Internal carbon fees are becoming increasingly popular with companies as varied as Shell, Microsoft and Disney. But rather than use some or all of these funds to buy carbon offsets, a new solution called “onsetting” is emerging that enables businesses to increase employee engagement, support their local communities, and amplify their philanthropic giving while building awareness and action around climate change. READ MORE
For me, the image of bamboo is a potent one, since it is humble in appearance, yet its strength lies in its ability to bend and sway when necessary, rather than attempt to resist. This ability of the woody grass to bend without breaking lies in the fact that unlike wood, it grows without knots or rays in each stalk, and its anatomy at the cane and microscopic fiber level provides it with its structural integrity. Humble people also have this structural integrity. READ MORE
Certainly there is more than enough evidence out there to persuade the potentially persuadable that sustainability is good for business right now. Until we have an economy that prioritises sustainability innately, we must use such evidence to take us another step towards a brighter future. READ MORE
What to make of five anecdotes from the author’s attendance at over a dozen sustainable business metrics conferences, and leading an interagency indicators initiative of New Jersey State Government in 2000-2002 that don’t fit the numbers narrative. While more “pitfalls” will be offered in the rest of this series, we’re simultaneously going to have to work through what might be going on with these anecdotes. READ MORE
Tom Catania’s role at Whirlpool Corporation wasn’t specifically to shape the company’s sustainability efforts. But in more than 25 years with the appliance manufacturer, the last 14 as Vice President for Government Affairs, Catania’s job called on him to help identify public policy conflicts and bring together diverse interests to find consensus. READ MORE
Imagine that you arrive to take your first flying lesson. The instructing pilot asks, “How much fuel do you guess we should put in the tank?” You think: “Guess? Come again? Shouldn’t we calculate the distance between where we are and where we are going, and then determine the fuel needed (and add in some extra fuel for peace of mind)?” Yes. And the same is true for sustainability goals. READ MORE
