2Sustain

Researchers at the Centre for Low Carbon Futures have concluded that cities could cut their energy bills by billions –if they exploited commercially attractive opportunities in energy and carbon management.

The study, which focused on cities in the UK, found that about 10 percent of city scale GDP leaves the local economy every year through payment of the energy bill . . . and, as you would expect,  that percentage is forecast to grow considerably over the next decade.

However, by investing 1 percent of GDP for 10 years, cities could see savings in their energy bills worth 1.6 percent of GDP every year. In addition, taking advantage of low carbon development would create jobs, mitigate energy risks and reduce environmental impacts. (more…)

Citing increased pressure from shareholders, half of the multinationals in a recent study said they expect, in the future, to select their suppliers based upon carbon performance.

The research, commissioned by Carbon Trust Advisory, consisted of phone interviews with 100 organizations that have at least 1,000 employees worldwide. The data shows that: (more…)

For the first time ever, leaders within the hotel industry are collaborating to reach a consensus on a single methodology for calculating carbon footprints and consistent metrics for communicating emissions.

The International Tourism Partnership (ITP) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) are now working together on a groundbreaking initiative to unite hotel industry sustainability efforts regarding carbon impacts. The new Carbon Measurement Working Group includes leading international hotel companies such as Accor, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International Inc, MGM Resorts International, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Red Carnation Hotel Collection, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc, Premier Inn – Whitbread Group and Wyndham Worldwide.

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Rupert Murdoch, owner of News Corporation, announced last week that the company has become carbon neutral across all of its global operations.

In a letter to his employees, Murdoch says that reaching this major sustainability milestone puts News Corporation on the path to becoming the “innovative, regenerative business we want to be.” He writes:

In the long term, we aim to grow our business without growing our carbon footprint, to power our operations with clean electricity, to minimize solid waste to landfill from our production operations, and to continue to engage our audiences on sustainability issues through partnerships and content of the highest caliber.

Murdoch also outlines how the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability has resulted in significant business benefits. For instance, News Corporation has: (more…)

More and more businesses are working closely with suppliers to improve their sustainable practices.

And now, results of a new study reveal that this type of collaboration can significantly improve the bottom line.

According to The Carbon Disclosure Project 2011 Supply Chain Report, produced by management consulting firm A.T. Kearney, a whopping 86 percent of the companies surveyed saw commercial benefits from working closely with suppliers to improve performance and mutual return on investment –that’s up from 46 percent in 2009.

PepsiCo, for example, has uncovered more than $60 million in energy savings opportunities and a 16 percent reduction in per-unit energy use across its beverage plants, as a result of its carbon management strategy and proprietary energy assessment tool.

“With a robust strategy and proven benchmarks in place, PepsiCo set out to engage and educate suppliers about potential opportunities to innovate their own operations,” said Walter Todd, Vice-President of Operations, PepsiCo UK & Ireland. “By providing suppliers access to the same energy assessment tools we use in our own operations, we’ve seen mutual return on investment.”

The study, which looked at climate change actions and performance of 57 leading global companies and 1,000 of their suppliers across a broad cross-section of industries, also found that:
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