This article presents a vision for corporate sustainability and highlights how organisations can add value to not only their bottom line but also to the environment and society at large. With current examples of organisations putting their corporate sustainability strategy into action, this article provides a run down of who’s doing what and the skills and people required to initiate and maintain the drive to a low carbon economy.

Highlighting the increase in auditing and tighter sustainability regulation, this article also provides some useful advice on how to avoid the association with ‘green washing’ and ways in which an organisation can really embed sustainability within the heart of their corporate culture. Investors are becoming increasingly receptive to sustainability.

Corporate sustainability is coming of age. An overwhelming majority of FTSE 500 companies now voluntarily measure, manage, and publicly disclose their carbon emissions; and a collection of hi-tech solutions, clean technologies, and market tools have evolved in recent years to meet these demands. Examples of successful corporate sustainability reporting can be attributed to Siemens and GE, recording environmental revenues of £16bn and £11bn respectively, and M&S showing how a CEO-led sustainability strategy can account for 10% of profit at a FTSE100 retailer. The Co-Operative Group has also launched an ambitious sustainability plan at the beginning of March 2011, which promises to cut carbon emissions by 35% by 2017 and deploy over £1 billion of green energy finance by 2013. By 2017, the Co-op wants to generate an equivalent of a quarter of its energy needs from renewables but aims to be carbon neutral in its operations by next year. The Group also pledges to reduce its water consumption by 10% over the next three years.

Driving change to a corporate sustainability strategy is a constant challenge, however an impressive 81% of the CEOs surveyed by The Guardian stated that sustainability issues are now ‘fully embedded’ into their companies’ strategy and operations, with many extending this focus to their subsidiaries and supply chains. It is clear that sustainability is no longer seen as a marketing fad and is now embraced at Board Level within leading corporations. This is also reflected in recruitment trends witnessed by Allen & York, leading international sustainability Recruiters. Boardroom commitment to sustainability helps build a framework for robust corporate governance.

Writing in Ethical Corporation, Raffaello Raimondi, Principal Search Consultant at Allen & York comments on the rise of the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), “The first job on a CSO’s list is often to challenge accepted norms and radically change a corporation’s culture”. Describing the ideal CSO’s background, Raimondi highlights that several years industry experience coupled with a MBA/Masters Degree and quite possibly experience in a leading strategic or environmental position features high on his check list. By employing a dedicated CSO, Sustainability Director or Head of Sustainability, organisations can ensure the corporate sustainability strategy is not only overseen and managed accordingly but is also implemented to the highest standard so that oversights are not made. When discussing his role at UPS, Scott Wicker, CSO at UPS highlights that: “The long-term success of our company absolutely requires a balance of the environmental, economic and social aspects of the business. Sustainability encompasses all of those areas.” Sustainability offers a proven and legitimate framework for exploiting new avenues for innovation and growth. Initiatives such as the Carbon Plan, Green Investment Bank and the Electricity Market Reform demonstrate how the UK coalition government is well on the way up the regulatory escalator towards encouraging zero-carbon emissions within business. The Carbon Plan, being a Government-wide plan of action on climate change and the Green Investment Bank are primed to invest in low-carbon infrastructure such as renewable energy and the development of new, clean technologies. Both, along with the Electricity Market Reform point towards a movement to monitor and regulate sustainability within business.

In addition, the UK government’s CRC Energy Efficiency scheme which came into effect in 2010 is a mandatory carbon emissions reporting and pricing scheme, with the first report due from organisations, which use more than 6,000MWh per year of electricity, in July 2011. Whilst there has been some controversy about the scheme, it still remains that from 2012, participants will be required to buy allowances from the Government, each year, to cover their emissions in the previous year. This means that organisations that decrease their emissions can lower their costs under the CRC. Companies better positioned to improve their energy efficiency, and save on CRC costs, will be those with a CSO or Head of Sustainability in place, who is able to oversee energy management, sustainable procurement and corporate social responsibility issues, coupled with implementing accurate carbon reporting. A severe management deficit exists in the governance of climate change and sustainability risks and opportunities. Being a key driver to corporate innovation and growth, a top down approach to corporate sustainability is required. Regulation, the role of the CSO and embedding sustainability into business practices also ensures that ‘green washing’ is avoided. Green washing is the team used for the deceptive use of green PR to embellish a company’s green credentials. With a firm policy and strategy in place run by a dedicated CSO or Head of Sustainability, the company is able to produce clear and transparent evidence of their sustainable measures.

