The fifth annual ImagePower® Green Brands Survey polled more than 9,000 people in eight countries and was conducted by Cohn & Wolfe, Landor Associates and Penn Schoen Berland (PSB), as well as independent strategy consulting firm Esty Environmental Partners. The Green Brands Survey identifies emerging trends related to consumer perception and purchasing behavior of “green” products. The 2010 ImagePower® Green Brands Survey reveals that consumers are committed to purchasing from green companies around the world.

by Julie Urlaub , Founder and Managing Partner of Taiga Company. Follow Julie on Twitter @TaigaCompany

Annie Longsworth, President and Managing Director of the San Francisco office of Cohn & Wolfe has helped establish the office in one of the world’s most influential business regions – one that has spawned both the technology and green revolutions. Last week was no different as Annie took the stage at Sustainable Brands 2010 to present new research that explores specific behaviors and attitudes that are driving (or preventing) purchase of sustainable products, as well as the latest public perception about which brands are the best at being green.

The sixth round of ImagePower Green Brands Survey, presented by Esty Environmental Partners, Penn Schoen Berland, Landor Associates and Cohn & Wolfe, features a fresh perspectives into consumers’ attitudes toward corporate environmental sustainability and green products.  The survey reveals that barriers to going green and environmental concerns are not consistent, however consumer commitment to purchasing from green companies is shared around the world.

“The 2010 Green Brands Survey demonstrates the growing importance of consumer concerns and eco-literacy to companies.  It is striking that interest in the environment and sustainability appears to be on the rise in markets all across the world, but the specific issues on which consumers are focused varies from country to country,” said Dan Esty, chairman of Esty Environmental Partners.  “The message is that companies must not only develop environmental strategies to address their most important global impacts, but they also need to be able to connect with consumers in a compelling and relevant way on a market-by-market basis.”

In early 2010, 9,000 consumers in 8 countries were surveys and over 400 brands researched. The findings?

• Consumers want to buy green but there’s a price barrier, particularly in developing countries. The majority of consumers—over 60 percent—in all countries want to buy from environmentally responsible companies. The 2010 data indicates that the majority of consumers plan to spend the same or more money on green products in the coming year, with more than 70 percent of consumers in China, India and Brazil saying they will spend more.

• When consumers were asked which concerns you most: environment or economy (an either / or question; consumers could not answer both), the economy won. In fact, 79% of Americans are more concerned about the economy than the environment. However, in China and Brazil, the environment was a higher concern- a noted trend for developing countries.

• When consumers were asked how important is it to purchase from environmentally friendly companies, 60% said it was very important. Again, developing countries prevailed with Brazil, India and China, consumers’ rated over 90% importance.
• More than two-thirds of respondents in each country polled cite reducing toxics and dangerous substances as the most important activity a company can do to be green, followed by water conservation or recycling. Consumers also say environmental consciousness is an important corporate priority, ranking in importance behind ‘good value,’ ‘trustworthy’ and ‘caring about customers.’

• As for the developing world and the US, the number one issue for Americans when it comes to the environment is climate change. In the developing world, consumers are overwhelmingly more concerned about state of environment than economy. Brazil, China, India want more green products and spend more on green than developed countries like the US.

• Some consumers use labels to ID green products whereas other countries learn about green products via advertising. In every country, climate change is seen as the biggest issue. US and UK worry about energy. Other countries: water and deforestation.

• In the United States, 75 percent of consumers say that it is somewhat or very important to them that the brands they buy come from green companies, although more people said that this was ‘very important’ in 2009

“While the economy has driven down the priority of green for consumers, we can expect that as the recovery continues, the importance of green will come roaring back,”observed Scott Siff, executive vice president of Penn Schoen Berland

The top ten U.S. brands perceived to be the greenest in this year’s study include newcomers Aveeno and Microsoft. The complete list includes:

1. Burt’s Bees
2. Whole Foods
3. Tom’s of Maine
4. Trader Joe’s
5. Google
6. Aveeno
7. SC Johnson
8. Publix
9. Microsoft
10. Ikea

Download the full 2010 Green Brands list

“One of the interesting trends we’re seeing this year is the consumer recognition of what we’re calling ‘helper brands,” which provide useful information to consumers,” said Longsworth. “While preference for brands that are ‘in me, on me, around me’ is still prevalent, consumers also value brands that make going green easier for them through online tools, tips and other forms of engagement through communication.”

