Blog Action Day - Focusing On The Environment

I have been thinking a lot about the significance of Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize. In awarding this prize, the Nobel committee acknowledged that global climate change is a truly critical challenge facing future generations.

This fits in with my thinking that sustainability is a philosophical and a strategic issue for businesses, rather than just a tactical one. Finding better ways to address climate change is not simply a matter of monitoring emissions to comply with government regulations. It’s about companies doing the right thing in order to protect the environment and the health of their employees, customers, and communities.

Yesterday was Blog Action Day and the topic was the environment. The idea of Blog Action Day is to raise awareness for a particular topic. I try to do that in the GRC Blog by discussing environmental, health, safety and crisis management and how they relate to business sustainability and a safer world.

Please continue the movement. Post to your own blog, in your own way, about what the environment means to you on any given day. Together, we can make an impact!

Add comment October 16th, 2007

Study Shows Pollution Can Increase Risks of Heart Attack and Stroke

Last week, the Blackstone Institute, which is dedicated to solving pollution problems in the developing world, released its list of the ten most polluted placed in the world. That list includes many places most people don’t commonly visit, but also includes several in the former Soviet Union and Russia. Here’s the list:

• Sumgayit, Azerbaijan
• Linfen, China
• Tianying, China
• Sukinda, India
• Vapi, India
• La Oroya, Peru
• Dzerzhinsk, Russia
• Norilsk, Russia
• Chernobyl, Ukraine
• Kabwe, Zambia

Why is this of more than passing importance? For the past few weeks I’ve been concerned with reports that the Beijing Olympics could be impacted by that city’s air quality. I have already blogged that several teams aren’t going to train at the site of the Olympics, which is quite uncommon.

But now new medical studies have come out saying that particles of air pollution can actually trigger blood clots in the heart and lungs. I think it’s important enough to quote from Reuters so you won’t have to follow the link:

“Large population studies have shown pollution from the exhaust of trucks, buses and coal-burning factories increases the risk of fatal heart attacks and strokes.

Apparently the inflammation from air pollution tells the lungs to release an immune system compound that causes the blood to clot.

Up until now, we have only had anecdotal evidence that air pollution can kill. Now we not only know it can kill, but actually how it does so. And we have the tools to clean up the air, by monitoring emissions and making changes in how we drive, live, and conduct our businesses.

1 comment September 27th, 2007

Investors, Environmentalists Form Coalition for Climate Change Risk Reporting

You know the seriousness of the climate change issue for the enterprise when the New York Times runs a story that a coalition of environmental groups and investors has asked the SEC to compel companies to disclose risks to their business models from climate change. This comes on the heels of a story widely reported about the disappearance of ice in the Arctic and the surmise that the Northwest Passage, which was sought but never found by generations of explorers, might end up being an open channel for intercontinental shipping. The Arctic has less ice than at any time since measurements began.

More than half of the S&P 500 are inadequately reporting climate change risk, according to Ceres, the coalition of investors and environmental groups. And New York attorney general Andrew Cuomo has begun an investigation of five energy companies to find out if they were adequately reporting their risk from the operation of coal-fired plants, which are known to emit gasses that cause global warming.

This is just the beginning of a trend to acknowledge that business will be threatened by climate change. And it’s why I believe that business will take the lead in trying to reverse its effects.

1 comment September 24th, 2007

Experts Say Beijing’s Air Quality May Affect Olympic Athletes

Maria Cheng, the medical writer for the Associated Press, recently wrote about the potential implications for athletic performance of the air in Beijing. Apparently, even the government’s effort to clean up the air by taking half the cars off the road for a day didn’t do enough. According to CNN, the government removed about a million cars a day from the city’s streets during a four day test. But the air was still, the humidity and temperature were high, and conditions were still gray and hazy.

The Olympic Committee has already warned China’s government that it would change the date or location for events if an athlete’s health was endangered. This is obviously most dangerous for marathoners, cyclists, and practitioners of other endurance sports.

Typically, athletes in training for the Olympics do their best to train in a climate as similar as possible to the one they will compete in. But for the 2008 Olympics, that won’t be the case. According to Cheng’s article, Japan’s softball team, France’s judo team, and all the Australian athletes are avoiding Beijing as much as possible until they have to be there for the games.

“The difference between these super-elite athletes is a very small line,” said Dr. Todd Schlifstein, a sports medicine expert and assistant professor at New York University School of Medicine. “If they are really sensitive to the pollution in Beijing, that could inhibit their performance and have a big impact on how close they come to a medal.”

That was true a couple of weeks ago at the world track and field championships, where heat and humidity both in the ’90s meant that a full one third of the people who started the marathon did not finish. Several runners collapsed.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Beijing, and the air has never been good. But I can’t believe the government of China would invest this much in getting the Olympics and not make major strides in cleaning up the pollution. And once it is done for Olympics, it can be done permanently.

