The conference concluded with a record attendance topping 1200 delegates from 77 countries made up of executives and senior managers from major international firms, governments, NGO’s and others. The GRI’s mission is to make reporting on environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects of performance as normal and as important as financial reporting. The GRI presented some very ambitious goals including having all medium and large sized companies, totalling 80,000 firms, issue ESG reports by 2015, or explain “why not”. As well, GRI intends to set the standard for integrated reporting (a combination of sustainability and financial reports) by 2020. Of note, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is targeted as a prime case study for the type of content that should be required in a truly transparent sustainability report. For example, detailed safety data would need to be included, since it was stated that BP released an exceptional sustainability report, and yet the disaster still unfolded.
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Care to Read the Whole Article?

The business case for buying offsets can appear obvious in some cases. For example, in 2007 Harbour Air became the first airline in North America to achieve complete carbon neutrality in both their flight services and corporate operations. Their competitor, Westcoast Air, became carbon neutral in 2009. Neither company stopped fueling their planes, so how is this even possible? They achieved this by calculating their carbon footprint, taking steps to reduce where they could, and buying carbon offsets for what they could not.. Harbour Air and Westcoast Air service a lot of government related travel, and by becoming carbon neutral they kept their customer happy. So, yes, good for the environment, but it is also a strategic manoeuvre that’s good for business.

What if your business is not particularly dependant on the government, but is dependent on a healthy environment? Another leader in the corporate stewardship community is Canadian Mountain Holidays that offers heli-skiing and summer adventure programs. They wrote their first sustainability report in 2004, updated it in 2007 and again in 2010. They have done a lot to minimize their impact on the environment, and noticeably entitle their reports “Moving Towards Sustainability”. This is an important title as it recognises that becoming sustainable is a journey, not a quick project or something for your marketing department to address. However, there is one thing they cannot eliminate and that is the need to fuel their helicopters, which leaves them with a carbon footprint that cannot be eliminated with today’s technology. Again purchasing offsets seems the way to manage this in the interim.

On an extreme bent, one could simply dismiss the purchasing of carbon offsets as just another tax. For, if all that is being done is spending money to be able to state your company is carbon neutral, then it’s money wasted. As a business person, the fundamental question is, do I spend money buying offsets so I can claim carbon neutrality, or do I spend that money on other aspects of my operation to reduce my carbon footprint? If customers are demanding it, then offsets are a short term fix. However, it does not change operational issues which will lead to a loss of competitive ground as we shift to a low carbon economy. To remain competitive, assessing your carbon risks and opportunities is critical.

If becoming carbon neutral is important to your business, there are a lot of offset companies with varying degrees of quality. It is an evolving market, and some analysis of the effectiveness of carbon offset purchases has been conducted, which would be worth reviewing before making any purchases. Check out this Ecobusiness Link’s assessment as well as this Climate Off Set Guide created by the David Suzuki Foundation to get a feel for the options and the quality.

Greenomics’ approach is to assess the risks and opportunities and dentify solutions that are quantifiable, presents your company in the best possible light, and edge you further toward a competitive edge in this evolving market.

Summer Season in Northern Hemisphere

For us folks who live in the north, it is prime holiday time and many of us won’t be staying at home. If you want to enjoy your vacation and be carbon neutral, ETHOS announced on July 9th, 2010 with the help of Minister Krueger, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, and Minister Yap, Minister of State for Climate Action, some of their newly available tools and resources for the tourism industry. ETHOS has developed two easy to use tools to help reduce carbon footprints for tourists and tourism operators. For the tourist, you can use their new Travel Offset Calculator, which enables visitors to British Columbia to offset their travel carbon footprint. For the operator, you can measure, report, and reduce your carbon footprint using the Gobi Carbon Management Tool.

Have a Great Carbon Neutral Summer!

The conference concluded with a record attendance topping 1200 delegates from 77 countries made up of executives and senior managers from major international firms, governments, NGO’s and others. The GRI’s mission is to make reporting on environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects of performance as normal and as important as financial reporting. The GRI presented some very ambitious goals including having all medium and large sized companies, totalling 80,000 firms, issue ESG reports by 2015, or explain “why not”. As well, GRI intends to set the standard for integrated reporting (a combination of sustainability and financial reports) by 2020. Of note, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is targeted as a prime case study for the type of content that should be required in a truly transparent sustainability report. For example, detailed safety data would need to be included, since it was stated that BP released an exceptional sustainability report, and yet the disaster still unfolded.

