The Economist | The Green Economy Post: Green Careers, Green Business, Sustainability

Executives Have Doubts About Profitability of Sustainability in The Short-Term

By Nicholas Varilone on March 3, 2010 7 Comments corporate social responsibility, Economist, Economist Intelligence Unit, employee engagement, energy efficiency, Nicholas Varilone, profit, supply chain, supply chain relationships, sustainability, sustainable business practices, sustainable goals, The Economist, The Economist Intelligence Unit

The Economist Intelligence Unit Survey finds mixed results in a poll of 202 executives in the financial and corporate social responsibility sectors. Many executives believe that sustainability practices will have a significant effect on their company’s bottom line in the long run. However, short term results are less optimistic. Executives report the main roadblocks to sustainable practices as the lack of participation in reporting firms, as well as low cash incentives.

An Example of Leadership in Business Sustainability

By Toby Webb on October 12, 2009 Comments Off on An Example of Leadership in Business Sustainability ACCCE, American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, Bonner & Associates, California, Climate Change, forged letters, House of Representatives, Jon Entine, leadership, lobby groups, NAACP, Obama administration, Peter Darbee, PG&E, SocialFunds.com, sustainability, The Economist, US Chamber of Commerce, Waxman-Markey

Lobby groups are ramping up opposition to the Obama administration’s climate change plans, however not all their plans are perfect. In these difficult times it’s vital that companies stand up for what they believe in. Too often over the past 15 years, many firms have said one thing in public, and then allowed their lobby groups to do the ‘dirty work’ of lobbying in short term financial interest for them. This is not always true of course. Sometimes NGOs have said this was happening when it may well not have been, such as in the case of Starbucks a few years ago. But in the case of climate change, we are seeing some very aggressive lobbying indeed. No doubt. And one group, the powerful US Chamber of Commerce, is really going way too far.