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We’ve seen a lot of charities emerge into the global spotlight in recent years. Organizations like Doctors Without Borders, World Wildlife Fund and Defenders of Wildlife have gained prominence as world events shaped the demand for their services. But most of these organizations have been around for years, and their global reach and international reputation are largely the result of hard work, promotion and donor investment.

One nonprofit that began in South Africa, however, seems to be setting a new bar when it comes to the amount of time it’s taken to gain brand recognition.

The Street Store, born on the streets of Cape Town in January of this year, began as a local initiative by Max Pazak and Kayli Levitan. The founders, with the support of South African advertising agency M&C Saatchi Abel and the Haven Night Shelter, wanted to find a way to streamline donations to the homeless. They also wanted to reduce the awkward and often humiliating emotional exposure that charity recipients are often subject to when receiving aid. So, they came up with a way in which recipients could pick out what they needed personally without combing through boxes of miss-sorted clothes, or be forced to take things they didn't need.

And, just as importantly, they brought the store to the community members, rather than making the members travel long distances to ask for help. By developing a simple, easy-to-reproduce sign that could be printed out by anyone and could accompany the hangers and displays of shoes, clothes and donated materials, they set up " shop"  along the side of the street and invited local residents to come in and browse.

But it is what happened after the Street Store's pop-up shop began to take off that's interesting: In an effort to gain donations and funding for its launch, the founders turned to the Web. According to the Street Store's website, the response was momentous. Not only did the nonprofit succeed in raising far more than expected (more than $2 million), but it garnered the publicity of international organizations like One, TED and Huffington Post that pledged to help to globalize the initiative.

A year later, dozens of Street Store events have taken place throughout the world. The locations range from South Africa to South America, as well as the United States, Canada and Belgium. Some of the world's largest cities have been hosts to pop-up stores, with donations ranging from drinking water to isles of free clothes, winter coats and shoes.

Its global success begs a question about the way that charity is distributed, the way it is perceived, and the remarkably simple way that this initiative, which spawned dozens of home-based exchanges, is accomplishing its goal: What is it that makes it work? Is it the simplicity and lack of investment required to set up the pop-up store?  Is it the universality of the idea, the fact that it works in just about any private or commercial venue? Or is it the personal connection people feel to their communities and neighbors at need?

There's a Jewish saying that suggests that the highest form of charity is one in which the donor and the recipient are not known to each other.  At the heart of that thoughtful concept is the dignity of the recipient, who benefits but isn't expected to either repay or feel beholden to the giver.

The Street Store seems to work because it reaches its goal simply and straight-forwardly, and because its ultimate product is the self-esteem and self-worth that's gained by both parties. It takes a page from the early days of the sharing economy when sharing your neighbor's drill or lending out a bicycle was the sum of the act, and where community action was the intended product, not the commercial outcome. It's a lesson that may have great value as we move into the new year, and it's encouraging to know it's an attitude that still thrives where it counts most.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDw0JtwQU8A

  Image credit: The Street Store

Editor's Note: The following is an excerpt from the new book, "Berkshire Beyond Buffett: The Enduring Value of Values," by Lawrence A. Cunningham.

By Lawrence A. Cunningham

The companies owned by Berkshire Hathaway, the huge conglomerate that Warren Buffett built, follow their leader in embracing corporate social responsibility, stewardship and sustainability. But the breadth and scale of the sprawling conglomerate can hide both the commitments and periodic problems.

For example, in the early 2000s, before it became part of Berkshire Hathaway, Russell Corp. signed major licensing agreements to produce sportswear adorned with popular logos. It made contracts with scores of U.S. universities and signed a large deal with the National Basketball Association.

The trouble was, the goods affixed with licensed Russell logos were made in factories in China and Honduras that engaged in objectionable conduct. In China, the company’s products were manufactured in sweatshops that violated principles of international human rights; in Honduras, company officials boarded up the plant and ousted the workforce in retaliation for attempts to unionize. Such misbehavior drew the attention of activists across the United States, including a group of college students who demanded that universities terminate the licensing agreements.

