CSR Minute: Seventh Gen and Kaplan Launch Sustainability Institute;CorporateRegister.com’s 2010 Awards

Corporate Social Responsibility News: Seventh Generation and Kaplan EduNeering Launch Sustainability Institute; CorporateRegister.com’s CSR Report Tally and Voting for 2010 Awards

Kaplan EduNeering and Seventh Generation Introduce Sustainability Institute | 3BL Media

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) December 1, 2009 – Princeton, NJ and Burlington, VT – Kaplan EduNeering, a leading provider of compliance and knowledge management solutions, and Seventh Generation, a pioneer and leader in sustainability, announced the launch of their new Sustainability Institute.  The Kaplan EduNeering/Seventh Generation Sustainability Institute (www.InstituteSustainability.com) will provide business and governmental managers, employees, subcontractors and supply chain partners with best practices and specialized training in the development and implementation of sustainability initiatives.

“Sustainability is a holistic, systems-based learning approach to living well today by employing business practices that enable future generations to live better tomorrow,” said Lisa Clune, President of Kaplan EduNeering. “The Kaplan EduNeering/Seventh Generation Sustainability Institute provides practical guidance and training for business practices that are responsive to the principles of sustainability and to the financial expectations of stakeholders.” 

“There is now compelling evidence that sustainable companies enjoy a competitive advantage over organizations that continue to embrace an exclusive focus on short term profits,” said Jeffrey Hollender, Executive Chairman of Seventh Generation. “That business paradigm is now seen as counterproductive, not only for society and the natural world but also for company stakeholders. Organizations are beginning to understand that responsible corporate behavior has become a business imperative and that it will only become increasingly more important in the future.”

Although recent studies confirm the belief among business professionals that environmental, social and governance activities create shareholder value and increase consumer loyalty, a study by MIT Sloan Management Review and Boston Consulting Group reports that only 30% of firms are implementing sustainability practices.

The Kaplan EduNeering/Seventh Generation Sustainability Institute provides:

•    An online library of courses, including Sustainability 101, Sustainable Supply Chain and Greenhouse Gas Management.  Each of these modules addresses one of the essential business practices in an effective sustainability program. The Sustainability Institute courses are also a good primer for companies seeking distribution with Wal-Mart and that must adhere to Wal-Mart’s Sustainability Index.   Kaplan EduNeering is a pioneer in online learning and has developed more than 4,000 custom courses and learning exercises for its clients and a library of 550 standardized compliance and regulatory courses.

•    Ten video modules for ongoing sustainability learning, with topics ranging from “Developing a Sustainability Mindset” to “Be Transparent.”  The video series includes five modules centered on sustainable business practices.  Each of these modules addresses one of the essential business practices in an effective sustainability program.  The videos feature Jeffrey Hollender, Seventh Generation’s co-founder and current Executive Chairman.  As the company’s Inspired Protagonist, Jeffrey has advised Fortune 500 companies and authored best-selling books including  How to Make the World a Better Place: A Guide for Doing Good and What Matters Most – How a small group of pioneers are teaching social responsibility to big business – and why big business is listening.  Jeffrey’s newest book, The Responsibility Revolution, is scheduled for publication in March 2010.

•    An online toolkit called the Sustainability Communication CoachSM (SCC), which includes articles, brochures, mini-training modules, case studies and other resources to develop and sustain an ongoing, enterprise-wide sustainability communications program. The SCC is modeled after Kaplan EduNeering’s widely used Ethics Communication CoachSM, which now includes 2,000 tools and celebrates its ten-year anniversary in 2009.

•    Optional services, including sustainability consulting, through Seventh Generation’s professional staff and an exam prep package for the LEEDv3 (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).  A Green Associate certificate awarded by the Green Building Council can be provided by Kaplan AE Education.

“The gap between ‘recognizing’ the value of sustainability and ‘achieving’ that value is costing businesses around the world billions of dollars in lost profits,” said Lisa Clune.  “The Kaplan EduNeering/Seventh Generation Sustainability Institute provides the broad resources to help companies understand and achieve the tangible benefits of sustainable business practices.”

About Kaplan EduNeering
Kaplan EduNeering (www.kaplaneduneering.com) is part of Kaplan, Inc., a leading global provider of educational services to individuals, schools and businesses.  Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO). Kaplan EduNeering develops technology-enabled knowledge solutions for assuring regulatory compliance and improving business performance. Kaplan EduNeering is headquartered in Princeton, NJ, and has offices in Houston, TX, Bloomsburg, PA, and London, UK. 

About Seventh Generation
Seventh Generation is a leader in corporate responsibility and sustainable business practices and is committed to being the most trusted brand of household and personal-care products for your living home. It derives its name from the Iroquois belief that “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”

For information on Seventh Generation cleaning, paper, baby and feminine personal care products, to find store locations, and explore the company’s website visit www.seventhgeneration.com. To read more about Seventh Generation’s corporate responsibility, visit the Corporate Consciousness Report at:  www.seventhgeneration.com/corporate-responsibility/2008.

