Social Responsibility and Sustainability News

There are obvious environmental and health benefits to cycling, however the financial rewards of cycling are coming to light with a new report from the League of American Bicyclists, Sierra Club, and National Council of La Raza (NCLR). According to them, cyclists in the U.S. save a whopping $4.6 billion every year on gas and transportation costs.

The report coincides with National Bike to Work Day and more than 1 million Americans are expected to participate in hundreds of events across the country, showcasing bicycles as a healthy, affordable and efficient form of transportation. According to the report, the highlights include:

CleanStar Mozambique’s founders and investors have a crazy idea that they can make the lives of a few hundred thousand people in Mozambique a lot better, avoid climate-change inducing deforestation, and make money at the same time.

RP Siegel shared their six-point plan with us back in September, but in case you missed it, here’s the lowdown: pay farmers (who are otherwise sitting idle) to grow cassava, incentivize them to grow some healthier food products while they’re at it, turn the cassava into ethanol, develop an-ethanol-burning stove that hits all sorts of pain points for the women of urban centers who are otherwise stuck with dirty, inefficient charcoal stoves, and, magically, profit!

The project is still in it’s infancy, but the founding team seems to have thought of almost everything and are pretty darn dedicated to making their project a true triple-bottom-line business.

Mt. Everest or Sagarmatha is “so high that no bird can fly [above it]” as the saying goes in Nepal.  It takes a great amount of training and finances to make it to the peak of the highest mountain in the world.  During a recent course in ethics, we Professor Lele discussed the famous HBR case study parable of the sadhu. In it, the author discussed the months he spent hiking through Nepal where he encountered an Indian holy man, or sadhu. The sadhu was left in poor health conditions to fend for himself while the group continued their way up the slope. What happened to the sadhu? Nobody knows, but what has happened to Sagarmatha is very clear or I should say very dirty.

Sagarmatha is prized for its beauty but stories about the litter problem are all too common. In 2007 there were 110, 000 pounds of garbage on Sagarmatha. The good news is that since 2000, there have been several initiatives attempting to restore the mountain while educating locals as well as tourists.

Packaging might not be the first issue to come into mind when you think about the impacts of the fast food industry. It’s true that packaging is not connected to obesity, food safety, animal rights, impact on food systems and some other major issues. But it’s definitely connected to depletion of natural resources, loss of biodiversity, waste, and climate change. Most of these impacts, explains Dogwood Alliance derive from the use of paper, the largest component of fast food packaging. Now, a new report provides a roadmap for fast food companies on how to reduce their packaging footprint.

The report, “Greening Fast Food Packaging: A Roadmap to Best Practices,” outlines eight key attributes of environmentally friendly fast food packaging and provides guidance for fast food companies on how to assess environmental impacts in the supply chain. In addition, the report highlights leaders in the fast food industry like McDonald’s (yes, you heard it right) and Starbucks (you heard it right again), as well as companies that lag behind like KFC.

To learn more about this report, I got in touch with Scot Quaranda, Campaign Director at Dogwood Alliance.

TriplePundit: How important is packaging if you look at the big picture of environmental and social impacts of the fast food industry?

Scot Quaranda: Fast food is ubiquitous and of course there are many issues associated with the industry that deserve scrutiny.  That said, all fast food, whether eat-in or take-out tends to come in some type of packaging and all of that packaging really adds up in terms of use of natural resources. The Southern US is the largest paper producing region in the world and the number one product being produced here is packaging. By taking a closer look at the impact all of this packaging has on the forests and communities of our region and providing a simple roadmap to greener packaging we hope to make a difference on at the very least on that level.

3p: Is making fast food packaging greener also beneficial in terms of cost savings or is it actually more expensive?

SQ: Greener fast food packaging can be good for the corporate bottom line. Moving through the various attributes we identified there are numerous opportunities for companies to save money.  Indirectly, being green is good for the corporate brand and can increase loyalty and customer base.  More directly, by reducing the overall use of packaging you save money in material costs and if you add to that smarter shipping, a company can save money on transportation costs.  If you encourage re-use, you use less packaging, which saves money and increasing in store recycling, individual restaurants and chains can cash in by selling those materials to recycling facilities. All in all, it is not simply something to feel good about, a company can save and even make money too.

3p: What is the most important factor that gets these companies to take action – is it pressure from customers? NGOs? Greater understanding of the benefits of sustainability?

SQ: I would say it is a combination of consumer and environmental pressure along with visionary corporate leadership. Obviously it sometimes takes pressure to raise awareness around these important issues, but the biggest changes we have seen have come after the CEOs and upper level management respond to the pressure not with a slick PR campaign but instead by taking the reins and developing an implementable vision that they share throughout all levels of the company. 