© 2010, Julie_Urlaub. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

A summary of session 5 of the Sustainable Brands Boot Camp series, Building a Balanced Sustainable Brand Strategy.  The webinar was led by Peter Salmon, Principle, SLM Faculty and President of Moxie Design, LLC. Salmon talks about a platform that his company has developed to help firms that are trying to figure out how to begin adapting traditional business models to better incorporate sustainability, make the transition to more environmentally sustainable and efficient practices.

By Aysu Katun, Green Economy Post

While environmental sustainability was a foreign concept to businesses a decade ago, today most firms realize the need to embed sustainability into their business models. The problem is they do not know how. Best practices from other corporations is a valuable source to understand what works and how, however, it is difficult to know where to look to learn those lessons. Peter Salmon’s company provides the solution.

Peter Salmon is the founder and Managing Director of Moxie Design Group, an agency that specializes in “identifying, designing and communicating sustainable ideas that are good for our environment, good for the future and profitable for business.”

In a recent webinar “Building a Balanced Sustainable Brand Strategy” launched by Sustainable Life Media, Salmon talked about a platform that Moxie has developed to help firms that are trying to figure out how to begin adapting traditional business models to better incorporate sustainability, make the transition to more environmentally sustainable and efficient practices.

Salmon kicked off the webinar by identifying sustainability as a human issue and recalling a conversation he once had with a group of Maoris, the native people of New Zealand, in which he was introduced to the concepts “kaitiaki”, guardians of the environment, and “kaitiakitanga”, the process and practices of protecting and looking after the environment. When Salmon asked the Maori what they are guarding the environment from, they replied, “You” referring to humanity and what the humanity has done to the environment. They said they saw humanity as something that needs to be controlled.

As the effects of climate change, poor waste management and natural resource depletion become more real and evident every day, how can we say that Maoris are not right?

Moxie Design Group attempts to become “kaitiaki” by trying to embed sustainability as a fundamental value and driving force for businesses. It has developed NextPlays, which is a platform for sustainable design and follows a three-step strategy to assist businesses:

1. Build empathy with the future
2. Design better models
3. Consider & test results

Build Empathy with the Future

The first step requires a company to look at future financial, social and environmental conditions, understand the implications of those conditions and how they are going to have an impact on their business models and customers. NextPlays helps companies to consider several future scenarios or future “scans” as a way to understand the turbulence that lies ahead of them. Salmon admits that sometimes these scenarios can be too generic. He therefore recommends “humanizing” the scenarios by building personas and putting them at the center of the scenarios to understand what those personas need and want.

Salmon suggests that it is time to move beyond designing business models that manage better for the future conditions, which he calls Sustainability 1.0, to developing business models that influence and improve on the conditions, Sustainability 2.0. It is time to stop thinking about sustainability as a compliance issue or simply a niche green market activity, but as a driver of innovation.

Design better models

To help companies design better models, NextPlays mixes principles employed by nature with design principles and best practices from hundreds of businesses. A vital ingredient is 70 sustainability case studies that help to determine what works and when, and to focus idea generation and planning.

Drawn from the examination of hundreds of businesses, the case studies have been developed in consultation with the Doblin Group, a Chicago-based innovation strategy firm that works with Fortune 500 companies. NextPlays uses Doblin’s Ten Types of Innovation to define where in the business sustainable “Plays” are being made.

NextPlays has identified seven categories of approaches or “Plays” companies have used to incorporate sustainability into their businesses.