Add comment September 14th, 2007

U.S. Proposal Calls for Accelerating HCFC Phaseout

Twenty years ago, the Montreal Protocol was signed, and over a hundred companies pledged to reduce a family of chemicals called hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), which were already known to deteriorate the ozone layer and contribute to global warming. Soon after the passage of that Protocol, I realized there would be a need to enable organizations to track, manage, and minimize their ozone depleting refrigerant emissions, and this was the first software product created by Environmental Support Solutions, the global company of which I’m proud to be the CEO.

So it was with a bit of nostalgia that I read the article in Environmental Leader that the Bush administration plans to push for speedup of the global phaseout of chemicals that destroy the ozone layer and contribute to global warming.

The article quotes a Wall Street Journal story (paid content, accessible only by subscription) that the administration’s proposal will be presented at a Sept. 15 meeting in Montreal, where representatives from 191 nations will discuss toughening the 20-year-old Montreal Protocol, designed to reduce the use of chemicals that create holes in the ozone layer.

According to the article, the U.S. plan would shift the deadlines for phasing out HCFC to 2020 from 2030 for industrial nations and to 2030 from 2040 for developing nations. In addition, the proposal would require developing nations to shrink their production of the chemicals by stages before the 2030 deadline.

This has probably come about because it is common knowledge that global warming is advancing faster than we thought it would when the original protocol was passed.

1 comment September 11th, 2007

Airline Offers Carbon Offsets to Mitigate Travel Footprint

How far can we carry carbon offsets, and will they really work?

Qantas and some of the other airlines are allowing passengers to purchase carbon offsets to neutralize the emissions from their air travel.

The pollution emitted by Qantas aircraft will be offset partly by a carbon credit program to be launched by the Flying Kangaroo in September.

Qantas executive general manager John Borghetti announced that consumers and businesses would be able to purchase carbon credits to offset their carbon dioxide emissions.

Mr. Borghetti did not elaborate on how much the offsets would increase the price of a ticket but Qantas would cover the charge for its first day of the scheme’s operation.

“For the first 24 hours we will totally fund the emissions on our domestic and international operations,” Mr. Borghetti said.

On the other hand, Volkswagen of America plans to offset the carbon emissions of projected consumer use for a year. From September 1, 2007, until January 2, 2008, vehicles sold by Volkswagen will have carbon emissions offset for the first year of ownership.

In addition, the Volkswagen site will show the carbon footprint calculation of vehicles alongside statistics on fuel efficiency, speed, and price, when they use the “Build a VW” feature, according to VW.

The offsets, from Carbonfund.org, will support the land acquisition and reforestation of 1,100 acres of habitat in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Louisiana. The offsets will be based on the average annual emissions for each different type of model sold in the four-month period.

So does this change behavior, or just put off the inevitable? Stakeholders in industry and non-governmental organizations will be watching and the results are sure to fuel more debate soon.

2 comments August 31st, 2007

The Many Sides of the Kyoto Protocol Debate

There is quite a debate going on about how to meet the targets of the Kyoto Protocol for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. And there are at least three very vocal sides that are debating the issue:

One side is taken by the carbon offset traders who believe we can balance each other’s emissions by creating a market in which the larger emitters pay for credits bought from people whose industries are clean; another voice represents people who believe that generating power through alternative means such as clean coal and biofuels is the best way to go; and a third, shrill voice is that of hard core environmentalists who believe that only real consumer behavior changes will make a difference. In other words, walk to work; don’t use paper OR plastic; buy only locally grown food; and turn your heater or air conditioner off when you aren’t at home.

Clearly there are limits to each of these positions. But there’s a fourth “voice” in this debate. And these are people who say that we need to produce data that shows what emissions are actually produced —by whom, and through what processes—before we choose any of the other three alternatives. That process is just beginning for the enterprise. Before we can ask either businesses or consumers to make big changes in behavior patterns or throw the world economy into a tailspin, we need to answer questions such as:

1) What’s the actual energy cost of producing a Prius overseas and shipping it half way across the world so someone in America can feel good about getting 50 mpg?

2) When Asian nations cut down forests to produce Palm oil plantations, how does that affect the ozone layer?

3) Is solar energy really the best alternative for a home in, say, San Francisco?

I’m pleased that ESS provides tools that enable organizations to collect and track data relevant to solve these sorts of problems. And many organizations are leveraging their IT investments to deploy our integrated software platforms that transform data into useful information.

Because of the computing power involved in getting accurate answers to these questions, I believe it will be the enterprise that leads the charge to the true solutions. In the interim, carbon offsets, cleaner energy and more thoughtful consumer choices will have to do.

Add comment August 7th, 2007

“Green” Values Aren’t About Branding: It’s About Survival

There’s a new blog called 21st Century Citizen that explores what the true values should be for those who are living in this century. This is very different from the Environmental Leader blog that’s discussing where your company’s brand will be when the “green” fad ends. One is deeply felt and strategic, while the other marks a trend. Enterprises must make the strategic choices, rather than branding through “quick fixes.” That never works.

