2Sustain

Sea level rise due to global warming has already doubled the annual risk of coastal flooding across widespread areas of the United States, according to a new report from Climate Central, a climate and energy focused non-profit research and journalism organization.

The report, Surging Seas, is not only the first to analyze how sea level rise caused by global warming is compounding the risk from storm surges throughout the coastal contiguous US, but also it’s the first to generate local and national estimates of the land, housing and population in vulnerable low-lying areas and associate this information with flood risk timelines.

Here are a few of the report’s sobering conclusions: (more…)

Most corporate sustainability reports are full of environmental goals. But, do companies actually reach these ambitions? How many end up meeting the targets they set for themselves?

Among British retailers, the track record so far appears to be quite good. In fact, a new report from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) report concluded that retailers in the UK are living up to the environmental ambitions they committed themselves to in 2008 –plus,  they’re demonstrating increasing recognition that reducing waste, energy and water usage not only benefits the environment, but makes good business sense, as well.

The BRC-led project, A Better Retailing Climate, was launched in 2008, and it committed businesses representing the majority of the UK retail market to sector-wide environmental ambitions. The report released last month, A Better Retailing Climate: Towards Sustainable Retail, is the BRC’s third review of progress against these original commitments.

Here’s a breakdown of the report’s key findings: (more…)

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…)

For the third year in a row, UPS has earned the top score in the consumer shipping sector on the annual Climate Counts scorecard.

UPS earned its No. 1 spot with a score of 80, edging out competitors Deutsche Post World Net/DHL, the US Postal Service and FedEx, which ranked second, third and fourth, respectively.

Among the 136 companies ranked by Climate Counts, UPS also shared the 11th highest score across all industries alongside Sony, Nokia and AB Electrolux.

“This recognition is significant because Climate Counts rigorously evaluates performance rather than corporate marketing claims,” said Scott Wicker, UPS’s chief sustainability officer. “UPS’s repeated and consistent top ranking in the shipping segment highlights our efforts to measure, manage and reduce our carbon footprint while offering consumers more choices that support their commitment to the environment.”

As part of their corporate decarbonization strategy, UPS implemented proprietary routing technology to assist drivers in maximizing the efficiency of their delivery route. (more…)

Earlier this month, PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America announced the addition of ten new trucks to its growing all-electric fleet – a move that pushes the company closer to its goal of becoming the most fuel-efficient commercial fleet in the country.

Frito-Lay is working with Smith Electric Vehicles, the nation’s top manufacturer of battery-electric commercial trucks and a leader in the development of commercial electric trucks designed to operate at peak effectiveness in urban environments. All told, Frito-Lay says it plans to deploy 176 all-electric vehicles in the US and Canada this year.

Some benefits of these trucks include: (more…)