These problems persisted, however, even after 2006 when Russell was acquired by Fruit of the Loom, which had become part of Berkshire in 2002. Ultimately, in 2009, a former employee of the Honduras facility took the floor at the Berkshire annual meeting to report on the conditions and demand a response. Russell’s operating activities contrasted with Berkshire’s tenets of integrity and repute; promptly upon learning of the problems, Fruit of the Loom corrected them.

This case highlights the challenges Buffett’s successor will face in overseeing the sprawling array of operations. It illustrates the downside of corporate decentralization. When it comes to potential subsidiary violations of company policy or law, information must reach Berkshire headquarters immediately. But the existing framework is informal. It is based heavily on the mandate of subsidiary managers: Report bad news early. In the distinctive context of Berkshire culture, steeped in integrity, such an approach may be satisfactory. In the spirit of autonomy, it is essential.

But many give Berkshire a pass on certain matters because of Buffett’s presence. His eventual absence will remove this benefit of the doubt. Successors will need to assure both continuity and reliability. Surprises could result in government authorities imposing more radical, less desirable changes, if Berkshire has to contain a controversy, rather than be in front of it. The Russell episode is both an exception to Berkshire’s norm and a reason to consider formal oversight of its subsidiaries.

While Berkshire has won plaudits for good corporate citizenship, critics complain about the absence of conglomerate-wide reporting on items such as social responsibility and sustainability. Many Berkshire subsidiaries — including Brooks, Johns Manville, Lubrizol and Shaw — are in the vanguard of such corporate stewardship. They join elite global companies in the practice of issuing formal responsibility and sustainability statements and audited reports on the corporate treatment of stakeholders, especially employees at home and abroad, and of the environment.

Berkshire is unusual in that its structure does not lend itself to issuing a formal corporate report at the parent level. And the number and size of Berkshire’s subsidiaries can obscure some of their internal measurement and reporting efforts. Critics urge consolidated policies, including a conglomerate statement of responsibility or charter of sustainability. It may unduly interfere with subsidiary autonomy to set corporate-level policy, but a consolidated report will prove valuable in order to highlight the varying ways that Berkshire subsidiaries embrace stewardship—and assure continued adherence.

Shaw Industries, for example, led the carpet industry to newfound appreciation for its responsibility concerning environmental protection and sustainable development. During the 1990s, people began to realize the environmental costs of using non-biodegradable artificial fibers to make carpets; disposing of them presented a significant waste management problem. Shaw then started to promote carpet recycling programs. It began to produce synthetic yarn sourced from recycled plastics such as soda bottles and developed a polyolefin backing material that cut raw material use in half.

McLane embraces a “green advantage initiative” to manage its fleet of trucks that stock America’s supermarkets. The initiative stresses reducing environmental impact and increasing operational efficiency. Efforts include improving gas mileage by lowering truck highway speeds and recycling thousands of gallons of water used to wash produce. McLane installed $7 million of efficient lighting in its distribution centers and invested $100 million in automation scheduling technologies to plan truck shipments, reducing the cost and impact of its fleet.

Acme Brick makes an ecological product: bricks of earthen clay. The bricks provide efficient insulation, thereby reducing energy usage and costs. Since its founding in 1891, Acme has built plants near distribution destinations — an idea codified in today’s environment design protocols that define a five-hundred-mile radius. Recycling incorporates scrap clay and sawdust into the brick. Reclamation programs create wetlands for wildlife and plant whole forests on former production sites. Acme Brick has won numerous industry awards for its environmental stewardship.

Concerning employees, finally, Brooks, like many apparel, footwear and sporting equipment makers, remembers the furor that engulfed Nike, Inc. in the late 1990s and early 2000s when customers learned of abusive labor practices in its Asian factories. They boycotted Nike products in protest, and the company reformed. Many factors contributed to Nike’s transgressions, including relentless cost pressures in its competitive markets. The price of athletic footwear declined rapidly in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and Nike competed by finding the cheapest ways to make shoes, which included inhumane labor practices.

Brooks avoided this vise thanks to a business model focused on a premium brand at premium prices, a piece of equipment for the serious runner, selling higher-priced shoes in specialty stores. Brooks is not the low-cost producer in its industry, and its overseas factories are not the low-cost factories. As chief executive officer, Jim Weber explained in an interview for this book, his customers value the company’s investment in such responsible behavior.