Further trends that Allen & York predict for 2011 include:

• The embedding of sustainability as a core business strategy
• Establishment of a consensus on the role of the sustainable development professional
• The rise of the Chief Sustainability Officer
• Increased transparency, an open society and a decrease in green washing
• Supply chain engagement, where supplier’s performance is also monitored and reported on, forming part of the corporate sustainability strategy
• IT for green purposes growing at an exponential rate

Allen & York are a leading international Sustainability Recruitment consultancy, offering jobs and candidates in; Energy & Environmental Management, CSR & Sustainability, Low Carbon and Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Health and Safety Management. For further information, please visit: www.allen-york.com

Allen & York is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

On the 12th October, Climate Friendly Food will officially launch the UK’s most comprehensive carbon footprint calculator for farmers and growers, along with the world’s first low carbon participatory certification scheme. This is an exciting landmark for the development of carbon calculators and the low carbon food market.

To celebrate this launch, Climate Friendly Food have organised a week-long series of events. Starting in Dartington, near Totnes, Mukti Mitchell and Jonathan Smith will cycle 130 miles to Bristol, stopping at organic farms on the way.

Climate Friendly Food is committed to minimising its carbon footprint, so we’re using sustainable travel to promote low carbon food. We will also be eating climate friendly food as we attach great importance to putting principles in to practice.

You are very welcome to join us at one of the events listed overleaf. All events are free to attend, but as space is limited you will need to reserve a place as soon as possible. We will ask for donations towards tea and cakes on the day.

To book your place, please contact Jenny Hall by e-mail jenny@climatefriendlyfood.org.uk or by phone on 01744 894284. We look forward to meeting you at one of the events.

THTC has recently released a
brand new range of organic t-shirts for A/W 2010 from 100% organic cotton,
built with the use of green energy using wind power, with a 90% lower carbon
footprint than conventionally produced cotton t-shirts. The cotton is certified
organic by The Soil Association and The Control Union, produced under the
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).

The organic cotton is planted and harvested by hand, without
mechanization, and because organic farming does not use petroleum based
chemical fertilizer, pesticide or herbicide, it is less reliant on fossil
fuels. The t-shirts are built in association with The Carbon Trust, The Soil
Association, and The Fear Wear Foundation. They are also all certified by the
Oeko-Tex 100 Standard, Class I. The range has been screen-printed using
water-based inks, often using a discharge technique, which uses less ink and is
kinder to the environment.

The range takes influence from urban culture including music, street
art, politics and activism, with designs provided by THTC’s favorite designers
Mau Mau, Herse, Devolution, Gibla74 and Sam Coxen. Included in the range are
long running classic prints such as ‘Evil Mac’, ‘Free Burma’, and ‘Noah’s
Shuttle’, all produced by arguably the UK’s most talented graffiti artist Mau
Mau.

THTC also still carry a strong range of organic hemp t-shirts,
sweaters, track pants and accessories, and will continue to do so in the
future, with certain lines in organic cotton and bamboo to compliment this
offering.

To
view the new range click on the links below, and for High Resolution
images please contact me on the details at the bottom of the page.

Men’s Range:

http://www.thtc.co.uk/index.php?p=product_listings&cat=39

Ladies’ Range:

http://www.thtc.co.uk/index.php?p=product_listings&cat=45

-
CARBON REDUCTION COMMITTMENT UK, we are helping bigger companies
calculate their carbon footprints in line with recent UK legislation
-
CARBON COMPENSATION (OFFSET) PROJECT DEVELOPMENT WITH NGO PRACTICAL
ACTION, this has successfully gone through a pilot phase in Kenya
-
CARBON COMPENSATION WITH NGO GERES, we have expanding our work with
this ngo in cambodia to provide clients with verified carbon credits
-
CSTREAM, Supply Chain Carbon Management, we have developed this new web
tool to help you manage the carbon footprint from your supply chain
- LOW CARBON INNOVATION – GROUNDHOUSE ON GRAND DESIGNS, we have extended our work on innovative eco building approaches

