Business 2012 logoI’m looking forward to speaking on Avery’s Green business panel at Business 2012 on Monday 19th March at the O2 Arena. Hope to see some of you there. Come and say hi if you make it!

Some titbits:

  • Ipsos MORI data suggests it is actually frontline workers who are driving the CSR agenda in businesses, not corporate boardrooms. Governed by social conscience and core values, employees increasingly want to feel that they are doing the right thing…There are pioneering examples of businesses practising responsible capitalism in the communities in which they are based.

    Using a selection of stores across the country, M&S has been offering placements to homeless people that include training and other support. More than 20% of participants ended the scheme with a job either at M&S or with other employers. At B&Q, local stores work directly with social landlords to provide repair materials and support local independent businesses through the Tradepoint initiative. An important by-product of such initiatives is the positive brand benefits that businesses accruing with both existing employees and with customers. Almost half (47%) of jobseekers say they are more likely to join or stay with a company that addresses social issues and 70% of customers say they will remain loyal to a brand that demonstrates local social value, even in a recession.’ Emma Norris @ Guardian http://bit.ly/wVTQxe

  • Some interesting ways smart technology could help save carbon, cash and lives, along with some of the challenges of making smart tech solutions happen: http://bit.ly/zuLZ33 
Some more news titbits…
  • Great quote on the business benefits of being socially responsible: ‘Organisations with social purpose written into their business models already exist and their leaders are acting and adapting fast. Among other things their businesses remain relevant, competitive, engaged with their communities, and open to new markets and consumer bases.’ Silvia Giovannoni @ Guardian: http://bit.ly/zohThG
  • Sobering article on the scale and health implications of the air pollution in China: http://bit.ly/FPKtae
  • Good Jonathon Porrit article on harnessing the power of brands to change & normalise sustainable behaviours: http://bit.ly/z9uK8J
  • Gutted that plans to ban fishing discards are under threat – fingers crossed for Monday… http://bit.ly/y0yGmI

Some interesting news stories that caught my eye recently… Enjoy!

  • Don’t sling it – refurb it. Discarded household products such as vacuum cleaners get a new lease of life w/ Electrofarm http://bit.ly/yRjNZM
  • Win:Win – paper shows its poss to simultaneously mitigate near-Term climate change & improve health & food security: http://bit.ly/yywvGg
  • Ducking good idea: Ducks replace paddy-field pesticides: They feed on insects & weeds, not rice & poo is fab fertiliser: http://bit.ly/xiPphN
  • Study finds organic farming in India provide 30% more jobs than non-organic farming & can increase income by about 250% http://bit.ly/AlzptH
  • Go Croydon NHS! Croydon Health Services pays £24k to get Burger King out of hospital: http://bit.ly/zJNzyS
  • Scientists link mass death of British bees to farm pesticides: http://bit.ly/yPfOYG
  • India to open up its retail sector to foreign brands after all: http://on.ft.com/FOUKUs
  • McDonald’s to give away books with UK Happy Meals making them briefly the nations biggest book retailer: http://tgr.ph/x4CxTT
  • Hospital Patients fed on £2.57 a day – shocking when nutrition is so vital when unwell: http://tgr.ph/zrgEFX
  • A chilling article by George Monbiot on some undemocratic goings on in British government: http://bit.ly/Adv7Uu
  • An interesting way to make use of old aircraft – turn them into hotel rooms! http://bit.ly/xIqaU6
  • M&S gives strawberries longer life with new packaging innovation http://bit.ly/x9f3hg
Ed and his new car

Ed and his new car

A selection of fun stuff and interesting new stories from the last few weeks. Merry Christmas everyone!

  •  Just spotted that Oxfam’s ethical collection has a 50% off sale in case anyone is looking for last minute pressies… http://bit.ly/t5IGmE. Also love Oxfam Unwrapped http://bit.ly/rGV0e7 & Save the Children’s Wishlist http://bit.ly/sSPfYg for planet & people friendly pressies. And, in a shamless plug, Climb the Green Ladder makes an EXCELLENT gift of course ;o)
  •  Hooray! Sales of ‘ethical’ goods & services – from produce to transport & funerals – rose by 9% says Co-op http://bit.ly/uBNaVs
  •  Excited that an eco-conceirge service I bought for my brother-in-law’s b-day led to him saving tonnes of cash & carbon! Can’t believe this car-loving carnivore now says: ‘I am now a salad munching ecocrusader in my Audi A1′ – You rock Ed – keep it up! http://bit.ly/u2qnFa
  •  Giving employees targets + letting them set own schedule makes them happier :) but no info in the article on how it affects productivity which would have been helpful… http://bit.ly/uViQn6
  •  Durban round up by Reuters:http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/11/us-climate-deal-idUSTRE7BA07F20111211
  •  Heartening bbc article on why some wealthy individuals are choosing philanthropy over splashing their cashhttp://bbc.in/ue5wdG
  •  Met Office warns of UK climate risks http://gu.com/p/33pgf/tf
  •  Foreign investors might not be able to enter India’s retail sector after all to relief of small business owners http://thetim.es/vqRuU5 - heartening follow up to an article I blogged about last time.
  • http://www.peoplefund.it = an awesome idea! A website from the RiverCottage bods where people with green projects can raise awareness and funds.

