Green Walmart? Or Oxymoron

You know how some things just seem kind of out of whack? I mean, take for instance my Christmas cactus. For some reason it’s popping out blooms like nobody’s business now that February is here. I would have enjoyed seeing this opulent display closer to December 25th, but then again, it’s sort of a pleasant surprise to have something so spectacular bursting forth in a month when dull and dreary is the norm.

Isn’t it always the things that catch us off guard, seem out of place, that make us stand up and take notice….

This is pretty much how I felt when I read the Fast Company Magazine article by Kate Rockwood, entitled “Attention, Walmart Shopper: Clean-up in Aisle Nine.” The author talks about Walmart’s innovative plan to provide shoppers with a Sustainability Index on all its products. Basically, like the Nutritional Indexes that currently grace the backs of most food items now, these little boxes would give the consumer a heads up on how their individual purchases impact the environment: “…from the greenhouse-gas emissions of an Xbox to the water used to produce your Sunday bacon.”

But wait, we’re talking Walmart right? Isn’t this the store that many people think of as the poster child for American materialist gluttony?

Yes.

And yet, this the same store that leads the nation in sales: from toys to jewelry, food to household items. And because of this, I think even my most fervent anti-Walmart friends would agree, not a bad place to start educating the populace about making earth-friendly choices.

Walmart’s grand scheme to inform consumers of their buying environmental impact is in the early stages, but supply companies seem to be getting on board. In Rockwood’s article she says that a 15-question survey, asking for up-to-the-minute sustainability efforts, was sent to Walmart suppliers last year and over 1000 responses were returned.  Obviously these companies know where their paychecks come from. But from my own standpoint, perhaps more importantly these companies are looking ahead to a time when future consumer spending habits will not be based solely on price, but also on who they preceive as environmentally responsible as well. So the fact that manufacturers are willing to buy into this idea is not a huge surprise. Ultimately, they know they could sink or swim based upon the consumer’s views of their accountability to Mother Earth.

Rockwood also includes Walmart’s general timeline for this monumental undertaking. According to Walmart higher ups, “Chemical-intense products (such as household cleansers), electronics, and food will be the first three trial categories this winter” that the store “will attempt to apply scoring and solicit feedback.” The actual Sustainable indexes for most products won’t be ready until 2013.

I suggest that you read Kate Rockwood’s article in the February 2010 edition of Fast Company and see for yourself what Walmart is doing to make this green transformation. It’s an eye-opener to say the least for most of us whose consciences squirm just a little every time we walk through the oversized glass doors.

But regardless of how you feel about Walmart, the sheer size of this company (over 8,000 stores and over 2,000,000 employees according to Answers.com) gives it clout. And if that power is used for good and not evil…., I say go for it.

Greenopolis.com is dedicated to our users. We focus our attention on changing the world through recycling, waste-to-energy and conservation. We reward our users for their sustainable behaviors on our website, through our Greenopolis Tracking Stations and with curbside recycling programs.

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Despite Shaky Economy, Americans Remain Charitable…But With a More Critical Eye | 3BL Media

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) NEW YORK, N.Y. - DEC. 23, 2009 – Even a struggling economy and tight household budgets are not stopping Americans from giving back, but their generosity is coming with closer scrutiny.

Four out of five Americans who give to charity say they will donate as much if not more this year than in 2008, but two-thirds of those polled said they are increasingly concerned with measuring the impact of their donations, according to the results of the second Tiller Social Action Survey, released here today by Tiller, LLC, a leading advocacy marketing consultancy.
 
“It’s been a challenging year for many Americans. Unemployment hit a 25-year high and the markets hit a 12-year low, but our desire to help others has never wavered,” said Tiller Founder and CEO Rob Densen. “That said, a stressed economy has made us all more value-conscious – both in our personal spending and in our charitable endeavors. That’s a trend that non-profits are ill-advised to ignore.” 
 
The 2009 Tiller Social Action Survey was designed to better understand Americans’ attitudes and behaviors relative to civic and charitable activities. It was conducted via the Internet between November 27 and December 2, 2009 by the national polling firm of Mathew Greenwald & Associates. All respondents were at least 21 years of age. The margin of error for the 1,000 interviews is +/-3.1%. The original poll was conducted in October 2006.
 
