2Sustain

Yesterday, Dell announced that it has reduced its net  GHG emissions by more than 18% in FY09, compare to FY08.

This reduction includes:

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More and more, retailers are targeting suppliers as they work to improve their green agendas, according to a new report released by Forum for the Future.

The report, “Sustainability Trends in European Retail,” was sponsored by Coca-Cola Enterprises,  and it deep dives into the key trends influencing how retailers are addressing sustainability. The data was collected by interviewing leaders from the top names in European food and retail, including Albert Heijn, Asda, Casino, Colruyt, Compass, Delhaize, Intermarché, Metro, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Subway, Shell, Tesco and Total.

Here are a few of the key findings:

• “Carbon is king.” Carbon emissions management and reduction emerged as top priorities for all the retailers interviewed.

• Retail sector “leaders” are imposing strict sustainability criteria on their supply chains. They consider both direct and indirect impacts, and they’re acting proactively (innovating with sustainable products, e.g.). By comparison, retail sector “contributors” are focused on managing the environmental impact of their own facilities and products.

• Companies are beginning to pay more attention to their water footprints. However, most are concentrating on improving efficiency on site while ignoring indirect usage. Forum for the Future predicts this will change as water “becomes the first real area of climate change impact.”

Ultimately, the report concludes –as, it seems, so many of these studies do –that businesses are working towards becoming more sustainable, but have yet to fully engage. The authors suggest that retailers and manufacturers do two things: 1) improve the sustainability credentials of key products across supply chains, and 2) make active efforts to promote more sustainable choices for customers.

More information is available here.

Subway, which now has more than 31,500 restaurant franchises in 91 countries and territories worldwide, recently honored some of its vendors for their sustainability initiatives.

Specifically, the brand recognized Schreiber Foods, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, as its “2009 Vendor of the Year,” citing consistent on-time and complete deliveries, leadership in driving supply chain efficiencies, cost control, and culinary support.
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Are there opportunities for creating business value while addressing the global challenge of climate change?

Yes, there are.

A dozen U.S. corporations told the Senate that in an open letter last week. And yesterday, Ryan Schuchard and Betsy Fargo reached the same conclusion in their article at ClimateBiz.com.

In “Three Ways Climate Action Offers a Business Advantage,” Schuchard and Fargo –both from BSR –outline what they consider the three most serious “potholes,” or gaps, on the way to climate stability. These are:

• The gap between science and knowledge
• The gap between knowledge and action
• The gap between action and results

Once you recognize and better understand these gaps, your company can turn them into a competitive advantage. For instance, Patagonia uses its website to teach consumers about the lifecycle impacts of products –that lessens the gap between science and knowledge, while developing goodwill, credibility, and brand loyalty.

As Schuchard and Fargo conclude, “It is natural when planning and reporting to follow the crowds, but there are opportunities for climate leadership when you look for the gaps in public knowledge, action, and results. Taking them seriously will do wonders for your credibility, and potentially lead to new kinds of business growth.”

Manufacturing capacity for solar panels will rise at a rate of 45% each year, from 875 megawatts in 2008 to 3,880 megawatts in 2012, and manufacturing capacity for solar cells will trend the same way, rising 50% each year from 785 megawatts in 2008 to 4,001 megawatts by the end of 2012, according to a new report from GTM Research.

The new study, titled “PV Manufacturing in the United States: Market Outlook, Incentives and Supply Chain Opportunities,” also concludes that:
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