Retaining subsidiary autonomy at Berkshire is important, both as a cultural matter and because the needs of the businesses vary so greatly. For example, jewelry companies focus on the ethical mining of minerals; home furnishing companies on preserving forests; transportation companies on reducing fuel usage and emissions; energy companies on targeting renewable sources. For some companies, priority rivets on internal operations, whereas others look to the supply chain; for some the concern is employee safety while others attend to a particular customer type. At the same time, it may be valuable for Berkshire as a group to collect and publicize results.

The need for internal control systems and consolidated reporting will likely increase as Berkshire expands into the international arena. A few subsidiaries boast major global operations, especially ISCAR/IMC, as well as Gen Re, Lubrizol and MiTek. Others have important overseas operations, including CTB, Dairy Queen, FlightSafety, Justin, Larson-Juhl and MidAmerican Energy. A majority of the companies have at least some operations in Canada and Mexico (e.g., Benjamin Moore, Fruit of the Loom, Johns Manville and the Marmon Group), and many manufacturing companies own or operate facilities in Asia (e.g., Brooks and TTI). Yet until its acquisition of ISCAR/IMC, begun in 2006 and completed in 2013, Berkshire had acquired only American companies.

Given globalization, it will be inviting to enlarge Berkshire’s acquisition universe. The timing may be propitious, as the accumulation and flow of intergenerational family wealth that occurred in the United States during Berkshire’s early decades is recurring across Asia and Latin America. But when going global, the need for centralized internal control and conglomerate reporting will intensify.

Image credit: Flickr/x1brett

Lawrence Cunningham, a corporate law professor at George Washington University and long-time editor of The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America, is the author of the new book, Berkshire Beyond Buffett: The Enduring Value of Values, from which the foregoing is adapted.

It’s generally acknowledged that technology has had a major impact on the increase of income inequality for more than three decades, but can technology help reverse that trend?

That’s a big maybe at best, but George Mason University professor of economics Tyler Cowen, in a recent Economic View article in the New York Times, sketched out “some significant ways in which technology could reduce” income inequality.

Cowen said it’s worth exploring whether “market forces themselves might limit or reverse the trend.” For example, he continued, while computers have improved our lives in many ways, “they haven’t yet done much to make health care and education cheaper.”

That’s an arguable point, but he posited that, over the next few decades, that might change: “We can easily imagine medical diagnosis by online artificial intelligence, greater use of online competitive procurement for health care services, more transparency in pricing and thus more competition, and much cheaper online education for many students, to cite just a few possibilities.”

Another set of future gains, especially for lesser-skilled workers, Cowen said, “may come as computers become easier to handle for people with rudimentary skill. Not everyone can work fruitfully with computers now ... Our dynamic sector has concentrated its gains among a relatively small number of employees, thus leading to more income inequality.”

Then Cowen talked about a future that extends a growing employment category, “namely workers who team up with smart robots that require human assistance.” Hmmmm.

Cowen said a final of set of forces to reverse inequality could come from emerging economies, mainly China. “Perhaps we are living in a temporary intermediate period when America and many other developed nations bear a lot of the costs of Chinese economic development without yet getting many of the potential benefits. For instance, China and other emerging nations are already rich enough to bid up commodity prices and large enough to drive down the wages of a lot of American middle-class workers, especially in manufacturing.” This situation “will probably end.” Over the next few decades, Cowen wrote, “we can expect China, India and other emerging nations to supply more innovations to the global economy, including to the United States.” This will lead to “many good things” especially for low-income Americans.

Cowen’s conclusion? “Even if income inequality continues to increase in the short run, as I believe is likely, there exists a plausible and more distant future in which we are mostly much better off and more equal. The history of technology suggests that new opportunities for better living and higher wages are being created, just not as quickly as we might like.”

Oh please! This is simply a lot of debatable speculation based on a multitude of “ifs," “maybes," “coulds,” "probablies" and an almost ludicrous trust in a benign and distant market-based future in which everyone prospers if we simply remain patient. Utopia courtesy of the free market! Capitalism simply does not work that way: “The main vice of capitalism,” remarked Winston Churchill, “is the uneven distribution of prosperity.”