Charitable Instincts Remain Strong
Americans remain remarkably focused on helping others. Ninety-seven percent of those surveyed said it’s important to contribute to the greater good; that compares with 98% who responded that way in the 2006 survey.
 
Eighty-two percent of respondents said it is important to donate money and 79% had done so already in 2009.
 
“According to the Tiller research, 29% of Americans will donate more this year than last,” said Brian Perlman, partner and SVP at Greenwald & Associates.  “As recent data show, that’s three times the number that plan on spending more on holiday gifts.  Everyone focuses on holiday sales; maybe holiday donations are the more telling numbers.”
 
Encouragingly, prospects for next year are good, as 90% of those who donated in 2009 said their donations in 2010 will be the same or above this year’s level.
 
But donating money isn’t the only way of giving back. Sixty percent of those surveyed said they had volunteered in 2009. Asked about random acts of kindness – defined as a spontaneous act of kindness, frequently performed for someone you don’t know – just about three in five (59%) of Americans said they perform one at least weekly. 
 
Making a Charity List and Checking It Twice  
Americans are paying closer attention to how their charitable dollars are being spent.
 
Among Americans who’ve made charitable donations in 2009, 51% said the operating efficiency of the companies they donate to is more important than a year ago, 44% said it was the same and only 5% said it was less important.
 
And Americans are doing their homework. Fifty-three percent of Americans at least occasionally check a charity’s operating efficiency rating. Interestingly, 19% of Americans say they always check a charity’s efficiency rating – up substantially from 12% in the 2006 survey.
 
“Understandably, a struggling economy and volatile markets make us all a little more bottom-line focused,” Densen said. “But the recent financial and economic crisis has further rattled Americans’ confidence in Corporate America and ignited a debate relative to alignment of interest and transparency.  This reaction has been indiscriminant and non-profits, NGO’s and associations are suffering a perceptual spillover.”
 
Perhaps not surprisingly, just over one-third (34%) of respondents – only 4% strongly and 30% somewhat – agreed with the statement that “charities do a good job educating the public on how donations are spent.”
 
“We believe the survey findings represent both an opportunity and an object lesson for non-profits,” said Tiller principal Heather Emerson. “Americans are increasingly value-oriented and are looking to support non-profits that put their dollars to best use. Non-profits who recognize that and can effectively communicate their financial accountability and controls along with the import of their cause will have an important leg up.” 
 
*     *     *     *
Tiller, LLC is one of the nation’s leading consultancies in the creation and implementation of advocacy marketing programs for major U.S. corporations. For more information on the 2009 Tiller Social Action Survey, a checklist of 12 random acts of kindness, and contact information for volunteer opportunities, please go to the Tiller website: www.tillerllc.com.  Have some fresh, creative ideas for random acts of kindness? Please send them to actsofkindness@tillerllc.com. We will post our favorites on our website.
 
Mathew Greenwald & Associates is a premier full service market research firm headquartered in Washington, D.C.
 
Contact:
Rob Densen/Jim Marren, Tiller, LLC
(212) 358-8515

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New Anti-Corruption Guidance Raises Bar for Company Reporting | 3BL Media

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) (Berlin, 9 December 2009) – As calls for corporate accountability increase, Transparency International (TI) and the United Nations Global Compact today published reporting guidance for companies committed to combating corruption.

Public reporting sends a strong signal to employees, investors and consumers, that a company is serious about clean business. The guidance, developed in the framework of the Global Compact, the world’s largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative, equips business with a practical means to report on anti-corruption policies and actions comprehensively and effectively.

“Following the financial crisis the spotlight is on companies to prove they are responsible, accountable corporate citizens,” said Huguette Labelle, Chair, Transparency International, and Global Compact Board Member. “The Reporting Guidance helps companies to convincingly demonstrate they are fully assessing and addressing corruption risks.”

“Making a commitment to anti-corruption is only the first step,” said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the Global Compact. “The true challenge lies in implementation as well as meaningful and transparent disclosure. This much-needed guidance will be of significant help to companies seeking to assess and improve their anti-corruption performance.” 

Recent TI research reveals that many leading companies make high-level, strategic commitments to prevent corruption but still have a long way to go in reporting how these commitments are integrated into their policies and activities. The new guidance aims to fill this current gap in reporting and is designed to fit the needs of all companies, from small enterprises to multi-national businesses, regardless of sector.

