Sustainability for Businesses
The Burnaby Board of Trade held an Environmental Sustainability Forum for Business yesterday evening that is worth writing about. Hosted in the architecturally stunning Electronic Arts building, the event featured a panel of four environmentally friendly speakers with good business tips.
As the panel was introduced, it was noted that the pathway to being green is often less clear than the desire to be sustainable. Thus, it was fitting that the first speaker was Peter Robinson, CEO of the David Suzuki Foundation that helps teach people how to be sustainable.
Peter suggested that sustainability targets should include longer term solutions that apply to the whole system, that balance production and consumption, are transparent and include accountability. Making operations efficient and reducing energy and waste helps a business save money. The next step is reducing their product’s footprint, by making it and its packaging greener. Level three involves greening your network – your customers, suppliers, producers, and not least your employees. As in the palm oil article I posted recently, examine your supply chain. How green is it and how could it be made more sustainable?
Maureen Cureton, Green Business Manager at Vancity (see www.vancity.com/greenbusiness), spoke next. Vancity, she started, was the first North American-based financial institution that became carbon neutral. They accomplished this through focusing on building energy savings, paper use, employee commuting and bus travel. Items such as 100% post consumer paper cost more, she acknowledged, but reductions in consumption helps offset costs. Vancity’s environmental commitments generate employee and member (customer) loyalty as well as enhanced brand value which far outweighs any residual cost increase.
TJ Galda, Chair of the Electronic Arts Green Team, was next. He opened by saying sustainability gives a business a good triple bottom line – including the business, the environment, and the corporate cultural attitude. They’re thorough at EA (as it’s called) – the paper towels get composted. TJ made an excellent case about the benefits a business receives when employees are happy, and increasingly employees want to go home at night and tell their children that Mom or Dad works at a planet friendly company.
David Moran, Director of Public Affairs and Communications for Coca-Cola Canada, rounded out the panel. Coca-Cola Canada is a huge company, and it takes time to change a company that size. But they’re making a good effort. They’re examining ways to reduce their sugar footprint, and to become carbon free. A beverage container now contains a significant amount of sustainable material. And managers present their efforts to their Board of Directors annually, who importantly support the green shift.
The event was wrapped up with a Q&A session, during which the speakers responded to questions with knowledge and a genuine interest in helping businesses become sustainable.
Overall, it was a great event and hopefully this article will help businesses everywhere and of any size examine their own footprint and make it sustainable.
Tags: BBOT, Burnaby Board of Trade, Coca Cola, David Suzuki Foundation, Electronic Arts, green business, sustainability, Vancity
Happy New Year 2010!
Hopefully you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday season, and will have good health, much happiness and abundant prosperity in 2010. Let’s all work together to make 2010 a good year for our planet as well.
It’s fascinating how different organizations welcome in the new year. Today, I received several emails from groups that I support.
The David Suzuki Foundation sent an email out to its Community Leaders (I am one) including some information and a link to a survey. The survey involved questions about climate change, and it’s funny how pre-Christmas actions seem so long ago once it’s a new year!
Conservation International sent an email listing their goals for 2010. Some of their goals are the same as those of other organizations, such as working to secure a stable global climate (both CARE and the David Suzuki Foundation were among the many NGO’s involved with Copenhagen). Conservation International’s goals are wide-reaching, and involve things like saving our oceans and helping to feed people.
Other organizations emailed out their thanks for a successful 2009 and their hopes for 2010. As well, many groups have posted a note on their website recognizing the contribution their supporters (including you?) made in 2009. Most of them are really nice, including the International Rhino Foundation which said it like it is in their Heartfelt Thanks:
IRF’s success is only possible because of your support. As 2009 comes to a close, we’d like to thank all of you who have contributed time, money, and enthusiasm to our work this past year. It’s your belief in IRF that makes our work possible.
Those are likely the words our planet and its animals would say if they had voices, and likely what many people say when humanitarian workers help them.
Let’s work together to make 2010 a great year (and the start to a great decade) for our planet and the animals and people we share it with. What groups are in your area that could use some help? It’s time to reach out to them. Make it a great year! Happy New Year!
Tags: 2010, CARE, Conservation, Conservation International, David Suzuki Foundation, International Rhino Foundation, rhinos, Wildlife