So what does this matter to small and medium sized businesses? Does sustainability reporting have relevance? Will it make the company more sustainable to simply report on its sustainability? The answer is yes, because “you cannot manage what you do not measure”. Developing benchmarks, voluntarily, puts a company at an advantage. Identifying risks and opportunities and opening a dialogue about what is important to your company and why will build internal and external stakeholder trust. Further, sustainability reporting is making some of the big companies look at their Supply Chain and they are asking some very important questions of their suppliers, which are often the small to medium size companies. WalMart, for example, is releasing this year it’s Sustainability Index, and will require its suppliers to align themselves with this new criteria.

Fortunately, there are already advanced tools and methodologies for addressing sustainability issues such as measuring a business’s Environmental Footprint. There are also many companies available to help you interpret and understand the data and build it into your strategic planning. But be warned. A sustainability initiative might start off as a side project or an assessment, but it will likely spread into your organization and transform the way you do business – for the better. Once sustainability takes hold, your company’s mission statement will change. Your by-laws will change to reflect that you will do all the things you do “sustainably”. It will eventually provide the opportunity to address sustainability issues right alongside your financial reporting. Combining your financial with sustainability reporting forms a powerful document to foster dialogue with your stakeholders for future planning. And don’t print those reports off either – post them on your website. In a time of radical transparency, there are no secrets, just people that don’t know yet. Download Report: Explorations – The Transparent Economy

The Sustainability and Innovation Survey Builds

We have had a good response to our request for businesses to complete our survey on Sustainability and Innovation, and we would like to build upon that success.

We are exploring a correlation between innovation and sustainability. Accordingly, this survey is to determine where companies see themselves today. We want to find out if companies think they are being innovative and if they are moving toward more sustainable business practices.

This survey is dependant upon you providing as accurate a response as possible. By contributing to this survey, you will receive a report that summarizes where your company is positioned relative to others based on your industry and size. If this is of interest to you, we encourage you to complete our survey. It should take less than 5 minutes. We will be collecting responses over the next few weeks. When we have collected enough responses, we will tabulate the results and send you our report for your business. Individual data is completely confidential.

Thanks to those who have already contributed, and please feel free to forward to a friend or colleague.

Take Survey Now!

While preparing a workshop for the British Columbia Partnership for Sustainable Tourism, now named Ethos, we researched the present status of sustainable tourism in this Province. Siwash Lake Ranch, roughly 20km from 70 Mile House in the Caribou, provides a backcountry getaway for executives, with all the creature comforts you would expect, while promoting sustainability. It is one of only eight properties in the whole of Canada that can boast achieving five out of five Green Keys. Sounding more like an outpost on the moon, they utilize Photo Voltaic Panels and Solar Collectors to generate off-grid electricity and decrease their dependence on fossil fuels. This was made possible in part from ICE funding.

A good news story for the ICE program and the ranch as the changes implemented will enable them to achieve an: 89% decrease in diesel use and 50% reduction in propane use, saving about 12,500 yearly in fuel costs. As well there will be a 100% decrease in reliance on gasoline for irrigation and water systems for a decrease of 10,984 kg of GHG emissions. Not bad. Yet it could all be undone by the same government that provided the grants.

Currently, there are several parcels surrounding Siwash Lake Ranch that may be clear cut as a result of licenses granted by the provincial government. If granted, and we have no reason to believe otherwise, the balance so painstakingly recreated by Allyson Rogers, Siwash Lake Ranch owner and operator, could be seriously impacted. The inspiration for her successful grant was based on her observations of climate change. The lowering water table has created the need to build additional fences to keep the horses out of sensitive areas and to come up with innovative ways to provide water for them to drink. Believing her actions wise and responsible, it is difficult to imagine the position she will be in were the forests around her disappear.

The Ranch is at the forefront of innovation, is experiencing climate change, and is in competing with other industries and government bodies. It is this very conflict that brought Greenomics and Siwash Lake Ranch together to offer experiential Executive Retreats. This is where sustainability can be woven into corporate strategy with a very tangible experience.

