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This post originally appeared on Future 500 blog.

By Future 500 staff

Future 500 has identified the Top 10 issues that activists and corporations will likely contend with this year. A growing number of consumer and activist groups is working on each issue demanding more sustainable solutions. Corporations need to understand the activist landscape and they need to identify key stakeholders.

1. Corporate climate silence

Our number one issue for 2011 (following the failure to pass the Waxman-Markey bill), climate, was off the agenda in the run-up to the 2012 presidential election. But now the issue is being elevated again among groups who wish to “out” companies regarding their position on climate as part of the discussion on the fiscal cliff and economic reform. Bill McKibben’s Do the Math tour is the most notable related campaign, but this movement is broad and comprehensive in its critique of so-called “extreme” energy, and is long-term in nature.

2. Fracking: Energy vs. water

At the local level, battles continue to rage between grassroots activists concerned about water contamination and health impacts, and the oil and gas industry, eager to market an abundant source of domestic energy. While many groups are trying to settle the science underpinning these fears, the conflict is spilling over into more states with climate concerns caught in the crossfire. Matt Damon’s Promised Land film will elevate this issue in early 2013 with the left and the right leveraging the film to advance their interests.

3. EPA regulations

With the lack of a comprehensive energy policy, especially one that addresses carbon emissions, activists will be aggressive in defending and expanding the EPA’s ability to regulate emissions, to expand renewables, increase energy efficiency and decrease pollution. This path is the “easy, short-term win” for the environmental movement to force the internalization of externalities.

4. Infrastructure disruption

With last year's unanticipated success in delaying the Keystone XL project, activists are more readily trying to find ways to block energy transport and development. In the absence of a national energy policy that regulates carbon, interrupting the movement of energy through pipelines, ports and railways will be a core tactic to increase risk and costs to develop “dirty energy.”

5. GMO no go

The elections in 2012 brought the GMO issue to the fore, as many in the food movement rallied behind California's Prop 37, which would have required companies to label their products containing GMOs. A large, industry-funded anti-prop 37 campaign derailed passage of the proposition, so expect the movement to turn their attention to individual companies, as they recently did in targeting General Mills’ Cheerios brand via social media. This is a long-standing, mature  global movement where activists are confident that public opinion is on their side.

6. Digital freedom

This is THE campaign of the emerging generation. Any attempt by a company or government to limit a free and open Internet will be met with steep and mounting resistance. This issue fuels online grassroots activism like no other as it transcends all global geographies and appeals across ideological boundaries. Led by opinion leaders such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Access Now, the community is vigilant in defending a human right to a free and open Internet.

7. Procurement power

From toxics to human rights, corporate campaigns to set procurement standards on social and environmental issues are increasing in frequency. Leveraging consumer power to influence large brands has helped aid activists to push for accountability in the corporate supply chain.

8. Obesity and sugar

With Michael Bloomberg's proposed tax on large sodas and sugary drinks making huge headlines in 2012 alongside Michelle Obama’s childhood obesity initiatives, health and nutrition advocates are increasingly emboldened to challenge what they perceive as corporate control of a food system that reinforces unhealthy lifestyles. Advocates are increasingly placing the food system in the context of escalating health costs at the societal level. Combined with a slew of high profile brands marketing to kids and a base of well-known, passionate advocates, this issue is ripe for activism in 2013.

9. Money in politics

Political campaign spending hit a new record this election cycle, and this new post-Citizen’s United world has advocates from the left and right decrying the effects of “crony capitalism.” Expect increasing pressure on corporations to be more transparent regarding their political giving, including both direct and indirect (e.g. associations). Fueling distrust of the corporate sector are several 2012 reports that exposed corporate political giving, showing the relationship of political giving to political outcomes.