CARBON REDUCTION COMMITTMENT UK
CLEVEL
has recently won consultancy contracts to assist large organisations in
their response to this new UK legal requirement to UNDERSTAND carbon
footprints.  It is estimated that some 20,000 larger organisations UK
are now obliged for the first time to assess their footprints and
participate in a carbon trading scheme.  This is good news, but of
course needs to be seen in the light that many CLEVEL clients have been
doing this for several years already!  
We
recently provided consultancy to help assess the Carbon Footprint for
Cancer Research UK and are looking forward to further work assisting
with carbon reduction action for the organisation.
We
will be contacting existing clients shortly to renew Carbon Balanced
status and discuss how you can benefit from being years ahead of 20,000
of the largest UK organisations in the field of Carbon Management.
CARBON COMPENSATION (OFFSET) PROJECT DEVELOPMENT WITH NGO PRACTICAL ACTION 
As
well as our long standing East African forestry project, some of you
are familiar with our project development work in East Afica with the
global NGO Practical Action.  Their mission is to use appropriate
technology to alleviate poverty and they have specific climate change
programmes and campaigns.  Working with them in Kenya, we have provided
sole funding for a pilot project to make and install fuelwood efficient
clay woodstoves in western kenya.  This new partnership between CLEVEL
and Practical Action provides social, ecological and carbon benefits.
 It benefits the most vulnerable people in the region and is designed
to reduce pressure on forests.  We have installed over 4000 woodstoves
for cooking in the pilot phase.  www.practicalaction.org/eastafrica
CARBON COMPENSATION WITH GERES
Our
second project has generated carbon offsets with the global NGO GERES.
 Working with their cambodian offices, who have a longer established
stoves project, we have helped generate verified emission reductions
(VERs) that have been successfully assessed by the global standards
agency DNV.The project was awarded an Ashden Award in the UK http://www.geres-cambodia.org
CSTREAM, Supply Chain Carbon Management
We
are currently developing a new web based technology to help people
measure and reduce their carbon footprint.  It provides a co branded
website that an organisations suppliers are directed to to report /
measure their own carbon footprint.  CSTREAM makes it easy for an
organisation to extend their carbon work into the supply chain.
GROUNDHOUSE ON GRAND DESIGNS
CLEVEL
has been working on promoting innovative eco design for homes and work
space for several years.  From the pioneering Brighton ‘earthship’ to
the Brighton Ecovillage over the Marina, we have initiated and
delivered some great projects.  Following on from this we recently
completed a new home and workspace called the Groundhouse which was
featured on channel 4’s Grand Designs programme.  Kevin McCloud has put
the design in his all time top 5 projects.  You can see a clip from the
film at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tFJa2aHgN4  and for the time being we have put more info on the project at http://www.groundhouse.co.uk

With the summer wedding season well underway, responsibletravel.com,
the world’s leading travel agent for responsible holidays reports an
impressive 41% year on year increase in the number of customers
enquiring about honeymoons in the UK, and a staggering 448% increase
since 2007.

The responsible holiday company attributes the rise, in what it
refers to as ’staycation-moons’ to couples tightening their belts
during the recession as well as an increased awareness of the
environmental impact of flying and a desire to explore closer to home.
Justin Francis, managing director, responsibletravel.com:

“The average carbon footprint of a wedding these days is thought to
be in the region of 14.5 tonnes, not to mention the average monetary
cost! With all this in mind it’s no wonder that many UK couples-to-be
are considering options closer to home. We’ll certainly be looking to
increase our UK honeymoon holiday range to help keep up with this
demand. ”

For all responsibletravel.com’s honeymoon holidays see
www.responsibletravel.com/honeymoons

For responsibletravel.com’s honeymoon giftlist see
www.responsibletravel.com/HoneymoonGiftList

Short-haul-flights, Bluefin tuna, carbon offset companies and
throwaway fashion are today identified as among the least ethical items
of the past 20 years and should be banned according to a survey of
leading politicians and environmental campaigners by Ethical Consumer
Magazine.

In the survey, 20 leading politicians and environmental
campaigners
were asked which items they would ban on ethical grounds.

In response Jenny Jones, Green Party member of the London Assembly
would ban flights to anywhere it’s possible to get to by train, Hilary
Benn MP, secretary of state for the environment would ban the sale of
Bluefin tuna, Climate Camp activists would ban carbon offset companies
and Caroline Higginson from the fashion industry campaign group Labour
Behind the Label would ban throwaway fashion.