• Authenticate: Require communications feedback, be more transparent and provide information for customers and stakeholders.
• Engage: Create broader value nets, maximize the mutual benefit of every relationship.
• Go Long: Consider longer term impacts in decision-making.
• Loops: Close loops on material inputs and outputs, use waste as resource.
• Mix: Mix interrelationships between boundaries to increase rapid evolution.
• Needs Based: Fill unmet needs or gaps in the system.
• Simplify: Occupy a niche and simplify approaches.

Examples of companies employing each approach and how they have done it can be viewed at NextPlays case studies. The case studies can be viewed by approach or “Play”, where in the business the initiative was taken and the results achieved.

Consider and Test Results

Salmon believes that the future value of an enterprise should be measured not by just economic benefits but also by its social and environmental benefits and that no increase in one form of capital should come at the detriment of the other.

NextPlays categorizes case studies into three types of outcome: Refined, New, and Shifted. These outcomes are based on to what degree the initiative taken by a company has produced social and environmental benefits.

Refined outcomes result in the remodeling of existing practices to improve current products and services.

New outcomes result in the development of new products and services that include sustainability as a point of difference.

Shifted outcomes result in the development of new systems, new ways of doing things, new ways of living.

Salmon recommends companies to develop initiatives not in just one category, but to build a balanced portfolio of initiatives some producing refined and others producing new and shifted outcomes. He says that while there is a need to increase disruptive thinking to achieve sustainable innovations, the majority of success for companies comes from improved thinking. Therefore not all “Plays” have to result in shifted outcomes.

According to Salmon, sustainability “is not what you do well or good, it’s not a new green product extension or a CSR policy… it’s everything, it’s a total strategy”.

NextPlays uses case studies to make sense of the approaches undertaken by other companies and to understand what’s working. The goal is to build capability in firms that seek help and to equip them with necessary tools so that by considering future scenarios, looking at what other companies have done and determining what results they want to achieve, they can do it themselves.

It is an intuitive platform and a structured method that firms that are having trouble figuring out how to incorporate sustainability into their business models, will find useful.

© 2010, Aysu Katun. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

The Roberts Environmental Center of Claremont McKenna College (CMC) recently released a detailed analysis of the social responsibility reporting efforts of America’s top energy and utilities corporations. The two reports contain a compilation of Pacific Sustainability Index scores evaluating the environmental and social reporting of the 48 U.S. energy and utilities companies on the 2008 Fortune 1000 list.The reports score companies based on the reporting, intent, and performance of environmental and social sustainability efforts. The research, based entirely on material released on the firms’ Web sites, found that two of the smallest firms – Mirant (energy sector) and Pinnacle West Capital (utilities sector) – did the best jobs of describing details of their socially beneficial actions and environmental management. The lowest scores were also shared by small firms – Adams Resources and Energy, Inc., and Atmos Energy Corp. – but there was a good mix of firms of all sizes throughout the range of scoring. In neither sector is size a predictor of good reporting.

“In most sectors we analyze, particularly when large multinationals are included, we do see an effect of firm size on corporate reporting,” said J. Emil Morhardt, Roberts Professor of Environmental Biology at CMC and director of the Roberts Environmental Center. “The larger firms have greater visibility, are likely to be examined by investors and the public more closely, and they have more resources to do the data collection and reporting in the first place.” But, as Morhardt pointed out, “There are always some smaller companies that are proactive in this area, usually those that believe demonstrations of corporate environmental and social responsibility are expected from their customers.”

To create the report’s ranking, Morhardt and his team evaluated each company’s Web site using the Pacific Sustainability Index including sector-specific questions. The index uses a general systematic questionnaire to analyze the quality of sustainability reporting. The selection of questions was based on the most frequently-mentioned topics in almost 1,800 corporate sustainability documents analyzed from 2002 through 2008 by the Roberts Environmental Center. The company’s grades in this report were assigned on a grading curve, giving an A+ to the highest scoring companies and those with scores near it.

