GreenBiz.com Green and Sustainable Business News

Austin Cool House Tour

Wed, 09 May 2012 14:22:03 +0000

Austin Cool House Tour

Webinar: 5 Steps for Complying with New GSA E-Waste Mandates

Mon, 14 May 2012 16:25:10 +0000

New rules from the GSA require federal agencies to take immediate action to improve management of electronic waste (e-waste). To support the National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship in protecting human health and the environment, key provisions require agencies to: - Use only certified recyclers or refurbishers for disposition of laptop computers, cell phones, copiers, telephones, digital cameras, televisions and various other e-waste - Submit an annual report of personal property furnished to non-Federal recipients - Develop consistent data security practices to protect sensitive data and maximize reuse potential using the least-destructive sanitization process

Hannah Jones on the risks and opportunities of growing sustainably

Chrissy Coughlin — Sun, 27 May 2012 09:13:54 +0000

Hannah Jones, vice president of sustainable business and innovation at Nike, talks about how to tap mega trends like population growth, scarcer natural resources and climate change to create massive opportunities for new business models.

Food marketing and the childhood obesity problem

Marc Gunther — Fri, 25 May 2012 19:43:02 +0000

When big food companies market highly processed products to kids as healthy choices, they're part of the childhood obesity problem.

Can IBM's deal with Uncle Sam boost the smart building market?

Bruce Kennedy — Fri, 25 May 2012 13:00:25 +0000

IBM wins a contract to develop and install monitoring systems for 50 to 100 of the federal government’s highest energy-consuming buildings. Will proving the technology with Uncle Sam boost its market?

The Reinvent Business Hackathon

GreenBiz Staff — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:08:07 +0000

The goal of this event is to develop concepts and prototypes for products, services and tools that have the potential to transform business from within.

How Intel builds sustainability into the bottom line

Nina Kruschwitz — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:00:58 +0000

Breaking out the costs and payoffs of corporate sustainability efforts is a challenge for many companies. even for a leader like Intel, according to the company's director of CSR strategy and communications.

Del Monte, Capsugel and Versatel join KKR Green Portfolio Program

Audrey Davenport — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:30:21 +0000

Seven companies joined KKR's Green Portfolio Program on its fourth anniversay, including Del Monte Foods, Capsugel, TDC A/S, Versatel, KION Group, Bharti Infratel and Dalmia Bharat Cement.

Slow pace of sustainable development a key issue for Rio+20

Robert Kropp — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:00:58 +0000

As the Rio+20 conference approaches, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development warns that a radical adaptation in the use of natural capital is required.

LA becomes largest US city to ban plastic bags

Adrian Martinez — Thu, 24 May 2012 22:36:16 +0000

Los Angeles joins San Francisco and Santa Cruz -- along with Mexico City, Italy and others -- to prohibit stores from distributing disposable plastic bags.

Can we continue to feed the world while doing less harm?

Marc Gunther — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Our food system is depleting the earth’s resources and making us sick, even as a billion people around the world go hungry. It’s got to change, and it can change.

5 lessons from Walmart on making supplier scorecards work for you

Paul Baier — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:30:57 +0000

The scale of Walmart's supply-chain sustainability program is massive, but the lessons learned by the world's largest retailer can be applied at companies of all sizes.

It's what's inside that counts: World's top LEED interior

Mary Catherine OConnor — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:46:47 +0000

Building engineering company Integral Group unveiled a building with the world's highest LEED rating for commercial interiors in Oakland, Calif., this week. Here's a slideshow of the features that won it that rating.

Businesses scramble to keep up with green product demand

BusinessGreen Staff — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:00:38 +0000

A new survey from Accenture reveals that many companies are struggling to satisfy consumer demand for sustainable goods and services, especially in emerging economies.

Massachusetts planning food waste ban for businesses

Glenn Hasek — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:00:24 +0000

Massachusetts businesses, including hotels, will likely face new regulations in mid-2014 banning food waste as the state grapples with limited disposal capacity.

Turning employees into sustainable assets

Mary MacDonald — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:30:15 +0000

EarthShare describes how companies can leverage volunteer programs into a win for impacted communities, their employees and their own balance sheets.

Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Training

Wed, 23 May 2012 16:49:03 +0000

The Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Training will provide you with the tools necessary to develop sustainable strategies, implement CSR programs, and communicate performance, through sustainability (CSR) reporting methods.

Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Training

Wed, 23 May 2012 16:45:23 +0000

Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Training

Wed, 23 May 2012 16:39:29 +0000

Green Button energy apps target innovation and cost savings

Derek Top — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:10:24 +0000

Winners from DOE's $100,000 cash-prize challenge include a Facebook app using trees to visualize energy use and how businesses can obtain ENERGY STAR benchmarks

5 ways sustainability managers can use data to make their business case

Heather Clancy — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:00:51 +0000

A webcast just hosted by Joel Makower explored in-depth why solid data are critical to sustainability success -- and how that success can be hindered by manual reporting methods.

Why businesses shouldn't ignore Rio+20

Lindsay Clinton — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:00:21 +0000

It's not in business' best interest to ignore the upcoming Rio+20 Earth Summit, especially since the scales of power are tipping to the point where nation states have less and companies have more.

Why the chief learning officer is a CSO's new best friend

Ellen Weinreb — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

The chief learning officer (CLO) is a position that reflects a seismic shift in the way many corporations now approach their environmental futures.

SAP's 'Urban Matters' takes on smarter cities, better government

Bruce Kennedy — Wed, 23 May 2012 09:45:24 +0000

The world’s largest business software company has launched a new initiative to focus on the many challenges that urban centers face when trying to tackle sustainability issues.

GreenBiz Executive Editor Joel Makower wins ASQ Hutchens Medal

GreenBiz Staff — Wed, 23 May 2012 07:34:54 +0000

The same week as the American Society for Quality meets in Anaheim, Calif., for its annual conference, it awards the Hutchens Medal to GreenBiz Executive Editor Joel Makower.

Green and the 2012 Election

Tue, 22 May 2012 06:08:12 +0000

MAKING GREEN FROM GREEN Green and the 2012 Election In a Struggling Economy, Will Anyone Really Care?

Sundown at Ecotrust

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:12:11 +0000

Join us at the Natural Capital Center, a hub for ideas and urban community, for a unique series of free outdoor concerts each Thursday in July.

Sundown at Ecotrust

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:22:49 +0000

Join us at the Natural Capital Center, a hub for ideas and urban community, for a unique series of free outdoor concerts each Thursday in July.

Sundown at Ecotrust

Tue, 22 May 2012 19:32:15 +0000

Join us at the Natural Capital Center, a hub for ideas and urban community, for a unique series of free outdoor concerts each Thursday in July.

Sundown at Ecotrust

Tue, 22 May 2012 19:13:26 +0000

Sundown at Ecotrust 2012 2012 Sundown at Ecotrust Concert Series & Innovation Showcase Natural Capital Center 721 NW 9th Ave., Portland Thursdays in July 2012 5:30 – 8:30PM FREE Join us at the Natural Capital Center, a hub for ideas and urban community, for a unique series of free outdoor concerts each Thursday in July.

EDF Climate Corps names 2012 members: Facebook, Boeing, AT&T and more

Victoria Mills — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:16:00 +0000

The EDF Climate Corps started five years ago as a good idea, and now has fellows working in scores of corporations.

Ecolabeling and the power of uncommon collaborations

Tensie Whelan — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:38:18 +0000

There is a growing body of evidence showing that sustainability certification is spawning far-reaching changes in production and land use practices, supply chains and in the way businesses operate.

Levi's makes life-cycle assessment part of its fabric

Amy Westervelt — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:30:32 +0000

Companies like Levi Strauss, Nike, Kraft Foods and Cannon are taking LCA out of the sustainability silos and into the design rooms by using LCA tools to make daily design decisions.

How Starbucks could get its customers to use fewer paper cups

Marc Gunther — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Could charging Starbucks customers for their paper cup prompt them to bring in a mug instead?

Swag, cash or kudos: The best rewards of employee engagement

Susan Hunt Stevens — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

A survey of the different types of rewards and best practices that inspire employees to support company sustainability programs.

Webinar: ISO 20121 - Sustainability & Event Management

Nelirene Dablio — Tue, 22 May 2012 08:35:34 +0000

This complimentary webinar is to provide an initial overview of the soon to be released ISO 20121 standard for sustainable event management.