Caroline Higginson from Labour Behind the Label said:
“Cheap garments are only made possible by the exploitation of labour
and natural resources, someone somewhere is paying the price for that
product.”

Rob Harrison, editor of Ethical Consumer magazine which this month
celebrates its 20th anniversary said:

In response Ben Stewart from Greenpeace chose Eurostar, Boris Johnson,
Mayor of London chose electric cars, whilst Hilary Benn MP, secretary
of state for the environment, chose Fairtrade.

Commuter cyclists with no washing facilities at their place of work are coming up with increasingly imaginative ways of getting clean after their morning ride, the most extreme of which being a shower they build themselves, according to the Environmental Transport Association.

The DIY shower uses items that are readily available on the high street, costs around £50, and once assembled transforms a standard loo into a fully-functioning hot water shower. Once finished with, the shower can be packed away in less than a minute.

Photographs and further details on how the shower is built are posted at www.ilovemybike.co.uk

Director at ilovemybike.co.uk, Andrew Davis said: “The lack of workplace showers is one reason why more people don’t commute by bike – employers should spend Bike Week thinking about what they can do to help.”

No shower at work – how do cyclists manage?

Baby wipes: Many cyclists shower before they set off for work and
then when they arrive, wipe themselves down with disposable baby wipes.

Ride slower: Cyclists in continental Europe tend to ride their bikes
slower when they commute to work – it doesn’t add much to the journey
time and you don’t sweat

Use a local gym: The easiest way to get access to a shower if there are
no washing facilities at your place of work is to join the local gym

Keep a supply of shirts at work: This doesn’t solve the problem of
getting clean, but bringing five clean and ironed shirts to work on a
Monday ensures the commuter cyclist looks smart

A poll conducted on behalf of ilovemybike.co.uk for Bike Week found that over 4 million British motorists would be prepared to cycle
more to cut their motoring costs.

Rich countries
risk wrecking vitally important international talks on a climate agreement,
Christian Aid warns today at the close of the latest UN negotiations in Bonn.

They
have failed to commit to dramatic curbs in their greenhouse emissions, or
recognise the scale of funding poor countries urgently need to cope with the
impacts of global warming.

There
are now just six months to go until the critical UN summit in Copenhagen, at which a new climate deal must
be agreed to come into force when the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol ends.

During
the Bonn talks,
it was clear that rich countries plan to continue polluting at levels that will
make dangerous climate change inevitable.

This was
highlighted by Japan’s
announcement of a target to cut its emissions from 1990 levels by only 8 per
cent by 2020. That is a mere 2 per cent more than Japan’s
existing target under the Kyoto
protocol and is entirely inadequate.

‘Developed
countries have been unable to agree on any overall target for their cuts, let
alone one which will hold the global temperature rise below 2^oC
- the point at which scientists predict climate catastrophe,’ says
Nelson Muffuh, Christian Aid’s senior climate
advocate. ‘They are
wrecking the negotiations that are supposed to secure a deal by December.’

Mithika
Mwenda from Kenya,
Coordinator of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, says rich
countries’ proposed emissions cuts are even weaker than those required by
the existing Kyoto Protocol.

‘I’d
rather see my country refuse an agreement with such low ambition,’ says
Mr Mwenda,  ‘Rich countries’ political will to make up for
their historic responsibility and to safeguard poor people’s lives,
dignity and development is just not there. Things have to change dramatically.’

The lack
of trust has worsened as rich countries drag their feet and demand more action
from the developing world.

Developing
countries are rightly worried about efforts to change the terms of the
negotiations and shift the burden of dealing with climate change onto them.
Their concerns are deepened by rich countries’ failure to deliver on
previous emissions and finance commitments.

Developing
countries are demanding that rich nations admit their responsibility for
causing climate change, through a century and a half of industrialisation.

Pollution
from rich countries is already having devastating effects in developing
countries, through droughts, floods and tropical storms. But during the
negotiations, rich countries including the European Union have refused to
accept their responsibility for such damage.

Mr
Muffuh adds: ‘Without real progress on commitments by the rich world, the
negotiations will collapse. Developed countries should prevent further delays
by immediately committing to urgent, deep emissions cuts.