“In the current business climate, a demonstration of corporate social responsibility is more important than ever,” continued Morhardt. “What we are analyzing is the quality of that demonstration – how transparent the companies are with respect to their environmental and social issues, and how good a job they are doing resolving any problems they currently have and avoiding future ones.”

The detailed analyses also reveal what social and environmental themes these companies perceive to be most important to the American public today. The research screened Web site content to determine the most frequently reported topics. Companies with environmental achievements tended to tout their accountability and energy efficiency efforts while socially responsible businesses highlighted their superior policies and care for human rights.

To view the complete reports, visit the  Roberts Environmental Center web site.

Scoring Summary
—————                                                               —————-
Energy Sector                                                      Utilities Sector
————-                                                                   —————-

Highest Overall Scores
Mirant                                                                         Pinnacle West Capital
Constellation Energy                                            Wisconsin Energy
American Electric Power                                    Duke Energy

Highest Environmental Reporting Scores
Mirant                                                                        Pinnacle West Capital
Constellation Energy                                          Wisconsin Energy
American Electric Power                                  Pepco Holdings, Inc.

Highest Social Reporting Scores
Mirant                                                                      Pinnacle West Capital
Constellation Energy                                         Duke Energy
Integrys Energy Corp.                                      Wisconsin Energy

Lowest Overall Scores
Adams Resources and Energy                     Atmos Energy Corp.
Ferrellgas Partners                                           Ameren
New Jersey Resources                                    AES Corp.

© 2009, Tracey de Morsella. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

The University of Missouri, Kansas City Creates New Sustainability Minor. The 18-hour minor integrates a wide range of fields, including geosciences, engineering, ethics, urban planning and design, economics, history, philosophy, political science and public administration. Through in-class lectures and a local environmental sustainability internship, the minor will teach students about the planning and policies involved in creating sustainable changes in an urban setting. To complete the minor, a student must complete an applied project or internship and take one three-hour course in each of the following areas: Earth Systems and Resources, Sustainable Thinking, Sustainable Planning and Policy, Sustainable Design and Analytical Tools.

Northeastern Junior College  Launches Wind Energy Training Program. A wind energy technician training program will begin this August at NJC. It is the first program of its kind to open in Colorado. The program’s curriculum has been approved at the state level. Funding has been secured. Facilities have been identified. A teacher has been hired. Students are being recruited.  the new program is going to be a two-year degree program, not just an accelerated training situation.  The school is looking into developing a we could possibly run an accelerated training program for veterans that would enable them move into wind tower technician jobs within a few months.  The training program will operate from the college’s north campus facility.  The program will take 20 students initially. Area companies, who have farms located here have offered to provide training tools, field locations for students to get hands-on skills, guest presenters and internships.

Eastern Mennonite University Announces Two Sustainability Majors. Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia is introducing two new majors: Peacebuilding and Development and Environmental Sustainability.  The Environmental Sustainability major is  focused on forward-thinking sustainability practices. Students who major in environmental sustainability will choose between two tracks of study: the traditional environmental science track with courses from the disciplines of ecology, chemistry and physiology; and  the new environmental and social sustainability focus, which combines traditional environmental science coursework with revised applied sociology courses emphasizing international and community development and conservation.  “Traditional” environmental science courses have been revised and augmented over recent years with hard looks at local and global sustainability and hands-on research projects.The Peacebuilding and Development major is  a combination of the “justice, peace and conflict studies” major and the “applied sociology” program, with its international development and environmental sustainability emphasis. Peacebuilding and development studies are geared toward intentional social change around issues of conflict, poverty, inequality, sustainability and social justice. The new major offers students the chance to combine the theory of justice and conflict studies with the practice of peacebuilding and sustainable development in communities far and wide.