Spring of Sustainability

Mon, 14 May 2012 19:27:46 +0000

Three-month series of virtual and live events featuring the likes of Bill McKibben, Van Jones and Marc Le Menestrel in free daily teleseminars. www.springofsustainability.com

Storify: News and views from VERGE London

Jennifer Kho — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:12:32 +0000

At VERGE London, speakers discussed how the convergence of energy, information, transportation and building technologies is impacting cars, buildings, cities, energy and more. Check out the Twitter chatter from attendees during the event.

Taking energy saving out of the dark ages

Lem Bingley — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

If we could shed more light on the power we consume, it would be easier to use less, argues Pilgrim Beart, founder of energy visualization firm AlertMe.

The balancing act of corporate sustainability and consumption

Robert Kropp — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:00:27 +0000

An MIT survey of corporate executives suggests that sustainability is increasingly part of the management agenda, while WWF finds that global consumption patterns are still unsustainable.

Building the green MBA: Your ideas needed

Eban Goodstein — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:00:05 +0000

A chance to weigh in on a new crowdsourced sustainable MBA program.

VERGE Executive Series: Q&A with CBRE's Dave Pogue

Don Reed — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

CBRE's National Director of Sustainability shares what convergence means to managing 1.4 billion square feet of property for corporate and institutional clients.

Should you eat farmed fish? It's complicated

Marc Gunther — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Done right, aquaculture is a sustainable way to produce healthy protein. But done wrong fish farming can create major environmental problems.

BusinessClimate: Bringing corporate sustainability to the mainstream

Chrissy Coughlin — Sun, 20 May 2012 09:00:30 +0000

The founder and principal of the upcoming BusinessClimate sustainability event discusses how sustainability is moving from the realm of CSR to competitiveness to national security, but how more evolution is needed to make it mainstream.

Elkington: Tech isn't enough to solve sustainability challenges

Padma Nagappan — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:00:45 +0000

What's needed to cure the world's ills is real culture change, led by better communication about environmental issues and by the innovators Volans executive chairman John Elkington calls "zeronauts."

Brewing a greener cuppa joe at Starbucks and Thanksgiving Coffee

Marc Gunther — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:00:33 +0000

Despite the many differences between the Fortune 500 coffee retailer and the family-owned artisan roaster based in Mendocino, Calif., the two companies are committed to working with growers to source coffee beans as sustainably and ethically as possible.

Growing Green Awards: The people behind the produce

Frances Beinecke — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:00:13 +0000

The food producers honored by NRDC's Growing Green Awards are pioneers in the ways they produce food that nourishes our families and restores our water, air, and soil at the same time.

Sundown at Ecotrust

Thu, 17 May 2012 21:52:24 +0000

Join us at the Natural Capital Center, a hub for ideas and urban community, for a unique series of free outdoor concerts each Thursday in July.

Can smart cars pull out of the slow lane?

Lem Bingley — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:48:51 +0000

Governments are key to fostering smarter cars, according to carmakers struggling to make progress. For now, speed bumps are keeping the market from accelerating as quickly as many would like.

Why cities hold the key -- and key challenges -- for sustainability

Lem Bingley — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:14:34 +0000

Cities already gobble up most of the world’s resources, so will increasing urbanization bring greater efficiency or simply more consumption?

Zero-Waste-to-Landfill Workshop

Thu, 17 May 2012 16:44:20 +0000

Zero-Waste-to-Landfill Workshop June 12 in Portland, Ore. presented by the Green Manufacturer Network.

Materials' scarcity and rising costs fueling a VERGE future

Lem Bingley — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:42:18 +0000

New technologies and emerging business pressures are combining to create an unprecedented era of change, according to speakers at today's VERGE conference.

UL Environment aims to make buying green easier

Jonathan Bardelline — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:42:32 +0000

The EPD Transparency Brief aims to make product environmental information not only free, but simple to review.

How your firm can adjust as energy gets more & less carbon-intensive

Ryan Schuchard — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:30:23 +0000

For companies thinking about climate change and energy, what are the implications of two countervailing trends, the rise of energy with lower carbon content, and the concurrent rise of high-carbon energy?