CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
A change in climate
Jan 17th 2008
From The Economist print edition
The greening of corporate responsibility
AL GORE has done a wonderful thing for corporate bosses. By helping to propel climate change to the top of the global agenda, he has opened up a world of new opportunities for them. Opportunities for rhetoric, for a start. The green theme allows chief executives to adopt a planetary perspective. “It's what survival will be about in the 21st century,” proclaims Coca-Cola's Neville Isdell, talking of his company's plans for water conservation. Over at PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi stresses the importance of companies embracing “purpose” as well as performance, with products that “contribute positively and responsibly to human civilisation”.for the complete story - The Economist
With just a few seconds of effort, anyone can easily shrink their impact on the environment by telling Canada Post to stop delivering junk mail – but only two per cent of Canadian homes have done it.
Canada Post says it’s because people want to get flyers and ads delivered at their door. Vancouver’s Beth Ringdahl begs to differ.
Beth Ringdahl's website, www.reddotcampaign.ca, spells out a simple two-step process to block junk mail: It's as easy as filling out a downloaded form and leaving a note on your mailbox.
For more than a decade, Canada Post has been quietly acknowledging such requests, halting junk mail deliveries and marking a homeowner's internal file with a red dot – hence the name of Ringdahl's campaign.
The website's only been up and running for a couple of weeks, but word is spreading fast.
Ringdahl says the letter has been downloaded more than 2,300 times, her Facebook group has swelled to more than 850 members and grateful visitors are e-mailing everyone they know about the site.
"People are really happy to learn about a way they can reduce the waste in their lives," she said.
"(The campaign) is like a friendly reminder saying, 'Hey guys, here's something you can do that will take away some clutter and save some trees."'
Canada Post spokeswoman Lillian Au said Ringdahl's campaign is unnecessary – Canadians, she says, have known for years about the opt-out option.
"It has been in place since 1997, so we feel that we've done a good job and people know that they have that right," Au said.
Au acknowledged that unaddressed advertising mail is one of Canada Post's fastest growing revenue streams – it brought in $339 million in 2006, up 14.4 per cent from 2005 – and helps keep costs down for consumers, while allowing small businesses to advertise in an affordable way.
Almost all of the promotional mail is recyclable and printed on recycled paper, she added.
But Au also confirmed Ringdahl's theory that marketers would likely end up printing fewer flyers if there were fewer homes that received the junk mail.
"We make regular updates to our mailers, who can adjust the amount of material being printed so they don't print excess flyers," Au said.
Ringdahl said she never intended to do battle with Canada Post, and instead applauds its policy. She's just trying to do a better job promoting it.
"I really think this is a world-class system that they have set up, and I don't want it to be a cop out (for) the individual, saying, 'Oh, Canada Post didn't tell me how to do this."'
Her next goal is to target homeowners who don't speak or understand English so the campaign's reach grows even further.
Valerie Langer of the environmental group Forest Ethics applauded the campaign, which she said was a mystery to even those who are working to protect Canadian forests.
"It's giving people the kind of information that starts them thinking and allows them to act in a way that conserves paper and therefore forests," Langer said.
Langer herself just recently learned about opting out, she added.
If homeowners decide they do want to stop receiving junk mail, Au said printing out the letter on Ringdahl's website isn't necessary; a note on the mailbox – inside the door if the box is in an apartment building or condo – will suffice.
A warning, however: stopping junk mail also halts delivery of municipal-service notices such as town hall meeting announcements and snow removal and garbage pickup schedules, Au said.
NHL Players put global warming on ice
NHL players are serious about global warming and they are doing something real about it. We’ve helped players to calculate their total carbon emissions for the regular season – which turns out to be about 10 tonnes per player.To become carbon neutral, NHL players are all purchasing Gold Standard offsets, the highest quality offsets in the world. The Gold Standard is supported by environmental organizations around the world, and it ensures that each purchase has a measurable benefit for the climate.
David Suzuki and NHL players challenge YOU to go carbon neutral!
NHLPA Going Green
Healthy economy, healthy environment: CFIB members say it's possible to have both
OTTAWA - Owners of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Canada believe it is possible to grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time, but they need better information and less burdensome regulations from government to help them do their part, a new report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) shows.
"Operators of Canada's small- and medium-sized businesses believe the health of the economy is strongly dependent on the health of the environment," says Corinne Pohlmann, CFIB's vice-president of national affairs and a co-author of the report. "But while SMEs are willing to do what they can to protect the environment, it must be balanced with how such measures will impact their business."
According to the report, Achieving Eco-prosperity: SMEs' Perspectives on the Environment, 83 per cent of the 10,826 CFIB members surveyed say they are already taking steps to conserve energy, including reducing electricity usage and renovating their buildings. Over 70 per cent have introduced or expanded recycling at work, and about one-third use environmentally friendly products.
The majority (83 per cent) made the changes because they personally believe it is important, while about one in two consider potential cost savings and one in four take into account current regulations, employees' views and the needs of customers and suppliers.
The most important environmental issues to SMEs are recycling of materials, energy conservation and clean water/sewage. Almost half also cite climate change, while about one-third mention dumps and landfills, management of toxic waste, air pollution and forest preservation.
The survey finds that the main barriers to SMEs doing more to protect the environment are lack of information, high cost and complexity. Many business owners also say their competitiveness is hindered by the costs of environmental compliance.
"For the average SME, it is virtually impossible to learn about, and be compliant with, the countless regulatory requirements of all levels of government," Pohlmann says.
The types of regulation most likely to affect SMEs are related to waste disposal; care and use of chemicals; transportation, handling, storage and disposal of harmful materials; and recycling. Issues around environmental standards and certification are also growing concerns.
Instead of more regulations or new taxes and penalties, two-thirds of SMEs want to see governments raise awareness of energy efficiency, and support research on alternative energy sources. About half of respondents support tax credits or rebates for energy efficiency, help for SMEs in developing environmental management plans, and enforcement of current regulations.
Based on the survey results, CFIB is making a number of recommendations to government, utilities and other stakeholders, including: << - Enhanced communication of environmental opportunities to SMEs. - Ideas to simplify regulations and reduce paper burden on SMEs. >>
The report, which includes provincial and sectoral breakdowns, is accurate within +/- 0.9 per cent 19 times out of 20.
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