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Environmental organizations are looking at the landmark tobacco industry lawsuits as models to facilitate environmental change. International environmental organizations are building a case for the legal liabilities that may accrue to companies responsible for climate change such as oil, steel, cement, and coal-fired electric companies. Friends of the Earth (FOE) is studying whether to initiate legal action against industrialized countries and private industries that block the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. When FOE discussed the possibility of a global warming damage lawsuit with British Petroleum (BP), BP attorneys responded similary to tobacco industry executives when they testified to the U.S. Congress that tobacco was not proven to be addictive. The BP attorneys said, “Climate change hasn’t been proven.”
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Since 1988, Canada’s “Environment Choice” ecolabeling program has certified environmentally sound consumer and commercial products. TerraChoice Environmental Services Inc., based in Ottawa, runs the program and has published “The EcoBuyer Catalogue: The Official Guide to Environmental Choice Products and Services”. It lists certified products from 180 suppliers in categories such as: green power, automotive, construction , office, cleaning, marine, and printing. http://www.environmentalchoice.com
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Following a summer of electricity reliability problems and blackouts in several states, a coalition of consumer and environmental groups, state government, and utilities praised the Clinton Administration for proposing new air conditioner and heat pump energy-efficiency standards. The Appliance Standards Awareness Project believes, however, that the proposed air conditioning standards fall short and would require Americans to finance dozens of expensive, polluting power plants to make up the difference. They are urging Bill Richardson, DOE Secretary, to increase new air conditioning standards, not by the 20 percent proposed, but by the same 30 percent proposed for heat pumps (to 13 SEER). Air conditioners are the single largest contributor to peak electricity demand. According to an American Council for Energy Efficiency analysis, this “efficiency deficiency,” translates into a cost of $730 million annually for consumers; 10,000 extra gigawatt hours in annual electricity use, (all the households in Connecticut); and the lifetime emissions of 2,600,000 cars. Appliance Standards Awareness Project: [sorry this link is no longer available]
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Dexia, a French-Belgian banking group, is launching a venture capital fund to invest in companies that mitigate global warming. The fund is raising 150 million euros to invest in projects in central and eastern Europe. Investors will earn carbon emission credits in addition to typical equity returns. Bank Sarasin, a leading bank in Switzerland, is setting up a $113 million fund to finance renewable energy businesses worldwide. It plans to list New Energies Invest on the Zurich stock exchange by 2003. They plan to fund 10-20 businesses with a special focus on Germany and the U.S. Merrill Lynch recently announced a $281 million fund to finance companies in this field, with a focus on publicly listed businesses. For Dexia, contact envirobank@aol.com
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E-commerce impacts the environment in positive and negative ways. One of the negative outcomes is increased energy use from shipping many more products around the globe. The U.S. Postal Service, a leader in green initiatives, is now joined by United Shipping & Technology, Inc. (US&T), (the largest same day delivery company in North America) which recently announced a comprehensive green shipping plan. Its Velocity Express subsidiary is: + developing more efficient routes to reduce to deliver ground and air packages. + providing reusable totes and recycled packaging material to reduce shipping materials + using alternative fuel vehicles and bicycle or foot messengers where practical “Incremental shipping volume is estimated to increase to six million more package deliveries per day over the next two to three years, up from the 650,000 incremental daily deliveries associated with 1999 Internet sales,” says Peter Lytle, CEO. “It is time to demonstrate to businesses and consumers how the use of new and existing technology can help reduce the impact of the delivery industry on the environment. I want us to be known as the cleanest and most environmentally friendly shipper in the world.”