The guidance is the most succinct, practical guide currently available to what anti-corruption aspects companies should report on. It sets the standard for thousands of Global Compact signatories, while its use will be beneficial well beyond this network.

“The reporting guidance sets a new benchmark for reporting on anti-corruption,” said Labelle. “By following the reporting guidance, companies stand to strengthen internal anti-corruption systems through transparency, enhance their external reputation and allow progress to be measured.”

At the invitation of the Global Compact, TI chaired a taskforce consisting of businesses, NGOs and anti-corruption experts to develop the guidelines, which were successfully field tested by 19 organisations around the world. Every organisation reported that the guidelines will help them in implementing anti-corruption practices.

“This Guidance is the result of a global, multi-stakeholder endeavour to support companies in their efforts on anti-corruption reporting in the Global Compact Communication on Progress and beyond”, said Sven Biermann of Accenture, co-chair of the taskforce. “It promotes the strong benefits of reporting and provides structured and comprehensive guidance.”

Following this first introduction, the Global Compact Office will, over the coming months, work with participants and Local Networks around the world to advance adoption of the guidance into standard reporting practice. The Reporting Guidance will also be presented at the upcoming Global Compact Leaders Summit, to be held on 24-25 June 2010 in New York.

Transparency International is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption.

The UN Global Compact is the world’s largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative, with over 7,000 participants in more than 135 countries. www.unglobalcompact.org

To download the Reporting Guidance click here.

Coca-Cola Bottling Company reinforces commitment to environment with expansion of hybrid-electric fleet | 3BL Media

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(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) – MONTRÉAL,  – December 8, 2009 – Coca-Cola Bottling Company is expanding its fleet of hybrid-electric delivery trucks across Canada as part of its ongoing commitment to Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability (CRS). The company is adding 15 hybrid single-axle tractors to its existing hybrid fleet of 20 side-bay trucks and 2 straight trucks in Canada. Of these 15, five have been deployed in Montreal.

The largest hybrid vehicles in North America, these trucks use about 30 percent less fuel and produce about 30 percent fewer emissions than standard tractors. These first-of-their-kind vehicles are servicing markets in Vancouver, London, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has deployed a total of 327 hybrid delivery vehicles across North America. These vehicles were manufactured in Sainte-Therese, QC. The investment in hybrid technology is a critical component of CCE’s commitment to reduce its overall carbon footprint by 15 percent by the year 2020.

“We are proud to expand Canada’s largest fleet of heavy-duty hybrid diesel-electric delivery vehicles,” said Alain Robichaud, Vice President, Supply Chain Customer Service. “This is one of several ways we are investing to reduce energy consumption across our business.”

The technology in these hybrid vehicles will also support Coca-Cola’s sustainability efforts around the Olympic Torch Relay.

Coca-Cola Bottling Company is a wholly-owned operating division of Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., operates in all 10 provinces and employs 5,500 people across Canada and 900 in Quebec. The company produces, sells and/or distributes a full range of sparkling and still beverages, including, Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, diet Coke, caffeine free diet Coca-Cola, Sprite, diet Sprite Zero, Five Alive, Fruitopia, Fresca, Barq’s root beer, Cplus beverages, Fanta, Nestea ice teas, AriZona iced teas, Orangina, POWERaDE sports drinks, Monster, Full Throttle, glacéau vitaminwater, Evian, DASANI remineralized water, FUZE, V8 vegetable and fruit juices, and Minute Maid 100% juices.
 

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http://crs.cokecce.com/energy-conservation/hybrid-electric-fleet

CSR Minute: Veuve Cliquot’s Businesswoman Award; American Home Furnishings; Shelton Group

Corporate Social Responsibility News: Veuve Cliquot’s Businesswoman Award; American Home Furnishing Association’s Sustainabiity Summit + Shelton Group

Greenpeace tells you The naked truth about the F-word and climate

The Going Green movement is changing constantly, sometimes for the worst.

This blog is updated daily about environmental issues that are effecting or enhancing our world every day. The Going Green movement is changing constantly, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. R. Michael Richmond is the creator and writer for Green Business Views Blog and he witnesses Green issues and innovations first hand popping up every day because he is the owner and founder of Green Business League and Green Clean institute which are Green Certification firms.

R. Michael Richmond considers himself a teacher and an entrepreneur. That is why he likes to share his ideas and experiences with other people to keep them informed and educated about what is happening in the Green world.

