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Whether you revile or revere Airbnb, you cannot dispute the role the company has had in expanding and legitimizing the sharing economy. Sure there have been a few trashed homes here and there and the company is in an ongoing tussle with stubborn New York City business interests—the latest salvo is a coalition of “concerned citizens” who launched a site allowing Airbnb users to locate sex offenders and building code violations. The fact that NYC’s hotel occupancy rate hovers around 88 percent shows that Airbnb is hardly a threat, but in fact is really a complement, to hotels. And that is why more business travelers are using Airbnb when attending those conferences or sales meetings.

And why wouldn’t they? Take New York, where average hotel rates are approaching $300. In San Francisco,  they are over $200 a night. (In fact, the city of San Francisco has finally realized that Airbnb is here to stay and voted to legalize and regulate short-term rentals.) And those rates are before a major conference hits town, which sends hotel prices up even further—if you can score one during one of those massive tech conferences at Moscone Center. So if you don’t want to walk from the Tenderloin to the SOMA in San Francisco, or get stuck in L.A. traffic because those hotels in Santa Monica or downtown were beyond budget, Airbnb could offer a more comfortable stay, with more workspace and room to chill, than an overpriced hotel room.

I personally have used Airbnb when I have attended conferences in Amsterdam and San Francisco when the host hotels were way too ridiculously priced. Every place I have stayed using Airbnb has had wi-fi, and no, I didn’t need to pay for it and it was fast. If a washer and dryer were not available, a laundry service was a short walk away; and many of these places are in urban neighborhoods with plenty of restaurants that are not only cheaper than what are in hotels, but better. And that is the reality of more business travelers today as companies shrink travel budgets: a rule limiting maximum spend on meals to $50 or $60 is not unheard of, which can disappear in a hotel by lunch time.

A quick search I did on Airbnb for a spot in San Francisco during the first week of November scored a three-bedroom apartment for $410 a night; plenty of “flats” (what’s up with San Franciscans using UK terminology?) for well under $200 a night, including the more convenient SOMA and Financial District areas; and an entire mid-century or Victorian house for about $1,000 a night—not bad if multiple employees are staying in the same property. Of course, that is the big “if” . . . whether you want to share a place among the people with whom you flew into town. Then again, as isolating as hotel rooms can be, such an experience can add, not distract from the trip. Property owners can benefit too—would you rather have a few focused business types stay over for a few nights, or risk irritating the neighbors by hosting some rowdy holiday revelers?

The growing trend of business travelers using Airbnb is why the company and Concur, one of the largest business travel booking sights in the U.S., are now working together. Airbnb has allowed more of Concur’s clients to let employees to use the service to book on Airbnb—allowing businesses to track expenses easily while employees can finish those annoying expense reports quickly. For many in corporate America, staying in some stranger’s house comes across as creepy; but in an age where more people are accustomed to the sharing economy and seek new experiences, the chance to stay in a unique home, work on the balcony, and avoid those pallid hotel rooms make Airbnb a natural choice for more business travelers.

Image credit: Airbnb

After a year in the Middle East and Latin America, Leon Kaye is based in California again. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter. Other thoughts of his are on his site, greengopost.com.

Danish toy giant Lego is ending its co-promotion contract with Shell. The move follows a three-month campaign led by Greenpeace which saw one million people sign a petition calling on the plastic bricks brand to stop promoting Shell because of its plans to drill for oil in the Arctic. 

In its statement, Lego said the dispute was between Greenpeace and Shell: "The Lego brand, and everyone who enjoys creative play, should never have become part of Greenpeace’s dispute with Shell."

Ian Duff, Arctic campaigner at Greenpeace, commented: “This is a major blow to Shell. It desperately needs partners like Lego to help give it respectability and repair the major brand damage it suffered after its last Arctic misadventure. Lego’s withdrawal from a 50-year relationship with Shell clearly shows that strategy will not work.”

“The tide is turning for these fossil fuel dinosaurs that see the melting Arctic as ripe for exploitation rather than protection. The message should be clear; your outdated, climate wrecking practices are no longer socially acceptable, and you need to keep away from the Arctic or face being ostracised by society.”