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The Sydney Futures Exchange and its subsidiary, the New Zealand Futures and Options Exchange are launching a global exchange market for carbon credits. Initially, these credits will be sourced from certain forest sequestration activities. Credits are available for forests planted after January 1 1990 that result in a land use change (for example, from grazing to forestry). As of January 2001, residential and small business customers will be able to choose their electricity supplier in Australia. Large companies already have this choice. 15 Australian energy companies have joined to form the agreed to Green Electricity Market (GEM) Project on the Internet to facilitate member green power trades. a major boost to Australias renewable energy sector as it prepares to meet requirements arising from the federal Renewable Energy Target, as well as to meet retail customer demand for green power. It will be online by early 2001 and is expected to give a real boost to the renewable energy market in Australia. GEM will allow members to meet the mandatory target of providing 9,500 GWh of renewable energy. They will be able to track their generation and build an efficient market for renewable energy certificates. The company developing the exchange is […]
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The Time Warner Center is under construction at Columbus Circle, one of the most prominent corners in New York City. Its 2.1 million gross square feet will be a showcase for energy efficient design. It will house the AOL Time Warner headquarters, CNN broadcast studios, 6 floors of high-end retail stores and restaurants, luxury condominiums, a hotel and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Steven Winter Associates is the project’s green building consultant and is advising the team of architects and engineers on efficient energy practices and green building materials.The project will fulfill the requirements to earn a LEED green building rating and the recently established NY State Green Building Tax Credit. The project will incorporate a wide range of energy conservation strategies including premium efficiency motors and chiller, occupant controlled daylight dimming and lighting, demand-based ventilation in large retail areas and auditoriums and carbon-sensor-based garage ventilation. Dozens of commercial projects have registered as LEED-rated buildings in the six months since its launch. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is now building the organizational infrastructure to support it, hiring staff to assist with technical support and program outreach, and establishing project database and tracking systems. A 250 page Reference Guide and other […]
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Until now, measuring how the social dimension contributes to a company’s shareholder value has been elusive. Although CEOs often refer to employees as ‘a company’s most important asset’ companies have lacked a method to include such important considerations in their balance sheet. The method is in the report, “What is Stakeholder value? Developing a Catchphrase into a Benchmarking Tool.” In it, the authors, from the University of Leneburg and the Swiss Private Bank Pictet & Cie ( in association with the United Nations Environment Programme) propose a method to define and calculate stakeholder value, or social efficiency. Since stakeholders (groups in the vicinity of companies) can have significant impact on a company’s valuation, the value of stakeholder relations from the company’s perspective must be known and thus assessed. The study shows how much value is created or destroyed for leading European car manufacturers for each 100 units of personnel. It reveals how efficiently automobile producers manage stakeholder relations in absolute terms and relative to the industry’s average. Order the report at http://www.sustainablevalue.com or via email: Stakeholder@SustainableValue.com
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According to the IRRC (Investor Responsibility Research Center), there has been a substantial increase in shareholder resolutions for the 2000 proxy season. Out of 108 socially-oriented proposals over 90% exceeded the 3% of the vote required to submit again in 2001. The highest performing resolutions call on companies to diversify their boards of directors. At American Power Conversion, the vote was 30.1% in favor. The second highest level of support went to resolutions calling on companies to implement the MacBride Principles on Northern Ireland. Resolutions on genetically modified organisms were hot this year, filed with 21 companies (2000 was the first year for GMO resolutions). They commonly call on companies – such as Monsanto, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Campbell’s, Heinz, General Mills, Kellogg – to stop sales of products with GM ingredients pending further safety tests. Some of the annual meetings are set for the coming months, but of those where the vote has been taken, only two, McDonald’s & Kellogg, did not achieve 3%. On the other hand, votes only garnered an average of 4%. Among other environmental shareholder resolutions, “Report on global warming emissions & misinformation” was the most popular with 11 resolutions. Companies included Alleghany Energy (8.87%), Chevron (8.7%), […]
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“Ten Shades of Green,” a highly acclaimed exhibit of green buildings from the U.S. and Europe, is traveling around the country over the next year. Organized by the Architectural League of New York, its title reflects the various degrees of ‘greenness’ in architecture today as well as the 10 key issues the field addresses: low energy/high performance; renewable sources; recycling; embodied energy; long life, loose fit; total life cycle costing; embedded in place; access and urban context; health and happiness; and community and connection. The buildings – mostly from Europe – represent a variety of building types and architectural and engineering approaches. The buildings were chosen as examples of “complete works of architecture: buildings in which environmental responsibility is fully integrated with an enlightened vision of community life.” The UK’s Jubilee Campus, for example, brings together a wide range of green strategies. Built on a brownfield site, it combines mechanical and wind-driven ventilation. The building is embedded into the landscape such that it filters and cools the air approaching the buildings, improves insulation and prevents build-up of reflected heat. The exhibit demonstrates the myriad faces of green design and its compatibility with the highest levels of architectural excellence. It shows […]
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