10. Economic power

Last year, economic power was our number one issue with the advent of the Occupy Wall Street movement. While the issue has simmered somewhat, it can ignite quickly. With what seems like a settlement each week for malfeasance, most recently with HSBC for money laundering, individual companies could quickly become a target. Factor in the dialogue on tax reform and focus on increasing taxes on the wealthy, the Robin Hood narrative provides ample opportunity to propel the issue back to the top.

Future 500 is an international non-profit organization that builds alliances between adversarial stakeholders. Our staff continually analyzes and synthesizes trends we are seeing while working with the stakeholder community around the issues Energy & Climate, Water & Agriculture, Materials Stewardship, and Technological Empowerment. If you wish to learn more, visit our website.

[image credit: 350.org: Flickr cc]

By Nancy Mancilla

While conducting the GRI Certified Sustainability Reporting trainings, ISOS Group has had the great fortune of meeting sustainability champions all across the U.S. When we first started down this path four years ago, we found that the GRI Framework was largely embraced by multinational corporations headquartered on American soil. Though that is no longer the case, we continue to receive questions about the breadth of application.

In addition to a wide array of corporations, we have started to see an uptick in solely domestic enterprises, including small- to medium-sized businesses, academic institutions, public agencies within the federal sphere, state agencies and, more recently, even municipalities. Therefore, our answer is always, “Yes, GRI is applicable to organizations of all sizes and the flexibility of the framework allows organizations to tell their story and describe what exactly sustainability means for them.”

In thinking about the stories shared during our courses in 2012, one thing seems clear - we are witnessing a paradigm shift before our very eyes and it’s our belief that the story of the public agency that could, will surface much more readily over the coming year.

One of our recent speakers, Linda Glasier from the Washington Department of Ecology, put it best when describing initial hurdles her agency had to overcome in producing their first GRI report. “Public agencies factor in both commitment to mission and caution in breaking new ground when we start to discuss transparency and sustainability.”

Why is that? Our public agencies owe the populous solutions to our societal ills. The citizenry wants and needs to be part of the solution. We all want to make our states and our nation greater right? Answers to these questions lay at the very heart of sustainability principles, regardless of the framework used.  Initial steps require a sometimes new and self exploratory process to determine relevant impacts that can be addressed. Engagement is essential whether it is internal or external. Ultimately, people want to feel like their voices count.

During the same panel discussion held during our recent training just outside Portland, Cindy Dolezel, Beaverton, Oregon’s Sustainability Manager, added:

“A community is empowered when they see that the City is listening to their voices and completing actions they have requested. The City of Beaverton strives to engage with the community around sustainability issues and to emphasize the need for a holistic approach that considers the community, environment, and the economy. Through these efforts, we have gained trust from the community about the City’s approach to sustainability.”

That speaks volumes for public agencies, particularly during a time when the health of our economy and political system is not what we would like it to be.

Now, although the city of Beaverton is not currently producing a GRI-based sustainability report, they have joined the likes of other cities across the country, such as Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle, New York and Atlanta that instituted a sustainability framework. Beaverton has a clear understanding that collaboration and working across disciplines is essential in their efforts to move forward. Through internal collaboration, the City has managed to leverage several grants to aid in sustainability initiatives.

“Once the City had a few big wins under its belt, Beaverton started to clearly see what could be done and what was still needed. We quickly realized the need for a cohesive strategy to move toward targeted goals. To do this, we created an internal plan to integrate sustainability into City operations and day-to-day activities.”- Cindy Dolezel

The tempo at which organizations plunge into the world of sustainability, is different for each one. For Linda Glasier, she came into a project that had already been initiated. However, it was stalled. She had to quickly assume the role of mediator to help translate methodic principles between different personalities, and agencies, while uncovering the fire that would lead the agency to their goal of releasing the first ever state environmental public agency GRI report. Besides the need to meet EPA grant requirements, the agency was driven to build greater relationships with the business community that they regulate - many of which are producing GRI reports. Glasier argued, “We need to speak the same language, so that we can work together to build a better state.”