Green Business Views goes over serious current situations that are happening in the world such as H1N1 and how you can protect yourself and your family from getting the virus if you have not gotten a vaccine shot yet. How President Obama has recently signed Executive Order 13514, which requires businesses to have a Sustainability Officer. Also, he writes about Green innovations such as how wind turbines work and how they are making energy sustainable.

These issues are the most talked about not only in the Green world but in the world in general. R. Michael Richmond does not just write about serious issues but he also gives solutions and explanations so you can have better knowledge of the problem and you can solve these problems yourself. Visit Green Business Views and you will find the answers to your questions, and the knowledge that will keep you current with today’s problems.

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Why do B Corps matter? Annual report will explain, inspire, motivate entrepreneurs to build a new economy NOW

B Lab, the nonprofit that certifies B Corporations (“B” is for benefit), will publish the first B Corporation Annual Report in collaboration with Sustainable Industries, the business source for leaders of the New Economy. The report will include a summary of B Lab’s progress to date in building a new sector of the economy through the growing community of certified B Corps, creation of a new corporate form, and a new rating system for impact investors.

In a time when many are looking for concrete, market-based solutions to systemic problems made plain by the financial meltdown, the B Corp community has grown 80 percent in the past year and thousands of businesses, large institutional investors and policy makers at every level of government have adopted the performance and legal standards outlined by the B Rating System.

Two characteristics distinguish B Corporations:

• B Corporations’ legal structure expands corporate accountability to consider employees, community and environment, not just shareholders, helping them to grow and raise money while maintaining mission
• The transparent, comprehensive B Corporation performance standards empower consumers to support businesses that align with their values, investors to drive capital to higher impact investments, and governments and multinational corporations to implement sustainable procurement policies. Today, there are 220 B Corporations in 28 states representing 54 industries

“This report will explain why B Corps matter and why now is the time to address fundamental, systemic problems with systemic solutions that go beyond window dressing and pleas for more regulation,” said Jay Coen Gilbert, one of the three founders of B Lab. “We hope readers will walk away inspired by the impact B Corporations are having and better equipped to forge their own path to build a new, more inclusive and sustainable new economy in which businesses serve society as well as shareholders.”

The B Corp Annual Report includes:

• Summary data on community growth, diversity and impact comparing B Corps and non-B Corps
• Profiles of B Corps achieving high impact in each area assessed by the B Impact Rating System (Employee, Environment, Community, Consumer). B Corps profiled include: Seventh Generation, IceStone, Cardinal Resources, ShoreBank, SABEResPODER, Indigenous Designs, Sustainable Harvest, Greyston Bakery, Dansko, King Arthur Flour, Method, Plum Organics
• A directory of 205 Certified B Corps arranged by industry, and profiles of innovations that can be used as a resource for journalists covering social entrepreneurship, and business owners and entrepreneurs interested in learning more about running a purpose-driven company

The B Corporation Annual Report will be mailed to subscribers of Sustainable Industries magazine with the November issue and will be available on newsstands in mid October. Limited advance copies of the B Corporation Annual Report are available to select journalists. To secure a copy, please contact Anna Ghosh at Anna@Strauscom.com.

B Lab is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create a new sector of the economy that harnesses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. This sector will be comprised of a new type of corporation—the B Corporation – which creates economic opportunity, builds strong communities and preserves a healthy environment.  B Corps meet higher standards of accountability, transparency, and social and environmental performance.  As of September 2009, there are over 220 certified B Corporations from over 50 industries with more than $1 billion in revenues and $7 billion in assets under management.

B Lab’s objective is to help B Corps become legally recognized by the states, tax preferred by the IRS, and valued by employees, investors, and consumers.   B Lab also re-purposes the standards used to certify B Corps to help investors make high impact investments and governments implement policies to support sustainable business.

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Financial Crisis Inspires Doing Well by Doing Good

Nothing has put the mandate for doing well by doing good more front and center than the financial collapse one year ago. For three decades, Greed has been Good! Better than good, it was great!

In America in the 1930s, a chicken in every pot was the social goal. People in the Great Depression were literally starving. Anyone with parents or grandparents who lived through those times is familiar with stories of struggle and strife. In the 1940s, defending our freedom was the call of duty for every citizen. War brides dreaded the sight of uniformed men at the door and mothers prayed for their sons to return home alive. Honor and freedom were the goals citizen’s strove for on both sides of the Atlantic. In the 1950s, a safe and secure life climbing up the corporate ladder was all any family could want. Moms stayed at home baking apple pie and dads worked to put two cars in the garage. Father’s Knew Best, kids were respectful, and a common morality ruled.

