Environment

New index tracks alternative energy, water, waste-management businesses

Institutional and retail investors tracking the performance of the global environmental technologies market can access a new tool to benchmark that sector.

FTSE Group introduced its Environmental Opportunities All-Share Index, which includes 450 companies involved in alternative energy, water and waste-management businesses.

In Corporate Responsibility briefing, tech firm also says it focuses on energy efficiency

IBM considers the “say on pay” trend “very interesting,” but feels “very comfortable” with its current performance-based system, an official said. However, speaking at an IBM briefing for analysts about its Corporate Responsibility (CR) efforts June 13, Rich Calo, the company’s Vice President, Human Resources, said IBM still supports its decades-long practice of executive compensation based on performance.

FTC should provide clear sustainability definitions for marketers and consumers

A routine trip to the store today may leave an unsuspecting consumer more confused than ever. Not only are consumers faced with multiple choices in each product category, but they now have to make sense of ambiguous environmental claims associated with individual brands. In fact, Consumer Reports has identified 149 such product claims, labels or certifications in the marketplace, ranging from non-polluting and ozone-friendly, to Leaping Bunny, an animal welfare label. It’s enough to make even the most environmentally savvy shoppers head back to their hybrids. 

Intel constructs powerful agenda for new initiatives

Despite lofty positions on various best-of corporate responsibility and sustainability rankings, including the No. 1 slot on CRO’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2008 list, chip maker Intel—led in its CR efforts by Dave Stangis, its Director of Corporate Responsibility—believes its efforts are still a work in progress.

These planned improvements come at a time when various antitrust lawsuits against the company and an anti-competition investigation recently launched by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reach critical mass.

The agricultural company devises far-reaching plan to curb food shortages through new technology and partnerships

Agricultural company Monsanto recently announced a three-point plan to increase food production as limited resources, climate change and population growth threaten future supplies.

“Agriculture intersects the toughest challenges we all face on the planet,” said Hugh Grant, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Monsanto, in a statement. “Together, we must meet the needs for increased food, fiber and energy while protecting the environment. In short, the world needs to produce more while conserving more.”

Carrier partners with Airbus on ‘second-generation biofuels’

JetBlue doesn’t envision adding corn-based products to its fuel menu.

Instead, the low-cost carrier entered into an alternative fuel partnership with Airbus, Honeywell Aerospace and International Aero Engines to develop alternative jet fuels from renewable biomass sources instead of fuels derived from food products.

Trudie Styler, Founder of the Rainforest Foundation Fund, which supports indigenous and traditional people who inhabit rainforests around the world, rang the NASDAQ stock market opening bell May 8.

Conservation organization announces recipients of annual gala awards

Nonprofit conservation organization the Rainforest Alliance announced its 2008 honorees, which it will recognize at an annual event, May 15, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The gala celebrates individuals and companies that have made sustainable strides in conservation efforts and supply chain decisions.

Finding the responsible shade while setting realistic environmental goals

Just a few years ago, it seems, companies that made public commitments to social and environmental responsibility faced a great deal of skepticism from critics who questioned the value or sincerity of sustainable approaches to business. Now, the tide has started to turn.

Companies looking for smoking gun should skip the science, look to the economics of environmental policy

Here’s a cautionary tale for companies faced with climate change vulnerabilities. We still cannot state with scientific certainty that smoking causes lung cancer. Yet, the scientific community recognizes that the preponderance of epidemiological and mechanistic data tell us that a link exists and the general public shares that belief. Thus, we have regulations that limit tobacco sales and public smoking. Similarly, there will be no scientific smoking gun on climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has come to the same kind of conditioned conclusion as the Surgeon General: “The balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate." But don’t confuse this conditioning with uncertainty.