And a recent article in Fortune notes that “while inequality is a natural result of competitive, capitalist economies, there’s plenty of evidence that shows that extreme levels of inequality is bad for business … Unless your business caters to the richest of the rich, opportunities for real growth are scarce.”

It’s the extreme and growing levels of income and wealth inequality where Cowen’s piece fails to convince. Even if he’s right about the potential role of technology, will it be enough to stem the tide in a major way? He’s presenting the 2014 version of “trickle-down” economics.

Image credit: (End) Income (in)equality by Quinn Dombrowski via Flickr CC

A three-year legal saga came to a close last week, with a Vermont folk artist being allowed to continue using the phrase, "Eat More Kale." Chick-fil-A, a Georgia-based fast food chain that uses the slogan "Eat Mor Chikin," brought an intellectual property suit against Bo Muller-Moore, a Vermont resident and local food advocate. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Muller-Moore's request to trademark the phrase last Friday in a symbolic decision.

The Eat More Kale initiative is certainly a humble one, starting 13 years ago in Muller-Moore's home-based studio, before some of us had even heard of kale and how healthy it is. After he made a couple shirts for friends, others wanted one and the concept spread. He started selling the shirts at music festivals and farmers markets, until trouble sprang up in 2011.

When Muller-Moore applied to trademark the phrase, he was suddenly on Chick-fil-A's radar. The company coined the "Eat More Chikin" phrase in 1995, which is humorously said to have been initiated by cows to the interest of self-preservation. The advertising campaign has been highly successful and the backbone of the franchise's marketing efforts. Chick-fil-A's website explains: "These fearless cows, acting in enlightened self-interest, realized that when people eat chicken, they don't eat them. Today, the cows' herds have increased and their message reaches millions -- on television, radio, the Internet and the occasional water tower. Needless to say, Chick-fil-A fully endorses and appreciates the monumental efforts made by our most beloved bovine friends."

Apart from its advertising messages, Chick-fil-A is an interesting business in the way it operates. It is said to have a cult-like following among some customers and employees. All 1,800+ restaurants are closed on Sundays, yet it took the industry lead for average sales per restaurant at $2.7 million -- ahead of McDonald's at $2.4 million. This privately-held company also takes a unique approach to franchising; it has an very low franchise fee of $5,000 and is extremely  selective in who operates its restaurants. The three-year legal battle may have also caused the company to receive some negative press, particularly for sustainable food enthusiasts.

Muller-Moore spoke in front of the Statehouse on Friday after being granted the trademark. "I've called Chick-fil-A's bluff on their cease-and-desist demands. I am not ceasing and desisting. I am thriving, thanks to people like you and thanks to Vermont and people from beyond."

But the fast-food chain's spokeswoman responded humorously: "Cows love kale, too."

Image Credit: Flickr/Mark Turnauckas

Sarah Lozanova is a regular contributor to environmental and energy publications and websites, including Mother Earth Living, Green Builder, Home Power, and Urban Farm. Her experience includes work with small-scale solar energy installations and utility-scale wind farms. She earned an MBA in sustainable management from the Presidio Graduate School and she resides in Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage in Midcoast Maine with her husband and two children.

 

By Srini Vasan

Remember that old idea about how a butterfly flapping its wings in South America unleashes a crazy string of events that results in disaster elsewhere? Anybody who manages a supply chain understands the delicate interplay of events, and how one mishap can instantly derail your whole system. And how expensive the consequences can be.

Inbound Logistics found that 73 percent of companies they surveyed had experienced a disrupted supply chain. Almost a third of those companies took more than a month to recover.

Military coups, terrorist attacks and devastating events from Mother Nature happen. But making a contingency plan now will minimize the damage to your company and those it serves when the inevitable happens. Here are some steps you can take.

1. Map out your supply chain

To best anticipate possible problems, you need to understand your whole supply chain. If your business involves assembly parts shipped from China, for example, try to find out where the raw materials come from. How many different types of raw materials are used, and how do they get to the manufacturer? By what route does the manufacturer ship the parts to you?

2. Stay aware

Once you know what places and shipping routes are involved, stay up on the news. Sniff out possible events that could affect your company. Some things happen fast, such as a cave-in at a quarry. But other things develop more slowly, such as escalating conflict before a volatile election. Encourage any staff members who work directly with your overseas suppliers to ask for updates on developing storms or political situations. If you see trouble brewing, it’s time to fill in the details of Plans B and C.