April Quip – Market Share and Scientific Debate

Another of our predictions for 2010 was that there will be increased efforts to discredit the science associated with climate change. What is interesting is it is not just happening with Climate Change science. Arguments are being developed to curb consumer demand for organic products based on claims by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that there is no nutritional difference between organic and non-organic food. Such arguments are misleading, as they only address one factor impacting consumer decision making. It is not just the nutrition, it is also the local land, biodiversity and the health of the workers involved. Buying organic can help preserve environmental health and support farmers who use ecological methods. So, this comes down to a debate and marketing effort to maintain market share. As consumers, we have to answer for ourselves whether or not to support healthy food production.

12 March 2010 Amsterdam

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and ING – a 2010 Conference sponsor – today announced the winners of “The Big Five Competition” in which small and medium-sized enterprises competed for a prize worth €13,000 ($C18,000) at this year’s Conference Market Place. “This opportunity gives people from around the world visibility to some of the innovative and creative sustainability solutions coming out of British Columbia, Canada.” said Erich Schwartz, President of Greenomics.

With this competition GRI and ING aim to enhance the profile of small and medium sized sustainable organizations and provide them opportunities to present themselves at the GRI conference, the world’s largest gathering of sustainability reporting and transparency experts. Ms. Dailah Nihot, ING’s Head of Corporate Responsibility, said, “Given the global challenges in today’s world, it is clear we need more innovative sustainable solutions. The business community is an important factor in driving innovation and bringing it to the market. We co-launched this competition with GRI in an effort to encourage some of the sustainable forerunners and support them in building their businesses for the future.”

GRI received over 50 applications from nearly two dozen countries around the world. The jury, consisting of Eric Bouwmeester, Wilbert Lek, Nancy Kamp-Roelands, Jonatan Pinkse, and Giuseppe van der Helm evaluated the applications and their contribution to sustainability. The five winning organizations come from The Netherlands, France, Canada, the U.S. and the UK.

Participants of the 2010 Amsterdam Global Conference can look forward to engaging with the innovative Big Five Competition Winners throughout the two and a half day Conference. For further information on both the Conference and the Market Place, visit GRI’s Conference website.

Reviewing the history of the environmental movement and how we got to where we are today, it started as a reaction to the “unparalleled wave of mining, forestry clearance, and land drainage” of the Industrial Revolution 1730 – 1850. According to Andy Reynolds’ A Brief History of Environmentalism “a few scattered individuals began to speak out. But it took over 150 years for environmentalism to mature to the public movement we know today. The focus of environmental concerns has changed over the decades, but one debate has barely altered – what is the reason for protecting the planet? For some it’s for the benefit of humans, for others it’s because nature, like a work of art, has its own value.”

Many of us have lived long enough to remember the TV commercial where an aboriginal elder is by the road side, shedding a tear as an unseen person tosses litter out the window of a speeding vehicle onto the ground near the elder’s feet. There was a line drawn between those with and without respect for nature. Pollution, pesticides, species extinction – these are things most of us heard from early “scattered individuals” speaking out. They became known as environmentalists.

The 1960’s are when the environmental movement finally got traction by organizing and providing scientific support for their theories around environmental destruction and what it means to humans, not only nature. There was a focus on the food chain, recognition that what goes into every step of the process ends up in us. 50 years later at a conference in Vancouver, B.C., the supply chain, looking up the river from the end product, is still a focus.

David Labistour, CEO of Mountain Equipment Coop, acknowledges their success in achieving a 94% diversion rate for their retail stores, but points out their real sustainability challenge is back in Asia where the textiles are made and products manufactured. Current materials are made from oil or from cotton which requires huge amounts of water. Every step along the production path creates 20-30% waste, the water and oil supply is threatened, and there simply is no easy solution. But a solution needs to be found.

David Suzuki, world renowned environmentalist, asked “Why are we turning our backs on our greatest ability, the ability to predict the future?” He is referring to the paid efforts to undermine the science behind global warming, and the proclamations by those who simply choose not to accept our best interpretations of reality. In 1962 Rachel Carson published the book “Silent Spring” which detailed how pesticides and insecticides were contaminating the environment. Dead insects meant no food for birds. No birds, no bird song = silent spring. She detailed how the chemical DDT accumulates in the fatty tissues of animals, including humans. There was media criticism and attempts by chemical companies to ban the book. But science backed her up, government ordered investigations and ultimately it was the DDT that got banned.