Last year, the late Steve Jobs revealed plans for Apple’s new ‘Spaceship’ building to be located in Cupertino City, California. The futuristic structure should be completed in 2015 and will house approximately 13,000 employees. It may look like it’s been plucked from the imagination of Philip K Dick, but what was previously the realm of science fiction has now become science fact. It promises to be one of the most technologically advanced offices in the world, being totally self-sufficient for power with the national grid acting only as backup.

Critics and eco groups dug into Apple some years ago due to their lack of green credentials, so their new corporate campus will have state-of-the-art energy efficient technology to control the building’s environment combined with an eco-friendly design and solar paneled roof. The architects responsible are Foster + Partners who have a proven track record with ultra-modern big buildings, they’re behind the beautiful Berlin Reichstag and the impressive Dallas Opera House, so expectations are certainly high.

Of the 150-acre site Apple intends to make nearly 80 percent green landscape by planting an extra 2,300 trees. There will also be a company garden with a wide range of flora and fauna. In addition, a jogging track will wind around the campus for the exercise enthusiasts, an employee car park will be tucked underground, and of course there will be an amphitheater to host Apple’s infamous product launches.

But not everyone’s convinced of the ‘Spaceship’ and its neo-eco aims. The New Yorker’s Paul Goldberger feels that it represents a big donut saying, “Steve Jobs, speaking to the Cupertino City Council, likened the building to a spaceship. But buildings aren’t spaceships, any more than they are iPhones.” Other detractors aren’t convinced that the new building will be as sustainable as Apple initially claimed and a few non-believers simply feel the mega-structure is unrealistic and too out there. Some Santa Clara residents have reported that Apple need to ensure the environmental impact is minimal, for example they will have to deal with a new influx of traffic into the area and the proper environmental studies need to be audited in order to reduce the effect of the building on people that live and work in the vicinity.

A team of researchers at Columbia Engineering has launched an interactive online energy map that breaks down the patterns of power consumption in practically every building in all five boroughs of New York City. Though the map is based on estimates rather than actual metered data, it does provide an easy way to compare real-life usage patterns with the norm, which could help motivate individual property owners to start thinking about the energy conservation potential – and energy generation potential – of their buildings. The map could also help planners and other stakeholders, whether in New York City or elsewhere, outline the energy potential of lots, blocks or entire neighborhoods in the context of long-term energy planning.

The Study Behind the Urban Energy Map

The Columbia team, headed by Ph.D. candidate Bianca Howard with Mechanical Engineering Professor Vijay Modi, produced the map for a citywide study on energy consumption by buildings. In part, the study was designed to raise awareness of the different kinds of fuel used in New York City. Typically the emphasis of discussion has been on electricity consumption, but New York City buildings, in fact, rely heavily on oil and natural gas for heating. As Howard explains:

“The lack of information about building energy use is staggering. We want to start the conversation for the average New Yorker about energy efficiency and conservation by placing their energy consumption in the context of other New Yorkers. Just knowing about your own consumption can change your entire perspective.”

Lessons for New York City…and Beyond

In an announcement of the study, Modi describes a characteristic that New York City shares with many other cities, large and small: it is difficult, if not impossible, for cities to generate an amount of energy within their borders that equals the amount of energy they consume.

Modi notes that “…current electricity distribution infrastructure in many urban areas relies on large amounts of electricity brought in from outside the city, making it difficult to support increased future use without requiring significant investment of resources and funds. We are looking at ways we can address both these issues—reducing our heating bills and increasing local electricity generation capacity.”

Localizing Energy Production

As you play around with the interactive map (here’s that link again), one thing that jumps out is the vast potential for harvesting energy from the built infrastructure of urban areas. Raising awareness of that potential is a major focus of the study, but it also goes beyond that.

The first month of 2012 is almost over, but it’s still difficult to envision what this year will look like, especially when it comes to the interaction between consumption and sustainability. One of the people who came for our help is Raphael Bemporad, the founding partner and Chief Strategy Officer of BBMG. He offered on Sustainable Brands a list of five trends that he believes will shape sustainable brands in 2012. This is a great list and we’d like to share it with you, adding our point of view as well as two more trends to watch for.

1. The Ubiquity of C2C

“In 2012, we will experience a fundamental paradigm shift from a business-to-consumer (B2C) marketplace to a consumer-to-business (C2B) and consumer-to-consumer (C2C) marketplace -where creating, buying, selling and sharing products and services will increasingly be driven by consumers themselves.”

This is part of the transition to a green consumption 2.0, where consumers are swapping, sharing, and collaborating to find affordable solutions to meet their needs. It’s based on user-friendly digital platforms and grows exponentially also thanks to added values, such as the sense of community or satisfaction from making a better use of resources. These added values provide a good chance to see this trend growing even if the economic climate will (hopefully) get better this year.

