http://www.environmentalleader.com Environmental Leader Fri, 25 May 2012 17:41:13 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/24/four-things-your-company-needs-to-know-about-the-carbon-disclosure-project/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/24/four-things-your-company-needs-to-know-about-the-carbon-disclosure-project/#comments Thu, 24 May 2012 16:18:01 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77264 It’s that time of year again when thousands of companies start preparing their annual Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Report. In 2011, more than three thousand organizations participated, and if you are one of them (or plan to add your name to the growing roster), here’s what you need to know: #1. Participation in the Carbon [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/24/four-things-your-company-needs-to-know-about-the-carbon-disclosure-project/feed/ 2 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/24/burning-down-the-house-the-shocking-economics-of-energy/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/24/burning-down-the-house-the-shocking-economics-of-energy/#comments Thu, 24 May 2012 16:04:03 +0000 Andy Mannle http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77260 Imagine if Mitt Romney’s sons burned through their entire family fortune in less time than it takes to watch Titanic in 3D. That would be crazy, right? But that’s exactly what we’re doing when it comes to energy: we’re burning our inheritance instead of collecting our income. We don’t normally see it expressed in these [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/24/burning-down-the-house-the-shocking-economics-of-energy/feed/ 4 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/how-gaming-can-deliver-your-sustainability-targets/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/how-gaming-can-deliver-your-sustainability-targets/#comments Wed, 23 May 2012 14:05:11 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77184 To compete with rivals, it is a good idea to think ahead. Even though green legislation affecting business is relatively new, it pays for companies to review their green strategy to protect themselves from penalties as new laws are enforced. But on a practical level, how do you make sustainability a priority? At your weekly [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/how-gaming-can-deliver-your-sustainability-targets/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/financing-goes-green/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/financing-goes-green/#comments Wed, 23 May 2012 13:35:48 +0000 Roland W. Chalons-Browne http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77162 Energy prices and consumption seem to be on an upward trajectory. In fact, energy costs have steadily risen over the last decade and are expected to carry on doing so as consumption grows worldwide. Businesses Eager to Introduce Energy Efficiency Especially for businesses, the cost of energy is an increasingly significant issue. In a survey [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/financing-goes-green/feed/ 3 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/the-best-way-to-manage-water/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/the-best-way-to-manage-water/#comments Tue, 22 May 2012 13:35:19 +0000 Kathy Miller http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77058 What is the best way to manage water? Until recently, most of us have not given this question much attention. True enough, we may have realized at some point that water is an essential resource for supporting all life on the planet. Yet we assumed that there is, and will always be, an ample supply [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/the-best-way-to-manage-water/feed/ 2 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/solving-the-worlds-water-problems-through-technology/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/solving-the-worlds-water-problems-through-technology/#comments Tue, 22 May 2012 13:27:03 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77053 As I read report after report about the daunting water infrastructure and scarcity challenges we all face, I am heartened by the promise of technological innovation. Everywhere I look in the water world, I see talented, dedicated people developing smart, new solutions to some of our most intractable problems. Some of the solutions involve creating [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/solving-the-worlds-water-problems-through-technology/feed/ 2 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/21/ten-steps-to-quality-supplier-relations/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/21/ten-steps-to-quality-supplier-relations/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 13:29:41 +0000 Chris Nowak http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76955 Probing the 2012 regulatory landscape, quality and risk managers want to know, “Specifically, how do we start a program of compliance?” The answer is:  start with #1 below. Then proceed to #2. Quality programs don’t have to be drudgery; they can be rational, engaging, dynamic processes. When it comes to suppliers, think “alliance,” not “compliance.” [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/21/ten-steps-to-quality-supplier-relations/feed/ 1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/21/the-many-moving-pieces-of-californias-cap-and-trade-program/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/21/the-many-moving-pieces-of-californias-cap-and-trade-program/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 13:08:33 +0000 Jon Costantino http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76950 The calendar says May 2012, so what does that mean for California’s attempts to implement a first-in-the-nation, economy-wide Cap and Trade Program? Actually quite a bit. There are many moving parts in this complex