In the 1960s, things got a bit more real again. A throwback to the 1940s, principles of right and wrong, justice and injustice threw the nation into a state of turmoil. We didn’t always believe the same thing, but at least we had beliefs. The 1970s brought with it a new restlessness in post-war America. There was no cause to fight for anymore. The apathy led to the Culture of Greed.

Oliver Stone made a movie ironically intended to expose the superficiality of the world of finance. Instead the Hollywood version of the money machine made Greed a Star. Gordon Gekko became an American idol and profit at any cost became glamorous.

It didn’t matter how you made money anymore, just that you made it. You could beg, borrow, and steal to get to the top and it was all acceptable. It was simply “good” business…

Now a new kind of good business is breaking through to the other side. No longer a fringe idea for those outside of society, the Business of Good is one of the biggest industries in the New Economy.

The Wall Street Journal, one of the Greed culture’s loudest voices, reported this week on the move of talented college grads out of finance and into “doing good” professions. A MIT graduate student who originally intended to go to Lehman Brothers switched his plan to engineering and solar-power technology. New grads are flocking in droves to social entrepreneurship careers, social advocacy start-ups, better world businesses, and environmentally sound green business endeavors.

Phew! More proof that there is silver lining in every dark cloud. And it only took a major economic catastrophe to do it!

Click for the latest updates on Good-B

GoodB Blog

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7th Gen has committed to obtain 100% of the palm oil used throughout its product from certified sustainable sources by 2012

Seventh Generation, the nation’s top brand of family-safe, environmentally healthy household solutions, has announced a commitment to obtain 100% of the palm oil used throughout its product lines from certified sustainable sources by 2012. The company’s new initiative will support responsible producers while adding an important additional measure of renewability to its best-selling consumer goods. To mark the launch of the project, Seventh Generation will host a special panel discussion and live webcast on palm oil issues Thursday, September 24th.

A crucial component in countless items found in the typical grocery store—from foods and drugs to personal care items and detergents—palm oil is one the world’s most important vegetable oils and a key ingredient in the plant-based surfactants used by Seventh Generation’s cleaning products. In recent years, however, growing demand has led to devastating deforestation and rising greenhouse gas emissions from the felled rainforests of Southeast Asia, and imperiled the indigenous peoples and endangered species living there.

Over the next two years, Seventh Generation’s new program will identify responsibly managed palm oil sources. Once certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, the company will transition all its purchasing to these new suppliers and create 100% traceable, environmentally-benign palm oil supply chain.

To highlight the project’s importance, Seventh Generation is hosting a special panel discussion on palm oil issues and solutions. The event takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 pm Thursday, September 24th at the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston, and the public is invited to join the conversation in person or via live webcast. The panel will be moderated by Emmy award-winning journalist Simran Sethi and will feature Jeffrey Hollender, Chairman of Seventh Generation; Michael Besancon, Senior Global Vice President of Purchasing, Distribution and Marketing at Whole Foods Market; Leila Salazar-Lopez, Agribusiness Campaign Director of the Rainforest Action Network; and special guest Matilda Pilacapio, Papua New Guinea human rights activist.

“Palm oil is used in more than half of all the products in the typical supermarket,” said Hollender. “But few people are aware of what this actually means on the ground in the places that produce it. The hidden costs are enormous, and they can’t be allowed to continue. As one of the larger non-food buyers of a palm oil derivative in the country, our new sourcing initiative will help jump-start the sustainable palm oil industry. We also hope it encourages a national conversation about these issues and creates a model other companies will follow. Palm oil can be responsibly produced, and that’s our ultimate goal: to make the entire global supply is as low-impact as possible. That’s what we’ll be talking about on Thursday as we begin this work.”

Learn More During a Live Webcast
For further information about the live event and to register, please visit www.seventhgeneration.com/sustainable-palm-oil/boston-event. For webcast registration please visit http://video.webcasts.com/events/pmny001/viewer/index.jsp?eventid=32045. To learn more about palm oil and Seventh Generation’s unique new purchasing initiative, visit http://www.seventhgeneration.com/sustainable-palm-oil.