A global study conducted by Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) has found that transport companies are lagging behind other sectors in mitigating greenhouse gases and setting targets.
The first comprehensive report of its kind, this study surveyed 291 of the largest transport companies in the world, including those that cover road, rail, sea and air transport. The results show that: (more…)
Over the past few years, I have used this blog to promote the message that businesses can do well by doing good. It’s a message that I’m passionate about, and in fact, I’ve been advocating for conservation and sustainability for well more than two decades now. I’ve worked with a variety of organizations, including World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, American Forests and Fundacion Natura, Ecuador’s leading conservation group, and in the early 1990s I also helped formulate corporate sustainability strategies for companies such as Eddie Bauer and Timberland.
Again and again, I’ve seen how sound CSR policy translates into solid business success, and that’s precisely why the title of Aneel Karnani’s recent Wall Street Journal article, The Case Against Corporate Social Responsibility, caught my eye.
In sum, Karnani’s basic premise is that CSR efforts are either irrelevant or ineffective. “The idea that companies have a responsibility to act in the public interest and will profit from doing so is fundamentally flawed,” he writes . . .
. . . and I’m sure it won’t surprise you to learn that I whole-heartedly disagree. (more…)
NSK, a manufacturer of motion and control products, released its new corporate environmental policy last week. The policy outlines NSK’s pledge to conduct business in a manner that protects human health, prevents pollution and protects the environment, and it also outlines how employees and suppliers are encouraged to participate in the company’s efforts.
NSK, which is headquartered in Tokyo, has been recognized among the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations.
In the announcement last week, NSK said that in 2009 employees in the United States contributed to environmental savings of: (more…)
Forming a partnership that illustrates the current trend towards non-profit/for-profit sustainability alliances, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has teamed up with The Coca-Cola Company to improve the water quality of the Yangtze River in China.
In many ways, the Yangtze has taken the brunt of China’s colossal economic growth, and even though the river provides China with 35 percent of its fresh water, it now ranks number one on WWF’s list of the ten most-threatened rivers in the world. For Coca-Cola, which operates 39 bottling plants in China, the partnership with WWF represents an opportunity to strengthen its commitment to water stewardship while mitigating its water risks.
A recent post at Knowledge@Wharton explains how non-profit/for-profit partnerships such as this one can be mutually beneficial: (more…)
Last week, the Sunny Delight Beverages Co. (SDBC) released its second sustainability report, which highlights the company’s 2009 sustainability achievements and establishes clear goals for the future.
For instance, with regard to environmental sustainability, SDBC says it wants to: (more…)
