Finally...

Thanks to Joel Makower for a great post on market research in the green space:

I find myself getting increasingly irritated. Can market researchers be accused of greenwash? I'm beginning to wonder.
Two examples:
Approximately 50 percent of U.S. consumers consider at least one sustainability factor in selecting consumer packaged goods items and choosing where to shop for those products, according to a new survey by Information Resources, Inc.
Nearly nine in ten Americans say the words "conscious consumer" describe them well and are more likely to buy from companies that manufacture energy efficient products, promote health and safety benefits, support fair labor and trade practices, and commit to environmentally-friendly practices, according to the BBMG Conscious Consumer Report.
I don't profess to have studies that refute these, but you don't need to be a social scientist to know that neither of the above conclusions is on the money. Half of consumers do not consider sustainability when buying packaged goods — everything from cosmetics to cleaners, Rice-a-Roni to razor blades. (Do half your friends and family members shop this way?) And to think 90% of us are "conscious consumers" when it comes to the planet? C'mon. Half of us aren't even conscious about what we put into our bodies.

Read the full post here.

The State of Green Business

Greenbiz have just released their annual report here.

...And in the business world

Clifford Chance have released a report on climate change in the workplace, which amongst other lovely stats claims that 81% of employees are in favour of further regulation to enforce workplace change.

Toshiba has launched an offsetting scheme for laptops! For a shiny £1.18, you can 'negate' the CO2 released during your machine's production.

Greenbang questions why it's relatively low emitters such as the financial sector who're taking the thought leadership position on climate change.

How many thought leadership pieces does it take...

Good morning all! Now, marketing is all about communication, correct? Well, a recent sruvey (yes, I know, another one...) from EcoAlign (a new green marketing company) "confirms a green gap exists around terms such as energy efficiency, energy conservation, demand response, smart energy and clean energy, and customers’ understanding, acceptance and perceptions of value around those terms".

In all fairness, I'm a bit stuck when it comes to 'demand response'. And 'smart energy'? Is that American for something? Just like any other sector, we need to squish the jargon and keep it simple. Not sure it should have taken a survey of 1000 to work that out...

Drowning in a deluge of standards

Business

• The Carbon Trust is offering free workshops to help businesses measure their carbon footprint.
• A new standard has been launched for sustainable events: BS8901. Read more
• Innovest has launched a study called Carbon Beta and Equity Performance, which compares the success of companies with and those without environmental risk management plans. Chicken or egg, anyone?
• IATA has warned the IPCC that any attempt to include airlines in the European emission trading scheme will meet severe opposition.
• Lucy Aitken writes on Greenwash in today's Guardian. Eurostar's transparency gains them her approval, but GE and the major supermarkets don't fare so well. She also provides a great run-down of some of the key green advertisers and how well they each live up to their promises. Read more.
• Try a toilet audit to clean up your environmental conscience, courtesy of The Guardian.
• The new Voluntary Carbon Standard launches today. Read more from the Climate Group.
• OPEC is promoting carbon capture and storage as an emission-reduction mechanism.

Advertising

• Heather Mills isfronting a new campaign by animal rights charity Viva!. The adverts speak out against the emissions created by the meat industry, and promote vegetarianism as a more ethical choice. According to Viva!, livestock are the second biggest cause of greenhouse gases, with a contribution of 18% compared to 13.5% from all the world's different modes of transport combined. But what about beans??? (Sorry, crude I know...)

Politics

• A Green Fiscal Commission has been launched to examine issues of green taxation. Both potential rewards and penalties will fall under the remit of its investigaion.
• The budget for tackling climate change will be cut by 300 million, due to DEFRA shortfalls, it was announced on Friday. Read more.
• A new Green Homes Service is to offer audits to help people go green. Hilary Benn comments, "The Green Homes Service will cut through the confusion by providing a one-stop shop, including a green MOT for your home and a green home makeover." Read more.
• The Independent notes a drop in grants for low carbon homes. Read more.
• Brown will be giving his first major speech on the environment today.
• The Working Group on Climate Change and Development claims that climate change will reverse decades of social progress in Asia. Read more.