Erin Brockovich Leads Nation’s Parents in Toxic “Crawl” to Action

Seventh Generation, the nation’s leading brand of non-toxic and environmentally-safe household and personal care products, announced today a new partnership with noted advocate Erin Brockovich and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families. Together they’re launching the Million Baby Crawl, a grassroots effort to raise awareness about the nation’s badly outdated chemical laws and encourage parents and others everywhere to ask Congress to pass new stronger regulations that will protect the health of all Americans.

Synthetic chemicals are currently regulated by the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), a decades-old law that experts say has utterly failed to keep the nation’s environment and its citizens safe from materials that cause cancer and a host of other serious illnesses. Under the outdated TCSA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not have the authority to demand the information it needs to evaluate a chemical’s risk, and neither manufacturers nor the agency are required to prove a chemical’s safety before it can be used. In fact, in the 33 years since the TCSA was enacted, the EPA has required testing on only 200 of the more than 80,000 chemical compounds now in use.

“It’s time for commonsense limits on toxic chemicals in our homes, workplaces, and in the products we use,” said Andy Igrejas of the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition. “We must act together to see that new legislation is passed and families are protected from unsafe products. The Million Baby Crawl will take much more than baby steps toward making these things happen.”

Congress is writing a new proposal to reform TSCA, updating last year’s Kid-Safe Chemicals Act. Scheduled for a Fall 2009 introduction, the policy will address these and many other deficiencies by establishing tough new safety standards for each chemical on the market and requiring manufacturers to prove that their chemicals meet these standards before they can be used in the products people buy. The bill would give the EPA new authority to restrict any substances that fail to pass the test.

To rally support for the Kid-Safe Chemical Act and raise awareness of the urgent issues it addresses, Seventh Generation, Erin Brockovich, and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families have launched the Million Baby Crawl, an online initiative designed to educate parents, empower them to work on the legislation’s behalf and literally help them create infant avatars. The result will be a virtual march, or crawl, to Washington, DC, where they’ll “rattle” legislators for toxic chemical reform.

“I am an advocate for awareness, the truth, and a person’s right to know. I believe that in the absence of the truth, all of us stand helpless to defend our families and our health, which are the greatest gifts we have,” said Erin Brockovich, famed environmental and consumer advocate and mother of three. Perhaps best known for the Oscar winning story of her first fight against energy giant Pacific Gas and Electric company, Ms. Brockovich continues to be focused on the research of environmental issues and remains dedicated to providing information and support services to communities in need. “In many instances, our issues may seem to fall on deaf ears, but I’m living proof that when we speak loudly enough, change will occur. I’m urging everyone to join me in the Million Baby Crawl to help make that difference and make sure all our voices, young and old are heard.”

To learn how you can get involved locally to support stronger standards on toxic chemicals and make a baby of your very own that will crawl to Washington, D.C. to help fight for a healthier nation to grow up in, please visit www.MillionBabyCrawl.com. Follow the Million Baby Crawl on Twitter @mbcrawl.

“We assume our homes are safe havens, but the fact is that the vast majority of the chemical compounds found in the products we use there have never been tested. And in most cases manufacturers don’t even have to tell us on product labels what those toxins are. This is a dangerous recipe for harm that virtually every family is exposed to every day,” said Seventh Generation co-founder and Chief Inspired Protagonist, Jeffrey Hollender. “We’re on a mission to come together and change that once and for all.”

via 3blmedia.com

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.

I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas, Anna Getty. Lower your carbon- footprint for the Holidays.

CSR Minute: September 21, 2009 – Seventh Generation, Whole Foods + Rainforest Action Network’s Webcast; Plum Creek Timber; Dow Jones Indexes; Siemens; McGraw-Hill’s Report

Corporate Social Responsible News: Seventh Generation, Whole Foods + Rainforest Action Network’s Palm Oil Webcast; Plum Creek Timber + Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes; Siemens + McGraw-Hill’s Report

The Problem with Palm Oil – Be Part of the Conversation

Did you know that more than 50% of the products on your local grocery store shelf contain palm oil? With the demand for palm oil on the rise, vast tracks of rainforests are being clear cut, significantly adding to the growing global warming threat. In addition to depriving some of the world’s most endangered species of key habitats, tropical deforestation is also pushing the indigenous people of the rainforest from their rightful lands. The situation is dire but with your help, we can change all of this.

You can be part of the conversation.

Join Seventh Generation, Rainforest Action Network and Whole Foods Market to learn more about what they’re doing and what you can do to end the destruction of vital ecosystems.