Though these reports are just as different as you and me, there are a few commonalities not only within public agencies, but across all sectors of the economy. Issues related to environmental management of energy, waste and water, labor or “ethics,” and financial health tend to be common points for public agencies. Green procurement, however, is not only the most common, it is the most influential and most widely used to manage any intuitions footprint. Like the saying, you are what you eat, in sustainability, your footprint is what you buy. How might all this sustainability activity influence the suppliers to these sorts of entities?

When looking through the crystal ball for 2013, possibilities for growth sustainability reporting from public agency action seem endless, not only among public agencies, but throughout their supply chains. Others have already pioneered this space and we can all learn from their experiences and leadership examples. Fall River, Massachusetts has just published the very first A level GRI report for a U.S. City. Linda Glasier helped spearhead the publication of the Washington State Department of Ecology’s first GRI report. The San Diego Regional Airport Authority and the Port of Los Angeles have released ground-breaking GRI reports within their sector. The U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Army, NREL and PNNL have also been instrumental in influencing others within their value chain that have even appeared at our courses.

In closing, I’d like to leave you with a few words of advice from our recent Vancouver, Washington guest presenters.

- “This type of transformative change takes time. Use techniques like the Natural Step to determine your vision for what you want to achieve. Backcasting will help envision the steps needed to get there.” Brightworks CEO, Scott Lewis

-  “Share your successes, struggles, and future goals with the stakeholders. As you engage with people, find ways to give them ownership and listen to their voices. Every organization is different, but I encourage everyone to start big – focus internally and on engaging the community at the same time – remember your goal and understand that the process will unfold to get you there.” City of Beaverton Sustainability Manager, Cindy Dolezel

-  “Be prepared to receive mixed feedback. Acknowledge that there are lessons in all feedback.”  WA State Department of Ecology Environmental Specialist, Linda Glasier

As a lead-up to Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, January 13-17, Masdar sponsored a blogging contest called “Engage: The Water-Energy Nexus.”  The following post was the winner.

by Dallas Blaney

Although water and energy are intricately connected, this important relationship is poorly understood. While it is generally well known that water is essential to the production of energy, we nonetheless lack a detailed understanding of the quality and quantity of water used in this process (1). Conversely, we know that the treatment and distribution of water is energy intensive, yet we know very little about the energy required or how this demand has changed over time (2). Given the expectation of dramatically higher demands for energy and water over the coming years, this knowledge gap poses a significant threat to the long-term sustainability of our political,social, and economic systems.

Specialized research is, therefore, a necessary first step towards addressing the energy-water nexus. Fortunately, there are several indications that this research agenda is already taking shape. This March, the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille featured the energy-water nexus as a thematic priority within the broader context of its forum on economic development. Panel discussions on this theme focused on the potential for improved efficiency in water and energy delivery systems. However, panel discussions also revealed new research on the impacts of energy production on water quality and quantity. Two months later, a second indication of this emerging research agenda appeared with the publication of Gustaf Olsson’s new book, Water and Energy: Threats and Opportunities. This book marks the first attempt to develop a comprehensive assessment of the energy-water nexus. Substantive chapters examine the water demands for a range of energy production systems, including crude oil and hydropower.

However, Olsson also takes a surprising turn by situating the energy-water nexus within the context of food, population growth, and climate change. This shift allows Olsson to make a compelling case for expanding the scope of the research agenda, pushing scholars to place the quantitative drive for technological modernization on par with qualitative need for a change in attitudes (3).

For such a change to occur, people must first acknowledge that they have a problem. However, the mystery of the water-energy nexus extends far beyond the lofty halls and shiny boardrooms of elite decision-makers. In a recent survey, 77 percent of Americans polled could not even identify the natural source of the water used in their homes (4).

