2Sustain

Anheuser-Busch InBev and GE have formed a strategic alliance to drive energy efficiency and water savings in existing and greenfield AB InBev facilities across China.

In 2010, AB InBev announced a set of aggressive three-year global environmental goals as part of its Better World commitment. According to a press release, the new partnership with GE will initially focus on designing and implementing several key solutions. For example, the companies will collaborate regarding: (more…)

Water is quickly becoming a significant business growth and development risk.

In fact, after polling 150 large corporations, CDP Water Disclosure found that nearly 40 percent of responding companies had already experienced disruptions in operations, increases in expenses and other detrimental impacts related to water. Of course, government entities are also increasingly concerned with water-related disruptions, and they’re seeking viable approaches for mitigating risks, as well.

Fortunately, a new group promises to offer the kind of information needed for public and private sector decision-making regarding water risks.

Launched just last week, the Aqueduct Alliance is a consortium of leading water experts from the private and public sectors, NGOs and academia. It was founded by the World Resources Institute (WRI), Goldman Sachs and General Electric, but already the alliance has added Bloomberg, The Dow Chemical Company, Talisman Energy, and United Technologies. The Coca-Cola Company is also engaged and will be providing an extensive global database of once proprietary water risk information to support Aqueduct’s work.

From the alliance’s website: (more…)

GE has released its seventh annual Citizenship Report, titled Sustainable Growth.

The 57-page document includes:

• An analysis tracing the source of GE’s long-term value creation through the lens of good citizenship, by identifying global challenges, GE’s expertise and contribution and the relationship to value creation.
• Expert perspectives from more than 20 global thought leaders on key issues, on topics such as climate change, human rights, labor and supply chain.
• A ten-year retrospective, drawing on perspectives from the expert panel, reflecting upon the evolution of citizenship as well as opportunities for the future.
• List of key challenges and GE’s value to address the challenges. The GE Priority Matrix is introduced to highlight the areas where GE can have an impact, through its products and services or its business operations.
• Perspectives of GE CEO Immelt, Board Member Nunn, Senior Vice President and General Counsel Brackett Denniston and Vice President of Corporate Citizenship Bob Corcoran.
• A new redesigned and re-launched website www.gecitizenship.com, with more interactive, user-friendly navigation and narratives. (more…)

GE Appliances & Lighting is now the first full-line appliance manufacturer in the US to adopt the foam-blowing agent cyclopentane in the manufacturing of its top-freezer refrigerators in Decatur, Ala.

This is a noteworthy development because cyclopentane – which GE uses to propel insulation into the doors and cases of refrigerators – significantly reduces the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the insulating process.  In fact, GE says that using cyclopentane will reduce the facility’s GHG emissions from the foam-blowing process by 99 percent compared to the foam-blowing agent it replaces.

By transitioning to cyclopentane as the foam-insulating agent for GE’s 16-, 17- and 18-cubic-foot top-freezer refrigerators, GE’s Decatur, Ala., plant will reduce GHG emissions from the foam-insulating process by more than 400,000 metric tons of CO2-equivalent annually. This is equal to: (more…)

Yesterday, GE released its fifth annual Citizenship Report, titled “Resetting Responsibilities.” This new report reviews GE’s global operations for 2008, grouping key CSR initiatives into four themes: energy and climate change, demographics, growth markets and financial markets. It also includes an in-depth discussion about the relationship between business and society during the global recession and how GE integrates corporate responsibility into its overall business strategy.

With regard to energy and climate change, GE’s progress in 2008 includes:

(more…)