Natural Gas Complements Wind & Solar — Or Does It?

Natural Gas Complements Wind & Solar — Or Does It?

This post looks at the message promoted by the gas industry that natural gas is the necessary complement to renewables such as solar and wind, because the latter are variable and thus need a backup power source that can quickly be brought on line. There are other and perhaps even better ways of addressing variability that also need looking at.

Supply Chain Sustainability can be Faciliated by (PIM) Product Information Management Systems

Supply Chain Sustainability can be Faciliated by (PIM) Product Information Management Systems

Implementing a Product Information Management (PIM) strategy can help support your corporate sustainability initiatives by having correct data throughout the supply chain. Inaccuracies in product information can cause waste and inefficiencies in the supply chain. And how, as a side benefit, PIM systems contribute to a company’s sustainability initiatives by eliminating these inaccuracies, reducing waste and saving money at the same time. Statistics prove the benefits of implementing a PIM solution and as the amount of product information continues to increase, the old methods of managing it all just won’t work anymore when sustainability, efficiency and accuracy is a concern.

Nine Smart Grid Trends of 2010

Nine Smart Grid Trends of 2010

Our nation’s electricity infrastructure will be upgraded into an efficient, secure, reliable, adaptable machine! But the slow smart grid evolution will be achieved with smaller steps. What does short term smart grid future look like? Read on for current smart grid trends.

Green Marketing Best Practices Shared by Executives

Green Marketing Best Practices Shared by Executives

High-profile leaders gathered to discuss opportunities in the world of environmental capital at the Eco:nomics Conference, and the identify what the best practices where when applying green marketing. The include: looking for the “low-hanging fruit” for quicker ROI, giving customers reasons to adopt environmentally responsible behaviors, making the message personal by explaining how a consumer’s purchase has direct environmental results, and avoiding a hard sell on environmental benefits.

GE Lands $1.4 Billion Contract to Supply Wind Turbines for Largest Wind Farm Built in the US

GE Lands $1.4 Billion Contract to Supply Wind Turbines for Largest Wind Farm Built in the US

General Electric (GE) one of the world’s largest manufacturers of wind turbines has landed a $1.4 billion contract to supply wind turbines and related services for Caithness Energy’s Shepherds Flat 845MW capacity wind farm. The Shepherds Flat project when completed will cover an area of 30 square miles, in Morrow County, in the Northeast portion of Oregon, near the town of Arlington and will feature 238 GE 2.5xl wind turbines to be installed in 2011-2012.

Five Strategies for Building Your Ethical Brand Without Being Accused of Greenwashing

Five Strategies for Building Your Ethical Brand Without Being Accused of Greenwashing

There’s been a lot of discussion about elevating corporate responsibility to become a strategic driver of your business. Most companies would like to benefit from their ethical efforts in the form of increased customer attraction and loyalty, yet few have figured out how to do it successfully. When marketing and PR are relied on, it can often backfire in accusations of greenwashing. The secret is to apply brand-strategy principles to build your ethical reputation.

Don’t Cut CSR Spending: Reallocate to Build Your Brand

Don’t Cut CSR Spending: Reallocate to Build Your Brand

As consumer expectations rise and trust in corporations decline, the need for ethical business practices is greater than ever. Yet in a recession, companies seeking to cut costs will likely postpone important CSR initiatives or cut spending in favor of core business initiatives. But it doesn’t have to be either-or. Companies that consider social and environmental initiatives as potential innovation platforms and brand builders — not expenses — will come out ahead.

The Role of Metrics and ROI in Corporate Responsibility

“Metrics, metrics and more metrics. In many ways metrics drive the success of business. Multiple variables can be condensed to the common denominator of dollars and cents, pounds and pence. Many business failures could have been avoided for want of a business case. But, the specificity of metrics also allow us to persuade ourselves that there is more science and more certainty than there may really be and that we fully understand the complex interactions of the real world. There are solid business cases behind some of the most spectacular business failures – perhaps those where metrics were allowed to lead decisions rather than inform them.

Green Recruiting: Building Your Environmental Employment Brand

You would have to have had your head stuck in the sand to not be aware of the intense interest that the environment holds in today’s political and social debates. While candidates of all generations have begun evaluating potential employers based on their “greenness,” few in recruiting have leveraged this hot topic in recruitment communications and activities. For some unaccountable reason, recruiting managers and leaders almost universally fail to implement a process that regularly discovers “job switch” decision criteria used by the best and brightest, and this latest oversight is nothing more than history repeating itself once again.