Therefore, the second step towards addressing the energy-water nexus is education. Once again, there are early indications that this initiative is already underway, only this time with non-governmental organizations like The Nature Conservancy, WWF, and Project WET leading the charge. Both The Nature Conservancy and WWF focus specifically on raising awareness within the business community. Capitalizing on their scientific expertise, these organizations have each developed water assessment tools that businesses can quickly and cheaply use to identify water-related inefficiencies and risks in their supply chains or production systems. In contrast, Project WET specializes in the creation of water-related textbooks and curricula for primary school children. Over time, these efforts have expanded beyond the U.S. to reach tens of thousands of students spread across 19 countries.

In the final analysis, there is no silver bullet for addressing the energy-water nexus; this challenge requires a comprehensive approach. As a precondition for developing such an approach, it is necessary to demystify the relationship between water and energy. Efforts to do so are already well underway. These efforts include the creation of a specialized research agenda on the energy-water nexus and grassroots campaigns to raise awareness about the severity of our water and energy challenges. However, the success of the efforts remains uncertain, which means that they will require additional support to achieve their full potential.

(1) Allen, Lucy, Michael J. Cohen, David Abelson, and Bart Miller. 2012. “Fossil Fuels and Water Quality” in Peter H. Gleick (ed) The World’s Water: The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources, volume 7. Washington: Island Press: 73-96.

(2) Coates, David, Richard Connor, et al. 2012. “Water Demand: What Drives Consumption” in WWAP The United Nations World Water Development Report 4: Managing Water Under Uncertainty and Risk. Paris: UNESCO: 44-77.

(3) Olsson, Gustaf. 2012. Water and Energy: Threats and Opportunities. London: IWA Publishing.

(4) Herrin, Misty. 2011. “River and Lakes: Is Ignorance Bliss When it Comes to Our Water?” The Nature Conservancy News. Accessed 12/3/2012. http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/habitats/riverslakes/isignorance-bliss-when-it-comes-to-our-water.xml

[image credit: windsordi: Flickr cc]

This morning I had a chance to sit down with Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, Masdar's Director of Sustainability for Masdar as well as the Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize .  We talked briefly about what's new at Masdar City as well as what lessons learned at Masdar City are being applied elsewhere.   Stay tuned for tonight's prizewinners - we'll be tweeting around 9am pacitic time with the hashtag #ZFEP.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky_D6hbP3Oc

 

Ed Note: Travel expenses for the Author and TriplePundit were provided by Masdar.

An explosion of blue nylon fabric and scaffolding landed on Abu Dhabi's waterfront this week. The project, called "Wendy" by New York architects HWKN, is a self-described "air-purifying structure" and an attention grabbing educational icon for a week's worth of activity surrounding Abu Dhabi sustainability week.

The structure, originally installed at New York's PS1 gallery, cools the air around it with a fine mist of water, serves as a performance and party space, and offers thought-provoking anecdotes on architecture and sustainability. It is also covered with a "fabric treated with a groundbreaking titania nanofilm to neutralize airborne pollutants." Specifically, the fabric is designed to react with nitrogen oxides, removing them from the air.

The latter claim may be more symbolic than practical, but symbolism is important when it comes to promoting sustainability - especially in the middle of the world's most oil-rich region. Driving cultural change requires powerful symbols if it is to get anywhere.  As such, Wendy is a great symbol for the week to come...

Kicking off by the time you read this will be one of the largest sustainability gatherings in the world.  I'll be spending most of my time attending the main proceedings of the World Future Energy Summit - with more than 30,000 participants from 150 countries. There will be more heads of state than you can shake a stick at. France's president, Francois Hollande will keynote the opening session along with addresses from many others.

Additionally, I'll be attending the Zayed Future Energy Prize ceremony Tuesday night. The prize, in its 5th year, honors the rock solid efforts of sustainability champions, companies, and entrepreneurs worldwide to the tune of $4 million annually. This year's finalists can be seen here. There's nothing symbolic about the efforts the prize will be honoring, regardless of the winner.

Follow along this week for all of the above as well as some exclusive interviews.