3. Stock up on essentials

You can’t supply all of the people all of the time. But if you stockpile the essentials, you’ll keep customers happier and safer, depending on your business. For example, an American hospital will always want to maintain a large stock of antibiotics, but can probably risk running out of cobra antivenin.

4. Assess your risks

Study your supply chain. While all kinds of crazy things could potentially go wrong, some are likelier than others. California has earthquakes. Oregon has rain. If you live in Louisiana, hurricanes are a fact of life and will probably render roads impassable and knock out power. So maybe your company needs a generator.

Make a list of actions to take, depending on the emergency. And assign a responsible party to each.

5. Include your suppliers

Your suppliers need contingency plans, too. Work together to help each other come up with creative responses to big problems. For example, UPS shared their Trackpad technology with an animal rescue organization after Hurricane Katrina. During a future natural disaster, workers will be able to scan bar codes on collars to keep track of displaced animals. Together you can solve problems, while using contingency planning to increase trust and strengthen your business relationship.

6. Plan for alternate transportation

If you’re working with foreign suppliers, a storm overseas can mean a delayed shipment. Perhaps you’ll need to get part of your order by airfreight instead of waiting for that slow boat from China. Depending on the urgency, it might be worth going with the more expensive air shipping. Or finding backup suppliers in other parts of the world that you can call upon when necessary.

Contingency plans are also important for domestic shipments. What if a major derailment slows your rail shipment? Can you contract with a trucking company?

7. Audit your suppliers

How solid are your suppliers? If your foreign suppliers use the Supply Council Operations Reference model to manage their supply chain, that’s a good sign. Assess your suppliers’ risk for natural disasters, labor uprisings and geopolitical issues.

8. Clean house

Disruptive events are a good time to clean house. Are you still stocking SKUs that should have ridden off into the sunset? Might as well retire them now.

Then, back to contingency planning for the next disaster.

Image credit: Pantos Logistics - Sea Freight

Srini Vasan is the CEO of eShipGlobal, an on demand transportation management solution provider, which prides itself on bringing business applications to the market quickly and helping customers manage their transportation effectively. As CEO, Vasan is involved in business development and oversees technology infrastructure and software development.

"To me, it's about bringing the best people to the table with differing opinions to try to make sure that we're always making the right business decision," Sarah Endline, cheif rioter (aka founder and CEO) of Sweetriot, said at the 2014 Net Impact conference.

"If you only have one point of view, I don't feel like you're going to get to the best solution."

As part of our Talking Diversity video series, Endline goes on to explain why diversity is important to Sweetriot -- a certified women-owned business that sources its cocoa from Latin America -- in this 90-second clip.

Sarah Endline is the chief rioter (aka founder and CEO) of Sweetriot. When Sarah is not climbing a cacao tree, she is found Latin dancing all over the globe or hanging out with family and friends. At 21, she won a stereo in a singing contest in Germany but never received the stereo - guess she wasn't really American Idol material. Nevertheless, Sarah loves to sing a cappella and has done so in Boston, NYC, Germany, Michigan, Seattle, and San Francisco.

Sarah has launched products, created brands, founded and run organizations, and worked many places like Yahoo!, Microsoft, the World Bank, AIESEC, and The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE); Sarah loves the work at sweetriot best. Sarah has been an active member of many non-profit boards including those for NFTE, Harvard, UMichigan, and AIESEC. Sarah has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BBA from The University of Michigan. (Go Blue!)

Image credit: Jean-luc Mège

By Carrie Caton Pillsbury

Sustainability widely refers to the endurance of products or processes. But for one nonprofit, the term applies to the profession of teaching. Fund for Teachers awards grants for pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade educators to keep them inspired, innovative and in the classroom. How educators choose to spend the national nonprofit's investment – well, that’s up to them.

Since 2001, 6,000+ teachers leveraged $22 million in Fund for Teachers grants into self-designed summer fellowships. The eduventures range from seminars across town to research spanning continents, whatever the teachers deem as relevant to their sustainability and students’ success.

