Voices of Sustainability Experts around the world

This week we present a selection of sustainability initiatives by countries, individuals and corporates that impressed the Sustainability Experts enough that they tweeted about it.  We hope that these stories inspire many others to do the same as only collective actions can save the world from the effects of Climate Change and Global Warming.

 Bill McKibben : Germany stands number 1 in solar power generation. It expects to receive 80% of its energy from renewable resources by 2050. here  

 Simon Mainwaring : Employees at the semiconductor chip maker Intel recently devised a new process that reduced the company’s chemical waste by 900,000 gallons each year, saving $45 million annually. Another team developed a plan to reuse and optimize networking systems in offices, which cut energy costs by $22 million.here

Simon Mainwaring : Solar Panels being installed in White house.here 

Adam Werbach : 15 companies, representing 70% of global farmed production, are committing that 100% of their production will be certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council by 2020 .here

Adam Werbach  :   Sustainability and communications, now and soon. here   

John Friedman  : Sustainability and communications, now and soon. here

Alice Korngold : Sierra Energy, has spent the last several years testing a waste-to-energy system called the FastOx Pathfinder. The FastOx is now being prepared for delivery to Sierra Energy’s first customer: the United States Army. here

Neil Hawkins : China to spend huge amounts to fight air pollution. It is twice the size of the annual defence budget. here

 Julie Urlaub : People jumping to light up the christmas tree. here

 Julie Urlaub : Arizona State University (ASU) not only teaches sustainable business but  practices it    also. here

 Julie Urlaub : Recycle Force, a company that recycles electronic waste and also help people coming out o prison to transition back to the society. here

Julie Urlaub : Useful tips to reduce garbage at home. here

Sunita Narain : Kerala High Court, July 25, ordered the demolition of all 59 villas in well-known chain of luxury resorts on an island in the backwater of Kerala within three months due to violation of various norms and laws. here

Reach Scale : More and more offices are converting their terrace to a roof garden and a bee sanctuary. This not only has huge environmental benefits but also provide a good place for a quick break for the employees, and to entertainment clients.here

Neil Hawkins : DOW gives electric car to its employees to commute within the work site. here

Voices of Sustainability Experts from all over the world

Welcome to a new blog series. The blog will highlight the latest trends in the tweets of the world's leading Sustainability Thinkers.  An overview of the tweets and a few links that can be explored is what you will find in this blog series.

Today we start with voices of few Sustainability thinkers in America, which are listed in the “Twitter list: 30 most influential sustainability voices in America”

Earlier the term Climate Change or Global Warming were used in a generic manner, but as the effects of Climate Change are now showing up, more and more people are tweeting about the rising temperatures.

Here are a few interesting tweets on rising temperatures and reduced /unseasonal rainfall

• The temperature in Austria cross the 40ºC breaking the record as of 39.7° (103.4°F) in 1983.

• Europe has seen the hottest month – this July, since 2006

• Temperatures in Canada --- about ten degrees above normal.

• Exceptional heat is giving birth to wildfires in northern Canada and even in Alaska.

• In Japan, temperatures soared to over 40 degrees Celsius.

•  China has seen its worst heat wave in at least 140 years.

• In South Korea here are power shortages and the highest temperature 

• People in New Mexico are experiencing the effects of climate change. Almost 87% of the region is in a drought. The effects of drought are very severe.

• Extreme heat and lack of rainfall is killing thousands of Salmon in Alaska. 

• The early arrival of rains and the above –average temperature in Southeast Asia has created an environment suitable for mosquito breeding leading to an outbreak of Dengue fever.

                                                     Other Interesting Tweets

• Socially aware Consumers:    Around 50% of global consumers are willing to pay more for socially responsible products, especially in the younger generation.

• Collaborative partnerships to halt Climate Change: At the recent Sustainable Brands conference, one message was given time and again that individual corporate sustainability efforts aren’t enough to halt climate change. A collaborative partnership — even between competitors is the way to go.