Travel expenses to Abu Dhabi were provided by Masdar, the main organizer of WFES.

Read more in this series

Our series on the Refrigerant Revolution has covered the background and history of refrigerants, the current policy backdrop, and an examination of key issues around appliance recycling, regulatory compliance and continued use of common refrigerants like R-22.

By Jill Abelson and Jeff Cohen

We wrap up the series with highlights from last week’s story in The Economist  -- which looked at the pros and cons of cooling in a warming world -- and leave you with a video calling for a revolution in cool.

Health benefits, improved productivity and reduced mortality are among the absolute and undeniable benefits of modern cooling and air conditioning.  Air Conditioning in America by Gail Cooper and Stan Cox’s Losing our Cool – both cited in The Economist article – trace the fascinating history, societal benefits, growth and challenges of modern cooling.

America uses more electricity for cooling than Africa uses for everything, according to Cox. Hotter summers and larger homes caused American energy consumption for air conditioning to double between 1993 and 2005. Cooling buildings and vehicles creates almost half a billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Factoring in demand from developing countries, Dutch researchers have predicted that worldwide demand for air conditioning will rise fourfold this century.

Efficiency gains in cooling and refrigeration technologies abound.  Yet, as this series has noted, international protocols have only slowly phased out refrigerant gases that are harmful to the ozone layer and climate systems. Meanwhile, slow-to-replace older equipment in the U.S. and developed countries, in addition to new appliances in the developing world -- still rely on older pollutants with high global warming potential.

It’s a complex problem, spanning technology, science, policy, business and economics. Could it be that the challenge of refrigerants and climate calls for new approaches, maybe even a revolution in the meaning of cool? Who knows, maybe even a small change will drive a revolution.

Our next series will turn to solutions and leadership.

Meanwhile, here's a sneak preview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIpMh1oVSkI

By Lee Broughton

TheCityFix.com website – a highly respected online resource for sustainable transport news, research and “best practice” solutions – recently suggested that the just-announced acquisition of Zipcar represents a watershed moment for car sharing.  I beg to differ.

Don’t get me wrong. Automated car-sharing technology has made certain transportation alternatives available around the clock and even more convenient. But the fact is, local car rental – just like local car sharing – has always offered accessible and affordable mobility options right where people live and work.

That’s precisely why I was so heartened to read about Northeastern University’s Fleura Bardhi and Suffolk University’s Giana M. Eckhardt, two curious researchers who got together to independently test the car-sharing hype and media frenzy. Indeed, as reported in ScienceDaily.com, their study challenges the "romanticized view of access understood as a form of collaborative consumption and altruistically motivated."

Those in the car-sharing business already know about the industry’s legal and financial challenges. But this study – Access Based Consumption: The Case for Car Sharing – confirms that affordability and convenience, rather than a sense of community, actually are the primary factors driving consumers’ participation in car-sharing programs:

“….we find that our informants do not have or want to have communal links with the company or with one another. There is a distinct lack of community among Zipcar users, even though the company is attempting to build one. Our informants do not relate to the brand as much as they do to the attributes of the offerings. They also do not feel a connection to other Zipcar users.”

The study also reveals that clean, well-maintained vehicles, as well as access to new and different models, are critical issues for car-sharing customers. None of this is exactly news here at Enterprise.

We firmly believe these landmark findings should serve as a reality check – a big wake-up call – for anyone who believes in car-sharing technology and transportation sustainability overall. Today’s car-sharing customers, just like car-rental customers, are demanding up-to-date vehicles and first-rate customer service.  Moreover, the best way, the only way, to make car-sharing service scalable is to ensure that it is flexible, responsive and competitive in the marketplace.

For example, after acquiring car-sharing programs in Philadelphia, New York and Boston, we quickly updated and increased those local fleets with newer makes and models, including more fuel-efficient vehicles and hybrids. And today, we operate Enterprise CarShare as an extension of our unique Enterprise Rent-A-Car neighborhood network, which includes almost 1 million vehicles and more than 5,500 offices located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population.