Teachers are not eligible for the $5,000 individual or $10,000 team grants until their third year in the classroom for a reason: An estimated one-third of all new teachers leave after three years, and 46 percent are gone within five. Furthermore, the most frequently cited reasons new teachers leave are lack of professional development and not feeling valued. Fund for Teachers grants bridge this volatile gap, giving the respect and financial means to pursue knowledge outside classroom to motivate teachers to stay in the classroom.

Ironically, the theme of traditional sustainability as a fellowship focus continues to rise. For example:

• Michael Paoli (Ella Baker School - New York City) investigated aquaculture in France and the United Kingdom. All fall, 7th and 8th grade math/science students researched and constructed in school hallways a self-sustaining aquaponics system. Yesterday, students splashed blue tilapia into their tanks to raise edible fish and vegetation for an end-of-year community barbeque;


• Donna Gradel (Broken Arrow High School - Broken Arrow, Oklahoma) researched sustainable food sources in Meru, Kenya, with her grant and then challenged her students to design an aquaponics system for an orphanage there. Her AP Environmental Science class constructed multiple prototypes inside a vacant school closet, then raised $20,000 to transport and personally install the winning design onsite. Last month, Donna won a grant from MIT to facilitate students’ research on sustainable fish food using Kenya’s natural resources;


• Megan DeWitt (Monarch Academy Charter School - Glen Burnie, Maryland) explored recycling and trash management systems and environmental education in Guatemala. Inspired by a school there constructed with “eco bricks” (plastic bottles stuffed with inorganic trash, stacked like bricks and covered with cement), Megan and her students are now collaborating with local gardeners, waste management centers and school families to transform school trash into purposeful structures on campus; and


• Juliet Crupi (The Williamsburg Preparatory High School - Brooklyn, New York) volunteered with Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms utilizing permaculture techniques in Italy and Spain. She’s now sharing new hands-on farming practices through a new Urban Farming class for students with special needs to cultivate creative methods for growing healthy foods in an environmentally friendly closed system. This fall, her students have designed and implemented techniques in the school garden that increase water irrigation, decrease carbon levels and maintain a crop yield.

Biodiversity in the Amazon rainforests, gold mining in West Africa and microbial pathogens in India’s water supply characterize additional sustainability research teachers pursue on behalf of their students with these grants.

As the teachers become students themselves, the educational system becomes more viable. And sustainable teachers – fueled by meaningful experiences, projects and service – are the role models we want in front of every classroom, every day.

Teachers interested in designing their own professional development for summer 2015 have until January 29 to submit their application. For more information about Fund for Teachers, visit the nonprofit’s Facebook and blog.

Carrie Caton Pillsbury is Manager of Marketing & Communications at Fund for Teachers.

Unions have warned that they may not be able to support global climate change legislation if it fails to protect workers' jobs, says the TUC.

Although unions plan to support the United Nation's ambitious climate change treaty in Paris next year, they are concerned that as the world shifts to a low-carbon emission economy, policies and measures seem to have forgotten about the impact on the world's workforce.

'Just Transition' is a framework for a fair and sustainable shift to a low-carbon economy, proposed by unions and supported by environmental NGOs. The framework arose out of a concern that periods of economic restructuring in the past have often happened in a haphazard fashion, leaving ordinary workers and their communities to bear the brunt of the move to new ways of producing wealth.

The current draft treaty is missing text, agreed at the UN climate conference in Cancun in 2010, which urged “parties in implementing their policies and measures to promote a just transition of the workforce and the creation of decent work and quality jobs.”

TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: “The labour movement is increasingly mobilizing to support an ambitious UN climate change treaty in Paris next year. We are conscious that all jobs are at risk without a commitment to emission reductions, adaptation, finance and technology. This is why we have always supported the UN process.

“However, the lack of thought being given to the possible effect on workers, added to the absence of references for the need for a just transition, has raised major concerns among the international trade union delegation in Lima.

“Governments previously agreed on the importance of climate change agreements addressing people's concerns about jobs, livelihoods and prosperity. The process in Lima appears to be is failing to live up to those promises.” 

