prototype for new green properties.

Greenbuild 2009: Gore Lauds USGBC for 'Leading the Charge' to Battle Climate Change

Leslie Guevarra — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:46:54 +0000

Nobel Laureate and former vice president Al Gore welcomed thousands of building professionals to Phoenix, praising the U.S. Green Building Council and its members for being the vanguard of the movement to green the world's buildings.

NRDC Leader Says The Time is Now to Act on Climate

Marc Gunther — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:18:13 +0000

Frances Beinecke's new book -- a straightforward, easy-to-read argument -- attempts to connect the climate issue to everyday concerns like jobs, the economy and national security.

Putting Business Growth and Emissions on Separate Tracks

Tilde Herrera — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:37:02 +0000

With climate scientists warning that greenhouse gas emissions must decline upwards of 80 percent by 2050 to avoid catastrophic climate change, some like Salvatore Gabola are calling for businesses to move past normalized reduction targets to lower their total carbon footprints.

Is 'Buy American' Bad for America?

Marc Gunther — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:12:41 +0000

Regulations included in the stimulus bill passed earlier this year required American-made products to be used in stimulus-funded projects. But in a world dominated by global supply chains, a "buy American" rule is simply bad business.

Where Does IT Fit in IBM's Top Green Innovations?

Matthew Wheeland — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:37:34 +0000

The technologies that made IBM's list of its top five green innovations in the past year -- and what didn't make that list -- highlight the shift that Big Blue is making toward the green.

Financial Crisis Offers Narrow Window to Take Climate Action, IEA Warns

GreenBiz Staff — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:57:24 +0000

The International Energy Agency on Tuesday called on world leaders to strike a deal to address climate change, warning that the current business-as-usual scenario is unsustainable and will lead to skyrocketing energy demand, price spikes and up to a 6 degree temperature rise.

Companies More Likely Than Ever to Invest in Efficiency Retrofits, Study Says

GreenerBuildings Staff — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:03:33 +0000

Seventy-four percent of corporate real estate executives now say they would be willing to pay a premium to retrofit office space they own to achieve sustainability goals, according to results of a new survey by CoreNet Global and Jones Lang LaSalle.

Is the U.S. News Media Failing to Do Its Job on Climate Change?

Michael B. Mercier — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:30:00 +0000

It sure seems that America is out of touch with the rest of the world regarding global warming, and that the world is slapping us in the face to awaken us from our stupor.

Steven Chu: The Nerd in the Cabinet

Marc Gunther — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:40:18 +0000

The current Secretary of Energy is also a Nobel Laureate and former physics professor at UC Berkeley, and a self-described 'energy conservation nut.'

Johnson Controls: The Quiet Company Raises Its Voice and Its Profile

Leslie Guevarra — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:51:57 +0000

Though a giant in the buildings and automotive industries, Johnson Controls Inc. was long considered a quiet company — seldom a major presence outside its lines of business. That's changing as the firm increasingly raises its voice and its profile to spread its mantra of "Efficiency Now."

Diversey Ups Emissions Reductions Investments, Earns Bigger ROI

ClimateBiz Staff — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:40:33 +0000

One year after setting a goal to cut corporate emissions by 8 percent before 2013, Diversey CEO today announced the company had already surpassed that target, and upped the goal to a 25 percent reduction in the same time frame.

Green Buildings Continue Impressive Growth, New Market Study Finds

GreenerBuildings Staff — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:26:01 +0000

The Green Building Market and Impact Report, released this morning by GreenerBuildings.com, measures the beneficial impacts that LEED-certified buildings have on energy, water, worker productivity and more, and charts the growth of the green marketplace in the coming years.

Beyond the Black Cloud: Looking at Lifecycles

Dave Douglas — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:49:15 +0000

Looking at the full impact of any type of product or device -- rather than, say, the cloud of exhaust in front of you on the highway -- opens the door to a whole new understanding of how design affects the environment.