The most recent car-sharing research underscores – for urban planners, elected officials and other visionary leaders – why transportation needs to not only be environmentally, but also operationally and financially, sustainable in the communities we all serve. In addition, the research reinforces Enterprise’s public and long-term commitment to urban mobility, which was addressed by our Chairman and CEO at the 2012 Corporate EcoForum annual meeting. In his keynote speech last summer, Andy Taylor noted that hourly car sharing has a role to play in the urban mobility equation, stressing that, “at Enterprise, we already have the scale and structure to implement car sharing in virtually every urban market.”

Consider that, more than 15 years ago, Enterprise Rent-A-Car trademarked the term Virtual Car® when it recognized the strength and energy of local car rental service – regardless if it is for an hour, a day, a week or longer – and especially for those who rely on mass transit during the week or who simply cannot afford to purchase or maintain a vehicle on their own. But no matter what you call it – car rental or car sharing – this is just one more way that our industry is committed to offering transportation alternatives that meet customer needs and that make good business sense.

 

Lee Broughton heads up Corporate Sustainability for the most comprehensive service provider in the car rental industry, Enterprise Holdings, which – through its regional subsidiaries – owns and operates the Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental brands as well as its flagship Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand. Under Broughton’s direction, Enterprise Holdings’ Corporate Sustainability initiative focuses on the “triple bottom line” – global economic, social and environmental sustainability – and how those interdependencies impact the car rental industry. The company’s www.DrivingFutures.com website highlights its sustainability initiatives.

[image credit: Kim Wood: Flickr cc]

The Notbox Company, a seven-year-old venture led by former Wall Street financier Thomas Hellman, has announced that it is bringing its "leaner, meaner and greener" packaging solution to North America. The London-based Notbox, which has been serving European clients for several years, offers reusable packaging products that provide alternatives to unsustainable cardboard packaging.

"Currently, cardboard is used to ship 90 percent of all products in the U.S. but the growing focus towards sustainability by businesses and consumers makes this the perfect time to bring Notbox to the market," said Hellman, who spent 25 years as an institutional trader on Wall Street. He hopes his innovative products will help his company grab a piece of the $119 billion North American packaging market.

"Reducing corrugated cardboard excess is one of the fastest and most effective steps a company can take to reduce waste and is high on the corporate agenda," he said. "We can demonstrate not only the environmental benefits of using Notboxes but also the cost advantages, especially for the supply chain sector where vast quantities of products move in cycles between distribution centers and retail stores."

Compared with a cardboard box, which is usually used for one trip before being discarded, a Notbox can make 20 or more trips, providing financial and environmental benefits.

"We see a huge potential with organizations and consumers that are interested in the benefits of using an eco-friendly alternative to single-use cardboard boxes and plastic containers," said Shelley Slaughter, who has been named Vice President, North America, and will be responsible for business development and marketing.

"Right now, we're focused on working in partnership with companies who want to be ahead of the curve with their commitment to sustainability. The bottom line is that throwing things away costs money - and the bigger the business, the greater the costs."

Notbox offers one of several alternatives to cardboard packaging that have hit the market in recent years as sustainability becomes the packaging industry's most pressing challenge. Unlike Notbox, which touts the reusability of its packaging solutions, many alternatives are derived from resources that are more sustainable than petroleum and paper. Sustainable alternatives can come from a variety of sources, including dairy, recycled fiber, and biomass.

In a recent blog post, Oliver Campbell, Dell's director of procurement for packaging and packaging engineering, discussed his company's efforts to use mushroom-based packaging to promote sustainability.

"The final product looks and acts like Styrofoam," wrote Campbell, "only this is organic, biodegradable and can be used as compost or mulch, which makes for easier and more environmentally-friendly disposal. In addition, this material is also surprisingly durable and tough."