Business has begun to listen to the important message from the environmental movement partly because they are now using the same language. The line between “us and them”, those with respect and those without it, is removed when backed by science and dialogue. Everyone understands “no pollinators (bees) = no crops” or no “taters = no tater tots”; and “no resources (renewable and non-renewable) = no business”, or “no fish = no fishsticks.”

Politicians are starting to realize the importance of engaging businesses to address environmental issues such as climate change. Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia, laments “We wish we could go back, but we can’t. So, what do we do? We see the future and we embrace it.”

Anne Tennier, Vice President of Environmental Affairs, Maple Leaf Canada, is proud of the development of their bio-diesel project. They have looked at the tailpipe of their business and they take the waste from their rendering plant and convert it into 38 million litres/year of oil to fuel 127 of their trucks for a savings of 782,000 kilograms of GHG. That this is even measured and managed is part of a whole new way of thinking for business, and they had to have worked together with environmentalists to achieve this.

Learning to speak with each other and developing a common language is a critical step for businesses, environmentalists, and governments to make big change. This must be the dawning of the Sustainability Age.

While listening, please add your comments and questions to our blog.

Friends of Greenomics were asked to provide their sustainability predictions for 2010. We captured their comments and thoughts and present them here. You’ll find some optimism and some pessimism, but they are all interesting tidbits. Enjoy, have a great holiday season, and see you in 2010!

1. Cap and Trade in North America

A federal-level cap-and-trade system will be implemented in the U.S. and Canada. It will be watered down, not nearly aggressive enough, and not enough credits will be auctioned off, but it will be a start.

Bob Willard, Speaker and Author

2. Commitment to Action

Companies will start moving from “sustainability commitment” to “sustainability action” with a focus on how to integrate sustainability considerations into their governance, products, services, operations, and day-to-day decision making. This means that finance becomes sustainable finance, insurance becomes sustainable insurance, retail becomes sustainable retail and transportation becomes sustainable transportation.

Coro Strandberg, Principle, Strandberg Consulting

3. Finding Sustainable “Sweet Spots”

This will be the year when we begin to understand and focus on sustainability “sweet spots” … those opportunities where fiscal, environmental and social/culture components of sustainability intersect.

Dave Butler, Director of Sustainability, Canadian Mountain Holidays

4. Oil Prices to Drive Local Demand

Crude oil prices will nudge the $100/barrel mark and, given the barely-recovered economy, food prices will soar almost immediately. Investments will be made to ‘re-localize’ food production and distribution and we’ll hit the magic economic (and sustainable) equation that results in more bellies being filled with tasty local treats, while bottom lines are sated.

André LaRivière, Executive Director, Green Table

5. Scientific Credibility Questioned

As governments continue to develop regulations related to Green House Gasses, there will be increased efforts to discredit the science associated with climate change. This will become progressively better organized and focused, and will target individual researchers to discredit them personally and professionally. Ill goten information will be released out of context to the press.

Erich Schwartz, President, Greenomics

6. Greater Dependence on Non-conventional Oil

The demand for oil will continue and to meet this we will need to tap further into non-conventional oil sources such as tar sands. This will lead to significantly higher costs for oil, and more environmental degradation because of the techniques used to extract it.

Erich Schwartz, President, Greenomics

7. Government Conflict of Interest Becomes Evident

Canada will be pressured by the International Community to align with International standards in addressing Climate Change. However, a significant amount of government revenue is derived from oil production. Accordingly, Canada will continue to be a laggard in addressing climate change as the government grapples with its deficit.

Erich Schwartz, President, Greenomics

8. Consumers Driving Change

There will be a significant increase in consumer demand for sustainable products and services. This will drive companies to change their business practices and increase government regulations. These changes will further support the efforts of moving toward greater sustainability.

Judy Adams, Managing Director, Ethos

9. Go Sustainable or Go Broke

More companies will file for bankruptcy or be bought out through mergers and acquisitions primarily because they did not see the need to become sustainable. Most vulnerable will be those companies that consider sustainability a passing fad, or do not have the tools, leadership, or emotional intelligence in the organization to change.