Science

• The Independent covers the growing acidity of our seas, as revealed in the latest IPCC report. Read more.

Society

• Great statistic from the Telegraph: half of the world's carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels come from the half billion richest people in the world. That's about 7 per cent of us. So are the rich really the worst climate criminals? Read more

IPCC reports, green packaging, and too many gaseous cows.

Business

• GreenBusiness writes about Virgin Games' green datacentre.
• Green employees - a great insight on a recent Ipsos MORI survey from Marketing Green. Article.
• Dennis Salazar reflects on how the packaging industry may be impacted by the green trend. Article.

Politics

• The Lib Dems have spoken out against GM crops, after a Defra survey showed the majority of members of the public are against commercial planting of GM varieties.
• The Independent publishes comments from Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Government Association's Environment Board, on recent figures showing that we recycle or compost 30% of our waste. Bettison says: "Britain is still the dustbin of Europe, throwing more waste into landfill than any other country in the EU. While these figures are a move in the right direction, there is an inescapable need to do more."
• London Councils has annouced its intention to reduce plastic bag usage in the capital, through either an outright ban or a tax on the offending articles. But what of that favourite landmark, the shredded bag billowing in the trees? Alas...
• The government has announced a carbon offsetting fund to cover flights made by the royal household and central government departments.
• The Observer reports that three out of four councils in the UK have no plan in place to reduce and monitor carbon emissions. Read more...
• Parliament gets greener - at a cost of £20 million. Slight inconsitency with it's lack of foresight on a national scale, methinks...

Science

• The IPCC's synthesis report will be released later this week. A draft already indicates that a decline in GHG emissions must begin before 2015, and that a third of our species are threatened with extinction if temperatures continue to rise.
• Leo Hickman writes in the Guardian about climate change and the folly of crying wolf...
• Taking meat off the menu could be a positive course of action, suggests a report from the Food Climate Research Network. A new report is to warn that the livestock industry generates 8 per cent of all UK greenhouse gas emissions - and that means not only meat products but also dairy. Vegans may have something after all...
• The founder of the Weather Channel calls global warming a scam... read more...

Robotic goats and biofuel worries

Business

• Time to Get Tough - Terry MacAllistair writes about companies' CO2 emission disclosures, and why he thinks disclosure should be mandatory.
• IBM has started offering verification certificates to third parties who reduce their data centre energy use.
• Greenpeace has released a report on the impact of palm oil pantations in Indonesia which accuses a number of corporates including Nestle, Unilever, and P&G of irresponsible sourcing. I'm feeling slightly guilty about the kitkat bar on my desk, as they allege it has been produced using palm oil from uncertified sources. Supply chains, once again, are hitting the spotlight with a bang. Read the full report here.
• The NY Times includes a special section today on green business. Read more...
• E.ON launched its Carbon Footyprint campaign on Tuesday, which will encourage fans to make simple energy saving changes to help cut their own emissions. And yes, pledges, inevitably, mean prizes...

Politics

• An Environmental Audit Committee evidence session on the sustainability of Biofuels will be held on Tuesday. Attendees include: Biofuels Corporation, British Sugar, Renewable Energy Association, Environmental Industries Commission (run by a guy called Merlin!!!), The Energy Crops Company, Friends of the Earth and WWF.

Science

• The Telegraph reports on a proposal to increase sea alkalinity in order to boost its CO2 absorbing properties.

Education

• Living a paperless life? Well, you could be.. A light-hearted article from Micro Persuasion explains how.
• Treehugger has pushed the Hippo Works website into the limelight: a cartoon-based educational resource with a new section on climate change. Worth a look for teachers, parents, and anyone who still thinks lollipops and plimsols are cool.

And a crazy one to finish...

• Robotic Goats help the Japanese recycle...

Today's crop: rapeseed fuel, the Queen, and CFL recycling...