• Art from Debris: Pam Longobardi, a professor at Georgia State University, uses marine debris to create works of art. The Plastic-collecting artist won a prestigious award

• Battle over pumping  water during droughts: The Ontario's Ministry of the Environment gave Nestlé a new five-year term, but added two new conditions that meant the company would have to reduce its take of water during droughts. These conditions were removed later. The environmental groups launched an appeal to force the Ministry and the food giant Nestlé to stick to the conditions. The battle over pumping water during droughts is heading to a full environmental hearing in Ontario.

Sustainability in Religion

On a recent trip to Shirdi, it was interesting to realise how a small town has been built around this particular temple of worship. Tourism in the area is booming with many 3 star and 4 star Meditation and Spa hotels as well as restaurants. Even the popular Italian restaurant “Little Italy” too has found its way to Shirdi! Not to mention the number of shops selling souvenirs such as idols, beads etc. 

For, me, this raises the question as to how a small town such as this, can accommodate these many tourists during the peak season or even throughout the year?  What impact could it have on the natural resources of the area – the electricity load, water taken up and the waste disposed in the area? How does it affect the local people? 

The same queries apply to all the areas where billions of tourists visit every year leading to the need for more accommodations, restaurants and toilets – all of which need plenty of resources (primarily energy and water) and leads to even larger amounts of waste (solid waste and waste water). So are the religious leaders and house of worship itself trying to ensure the eco-balance in these areas and how are they influencing the local public to do the same?

A few months ago, a Ganesha Temple in the city of Coimbatore, decided to set up its own solar panels and became one of the first ever temples to run on solar energy. The electricity generated may be used for all the lighting appliances, cooking food, as well as fans for all the devotees. This act in turn encouraged the rest of the society to explore using solar energy for their own needs. For a state like Tamil Nadu which often suffers from regular power cuts, (up to 16 hours a day!)  and has abundant sunlight (we know that!), this form of energy would help industries function more efficiently. 

In Malayasia, the temple committee sought help from NGOs and ministry to help them set up a solar generator and panels at the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Sungai Salak in Lukat, Negri Sembilan  which is now the first solar-powered religious edifice in the country.

The growing Muslim community in England decided to set up a Mosque in the city of Cambridge using environmentally sustainable principles. The chairman of the Trust Abdul Hakim Murad stated that the Mosque will be using the latest conservation technology and green roofs so as to ensure that it has a minimal carbon footprint. This project was intended to be Europe’s first ecologically responsible mosque which hopefully would encourage Muslims all over the world to become more environmentally responsible.

In Scotland, Bridge of Allan Church is among 180 eco-congregations  which have made commitments to help the country tackle climate change by encouraging churches to adopt environmentally friendly ways of functioning while engaging the local communities. 

Even the Sikh community in India and abroad have moved towards sustainable practices being encouraged by their Gurudwaras. Dr. Singh ( Eco-Sikh , Convener) stated that “this way of thinking is core to Sikh Theology and now its time to practice the love of air, water and the mother earth as described in the Guru Granth Sahib” and what better way than to practice it in a house of worship.

These are but few of the many examples as to how faith and religion can impact a society and its people and direct them towards a more responsible path. I look forward to many more examples of the same.

It is encouraging to know that Religion is also becoming aware of the need for sustainability and imparting it to the people it influences.

Other links:
SaiBaba temple going solar
Iskon
Eco-friendly Gurdwara buildings
Catholic news

"Pump no more" - The beginning of Water wars

Pump no more.

author - Mo Polamar

This bumper sticker is perpetually in vogue with regard to oil and it’s drilling and soon will be in vogue with regard to water.

Water is a not only a scarce resource but also an elemental resource. It is a scientific fact that we are a sum total of five elements, earth, fire, wind, water and ether, If there is one good reason for humans to flourish on earth it is because of water. Water is the only element that we consume directly whereas the rest of the elements are used in adulterated forms. Water, for centuries is assumed an infinite resource and we used and abused the resource so far through all the various economic revolutions, be it the industrial or agricultural.