Judy Adams, Managing Director, Ethos

10. Sustainability Sounds Good, but … More Regulations Coming

While most people are aware of the need to develop sustainable practices, many are not keen to pay or to change their behaviors. Given the seriousness of the situation, governments will develop more regulations to effect change as voluntary compliance proves insufficient. This also means governments will have to risk being unpopular to “do the right thing”.

Richard Wozny, Principle, Site Economics

 We formed a virtual team to design and build the game. This included our own sustainability consultants, graphic artists, printers, and researchers. We had fun, learned a lot, and achieved most of our goals. To make the game we had to live by our own principles of sustainability. We had to walk the talk.

Our principles

• Use renewable resources
• Use non-toxic and biodegradable materials
• Enhance the Environment
• Promote positive human conditions

Where we succeeded

• We designed the box and game board so they would not require glue
• We used post consumer recycled FSC certified paper
• We used less material than manufacturers suggested to us through innovative design
• We eliminated the use of shrink wrap
• We used water and Soya based coatings and inks
• We produced the game locally
• We hired people from the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Pathway’s Program, which strives to get people with mental health issues back into the workforce, to assemble components of the game

Where we need alternatives

• The dice are plastic and are not locally sourced
• Upgrade rings are silicon, bought from a local distributor but manufactured outside of the country
• Industry markers, though made from recycled woodfill material, were sourced from non local, U.S.A. based game parts suppliers
• We are using a plastic bag to hold the loose pieces together in the game. So far, alternatives to this have been cost prohibitive in view of the price point that consumers would most likely be willing to pay.

While recognizing the realities of the global economy and the structure of the gaming industry, we are not daunted. As we encourage others to continually seek out new sources of supply and better alternatives to current choices, we too will address these final issues.

We believe you can help. Please go to www.greenomicsthegame.ca and share your ideas for alternatives – preference given to solutions closest to our home in Vancouver, Canada.
 

Sincerely,

Erich Schwartz

President

The black and white world of decision making can often turn to grey when it comes to sustainable business practises. Those who do not accept the overwhelming research from credible sources world-wide are holding back the necessary and important work to address the seriousness of the situation impacting their own business.

If the “sustainists” in your organization are being kept in the closet, the Greenomics team would be happy to provide you with tangible real world examples to unlock the door and let them out. We can help align the naysayers through our workshops, geared specifically for your industry. We can provide the black and white for those who see green as grey. Once those colour correcting processes have occurred – there are many more to follow. Decision-making moves from securing the lowest cost for goods that meet your business needs, to embracing fuller criteria that take into account planet, people and profit.

 True sustainability comes to you as you move ahead of your industry standards and take a leadership position. While there are clear benefits to this course of action such as retaining exceptional employees, bolstering corporate image, and gaining competitive advantage, this does not come without making difficult decisions. Greenomics Corporation has always maintained the business side of sustainability and understands the bottom line. Our team of experts is here to help you turn grey decision making into green outcomes that keep you in the black:

1.    Invest in a SOFA

Greenomics recommends that you start with a Sustainability Opportunity Field Assessment (SOFA) report that presents the current sustainable state of your ,company identifies the gap to sustainability, and sets short, mid, and long term actions required in achieving sustainability. The recommendations are based on an assessment of such factors as level of effort, costs, time, and risks.

2.    Plan and Implement

Once a project is properly mapped out you’ll need to transition to the implementation phase. This requires careful planning, and attention to change management principles and team dynamics. In many cases you’ll be entering new territory and you will need to train your senior team, line staff, and educate all your stakeholders. Greenomics can work with you to ensure a successful transition, and pitch in where you most need the help.

3.    Review and Evaluate

Greenomics understands the wisdom in “if you can’t measure it, don’t do it”. As you move into the evaluation phase the focus is on interpreting the measurable outcomes, identifying successes and shortcomings, and setting out next steps. The outcomes provide quantitative data to support both internal and external messaging, and create baselines to measure further improvement.

4. Communicate

Greenomics recommends that businesses talk in terms of what they have accomplished, not in terms of what they plan to accomplish. This avoids the pitfalls of green washing, and is a more authentic approach to marketing and communications.

“Do the right thing. Be seen doing the right thing; and  don’t get the two mixed up.”

                                                                  Jim Hoggan, Hoggan and Associates.

To learn more about how to embrace green decision making please contact:

Aron Bjornson | 604.568.5483 | aron.bjornson@greenomics.ca