Business

• Waitrose is to trial a new fuel in its lorries: rapeseed. Read more in The Times
• General Electric has named a new vice president for environmental programmes: Ann R. Klee.
• Ikea has announced its intention to offer free CFL recycling (they've got a bit of mercury in - not the friendliest substance). Expect the rush to begin in about ten years time.
• Solar industry consolidation ups pace, with the German manufacturer Q-Cells last week announcing its intention to acquire US partner Solar Fields LLC. Sharp is also stepping up production of its thin film solar cells. Read more at BusinessGreen
• Research from The Interactive Annual Report Company reveals the cost of transparency: according to theri calculations, each FTSE 350 company destroys 168 trees on average each year. I hate to think how many of those are sustainability reports...
• Greenbang is hunting for London's greenest office. If it could be you, let them know: ratemyoffice@greenbang.com
• Climate change will be high on the agenda for the CBI this month. Their annual conference, on 26-27 November, will feature David Cameron alongside several business leaders debating the topic.

Politics

• The Queen's Speech outlined a Bill to make the UK the first country in the world to introduce a legally-binding framework to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The 2050 target of at least 60% co2 reductions has been confirmed, alongside an energy bill which foreshadows a new generation of nuclear plants - built by private companies.
• Lady Young, Chief Exec of the Environment Agency, has compared climate change to World War Three in its scale and potential impact. Read more...
• The Department of Transport has announced the creation of a Renewable Fuels Agency. Professor Ed Gallagher will chair the Agency, which will have responsibility for the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation, coming into force next April.

Science

• Vertical axis wind turbines (it means the wind can come from any direction and they still work) are now available for the home. I'm excited! Thanks Helix Wind!
• Lunchtime reading: Climate change: rising tides - The Telegraph

An exploding car is not an environmentally friendly car.

The Guardian Greenlist has been published, a year on from the Stern Report. It reveals that only 48 of the top 100 companies trading on the UK stock exchange have published a plan to address and reduce their carbon emissions and a significant minority refuse even to reveal their carbon footprint.

According to a BBC Poll, four out of five people say they are prepared to change their lifestyle. I wonder, however, if we’ll ever get on and do it? That human instinct of “I will if he does” suggests those sacrifices could be a long time coming.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), WWF and the RSPB, are urging the government to up its emissions reductions targets to 80%, claiming the current target of 60% is out of date. Crucially, the study includes in its methodology emissions from international aviation. However, it does baffle me how we can come up with any ‘absolute’ target at all – so much depends on international action.

G-Wiz has taken a bit of a blow – the new model, apparently, suffers from an occasional issue – bursting into flames! A total of 629 G-Wiz cars – about two-thirds of the number on Britain's roads – have been recalled and repaired because their battery chargers may be prone to overheating.
Read more

Further reading:
Environmentalism as business strategy – The Guardian
Consumer power – The Guardian
The Deceit Behind Global Warming – The Independent
Should I recycle the waste from carbon offsetting? – The Times
Volatile energy prices demand new form of management – BusinessGreen

Research: Defra publishes survey on green consumerism

The link: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/pubatt/download/pas2007report.pdf

Some key stats:

Four in ten people felt they knew a lot about environmental issues
Over half knew nothing about the term 'carbon footprint'
Those of higher social grades were more likely to see environmental issues as a concern

BT Thought Leadership on environmental business opportunities...

A major international study by the Economist Intelligence Unit, sponsored by BT, has revealed that organizations are failing to realize business benefits from sustainability programs. While almost half (46 per cent) said that sustainability programs helped improve brand value, just one in five (20 per cent) felt they improved profitability.

The research indicates that, while sustainability may be firmly on the boardroom agenda as organizations compete for a 'responsible' reputation, executives have yet to find a way to harness it as a commercial force. One third (33 per cent) of respondents admitted that their company only makes sustainability efforts in markets where it is perceived to have an impact on customers' perceptions of the firm, and a similar proportion (31 per cent) admitted that their company's sustainability efforts mostly center on communication, rather than actual change.