Oil, all though, cannot be compared with water is also an abused resource. For decades we have been pumping oil and increasing our dependency on it. We have been repeatedly told of the day when we will run out of oil. Not so ironically the stock market is the custodian of the total available oil as the declared and to-be drilled oil reserves reflect on the stock market and contribute up to 12% of the global financial markets. By measuring the oil reserves we are able to easily define a scarcity scenario, this scenario helps create market value to oil and to the infinite products that oil enables.

So, Is it time to measure water and commoditize as we did with oil. On one hand it seems like a good idea because water once declared in the market as a commodity a price discovery process will take place automatically. A simple reflection of that value in the consumer market is that Coca Cola will cost about 10 times the present price. For some that might be a good outcome as it brings discipline to the factories and industry that abuse the use of water. But consider the downside, Large corporates like Reliance and other will own the water reserves and will manipulate the price to suit their share holder need leaving the common man applying for loans to purchase water to drink and to wash up, imagine and visualize with your olfactory.

Lets take a step back and assess the challenges in measuring water. Water is getting scarcer and the indicators are obvious, like the average depth of a bore well in India now is 1400 ft from a 250ft two decades earlier. It is long accepted that it is an impossible task to measure the water reserves, as many factors like rainfall, under ground aquifers, demand driven by individuals and industry are unpredictable. Continuing to model the need and use of water is an important task but the objective must be to conserve and not to discover water in the financial markets. Conservation can be achieved if Water is viewed as a national resource and not as a state resource therefore strong central policies with even stronger governance structures are required. Conservation policies are in the short run an unnecessary inconvenience for the industry but in the long run it will lead to savings as water conservation and energy consumption are directly related.

Every state government has policies that contradict in on way or the other. Considering there are no strong policies to conserve water, the policy that must be awarded is in Punjab, energy use for pumping water is free for agriculture and industry burning a hole of about 3000 crores to the government and influencing a 6% fiscal deficit. Water is getting scarce in Punjab and irrigation is effected leading in reduction of production of agro products, a steady and steep decline is seen over the last decade.

I live in Bangalore and I am concerned with this policy because it takes away water from under my feet, so! Pump no more.

Some one else living in Pakistan is concerned with this policy because it takes away water from under their feet, so! Pump no more.

Those that live in Punjab must be concerned the most. Many rivers flow through the state, Punjab is at the foothills of the great Himalayan range. What if Punjab runs out of water???

So! Lets change the bumper sticker to -  "Pump no more water" 

Need OR Want? : CARS

Few weeks ago, I came across an interesting article by the Daily Beast titled 

“Young Americans are Abandoning Car Ownership and Driving” which truly opened my eyes. It was fascinating to know that a previously gas-guzzling, developed country, with access to the world’s finest cars, has its youth opting NOT to apply for a driving license let alone buying a car!

Apparently, back in 1983 nearly 80% of 18-year olds applied for their driving license but in 2010 the number fell to 61%. The primary reasons for this change obviously stems out of the fact that living expenses in most american cities are high. Between paying hefty rents and attempting to save for the future, there is not much left to invest in this mode of transport.

This made me realise that the same could happen in OUR country. In India. Among our college students and young working men and women. With the existing cheap local transport options to get around the city like buses, auto rickshaws. Local trains and even the new metro trains set-up in most of the big cities, make this even easier.

Let us not forget that parking stops in ANY city now are hard to find. Most of us think twice before getting out on the town on weekends for the same reason. Servicing these metal beasts can leave you with a deep gaping hole in your pockets too! Many of us don’t even enjoy driving anymore, admit it you do too! I know I do!

Although in many cases it may be convenient but does anyone really want to go through the stress of owning a car? What about finding a safe place to park it when you are out of town! Now with so many safe 
1.car-pool options carpoolin.in, zinghopper.in, 
2.cab services like meru , taxiforsure, easycabs, bangalore city taxi and uber
3. rented car dealers -  carzonrent, avis and zoom car
Why not just pick up the phone and call when you need one?