Having been around in the ’70s when there was an earlier “green” movement, I know that all issues have a life cycle shaped like a bell curve. Al Gore has now made environmental issues hot (no pun intended) by talking about global warming. Indeed, we will come to a compromise system of carbon trading and emissions efficiencies, regulations and compromises, and then environmental issues will be off the table as emergencies once more.

But 21st Century Citizen asks the question “should you ride or bike?” and comes to grips with some of the complexities involved in that decision. To bike, many people would have to move closer to their jobs. Or change jobs. Or work from home. Or move closer to the grocery store. The long and short of it is that we have to re-examine not one choice, but all of our life choices as individuals in order to create sustainability. I think the purpose of this new blog is to start the discussion about the future.

And corporations are pondering some of the same decisions, as well. It’s not just your greenhouse gases that you have to track. It’s your chemical waste. It’s the components of your supply chain, and the byproducts of your manufacturing process. Environmental issues may disappear and re-appear from the radar screen per se, but the safety issues posed by environmental contaminants around people will always be an issue for employers. The world is round, not flat, which means we have finite resources available to meet our ever increasing population’s demand. The thoughtful management of these resources as well as our waste and pollution byproducts will continue to become ever more critical for sustainability.

This round of environmental initiatives isn’t about branding. It is about survival.

1 comment August 1st, 2007

Progress on HCFC Reduction Marks Montreal Protocol Anniversary

Countries will gather in September to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
Argentina and Brazil jointly submitted proposals accelerating the phase-out of hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) to strengthen the Montreal Protocol. Three small island and coastal states - Micronesia, Mauritius, and Mauritania - submitted similar proposals to avoid the dire consequences of climate change jeopardizing their existence. Additional proposals to accelerate the HCFC phase-out were submitted by the United States and jointly by Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

HCFCs are a group of chemicals used mainly as coolants in air conditioners and grocery stores, and to make insulating foams and other products. They are being used as temporary substitutes for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ozone-depleting substances that are even more dangerous to the ozone layer and climate system. HCFCs were intended to be replaced once superior substitutes became available.

Eliminating HCFCs could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 25 billion tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent—roughly five times the emissions reductions of the world’s climate treaty, the Kyoto Protocol. Some HCFCs are more than 1,000 times more powerful at warming the planet than carbon dioxide.

Leaders of many developed countries expressed support for the adjustments on June 7th at the G8 Summit Declaration, committing to “accelerating the phase-out of HCFCs in a way that supports energy efficiency and climate change objectives,” and noting that “Improving energy efficiency worldwide is the fastest, the most sustainable and the cheapest way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance energy security… [and] … could contribute to 80 percent of avoided greenhouse gases while substantially increasing security of supply.”

Argentina and Brazil are leading the push to strengthen the Montreal Protocol, along with a coalition of other developing countries focused on strengthening the Montreal Protocol to do its share to address climate change. The United States also submitted a proposal, and has been very supportive of efforts to strengthen the ozone layer and the climate benefits of the Montreal Protocol. With such leadership, the determined and persistent proponents of changing the Montreal Protocol are capable of changing the world.

This subject is close to my heart. The first software application we produced at ESS way back in 1994 was designed to enable organizations to minimize emissions of ozone depleting and global warming chemicals including CFC, and HCFC refrigerants. This software is still the leading application used and we currently have thousands of companies still using it today.
Whether or not the international community will come together to help evolve the Montreal Protocol into an effective climate treaty will be decided in September.

Add comment July 27th, 2007

Groups Affirm Need to Address Climate Change

This has been the hottest summer in Arizona for quite a while. In the meantime, rivers have been flooding in Texas, and San Francisco saw rain for the first time in July. In Mumbai, people were swept away in main streets. So it is no wonder that governments and businesses are now in a race to meet or exceed the Kyoto protocol, promising new methods for controlling greenhouse gas emissions.

The Toronto City Council voted 37-0 this week to adopt a plan that aims to cut greenhouse gases in the city by 6 per cent by 2012, 30 per cent by 2020 and by a full 80 per cent by 2050. It will involve retrofitting buildings and exploring geothermal energy for large public buildings.

On almost the same day, the Business Roundtable, an association of 160 chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies, announced a new policy statement on climate change, acknowledging that climate change poses a serious risk and that the time for action is now. You can download the entire document.

Because ESS has been in the business of reporting on emissions for more than ten years, we know that the enterprise has been taking the issues of sustainability more and more seriously. This year, clearly we have reached a tipping point. Business leaders have even asked for a better national registry for emissions tracking, because they are building benchmarks and measurable objectives into their plans, much as a the City of Toronto has done.

Once numbers are assigned to these goals, business will achieve them — you heard it here first.

1 comment July 19th, 2007