Chatham University Adds New Environmental Track to Graduate Biology Program. Chatham University will add a track in Environmental Biology to its Master of Science in Biology program this fall, according to the Office of Academic Affairs. The new Environmental Biology track includes classroom, laboratory, and field work experiences designed for students who want to pursue careers in environmental services, research, education, or advocacy. The Environmental Biology track will offer courses on topics such as Plant Development, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Soil Science, Field Ecology, Wetlands Ecology, and Biostatistics. Students will also participate in internships and field seminars.

© 2009, Tracey de Morsella. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

The Pew Charitable Trusts has conducted the first-ever hard count across all 50 states of the actual jobs, companies and venture capital investments that supply the growing market demand for environmentally friendly products and services.  The study, entitled The CleanEconomy: Repowering Jobs, Businesses and Investments Across America, revealed  that the number of jobs in America’s emerging clean energy economy grew nearly two and a half times faster than overall jobs between 1998 and 2007.

While traditional jobs grew by only 3.7 percent between 1998 and 2007, Pew found that jobs in the clean energy economy grew at a national rate of 9.1 percent.  There were similar trends at the state level, where job growth in the clean energy economy outperformed overall job growth in 38 states and the District of Columbia during the same period.  The report also found that this  sector is poised to expand significantly, driven by increasing consumer demand, venture capital infusions, and federal and state policy reforms.

Despite a lack of sustained government support in the past decade, the clean energy industry has grown dramatically. By 2007, more than 68,200 businesses across all 50 states and the District of Columbia accounted for about 770,000 jobs in the fledgling industry . By comparison, the well-established fossil-fuel sector—including utilities, coal mining and oil and gas extraction, industries that have received significant government investment—comprised about 1.27 million workers in 2007.

“The clean energy economy is poised for explosive growth,” said Lori Grange, interim deputy director of the Pew Center on the States.  “These jobs are driving economic growth and environmental sustainability at a time when America needs both.  There is a potential competitive advantage for federal and state policy leaders who act now to spur jobs, businesses and investments in the clean energy sector.”

Pew’s definition of the clean energy economy is based on research and input from experts in the field, including an advisory panel convened to help guide the study.  According to Pew, “a clean energy economy generates jobs, businesses and investments while expanding clean energy production, increasing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste and pollution, and conserving water and other natural resources.”

It comprises five categories:

(1) Clean Energy

(2) Energy Efficiency

(3) Environmentally Friendly Production,

(4) Conservation and Pollution Mitigation

(5) Training and Support

The definition provides a groundbreaking framework for tracking jobs, investments and economic growth over time and allowing the public and private sector to evaluate the effectiveness of policy choices and investments.  The report finds that the emerging clean energy economy is creating well-paying jobs in every state for people of all skill levels and educational backgrounds.  Included in Pew’s definition are jobs as diverse as engineers, plumbers, administrative assistants, construction workers, machine setters, marketing consultants, teachers and many others, with annual incomes ranging from $21,000 to $111,000.

The private sector views the clean energy economy as a significant and expanding market opportunity.  Venture capital investment in clean technology crossed the $1 billion threshold in 2005 and continued to grow substantially, reaching a total of about $12.6 billion by the end of 2008.  In 2008 alone, investors directed $5.9 billion into American businesses in the clean energy economy, a figure that represents a 48 percent increase over 2007 investment totals and accounts for 15 percent of all global venture capital investments.

Federal and state lawmakers also see the sector as helping to spur America’s economic recovery and protect the environment.  States will receive a major infusion of federal funds through the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which allocates nearly $85 billion in direct spending and tax incentives for energy- and transportation-related programs.  Additionally, every state offers some form of financial incentive to drive its clean energy economy.  Twenty-three states have adopted regional initiatives to reduce the global warming pollution from power plants, 46 states offer some form of tax incentive to encourage residents and corporations to use renewable energy or adopt energy efficiency systems and equipment, and 29 states and the District of Columbia have established renewable portfolio standards, which require electricity providers to supply a minimum amount of power from renewable energy sources.

You can view an interactive state-by-state map and get in-depth information about eight businesses that are part of this growing clean energy economy on the Pew Environment Group’s Global Warming site.   Pew has also posted company snap shots and state governors’ response to the report. Fact Sheets for each state are also available for download.

