Corporate- Responsibility Salary SurveyThe Corporate Responsibility Salary Survey, now in its third year, for the first time, has a global emphasis. The results show a rising prominence of climate change and carbon as top priority for corporate social responsibility professionals. Other trends revealed in the study are increasing salaries for middle-level professionals, a growing sense of job security and a new generation of CSR professionals who are for the first time, have not transitioned from other occupations, but have worked exclusively in CSR field.
As part of the ongoing federal response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, EPA today established a website to inform the public about the spill’s impact on the environment and the health of nearby residents. The website – http://www.epa.gov/bpspill – will contain data from EPA’s ongoing air monitoring along with other information about the agency’s activities in the region.
Community involvement has a number of benefits for businesses implementing green marketing and corporate social responsibility programs. They include: preferential government and regulatory treatment; enhanced reputation and brand image in that community; increased profit and customer loyalty;creates new business opportunities;increased ability to attract and retain employees; increased ability to attract and retain employees; innovation in market through cooperation with local communities; and innovation in market through cooperation with local communities.
Studies show that corn based ethanol may nearly double greenhouse gas emissions instead of reducing them. Does Algae pose the same risks as corn? Are biofuels the wrong way to go when it comes to identifying fuel sources?
A well-crafted green lease provides an opportunity to improve landlord/tenant collaboration on sustainability issues, leading to increased building performance, including energy efficiency. Green commercial leases provide incentives to reduce energy use and water, and increase recycling and the use of sustainable materials. A green lease detailing the sustainable use of a building by landlord and tenant is critical to the performance of a green building.
Culture and Local Governance / Culture et Gouvernance Locale is now accepting manuscript submissions for its ‘Culture and Sustainable Communities’ special issue to be published in September 2010. Papers are invited across a broad range of theory and practice of cultural sustainability planning within the municipal context. Potential themes include, but are not limited to, case studies of municipalities that incorporate culture within sustainability planning, new strategic approaches and frameworks of incorporating culture within sustainability initiatives, theoretical examinations and adaptation of cultural considerations within the sustainability paradigm, and the interplay between diversity and sustainability in municipal cultural plans. Culture and Local Governance is a peer-reviewed open access online journal publishing original work, both theoretical and empirical, on the relation between culture and local governance. This special issue takes as a foundational understanding that culture is by nature diverse and evolving, and intercultural realities and relationships must be incorporated as integral to any understanding of culture and sustainability in contemporary cities and communities. These varied, distributed efforts reflect a quickly emerging field of inquiry and practice, which this special issue hopes to reflect.
Presentation proposals are now being accepted for the 2010 Lean and Green Summit that will be held July 12 – 13, 2010 in Savannah, GA. Proposals are invited in the areas of Governance and Management, Operations and Facilities, Design and Process Innovation, Human Resources and Corporate Culture, Marketing and Communications, and Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement. The Summit aims to bring together the passions and knowledge of advocates of operational excellence who see the implications lean principles have in sustainability, as well as environmental advocates who wish to move industry toward sustainability and want to learn how lean operations can contribute to that goal. Senior level executives in diverse industries who have first-hand experience with instituting lean and green processes should consider presenting at this Summit. They will make 30 minute presentations about real life case studies of implementing lean and green principles in one of the six areas listed above. Each presentation will be followed by interactive discussion and Q&A session in order to expand the information flow and idea generation in the group.
As an increasing number of contractors seek LEED and other third-party green building certifications, the complex set of documents used to manage construction projects must adapt to reflect the challenges and risks inherent in green building. Risks include the use of new materials and design techniques, uncertainty around the performance of the building upon completion and the ability to actually achieve a third-party certification. Both the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Association of General Contractors publish form contracts to demonstrate how to draft contracts that adequately address these risks.
Looking for a way to transition your career into the new green economy? Need to boost your resume in a tough job market? Achieving the LEED Green Associate (LEED GA) credential allows you to market your knowledge of green building to potential employers. This first level of LEED professional credentialing is designed for professionals who want to demonstrate green building expertise in non-technical fields of practice, and to demonstrate basic knowledge of green design, construction, and operations.