During the week, companies offer bus and cab services to pick up and drop their employees which proves to be very convenient for many. With restaurants and super markets being in every neighbourhood and with some even providing delivery services.
Banks and courier services providing free drop-in and pick up services for customers, one wouldn't need to go too far to fulfill their daily, weekly or even monthly needs. Even malls and movie theaters are now found around every nook and corner!

So, now do you really need to buy that car?

I feel many young people today just don’t need a car. Comments?

Sustainable Roti , Kapda aur Makaan

Now, that there has been an overall slow and steady shift towards sustainability in every sector. This term applies for everything like environment, economics and development, food, construction even healthcare. In education, Universities are now creating environmentally friendly campuses and insist on compulsory modules on sustainability for students ranging from microbiology to IT, Arts to MBA's. Apparently, Princeton University offers over 50 courses addressing this very topic. At Princeton, there are more than 50 courses, among four academic areas, with significant sustainability components.

As mentioned earlier, in construction, engineers and architects are trained and encouraged to source their raw materials locally, opt for energy saving lighting solutions and  try as much as possible to maintain the ecosystem around their project sites.
Total environment OR Zed to name a few.

Food companies have started offering locally grown- organic options as their customers themselves are more aware and questioning where their food products come from.

One can order organic vegetables and fruits online at the links below

http://goindiaorganic.com/contact

http://arome.in/contact_us.php

Now you also find organizations which help you set-up your own terrace organic gardens where you can grow your own fruits and vegetables - http://www.purnaorganics.com/

In the case of clothing, fashion brands are skilfully combining design and sustainability. For example the vegan shoes range “Mink” or clothes made using organic vegetarian silks and cottons. 

Organic Clothing available for order Online - http://samtana.com/ or http://leep.in/#hero
Or even "Ahimsa" silk.

With the above I have covered the basic needs of people i.e. Roti (Food), Kapda (Clothes) and Makan (Home), even education. All Industries which we can see have begun to understand and have started looking for alternatives to benefit their own industry and wants and needs of their customers. Even the luxury products are going through a phase of continuous innovation and searching for newer options.

One thing I’d like to point out, from above, is that becoming or aiming to be “sustainable” doesn't necessarily mean lowering the standard of living but more on encouraging people to realise that less of many things can actually lead to a better life and benefit another as well - Moving away from an industrial growth model to one focused on well-being.

Although it is true that Sustainability the concept may be easier to understand but very difficult to apply at a more practical level it is can be considered like trying to be “good” or “honest”. Everyone probably wants to be so, but how many manage that? There is and always will be a giant gap between the aspiration and what we are capable of doing so in reality. So does that mean we stop trying to do good? So why can’t we do the same for Sustainability which ultimately benefits us and our children, companies and countries and even the world?

Would love to hear your comments in this one!

Sustainability Reporting – Overview of the Most Important Standards Worldwide and in India

I started out writing this blog to share my excitement of the Sustainability microsite of one of the most popular brands of our times.  At last, Sustainability Reports dont have to be intimidating pdf's with a data-overload!  However, midway through that piece, it seemed important to present the context and the bigger picture first.  This is the first of a two-part blog on Sustainability Reporting - trends that are hot and trends that we love.  Meanwhile, also look the Whitepaper on the subject of Sustainability Reporting on our website.

First, there were Financial Reports.  They greatly changed the way businesses dealt with each other, with investors and with their customers.

The earliest Environmental and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Reports were used by companies primarily to counter negative images issues, or by small and mid-sized outliers with high environmental concerns - the tree-huggers among enterprises.