Lego is the latest in a line of leading global companies to walk away from a relationship with the fossil fuel industry. In late 2012 Waitrose announced it has put its partnership with Shell on ice and in the last month Microsoft, Google and Facebook all made commitments to end their support for ALEC, a controversial lobby group that campaigns against climate change legislation. And most recently, the Rockefeller Foundation announced it will begin pulling its investments in the fossil fuel industry.

Today, Honey Care Africa (HCA) was announced as the overall winner of the 2014 Nestlé Creating Shared Value Prize during the global Creating Shared Value Forum, co-organised by Nestlé and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

HCA, an East African company, will use its share of the CHF 500’000 prize money to support its work to help 35’000 farmers in South Sudan become commercial beekeepers by 2017 – a concept that has already raised the income of more than 15’000 Kenyan farmers.

Mr. Madison Ayer, CEO of HCA said he was delighted with the win: “The Creating Shared Value Prize is such a wonderful recognition of the hard work and passion of our team, farmers, and customers in Africa. And what is even more exciting is the opportunity to build a long-term relationship with Nestlé, as we leverage our sustainable local supply chain with Nestlé’s global resources and expertise.”

Call for nominations
Could you be the next winner of the CHF 500’000 prize? Nominations for the 2016 Nestlé CSV Prize will be open on 15 October and will be accepted until 28 February. Visit the CSV Prize webpage to download the nomination form or complete it online.

About the Nestlé CSV Prize
The Nestlé Creating Shared Value Prize is awarded every two years to help scale up or replicate business-oriented initiatives that address challenges in nutrition, water or rural development. Discover more about the prize here.
 

EUROSIF, the European Sustainable Investment Forum, has unveiled the findings of its 6th Sustainable and Responsible Investment Study, first published in 2003. The Study highlights the scale of Sustainable and Responsible Investment practices and trends in Europe and across 13 European countries.

For the first time, the Study provides new detailed insights on Exclusions, European Impact investing and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) integration practices.

Assets subject to exclusion criteria grew by 91% between 2011 and 2013 and cover an estimated 41% (€6.9 trillion) of European professionally managed assets. Exclusions cover more assets than any other SRI strategy and have the most consistent usage across Europe. Voluntary exclusions related to Cluster Munitions and Anti-Personnel Landmines (CM&APL) are most common. They cover about 30% (€5.0 trillion) of the European investment market. Other Exclusion assets, not related to CM & APL, cover about 23% (€4.0 trillion) of the market.

Assets subject to Engagement and voting policies have grown by 86% over the period to reach €3.3 trillion, versus €1.8 trillion in 2011. Half of that growth comes from the UK, with other key contributors being the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden; however, strong progress is recorded in all markets. Belgium (+94%), Italy (+193%) and Germany (+48%) also record impressive growth figures.

For the first time, the Study provides a growth figure for Impact investing, which was the fastest growing strategy in Europe, exhibiting +132% growth since 2011. It has grown to an estimated €20 billion market. Key markets for this strategy are the Netherlands and Switzerland, representing an estimated two thirds of European assets, followed by Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany. Microfinance represents an estimated 50 % of European Impact investing assets. 

Download the European SRI Study 2014 here. 

 

Picture credit: © Alexstorn | Dreamstime.com - Euro Money Banknotes Photo

 

This post is part of Triple Pundit's ongoing coverage of the SXSW Eco conference. For the rest, please visit our SXSW Eco page here.

The SXSW Eco conference is flying by, and Day 2 is already behind us. The day was filled with startup demos and inspirational sessions -- not to mention the SXSW Eco Awards and our Twitter chat with HP (if you missed it, you can catch a recap here).

In a whirlwind lineup of events, panelists discussed everything from sustainable seafood and reducing waste to urban mobility and protecting the honeybee population. At Triple Pundit's happy hour event last night, we asked folks to share their key takeaways from the day. The responses were as diverse as they are.