The panel:

Michael Besancon
Senior Global Vice President of Purchasing, Distribution and Marketing of Whole Foods Market

Jeffrey Hollender
Co-founder, Executive Chairman, and Chief Inspired Protagonist of Seventh Generation

Leila Salazar-Lopez
Rainforest Agribusiness Campaign Director of Rainforest Action Network

Simran Sethi- Moderator
EMMY award-winning environmental journalist

With special guest, Matilda Pilacapio, land owner in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea and a Papuan human rights activist

Attendees will receive a special gift from Seventh Generation. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served.

Please RSVP to Sara Kutchukian at Seventh Generation: snk@seventhgeneration.com or 800.456.1191 ext. 609

If you can’t attend, please register here to be part of the live webcast.

Click here for directions, transportation and parking information at John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse.

Debunking the Myth of Sustainable Brands

Let’s face it: there is no such thing as a ‘sustainable brand.’ Achieving true sustainability means constantly thinking about ways of giving back more than a company takes from the environment and society. In essence, sustainability means creating tangible value for stakeholders.

While brands are important corporate assets, the value they create for stakeholders tends to be largely intangible in nature. Brands themselves do not physically pollute, clean-up, employ, invent, invest, engineer, design, reach out, assist, collaborate and singlehandedly, they cannot save the world. Corporations and the networks, innovations and people inside them, on the other hand, can – and often do.

Irrespective of how catchy the phrase ‘sustainable brand’ is, the fundamental issue remains: either a company is sustainable, or it’s not.

Some companies approach sustainability with an unparalleled level of innovation and fearlessness. I have written about such companies numerous times in books, essays and articles, which is why I am so disappointed to see many of them continuously omitted from the surveys, articles, and highly-touted lists pulled together and promoted by the corporate social responsibility (CSR) industry – particularly those citing the “greenest,” “most ethical” or “most sustainable” citizens or brands.

In March, CRO Magazine chose Merck, Monsanto, Chevron, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Smithfield Foods and other questionable choices as “Best Corporate Citizens of 2009” (read my response here).

Last week, a survey released by Cohn & Wolfe, Landor Associates,  Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates; and, Esty Environmental Partners indicated that Clorox Green Works, not Seventh Generation, was the “Top Green Brand.”

Perhaps this result was to be expected given that Clorox Green Works now owns over 40 percent of the green cleaning category. But I found the result disappointing, since Seventh Generation is a 20-year old pioneer in the green cleaning market, a leader in green business practices, and is well on its way to becoming a truly sustainable company. Clorox Green Works was recently introduced and has basically relied on its marketing muscle and existing distribution infrastructure to achieve success with Green Works. Although the Green Works product line is a step in the right direction for Clorox, the company also markets highly profitable toxic products like Formula 409, Tilex, and Armor All.

As frustrating as Seventh Generation’s pass over was, the icing on last week’s faux ‘sustainable brand’ cake had to be Forbes’ lead story: “ExxonMobil: Green Company of the Year.”

Exxon’s latest marketing campaign sends a message to stakeholders: “Taking on the world’s toughest energy challenges” while “preserving and protecting the environment.” Some people might buy that message, along with the company’s pitch that, despite its past and allegedly present efforts to fund global warming skeptics, a sizable investment in natural gas equals a genuine commitment to “going green.” But judging from the reader commentary posted on the Forbes website, not everyone is easily persuaded:

What are you smoking Forbes?? Besides Natural Gas?? Or did Exxon just buy a lot of advertising from you? Calling the company that denies global warming is real “green” is akin to calling the Mob a bunch of nice guys. Burning natural gas is not green, period. Cleaner, yes. But not green. Do some real investigative journalism and not just regurgitate some PR hack’s false truths!

As this reader commentary correctly points out, by calling an unsustainable company like ExxonMobil “green,” Forbes crosses the line between journalism and public relations. In the same way, by labeling other unsustainable and ethically dubious companies “Best Citizens,” “Greenest Brands,” “Sustainable Brands,” or what have you, the CSR industry is effectively perpetuating a standard of greenwash.

Greenwash is dangerous to our economy because it runs the risk of breeding consumer and investor cynicism toward genuinely sustainable companies that create environmental, social and financial value through the products they sell, the investments they make and the issues they relentlessly fight for. All of this ‘information greenwash’ being spun out of research groups, media companies and the CSR industry accumulates on the web over a period of months and years. In time, consumers and investors will be left with a data trove of incomplete and arguably inaccurate information with which to make investment and purchasing decisions. That means their money could end up in the wrong places – in companies and investment funds that, if they knew better, they would not support.

That problem is as serious as it is unjust.

Christine Arena is the author of The High-Purpose Company – The Truly Responsible (and Highly Profitable) Firms that are Changing Business Now Like what you just read? Get your daily dose of corporate insights.

Follow Christine Arena Twitter: @christinearena