© 2009, Tracey de Morsella. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

The Kresge Foundation has announced  a  new comprehensive grantmaking programs:  The Environment Program. With the announcement of this new program, the foundation is expanding its commitment and narrowing its focus in each field for maximum long-term impact in its strategic areas of interest.  The Environment Program addresses environment-related social issues, particularly those affecting minority, low-income, and other underserved communities. The Environment Program seeks to have tangible effects on the practices and policies associated with climate change and environmental sustainability. The programs are in the development stage; program teams will be refining their grantmaking focus and strategy over the next year.

Our Environment Program works in partnership with like-minded organizations to protect the planet and promote its long-term sustainability for future generations.

We are a national foundation that has been advocating environmental conservation for many years, especially through our Green Building Initiative. In June 2008, we decided to elevate this interest and expand it into a major, comprehensive program to cultivate solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, accelerate renewable energy technologies, and support efforts to help society adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Our programmatic approach

Grantmaking strategies within the Environment Program will take shape over the next year. Our work at this time is focused in three broad areas of relevance to climate change:

* Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment
* Accelerating the adoption of renewable energy technologies, with a preliminary interest in the Midwestern United States
* Developing strategies for helping society adapt to the anticipated, negative impacts of climate change

Because the program is in the development stage, we are currently accepting only foundation-initiated proposals for projects other than facilities capital and green planning grants. This practice will be in place until the program’s long-term, strategic direction is determined.

(See below for information on the Green Building Initiative and the facilities capital challenge grant program.)

How we work

In 2007, the Kresge Foundation began an expansion of its grantmaking to better address society’s pressing issues. We believe we have a moral obligation to use our assets for the highest possible good and have elevated nine values – our values criteria – to guide us in our efforts.

Our work is national in scope and devoted to six fields of interest, including the environment. “Over the long term, the new Environment Program aspires to have tangible effects on the policies and practices associated with climate change and environmental sustainability,” says Lois R. DeBacker, program director and Environment Program team leader. “We are particularly interested in strategies that cut across sectors and disciplines.

The Environment Team seeks to work in collaboration with others. We will employ the full array of tools available to support policy work, applied research, communications and advocacy, and general support for organizations whose work directly corresponds with Kresge’s values and the priorities of this program.

With rare exceptions, only projects that address climate change will be competitive for funding, including awards made within our facilities capital Challenge Grant as is described below.

Our process for funding projects

Environment Team members initiate project proposals from organizations that we know are advancing Kresge’s values while doing innovative and exemplary work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment, accelerate the adoption of renewable energy technologies, and develop strategies for adaptation to climate change. Unsolicited proposals are not accepted at this time.

We are interested, however, in learning about new projects that contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation so that our program planning can be informed by the new and novel ideas of those working in the field.

Nonprofit organizations working at the state or national level on climate change projects may contact the Environment Team EnvironmentTeam@kresge.org with an e-mail of 500 words or less that describes how the project idea will advance Kresge’s values and help us further the goals of the Environment Program. Your e-mail will be reviewed, and we will respond to let you know whether your proposed idea has potential for grant funding.

Requests for green planning grants

The Green Building Initiative is now a facet of the Environment Program. Through the initiative, we award planning grants to nonprofit organizations to underwrite the integrated design process necessary for historic preservation, green renovation, or new construction that aims to achieve the highest levels of environmental sustainability. The application process and eligibility information can be found on the Green Building Initiative page linked above.

Requests for facilities capital

Successful requests for facilities capital are awarded as challenge grants. We consider the relevance of the proposed project to the mitigation of or adaptation to climate change as well as its ability to advance Kresge’s values criteria. Values of particular importance for facilities projects in the environmental field include environmental conservation, creating opportunity, innovation, collaboration and diversity.

Organizations interested in applying for facilities capital should visit the Challenge Grant page and apply following its application process. It may be helpful to read more about our values criteria before beginning the process.