Campbell added that Dell’s packaging strategy has cut costs by more than $18 million and eliminated 20 million pounds of packaging between 2008 and 2012. "With the rapid development of technology and alternative packaging solutions being studied constantly, these benefits have the potential to be far greater in the future for anyone who chooses to adopt a sustainable approach to packaging."

Notboxes, which include coolboxes for home use as well as by specific industries such as the healthcare sector, fold flat for easy storage and backhaul, come in many sizes and colors and are easily branded.

"We chose the Notbox because it’s reusable, lightweight, durable and good value for money," said a spokesperson for Ten Group, a UK-based concierge service. "Our customers can use their box for picnics and storage, and it won’t add to the heaps of landfill already out there."

Okay, I’m looking at Ford’s new energy-saving partnership with Whirlpool. Let me see if I’ve got this straight. If I connect my car to my refrigerator, I can save up to 60 percent on my household energy bill. Have I got that right?

Hmmm, not exactly, but that’s not as far off as you might think.

In fact, according to a new Ford-led collaboration called MyEnergi Lifestyle®, there are substantial opportunities to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions by taking a big picture perspective of your household energy use that carefully manages not only what you use, but when you use it.

The whole concept, which some are calling a domestic micro-grid, is a partnership between Ford, Eaton, Whirlpool and Sunpower. It is being unveiled this week at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The whole thing revolves around a computer model developed at Georgia Tech that is apparently extremely clever at squeezing energy savings out of electrical devices, providing they are willing, and able, to cooperate.

It starts by deferring electrical consumption till off-peak hours. Things like making ice cubes, drying clothes, heating up water, and of course charging up your electric car and other devices can usually wait until nighttime when electric rates and, as it turns out, carbon emissions are lower. Yes, during the off peak hours, the renewable portion of the power generation mix tends to be higher which means shifting loads till then will reduce CO2 emissions.

Ford cars can now do this automatically with value charging technology which won last year’s Innovation Design and Engineering Award at CES. Value charging uses a proprietary online database of utility rate schedules which automatically charges the car at the most economical time.

Of course, adding on-site solar generation and super-efficient appliances to the mix improves the overall performance, which is why Sunpower, Eaton and Whirlpool are included in the partnership. Other companies involved are Infineon and Nest.

According to the Georgia Tech model, if all the homes in America were on this system, the 60 percent potential cost savings (or 55 percent carbon savings) would be equivalent to removing 32 million homes, the equivalent of NY, California and Texas, from the grid. This is equivalent to an annual CO2 reduction of 9,000 kg (almost ten tons) per home.

It’s all about the synergy, being able to transfer the cheaper and cleaner nighttime electrons from the storage provided by the car’s batteries during the day, supplemented by the solar panels when the sun is shining.

It’s not clear from the information provided, how much of these savings come from what. But if deferring the electric loads from daytime to nighttime really makes such a big difference, then I’m wondering why we don’t just run everything we can on batteries and then charge all the batteries up at night.

[Image credits: inhabitat, cthoyes: Flickr Creative Commons]

RP Siegel, PE, is an inventor, consultant and author. He co-wrote the eco-thriller Vapor Trails, the first in a series covering the human side of various sustainability issues including energy, food, and water in an exciting and entertaining format. Now available on Kindle.

Follow RP Siegel on Twitter.

Last July, we reported here on the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), an industry-wide group of leading apparel and footwear brands, retailers, suppliers and NGOs, and its new Higg Index that measures the environmental performance of apparel products. This coalition includes over 60 members, including the latest addition that was announced last week - ANN INC., the parent company of the leading women's specialty retail fashion brands Ann Taylor and LOFT.

ANN’s decision to join the SAC was described in the press release that followed the announcement as a win-win move – it “underscores the Company’s commitment to environmental stewardship” as well as “widens the scope of the SAC within the apparel industry.”