 

Picture credit: © Fintastique | Dreamstime.com - Abstract People In Pyramid Shape Photo

Green Freight Europe (GFE) has awarded UPS and Deutsche Post DHL with their ‘first leaf’ - an award given to companies that have shared CO2 data and information on policies, strategy and intentions to reduce CO2 emissions stemming from transport operations. Other companies, among them Heineken, IKEA, Krummen Kerzers and Aviko, were also awarded the first leaf.

The first leaf is part of a four-tier labelling programme by GFE that recognizes and benchmarks members based on their efforts and measures to further improve on CO2 reduction. UPS has been a member of GFE, the leading industry driven program to support companies in improving the environmental performances of freight transport in Europe, since 2009.

For the second year in a row, successful execution of UPS's global greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction strategy allowed the company to deliver more goods, while generating fewer emissions. In 2013, absolute carbon emissions decreased 1.5% from 2012, even as global shipping volume increased 3.9% during the same timeframe.

UPS currently utilises 3,647 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles worldwide. Since 2000, UPS’s alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles have logged more than 560m kilometres and avoided using more than 130m litres of conventional gasoline and diesel. The savings put the company well on its way to reaching a goal of driving 1.6bn kilometres in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles by the end of 2017.

We are a founding member of Green Freight Europe as well as for the similar regional organization in Asia. Being amongst the first companies that have been awarded by Green Freight Europe proves that we are well ahead on our way to establish green logistics in our customers’ supply chains and foster the cooperation with our road subcontractors,” said Christof Ehrhart, Director Corporate Communications and Responsibility at Deutsche Post DHL.

 

Picture credit: &copy  Sommersby&nbsp | Dreamstime com&nbsp - Man Delivering A A Parcel To Another 3d Man Photo

When you have people and the planet on your mind, holiday shopping can be kind of a drag. Sure, you want to brighten your loved ones' holiday season, but not with yet another mass-produced trinket that's destined for the landfill before Valentine's Day.

Skip the trip to the big-box store, and gift your friends and loved ones with durable, useful items that align with your own values. To save you some time sifting through the ever-growing -- and often greenwashed -- list of "eco-products," this week we rounded up 15 sustainable presents that are sure to please everyone on your list. Holiday shopping = done.

1. Vegan cork tote

If you're in the mood to splurge for the ethical fashionista on your list, consider a stylish tote made of cork with vegan leather piping from Pelcor. The ladies of TriplePundit put this one through the test with a trip to the beach, and the straps even got a turn as a teething toy when it was carried as a diaper bag. This bag stood up elegantly even when it was packed to the gills, and the vegan leather is soft and pliable.

Price: Starting at $168

2. Levi's Commuter Jeans and Jackets

Stumped for the bike-lover on your list? Look no further than Levi's Commuter jeans and jackets, which are made to be worn while cycling city streets. Designed for and by cyclists, these stylish duds boast bike-ready features like waterproof protection, reflective outseams and adaptive technology that adjusts to the current climate and body temperature, so your favorite cyclist will always remain comfortable.

Price: Starts at $88

3. Wally One Living Wall Planter

Plants have been proven to boost indoor air quality and increase productivity. For an unusual and decorative way to bring the outdoors in, check out these clever living wall planters from Woolly Pocket. Made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles, these planters are soft-sided, breathable and guaranteed not to harm your walls. If you're feeling generous, pick up a few so your favorite green thumb can arrange their planters in a modular design.

Price: $40

4. The ultimate rechargeable battery

For a smart stocking stuffer or white elephant gift, this rechargeable battery from USBCell is just what the doctor ordered. Just pop one of these batteries into your favorite gadget. When the power is tapped, simply charge it up at any USB port for an easy, on-the-go solution to disposable battery waste. Genius!

Price: $17.99 for a set of two

5. Nest Learning Thermostat

Help your favorite gadget-lover use smart technology to save energy all year round with a Nest Learning Thermostat. We've raved about the Nest more than a few times over the past few years, and for good reason. This smart little thermostat allows you to track your energy use and adjust the temperature remotely via Web or mobile.

Price: $249

6. Conscious Box

We love the super-convenient box subscription trend, and now there's a box that's tailor-made for the conscious shopper. Every month, your recipient will receive a box full of hand-picked, sustainable food, bath, beauty and household products. There are even vegan and gluten-free options available to suit everyone on your list. (There's no shame in subscribing yourself, too. After all, who doesn't love snacks?)