Eligibility

Who may apply?

* 501(c)(3) organizations that are not classified as private foundations and have financial statements prepared and certified by a certified public accountant in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles or Government Accounting Standards. (In rare instances, exceptions are made and this requirement is temporarily waived.)
* Government entities that have financial statements prepared and certified by a certified public accountant in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles or Government Accounting Standards. (In rare instances, exceptions are made and this requirement is temporarily waived.)

Who may not apply?

* Individuals and elementary and secondary schools are ineligible and may not apply.

If you have questions, e-mail the Grants Inquiry Coordinator or call 248-643-9630.

The Kresge Foundation
3215 West Big Beaver Road
Troy, Michigan 48084
248.643.9630 telephone
248.643.0588 fax

© 2009, Tracey de Morsella. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

The Environmental Protection Agency to Announce Performance Rating for Data Centers

The Environmental Protection Agency EPA will use the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) metric as the basis for its Energy Star for Data Centers ratings, the agency said this week. This increases the momentum to use PUE,which was proposed by the Green Grid and is rapidly becoming the standard by which green data centers are measured. The Energy Star rating given to a facility will be based on the average PUE ratio for the datacenter, calculated from 12 months of actual measured data. To calculate a facility’s PUE rating the facility’s total power usage is compared to the amount of power used by the IT equipment, in this manner revealing how much is lost in distribution and conversion. For example, an average PUE of 2.0 indicates that the IT equipment uses about 50 percent of the power to the building.

The EPA’s energy performance rating for data centers is tentatively planned for early 2010 and allow companies to track the energy efficiency of multiple data centers, and offer a basis for comparing the efficiency of different data centers. The rating will compare the energy use of one facility against that of similar facilities across the country, using the EPA’s unique 1-to-100 rating system. If this new proposed EPA Energy Star for datacenters rating gets wide adoption it will allow companies to track the energy efficiency of multiple data centers, and offer a basis for comparing the efficiency of different data centers. However as of last month the EPA said that just 110 data centers have shared their energy data.

(AMD) Introduces New Energy Efficient Processor

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), introduces 45nm Quad-Core AMD Opteron EE processor that runs data-center computers using 19-percent less energy. The new 40W ACP processor is designed for very dense data center environments such as those built for cloud computing, web serving, or other highly dense environments. It offers a full suite of virtualization and power management capabilities so customers do not have to compromise on feature sets in order to deploy very low power servers.

“Adding the 40 watt EE power band to the Quad-Core AMD Opteron line-up helps our customers achieve maximum value for their unique data center needs across the board,” said Patrick Patla, vice president and general manager, Server Workstation Business, AMD. “The EE processor is ideal for cloud computing environments, which demand both extreme energy efficiency and a balanced system that can handle high transactional demands.”

The new processors will work on 40 watts of electricity, down from the 55 watts used by today’s lowest-power models, Fruehe said. That translates into a 62-percent jump in performance per watt. Performance per watt is a key metric that is closely tracked by the industry. Using less power while maintaining a chip’s level of performance can add up to millions of dollars of savings for a data center or large internet company on their energy bill.
Computers built with the new chip will be available from Dell Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co. and International Business Machines Corp., said John Fruehe, a director of business development at Sunnyvale, California-based AMD.

SAS to Build USD 70 Million LEED Cloud Computing Facility

SAS has announced plans to build a USD 70 million cloud computing facility – a hub that will provide dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources as a service over the internet, thereby allowing organisations to address their computing needs even without knowledge of, or expertise in the technology infrastructure. The company also revealed that the facility will host more than 1,400 R&D employees upon its completion, as part of an aggressive expansion plan, which will target the growing demand for ‘Software-as-a-Service’ (SaaS) based solutions in the Middle East.

The facility will be built according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for water and energy conservation. LEED recognises construction projects that demonstrate the utmost commitment to environmental sustainability and energy efficiency.