I’ll be back with another round up in 2 weeks time. Have a happy and healthy December until then!

Amy

Some noteworthy news stories that caught my eye in the last week:

Climb The Green Ladder Book

Climb The Green Ladder

I’ve just noticed that our book, Climb the Green Ladder: Make Your Company and Career More Sustainable, is 65% off in Amazon’s summer sale - buy it for a bargain £5.94!

That’s way cheaper than I can buy it direct from my publisher – madness!

SHE Show logo

SHE Show 7 June 2011

Visit the SHE Show to hear Amy outline the key tools you can use to set your organisation on to a more successful and sustainable path while getting ahead in your career too. Find out more here.

Good Planet Radio logoWant some top tips on how to green your company and get ahead in your career, and hear the story behind Climb the Green Ladder?

Then check out this interview with Shari and I on Good Planet Radio, which was broadcast on Thurs 15 April.

Listen now: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/planetgood/2010/04/15/climbing-the-green-ladder

Podcast summary: After conducting research with over 80 sustainability specialists Amy Fetzer and Shari Aaron have gathered the common 6 principles that all successful sustainability strategies use. These strategies are available in great detail in their new book: “Climb The Green Ladder: Make Your Company and Career More Sustainable”. Tune to hear about a preview of the strategies as well as Amy and Shari’s experiences and advice on how to make your company more sustainable.

By Amy Fetzer

If you’re feeling frustrated after Copenhagen and ‘Climategate’, take heart. Your actions can help tackle climate change while making your company – and career – stronger and more successful.

We know this because as part of the research for Climb the Green Ladder: Make Your Company and Career More Sustainable, Shari and I spoke to over 80 sustainability specialists – from organizations including Hewlett Packard, Royal Mail and the London School of Economics – who successfully changed their organizations from within.

Our research revealed that all sustainability strategies are underpinned by the same six maxims or principles which can help guarantee success – whatever your level or industry. These principles are described in much greater detail in the book, but we’ve given you a sneak preview below.

1) Get the mindset: Believe in your own power, and you can make a difference.

At the Phelps’ Group, Kristen Thomas’ idea to swap disposable dishes for reusable ones started a green tidal wave that ultimately led to her company becoming the largest private solar power installation in their area.

2) Make the business case: A business case which demonstrates how your sustainability initiative can add business value will show colleagues you’re no hemp-wearing hippie but a business savvy, strategic thinker who understands the new marketplace dynamics.

Martin Blake showed Royal Mail that tackling inefficiencies in their buildings could save £20 million a year while wiping up to 100,000 tonnes off their carbon footprint.

3) Get colleagues on your side: From using peer pressure to change behaviour to giving people the freedom to develop their own solutions, engagement is vital.

Dr Paul Toyne from Bovis Lend Lease formed sustainability action groups across the company, asking directors to recommend people to ensure top level buy in. This meant new initiatives were embraced as solutions came from within.

4) Have 2-way conversations. It’s crucial to communicate your messages effectively and that means making it real and relevant. Coral Rose persuaded fabric buyers at Walmart to use organic cotton by giving them a packet of kitty litter which was the equivalent weight of chemical fertilizers and pesticides used to grow cotton for a single conventional t-shirt. The result? Wal Mart is now the largest user of organic cotton in the world.

5) Work together: From working with others in your company to competitors, customers, suppliers, NGOs and government, collaboration can reap great rewards.

For example, in Scotland, Boots has teamed up with another company to share deliveries. The initiative has save 6,000 delivery miles a week and 150,000 litres of fuel per annum – reducing costs and the company’s carbon footprint

6) Make it part of the culture. . From making an action plan to making targets personal and part of everyone’s job, the most successful organisations are those who have made sustainability an everyday part of business thinking.

Randy Boeller, from HP US, has seen how an integrated approach reaps real business rewards. Take packaging for example. The carbon footprint of getting a product to the consumer can be four times as much as processing the raw materials for that packaging. This means that a lighter, but more environmentally-intensive material could be the better choice overall, demonstrating why you have to look at sustainability at every level to make the most intelligent decisions.

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