regulatory puzzle being assembled by the California Air Resources Board (Board or CARB). CARB has control over many of these moving [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/21/the-many-moving-pieces-of-californias-cap-and-trade-program/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/17/ultracapacitors-give-power-lift-to-automated-guided-vehicles/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/17/ultracapacitors-give-power-lift-to-automated-guided-vehicles/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 13:35:13 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76762 The commercial and consumer vehicle markets have made significant inroads in cleaning their technology and improving the performance and lifespan of their energy storage systems. One way to achieve this is by using ultracapacitors in combination with batteries to reduce emissions and store more power in smaller packages. The ultracap-battery combination improves the power density [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/17/ultracapacitors-give-power-lift-to-automated-guided-vehicles/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/17/innovation-a-part-of-basfs-dna/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/17/innovation-a-part-of-basfs-dna/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 13:31:36 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76773 A key element of future-proof brands is innovation. As someone with a particular interest in building tough, resilient brands of the future, I’m always curious how big companies keep their innovation, well, innovative. After all, innovation tends to thrive in open, collaborative environments where failure is welcomed and old ideas can be jettisoned — not [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/17/innovation-a-part-of-basfs-dna/feed/ 1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/16/putting-a-price-on-the-ocean/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/16/putting-a-price-on-the-ocean/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 13:49:01 +0000 Emily McClendon http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76648 For most businesses, the environmental impact of climate change on the oceans is not a top priority. Unless your business is directly reliant on a clean and sustainable ocean, for example fisheries or cruise lines, there is little to no consideration of the havoc climate change is wreaking. Most people are at least peripherally aware [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/16/putting-a-price-on-the-ocean/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/15/corporate-responsibility-education-for-senior-executives-how-important-is-it/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/15/corporate-responsibility-education-for-senior-executives-how-important-is-it/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 13:30:56 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76526 As corporate responsibility (CR) has grown rapidly over the past years, CR key issues are dynamic and therefore create the need for new, innovative directions in the development and implementation of effective and integrated CSR strategies. Do senior executives of global large and mid-size organizations really understand the CR business case? Have they embedded CR [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/15/corporate-responsibility-education-for-senior-executives-how-important-is-it/feed/ 2 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/14/dont-board-the-fracking-banned-wagon/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/14/dont-board-the-fracking-banned-wagon/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 14:35:57 +0000 Peter Gray http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76417 In my last column, I preached patience for those who question the safety of extracting shale gas via fracking. In this month’s column, I profile the growing trend of states and localities electing to ban fracking in response to fears that it might cause groundwater contamination. The availability of cheap, plentiful shale gas is a [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/14/dont-board-the-fracking-banned-wagon/feed/ 26 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/14/traditional-tried-and-true-campaigning-tactics-for-your-energy-project/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/14/traditional-tried-and-true-campaigning-tactics-for-your-energy-project/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 13:52:13 +0000 Al Maiorino http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76421 When working to combat opposition, campaigns often employ the use of new mediums of communication. Facebook, Twitter, and various real-time social media platforms have become a central focus of many public affairs organizations. Utilizing these platforms is effective and produces results in a number of ways. It is even safe to say that in our [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/14/traditional-tried-and-true-campaigning-tactics-for-your-energy-project/feed/ 1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/14/places-to-look-for-energy-losses-in-commercial-buildings-2/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/14/places-to-look-for-energy-losses-in-commercial-buildings-2/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 13:28:51 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76413 Data from millions of businesses, institutions and manufacturers show that sustainability issues fall into four main categories: rising energy costs, growing disposal costs, limited water supply and health concerns over the quality of indoor air. Energy is often the largest line item in an operations facility management bill. So, monitoring and reducing excess energy use [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/14/places-to-look-for-energy-losses-in-commercial-buildings-2/feed/ 1