2Sustain

More than half (54 percent) of companies responding to a recent survey by Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium say they are pursuing or have pursued green certification for their business facilities. Most (46 percent) think green certification will lead to lower maintenance requirements. Others cite reasons such as increasing credibility (38 percent), maximizing return on investment (33 percent), using guidance and advice from rating companies (21 percent), and coordinating management practices (13 percent).

These results are included in Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium’s recently released “Facility Sustainability Survey Report,” which concludes that companies are growing increasingly focused on green initiatives at their facility locations.

For instance, data from the report shows that: (more…)

Yesterday, Office Depot announced that it will pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Commercial Interiors (CI) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for all new Office Depot retail stores, beginning in June 2010.

LEED CI is the recognized system for certifying high-performance green interiors that ultimately are:

• healthy, productive places to work,

• less costly to operate and maintain, and

• less damaging to the environment.

The long list of features of all new Office Depot LEED CI certified stores includes: (more…)

Water scarcity risks are growing in many parts of the world, and yet a new study, by the Ceres investor coalition, the financial services firm UBS and financial data provider Bloomberg, found that most companies in water-intensive industries have weak management and disclosure of water-related risks and opportunities.

The study, “Murky Waters? Corporate Reporting on Water Risk,” used a scoring scale of 0 to 100 to rank 100 publicly-traded companies in eight key sectors exposed to water-related risks.

Eighty of the 100 companies scored fewer than 30 points. The three highest scoring companies — UK beverage company Diageo (43 points), Swiss mining company Xstrata (42 points) and U.S. electric power company Pinnacle West (owner of Arizona Public Services) (38 points) –couldn’t even reach the 50-point threshold.

And, none of the 100 companies are providing comprehensive water data on their supply chains –an especially glaring omission given that the vast majority of many corporations’ water footprint is in the supply chain. (more…)

I’m finding it increasingly difficult to sort fact from fiction when it comes to sustainable seafood.

For years now, researchers have been warning about the collapse of our marine ecosystems, and we’ve all seen the reports about the fisheries practices and failed management systems that have significantly depleted global fish populations. By some estimates, we’ve already pushed as much as 75% of the world’s fisheries beyond the limits of sustainability.

So, now a variety of ecolabels and sustainability certification programs have cropped up to help both consumers and seafood companies make purchasing decisions based on ‘green’ criteria. But, what exactly makes a credible and practical seafood ecolabel? Since there is no universally accepted label or certification program, how can buyers be confident in their choices? (more…)

Unilever, one of the world’s largest buyers of palm oil, has eliminated one of the links in its palm oil supply chain.

The company has stopped all purchases of palm oil from the Indonesian company PT SMART after a Greenpeace report alleged the supplier engages in illegal deforestation and peatland clearance in Indonesia.

The Greenpeace report, “How the palm oil industry is cooking the climate,” didn’t single out Unilever. It also calls on Nestle and Procter & Gamble, to stop sourcing palm oil from irresponsible suppliers.

And, in doing so, it vividly underscores just how difficult it has become to ensure integrity in your supply chain. After all, Unilever, Nestle, and Procter & Gamble are all members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). From Greenpeace: (more…)