2. The Rise of Generation “Why?”

“The rise of the C2C marketplace is driven in part by the influence of values-aspirational, practically minded New Consumers looking for brands that deliver total value: products that work well, cost less, last longer and do some good. Youthful, educated, wired and mostly female, this New Consumer is asking “why” they should care about brands.”

While most of the New Consumers probably agree on the first three characteristics of value in products (quality, cost, lifetime), only third of them “strongly agree that it’s important to purchase products with social and environmental benefits, even in a tough economy.” So the bottom line is that green benefits will probably be in 2012 a nice to have and not a necessity, even for this progressive generation.  

3. The Race to Relationship

“We believe 2012 will see a race to relationship, where the most successful brands will break free of the lowest-price trap and deliver more value by empowering consumers with better products and experiences and championing their success.”

With all the handwringing over aging infrastructure, rising energy costs, high speed rail and other public transportation projects that are spiraling in costs, cities and towns could look at solutions that can improve mobility and do not the bust the budget: bicycles and bicycle paths.

Studies have suggested that building bicycle paths can have a sizable economic impact especially when you look at the job-per-dollar ratio. To that end, towns and cities preoccupied with trying to improve their citizens’ quality of life and address metrics like their carbon footprint should take a look at what cities in southern Sweden are planning to improve their local transportation systems.

Malmö is a city of 300,000 just a short hop from Copenhagen but a city well worth visiting in its own right. Full of history, sports, museums, architecture and boasting its own token castle as well as a thriving theater scene, Malmö also hosts a booming bicycling culture that will give cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Stockholm a fierce bike ride for their money.

Malmö already has 255 miles (410 kilometers) of bicycle paths, outpacing Copenhagen’s network by a few miles. Bicycling has accelerated the past several years to the point at which 40 percent of all work related activities and 30 percent of all transports occurs via bicycles. Sensor systems at key intersections flip traffic signals to green if automobile traffic is light and a bicyclist approaches.

Now Sweden’s transportation authority has approved a four line bicycle superhighway (or a bicycle-bahn?) between Malmö and Lund, a nearby university town. The 10.5 mile link would be for the most part adjacent to rail tracks, feature exits but no intersections and offer wind protection from hedges. Bicycle service stations would also be included on this link. The proposed highway would also have links to bicycle and pedestrian paths to other towns in this southern tip of Sweden.

When “green,” “sustainable” or resilient cities come to mind, the usual suspects crop up: Portland,Amsterdam, San Francisco and even high-tech Abu Dhabi score plenty of attention. As more cities push their green agenda the way they promote business opportunities or local tourism, some cities are way ahead of others. Mayors now try to jockey themselves to the front of the sustainability beauty contest with some cities here in the United States showing far more success (Chicago) than others that miserably fail (Los Angeles). Around the world are many cities that have responsive government, vibrant passion at the grass roots level, or both.

Whether they benefit from visionary leaders, flourishing social enterprise, or commitment from community activists, the following 10 cities are well worth a visit to experience their transformation and resilience. If they are not in your travel plans anytime soon, track them from afar. The progress underway in these cities will inspire other mayors and civil societies to learn from their example.

Accra, Ghana: As more African cities seek to balance economic growth with sustainable development, Accra will attract more interest from inside out beyond Africa in the coming year. A joint Siemens and Economist Intelligence Units study recently ranked this leading African business center as a top green city on the continent. Accra benefits from scores of local NGOs and regional offices of leading international organizations. Local companies like MTN, Ghana’s largest telecommunications company, boast professionals that are building a corporate social responsibility culture in Accra.

Whether they benefit from visionary leaders, flourishing social enterprise, or commitment from community activists, the following 10 cities are well worth a visit to experience their transformation and resilience. If they are not in your travel plans anytime soon, track them from afar. The progress underway in these cities will inspire other mayors and civil societies to learn from their example.

Accra, Ghana: As more African cities seek to balance economic growth with sustainable development, Accra will attract more interest from inside out beyond Africa in the coming year. A joint Siemens and Economist Intelligence Units study recently ranked this leading African business center as a top green city on the continent. Accra benefits from scores of local NGOs and regional offices of leading international organizations. Local companies like MTN, Ghana’s largest telecommunications company, boast professionals that are building a corporate social responsibility culture in Accra.

Adelaide, Australia: 2011 was a punishing year for Australia with floods and drought. But Adelaide is hanging in there as its downtown becomes a hotbed ofgreen building and clean energy. The city, which is in the early stages of a 30 year plan to improve its quality of life, has its critics who believe plenty of space in the center core could be retrofitted for commercial or residential use. Could Adelaide become more two-wheel friendly with its hosting of a bicycling conference later this month? Its integrated design strategy wraps up this June.