With 962 stores and $2.2 billion sales, I have no doubt that ANN is a significant addition to the SAC, which includes both large (Walmart, VF, Nike) and smaller (Loomstate, Patagonia) companies. At the same time, I was curious what ANN’s environmental record was so far, and if the company was one of the leaders or the laggards before taking “a leadership position in joining the SAC” as Paula Zusi, Executive VP and Chief Supply Chain Officer at ANN, put it in the announcement.

The first place to look for evidence on ANN’s efforts was the retailer’s sustainability website ResponsiblyANN.com. Presented on the homepage, the company’s commitment is very straightforward: “We act responsibly. The Ann signature stands for more than fashion and style. It signals our commitment to operating our business responsibly and thoughtfully. This commitment means that our clients can look great and feel great about the clothes they wear and, it means as a business we are holding ourselves to high standards.” Well said, but is it well done?

The company’s sustainability journey, which started in 2011 with the formalizing of its social compliance program and code, has transformed into efforts and activities in three main areas: supply chain, environment and communities.

When it comes to its supply chain, ANN has “rigorous programs, policies and procedures in place to provide a positive impact on the lives of the workers who make our products.” The company is working closely with its suppliers to ensure their compliance with its global supplier principles and guidelines and reports that 93 percent of the factories that produce branded apparel for ANN were reviewed in 2011. At the same time, it doesn’t report how many cases of incompliance with its guidelines were found in these audits.

Another supply chain program that is worth mentioning is At Connect. This is a program for select top tier suppliers who work with ANN’s special compliance teams to create specialized worker engagement projects for their factories. These projects, ANN explains, “targeted reducing worker turnover and improving worker morale, resulting in increased productivity and reduced working hours.” In 2011, this program included 70 percent of the supply chain (in terms of business).

Under environment, the company mainly makes efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, conserve energy, eliminate waste and, in general, develop more efficient approaches to its operations. Most of these commitments do not have quantifiable goals and are presented in general terms – for example, “we are investing in our knowledge to better understand water impacts throughout our business” or “at our prototype stores, we continue to test more sustainable materials and procurement practices.” Only energy efficiency and carbon emissions are presented with figures, showing some progress in both cases between 2008 and 2010.

The last area, communities, includes the company’s work with communities and employees to promote various causes, from breast cancer research to children in need to relief funds helping Haiti after the 2010 earthquake or the Philippines after it was hit by typhoon in 2009. ANN’s charitable work also includes collaborations with organizations and programs such as Good360, Goodwill Industries and Materials for the Arts.

From all the above you can see that ANN is no stranger to sustainability. But how advanced is it in its efforts compared to other retailers? To find the answer, I looked at CSRHub, which provides CSR and sustainability data and ratings. According to CSRHub, ANN’s CSR ratings are very similar to the average ratings of retail and specialty retail industries. The main differences are in the areas of governance, where the company’s rating is 65 compared to 57 for both specialty retail and retail, and environment, where the company’s rating is 41, 4-5 points lower than both industries, mainly due to a low grade on policy and reporting.

In other words, ANN is neither a leader nor a laggard when it comes to sustainability compared to its retail peers. Nevertheless, joining the SAC and using its Higg Index can provide the company with a great opportunity to improve its sustainability performance and become a leader.

For example, ANN can use the Higg Index to enhance the environmental sustainability of its supply chain, where its efforts are currently mostly focused on compliance with guidelines concerning employees’ working conditions. It can also use the Higg Index to enhance its work on making the materials it uses more sustainable, as right now it seems that this area is also lagging behind. In other words, SAC can help ANN move to the next level. Hopefully, the company will take advantage of this opportunity.

[Image credit: Ann Taylor]

Raz Godelnik is the co-founder of Eco-Libris and an adjunct faculty at the University of Delaware’s Business School, CUNY SPS and the Parsons The New School for Design, teaching courses in green business, sustainable design and new product development. You can follow Raz on Twitter.