GreenBuild Blog
Corporate Sustainability / Green Business Practices
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Sustainability Management, Confessions of a Sustainability Consultant
You can download our corporate sustainability white paper from the home page of this web site. In our view, there are five key steps for establishing a corporate sustainability program:
1. Setting the Vision
2. Staffing the Effort
3. Establishing Metrics to Measure Progress
4. Implementing Strategic Initiatives
5. Communicating the Results to All Stakeholders
Establishing metrics is one of the more difficult of the five steps. What to measure, how to benchmark and how to get the data are not at all obvious or easy. Nevertheless, there are well-established sustainability accounting tools for measuring reductions in greenhouse gases, energy use, solid waste & recycling, and water use. These tools help organizations establish environmental impact baselines. Reductions are determined by the extent to which impacts are reduced compared to the baseline measurement.
Posted by Jerry on 04/29/2010 at 08:47 AM
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Thursday, June 11, 2009
Global Green Building Rating System Promoted by Large Property Owners
The recent article in Europe’s Property Week magazine says that the companies involved include AXA Real Estate Investment Management, GE Real Estate and ING Real Estate. The scheme is simply called “Green Rating” and will look at energy use, carbon emissions, water use, waste generation, health and location close to public transport. The scheme was launched in Spain last month and is expected to roll out this year in Germany, France, The Netherlands and Italy. A 2010 launch is planned in the US and Japan. Prediction: it’s going to be hard to get traction in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Japan and Germany because of well established domestic rating systems. For example, in the US, more than 20,000 properties are pursuing LEED right now, including 2,500 existing buildings, and there are more than 100,000 LEED Accredited Professionals. It’s hard to dislodge this large base of support. The Green Rating system also appears to lack the truly independent third-party certification that is the primary appeal of the established rating systems, as is the broad base of stakeholders involved in developing each country’s rating system. While the companies promoting the plan are important players, they are by no means the largest property managers and owners, even in their respective countries or spheres of operation. Nevertheless, a better way to look at this new system is that it indicates what I’ve been saying all along: the business case for green buildings is so solid that property owners and managers who don’t green existing properties are going to be at a competitive disadvantage in the next few years.
Posted by Jerry on 06/11/2009 at 08:56 AM
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Saturday, June 06, 2009
Sustainability Focus Makes You Money, Says New Report
In its latest sustainability report, How We Do Business, Marks & Spencer (M&S) says that in January 2007 it was prepared to invest £200m (over $300 million) during the next five years to implement its 2005 sustainability plan, Plan A, but cost savings made on climate change and waste reduction initiatives have already made it cash-flow positive. M&S says that 39 of the 100 commitments under Plan A have been completed and 24 of the 100 targets have been raised.
The decision to charge 5p for single-use grocery bags has cut the use of the bags by 83% (almost 400 million bags) - the £1.2m (about $2 million) profit generated from the charge has gone to the environmental charity Groundwork. Overall waste diversion rates to landfill are up to 41 percent, while carbon emissions have been cut 18 percent since the 2006-2007 baseline year. Energy use is down 10 percent, even while total store area is up 10 percent, for a roughly 20 percent reduction in energy use per square foot.
Posted by Jerry on 06/06/2009 at 04:46 PM
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Thursday, May 21, 2009
McDonalds Global Best of Green 2009 Report Sets a High Standard
The report lists sustainability projects and best practices in 10 categories: energy, packaging, anti-littering, recycling, logistics communications, greening the restaurants, greening the workplace, sustainable food and supplier leadership. Slow food activists may not like Mickey D’s, but they’re here to stay, and it’s good they’re trying to do the right thing.
Posted by Jerry on 05/21/2009 at 09:09 AM
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