Over the last decade or so, as Sustainability is integrated into enterprise strategy to drive business growth, Sustainability Reports have emerged as important tools.  More recently, such Reports have been morphing from being standalone, weighty documents or THINGS, to the integrated, interesting PROCESS of Sustainability Reporting.   But more of the emerging trends in the next blog.  Let us first look at the most popular Sustainability Reporting standards.

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI); .

The GRI guidelines for voluntary disclosure of sustainability parameters were introduced in 2000.  The GRI website currently lists over 5,000 organizations and over 12,000 GRI Reports.  The current generation of GRI guidelines – G3 and G3.1 – asks for disclosures under three sections with a fixed number of questions under each section – Strategy and Profile (42 questions), Management Approach (37 questions), and Performance Indicators (84 questions).  There is an additional section on sector-specific disclosures for a limited number of sectors.  Based on the number of questions responded to, the Levels A, B and C are accorded to the applications.  A ‘+’ is accorded to applications at any level if it has gone through an external audit process.

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP);

235 enterprises to the first CDP questionnaire sent to the biggest corporations asking them to report their greenhouse gas emissions in 2003.  The number of respondents has now grown to over 2,500 and CDP is credited with having the largest database of enterprise-level climate change information. Meanwhile CDP is now more than eponymous, having introduced CDP Water Disclosure, CDP Supply Chain, CDP Cities, and most recently, forest footprints.

While the GRI and CDP are multi-stakeholder, not-for profit/ private frameworks, the UNGC, ISO and the OECD MNE Guidelines are initiated by the international organizations - the United Nations and the OECD respectively.

The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). The UNGC's ten principles for businesses - covering environmental responsibility, human rights and workers rights - were officially launched in 2000.  Interestingly, the principles are a central reference point for the GRI Guidelines.  With over 7,000 participating businesses, the largest database of corporate sustainability reports can be found on the UNGC website.

           

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises (MNE's).  These are recommendations addressed by OECD governments to multinational enterprises operating in or from adhering countries.  The "Disclosure" section encourages timely and regular disclosure on social and environmental issues, in addition to financial ones. 

             

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO); 

ISO is a non-governmental network of national-level standards institutes and technical bodies that co-ordinates international standards for business and products.  While most of ISO's standards deal with technical subjects, The 1SO 14000 Series of standards focus on corporate environmental management systems and ISO 26000 covers social responsibility. 

India-SpecificStandards and Guidelines

Sustainability Reporting is still at a nascent stage in India.  Around 80 companies are now reporting under the GRI framework.  Last year, 53 companies out of the top 200 by market cap to whom the CDP questionnaire was sent,  responded to the questionnaire. 

As elsewhere in the world, Sustainability Reporting is mandated in India only to the extent of the 'Disclosures' required by legislations such as the Companies Act, Environment Protection Act etc.  However, in addition to some directives that are at the pilot stage, the following measures introduced by the Government in the past few years specifically targeting Sustainability issues in enterprises is expected to have a marked impact on Sustainability Reporting as well:

The Companies Bill 2011 was passed by the Lok Sabha in december 2012.  said India would become the first country to mandate corporate social responsibility (CSR) through a statutory provision. that mandates companies in India to spend 2% of their profit in the preceding 3 years on CSR activities and report a CSR Policy.

Guidelines on Sustainable Development for  Public SectorEnterprises (PSUs) issued by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), Ministry of Heavy Industries. 

Effective 2012-2013, these guidelines mandate that CPSE’s spend at least 0.5% of their PAT (if PAT is less than Rs. 100 crores) and Rs. 50 crores + 0.1% of their PAT (if PAT is more than Rs.100 crores) on various Sustainable Development activities such as Carbon Management, Renewable Energy and Sustainability Reporting.

National Voluntary Guidelines on Social, Environmental & Economic Responsibilities of Businesses (NVG) launched on 8 July 2011 by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, the Guidelines recommend 8 principles for voluntary adoption by companies. These principles are intended to address the interests of various stakeholders of the companies, including employees, customers, NGOs and investors.

Next week we will look at the most recent trends in Sustainability Reporting.