‘They
must come back to the next round of talks willing to act and to agree to
ambitious, quantified financial support for adaptation and mitigation in
developing countries, as well as technology transfer.

‘Such
action is neither an act of charity nor a punishment against rich countries.
Rather, it is compensation for the damage they have done.’

10 free entrances for EJ readers. Discount code
POSECO-1 will give free entrance to the 10 first
registered people.

Economic and financial crises, scandals, climate and social changes, prove us each day that addressing the economy in a different way becomes obvious. That is the reason why Positive-Economy.eu, a project aimed at promoting responsible economic behavior organizes a conference about positive economy. The conference is meant for entrepreneurs, CEOs, Human Resources managers, European and Government Officials to demonstrate it is possible to have a profitable business with a social and environmental added value.

The day will be introduced by tree experts who will talk about the urgent need to change the economy to synchronize it with the challenges of our society. We will hear Messrs Eric de Keuleneer (Professor at the Solvay Business School and author), Paul-Marie Boulanger (Director of the Institute for a Sustainable Development) and Hans Donckers (Vice secretary general at Epegon, The European People Governance Network).

Positive entrepreneurs will follow and tell their stories. These pioneers of positive economy,
who
have by conviction integrated social and environmental values into
their core-business. Amongst them Olivier Desurmont founder of Sineo
(www.sineo.fr) a car wash solution using no water but only 100%
biodegradable products as well as Nicolette Mak who started a few years
ago Valid Express (www.validexpress.nl) an express freight company
employing only physically disabled people.

During the second
part of the day 8 workshops will take place. The goal of those
workshops is to talk concretely about different fields like sustainable
finance and reporting, fair trade products, eco certification or
corporate values. Each workshop will be led by an expert coming from a
key organization. Entrepreneurs who have already implemented positive
economy in their business will bring concrete advice based on their
experience. At the end of each session 10 key steps to look forward
will be provided.

The symposium “How to build a positive
economy?” will take place on the 16th June 2009 at the Finance Tower -
Boulevard du Jardin Botanique 50, 1000 Brussels. From 9 am till 5 pm.
Registration is mandatory.

For any information please visit our website: www.positive-economy.eu

Our
conference is supported by: Flanders and Walloon region, Federal Public
Service for Sustainable Development, BeFair, BTC-CTB, Triodos, BECI,
Kauri, The Hub, Business & Society, MVO Vlaanderen, RSE Wallonnie,
Apaces, CSR Europe, Jade, RFA, FGF.

9th June 2009

Article 13 supports National Liftshare day (https://www.liftshare.com) (NLSD) which in 2009 is being held on Tuesday, 9 June. We intend to raise awareness of the environmental, social and economic benefits of sharing transport. This
initiative is in keeping with the growing and heightened demands for
sustainability, social responsibility and environmental protection. If
even a minority of people share lifts on this day, there will be a
significant reduction in carbon emissions. Imagine what the positive impact would be, if the majority of the population get involved. Make a difference, share a lift!!

Some positive implications of sharing transport are:

1. Reduction in pollution levels.
2. Reduction in overall carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions entering the atmosphere.
3. It has economic benefits for the participants through reducing overall petrol costs.
4. Less traffic congestion and safer roads.
5. Social interaction of sharing a lift rather than driving on your lonesome.

Article 13 advocates building awareness for NLSD, through some or all of the following actions:

1. Tell your friends / family and colleagues about the benefits of sharing transport.
2. Set an example by sharing transport and highlight the benefits of sharing lifts.
3. Encourage your colleagues to promote car-sharing in the work place.
4. Use online social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter to spread the word more widely.

Here at Article 13, in the build up to Tuesday, 9 June, we will include the NLSD logo and link, as well as a brief descriptor on our email signatures to disseminate this initiative to our network of clients, associates and in-house team.

To read more see Article 13 case study:

• Liftshare.com: The emergence of ‘climate change’ as a CSR issue which is also providing an opportunity for ‘social entrepreneurship’.

http://www.article13.com/A13_ContentList.asp?strAction=GetPublication&PNID=1343

For information on how Article 13 can assist you in auditing your company’s practices, developing environmental action plans, and reducing your business’s related impact on the environment, contact Fiona Banyard on 020 8840 4450 or email fionab@article13.com