Belgrade, Serbia: Europeans in the know will argue that Serbia’s capital has the most exhilarating nightlife in Europe. But during the day, the city in the Balkans boasts vast swaths of nature in its inner core and along the outskirts. As Serbia creeps towards integration within the European Union, the city brims with activists that are challenging the status quo on everything from waste disposal to government transparency to developing a local market for sustainable agriculture. Organizations like Ecoist, the year-oldSerbia Green Building Council and CRNPS have their work cut out for them. With 75 percent of Belgrade’s buildings constructed before 1980 municipal funding lacking and red tape a hurdle, those who want a role in transforming one of Europe’s most exciting capitals will need plenty of chutzpah to make a difference. The effort will be worth it.

Bicycling has seen an unprecedented rise in popularity, support, and accessibility these days, worldwide. To be sure part of this can be credited to the faltering global economy. In the US, there’s also been a willingness on the part of both federal and state government (questionably motivated Republican threats aside) to make an investment in infrastructure, to make biking safer and therefore more broadly used.

What needs to happen now is to make the bikes themselves more compelling to people. Here are three bike-related projects to encourage everyone to get out and ride:

The recent Oregon Manifest is a biannual competition among bike builders, this time with the theme “Ultimate Utility Bicycle.” While the specifics were left to the designers, the requirements were a very tall order: All bikes had to have a built in anti-theft system, fenders, lighting, ability to carry loads, and a kickstand able to hold it up, even while under load. Beyond that, all bikes had to go on a multi-terrain 50 mile ride, to prove their viability in environments beyond the well paved urban greenway.

The results were varied and impressive, with a number of innovations I hope to see in production bicycles. Examples include: an entire horizontal section of the frame available for storage in the tube. Built in USB enabled stereo system. Lockable, plug-and-play storage embedded in the frame. Retractable fenders. And just plain sexy good looks.

While we wait for these designs to make their way to the masses, two bikes are making an impact now: The Silverback and S.U.Velo.

Efficient roads and traffic systems are one of the most important components of urban infrastructure. The study of traffic flows therefore is needed to design better roads, highway systems, bike lanes, sidewalks and other necessities.

Cities are now home to 50 percent of the world’s population and this number is said to grow in the coming years. Designing better infrastructure is a challenge and tracking road usage is another.

Traffic data is acquired by using pressure or magnetic sensors, which work for larger objects like cars or trucks. However, signals from pedestrians and cyclists are too weak to pick up, which is where Spanish company Libelium comes in.

The company will use the unique bluetooth signals generated from cell phones of walkers and/or cyclists in order to track data. According to them:

Understanding the flow and congestion of vehicular traffic is essential for efficient road systems in cities. Smooth vehicle flows reduce journey times, reduce emissions and save energy. Similarly the efficient flow of pedestrians in an airport, stadium or shopping centre saves time and can make the difference between a good and a bad visit. Monitoring traffic – whether road vehicles or people – is useful for operators of roads, attractions and transport hubs.

The proposed platform senses the flow of Bluetooth devices in a given roadway or street. It also has the capability to differentiate hands-free car kits from pedestrian phones. This data is then transferred by a multi-hop ZigBee radio, via an internet gateway, to a server. The measured traffic can then be analyzed to address congestion or vehicular or pedestrian traffic.

The technology uses the Expansion Radio Board for Waspmote, this allows two different types of radios to be connected at the same time. The Bluetooth radio is used as a sensor to detect nearby devices and the ZigBee radio sends this information. The Bluetooth radio allows up to 250 devices to be scanned.

Most of us have heard negative stories about plastic bags. These are made from petrochemical byproducts and are often used for a one-time purpose. They then go to the landfill where they remain for generations, or they end up in the ocean, threatening sea life. Reusable bags are a much more sustainable and less wasteful alternative to plastic bags, and it is a trend that is catching on.

However, in many places, plastic bags are still entering the waste stream with alarming frequency, even though reusable bags are an option. We often leave them at home, or even in the car, and by default, ask for plastic. And the sad reality is that, even with the increase in availability of recycling drop off locations, most plastic bags are not recycled, they are simply tossed.

In a small town in New York state, this will no longer be an option. Southhampton, New York, has put a law into effect that bans the use of plastic bags in retail establishments. This is a ramped up effort to encourage the use of reusable bags and to say good bye to plastic bags for good.

The Kit Kat candy bar has been described as the “biggest little meal” and the “best companion to a cup of tea.” For decades Nestlé, which manufactures Kit Kats in the UK and licenses the bar to Hershey in the U.S., reminded Brits and Americans to “Have a break, have a Kit Kat,” and so millions have obliged and wolfed down billions of the candy bars.  Well, chocolate junkies who call zero waste their cup of tea will be pleased to learn that the world’s largest confectionary plant is now a zero-waste operation.