Price: Starts at $7.95

7. Recycled leather soccer ball and bag

After a major cabin retrofit, Southwest Airlines was left with beautiful leather and did not want to harm the environment by contributing to the growing corporate waste problem or destroying the textiles.

Enter Project Luv Seat, which took Southwest's old leather and partnered with conscious labels to turn it into brand new products. This ingenious idea is versatile enough to fit the kids, athletes and busy ladies on your list this holiday, and the creation of these products helped provide on-the-job training for disadvantaged workers.

Soccer ball price: $25 Bag price: $150

8. Bye Bye Standby Wireless Energy Control Starter Kit

Hate vampire power? So do we. And we're guessing the geek on your list does too. Give them a helping hand by complementing that fancy new gadget with this starter kit that lets energy-savers remotely cut power to any outlet. That's right: No more climbing behind furniture or tripping over power strips. (You're welcome.)

Price: $19.99

9. Evil Eye Arrow Bracelet

This pick is trendy enough to please every style-stalker on your list, and it also lends a helping hand to those in need. Sold in the Toms Marketplace, launched by Toms Shoes earlier this year to highlight other conscious labels, this bracelet funds a safe way to school for an orphan in Mexico for six months.

Price: $45

10. Home Gardener's Heirloom Seed Collection

Give your favorite foodie something sustainable this holiday season with this heirloom seed collection from Baker Creek Rare Seeds. Each set contains 20 full-sized packets of seeds and a helpful garden planner — all packaged in an attractive burlap bag with a drawstring closure. Varieties in are chosen to be productive in both Northern and Southern climates.

Price: $40

11. SunBell Solar Lamp and Phone Charger

You know that friend who can't seem to put down her smartphone? Now she'll never have to. The SunBell from Norwegian brand BRIGHT Products allows that serial status-updater to easily charge phones and other small devices while on-the-go using nothing but the sun's rays.

Each unit consists of a lamp shade and a removable fixture that holds the battery, the input/output for the solar cell and mobile phone, and a small lamp as an added bonus. 3p correspondent Tina Casey tested out the SunBell earlier this year and was pleasantly surprised by how easy, versatile and effective it was. "From now on, my cell phone is going to charge with 100 percent solar power," Casey wrote. Sounds like a win to us!

Price: $79.99

12. Aquazinger Infusion Water Bottle

Help your friends ditch fizzy drinks and bottled water all in one shot with this infusion water bottle from Zing Anything. Simply unscrew the bottom of the Zinger, add any combination of fruits, veggies and herbs, fill with water, and shake it up.

Seriously, infused water is the new soda. Do a simple Web search, and you'll find literally hundreds of options that are sure to help your recipients kick the sugary drink habit for good. As an added wellness bonus, each of these bottles is free of BPA and phthalates and comes in two designs to suit your recipient's busy lifestyle.

Price: $25.99

13. Trade as One Monthly Subscription Box

Give the best of Fair Trade every month with the Trade as One monthly subscription box. Each box contains a selection of 12 to 15 ethically-sourced pantry products that are as good for your recipient's health as they are for the people who made them. Delivered every three months, Trade as One boxes are seasonally themed and include a broad range of items from everyday staples to fun discovery items.

Price: $99

14. Handmade bow ties

It can be a challenge to surprise the hipster who has everything: He already owns a pair of thick-rimmed glasses and a beard comb. He even bought himself a pour-over coffee brewer last month. What's a holiday shopper to do?

These handmade bow ties from Dapper+Dash could be just what you're looking for. Handcrafted in Phoenix, Arizona from upcycled vintage clothing and other textiles, they're the perfect marriage of style and sustainability.

Price: Starts at $48

15. Offgrid Solar Backpack

Perfect for your busiest buddies, the Offgrid Solar Packpack makes solar charging so simple, there's no excuse not to do it. Voltaic Systems offers a full line of portable solar cells, as well as backpacks and messenger bags, but the Offgrid is its most versatile design: The solar pocket is removable and can be attached to other bags or anything else as it charges.

The Offrid can charge handheld devices like smartphones, MP3 players and tablets. If you're willing to splurge, the slightly pricier Array Backpack puts out enough juice to power up a laptop, too.

Price: $199

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