© 2009, Chris de Morsella. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) was launched by former President Clinton in 2005, bringing together a community of global leaders (CGI “members”) to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. CGI focuses primarily on combating climate change, improving education, promoting global health, and alleviating poverty. All CGI members-who come from diverse backgrounds including business, non-government organizations, foundations, philanthropy, and government-are required to make a specific action, “commitment,” each year to help address one or more of these problems.   After four years, more than 1400 CGI member commitments have been made.   These commitments have improved more than 200 million lives in over 150 countries.    Members make commitments that range in form from purely philanthropic to new business models and practices that create financial return while generating social and environmental value.    Many commitments involve cross-partnerships leveraging the unique expertise of CGI’s diverse membership.

Position Overview: The Commitments Department has the primary responsibility for establishing and executing the strategy for helping CGI members develop new commitments.   The Senior Manager, for Commitment Development/Environmental Sustainability will manage relationships with CGI members, educating and guiding them through the commitment development process and helping them to identify partners as appropriate.  She/he works closely with the CGI Commitments Director and a network of external expert advisors to develop member commitments. She/he will also collect and analyze commitment data for program evaluation and external communication purposes.

Responsibilities:

Commitment Development

* Work closely with the Commitments Director and our network of expert advisors to establish annual performance targets, commitment outreach strategy, and commitment development methodology
* Advise CGI members as they develop their commitments and broker partnerships between members
* Work closely with other staff in the Commitments Department and CGI to develop effective outreach materials
* Research and engage potential CGI members who present strong prospects for commitments generation
* Manage department’s outreach to members who are expected to make commitments in the area of environmental sustainability
* Respond to inquiries from commitment-makers in a timely, professional fashion

Information Management and Communications:

* With other CGI staff implement an effective approach to information management related to commitments to ensure effective customer service and to enable the tracking of commitment progress and impacts over time
* Participate in the ongoing assessment of the performance of member commitments
* Create and update commitment case records consistent with the needs and protocol of the Commitments Department
* Work closely with other Commitments Department staff to develop an approach to reporting both qualitative and quantitative data about commitments that generate deeper understanding among members and the broader public about the nature and impact of commitments
* Work closely with other Commitments Department staff and the Communications to produce publications and materials about commitments to support media outreach

Program Planning and Logistics

* Work closely with the CGI Programming Department to ensure that opportunities for showcasing commitments are maximized at CGI’s Annual Meeting and to help design other program elements for the meeting
* Manage the showcasing of new commitments at CGI events

Qualifications:

Minimum Requirements

* Master’s degree required.
* Minimum of five to seven years experience in general project management and/or policy in climate change/environmental sustainability
* The successful candidate is required to have strong knowledge of the international development field and implementation of programs in the business, non-profit, and public sectors
* Work experience in the private sector and developing countries is desirable
* Event planning experience welcomed but not required.
* Knowledge of Excel and basic statistics required; knowledge of Raiser’s Edge (or other relational data bases) preferred but not required.
* Experience in developing and managing relationships with diverse groups/environments and individuals.

Other Desired Competencies

* Strong relationship management and oral and written communication skills
* Entrepreneurial spirit, with a flexibility to work with individuals with varying work styles
* Ability to adapt and work within a multicultural, multilingual, multidisciplinary environment
* Demonstrates ability to acquire understanding and absorb new information rapidly
* Empathic communicator, able to see things from the other person’s point of view
* Self-driven, results-oriented with a positive outlook
* Constantly benchmarks ‘best practices’
* Plans, organizes, schedules, and budgets in an efficient, productive manner
* Focuses on key priorities
* Effectively juggles multiple projects
* A natural forward planner who critically assesses own performance

IN THE SAME DOCUMENT AS YOUR RESUME, PLEASE INCLUDE:

* Contact information for three references
* A 3 – 5 page original writing sample
Click the following link on the Clinton Foundation Web Site to Apply

© 2009, Tracey de Morsella. All rights reserved. Do not republish.