Two pull-out quotes that got the crowd going: "Two moments really stuck out to me: The first one comes from Cheryl Dahle. She's the founder of Flip Labs and its sister organization Future of Fish, and one of the things that she talked about on their panel today was becoming an 'embedded ally' with the communities that you're working with because it actually builds not only the road to trust but it leads to better, faster collaboration. That seemed to really resonate with everyone in the room and a bunch of conversation came from that.

"The second one was in a panel at the end of the day with Carol Sandford. She opened up the panel saying, 'We need to make a promise beyond our capacity.' And that I thought was brilliant because making promises not only from a business, but also a personal, entrepreneurial standpoint that we think are just completely audacious, I think that's the road to change." -- Cari Hanson, partnerships director for Future of Fish

Like-minded folks coming together: "We had a jam-packed day. It was a really awesome experience to be able to listen and learn from lots of folks all across the [agricultural] sector. One thing's for sure: So many people are passionate about what food comes to table. I tried to get to as many as I could today, and the food and agriculture conversations were great -- not even just the panels that are taking place but even conversations with people in the hallways. The last time I looked at my watch it was 8:30 in the morning, so it was a really awesome day listening and engaging and talking to folks." -- Billy Brennan, senior manager of sustainability and international communications for Monsanto

Breaking down barriers for women: "Sylvia Earle's keynote speech was fantastic. They also showed a film of her from the '60s or '70s when she was out doing an expedition of study in the ocean, and it's funny because she said she was hesitant to show it because it's very sexist. The video is like 'Oh look at these women, they're going into the ocean!' And they were all in bikinis; it was very much about their looks and it was really ridiculous.

"But it's cool because it showed how she was breaking down those barriers for women of being a scientist and going into this world where it's typically these old, bearded men who had this fraternity of ocean exploration, and she was breaking that down. They were showing afterwards interviews with people in that world, both men and women, who said how she did break down those barriers and how she was really a leader who opened the door for other women in science to be able to do those types of things. It was so cool to see that." -- Adam Mott, sustainability director for The North Face

Sharing ideas for better communities: "I very much enjoyed our panel today ['Green Job Creation: Path to Community Empowerment']. It was very well attended, good engagement, great questions and a lot of great follow-up. This is our first time coming here, and Chicago Botanic Garden is a program that not a lot of people outside of Chicago know about. So, we're trying to spread the word on it and see how we may be able to spread the program in some ways. The panel was great...well attended by a lot of smart people who are looking to solve some global problems." -- James Boudreau, vice president of marketing and development for Chicago Botanic Garden

One sustainable action leads to another: "I really enjoyed listening to Jonathan Bloom [author of "Wasted Food"] speak on the 'Food Waste Frontier' panel. There was a lot of talk about food waste recovery, but he brought the conversation back to reduction -- and I really appreciated that. I've been vegetarian for a while, but I recently went fully vegan. Most of [America's] food waste comes from produce. Meat is No. 2, but produce is the biggest culprit. It can be a real barrier to a vegan diet because it's more expensive and you waste more." -- Alexandra Vietti, creator of the Waste Less Plants project

A focus on ocean conservation: "SXSW Eco is doing a really great job of focusing on ocean conservation. I don't really see that at any other conference. I know the conference organizers have personal interests in ocean plastic pollution. I've seen at least three panels in the program about it, and that's super interesting to me because you think about the other big conferences and you don't see that there. So I think that's one interesting differentiation that sets the conference apart." -- Emily Chan, account superviser of business and social purpose at Edelman

Day 3 preview

Not sure how to spend the rest of your day at SXSW Eco? We have a few ideas you're sure to love.

• All-of-the-Above in a Carbon Constrained World: The Day 3 keynote speech from Ernest Moniz of the U.S. Department of Energy will touch on the U.S. energy system, the president's Climate Action Plan and so-called all-of-the-above solutions.


• Startup Bootcamp: At the Startup Bootcamp sessions on Day 3, advice on accounting, venture funding and corporate partnerships will go on display.


• Industry leaders gather to ‘detox’ the fashion world: At a panel discussion on Oct. 8, industry leaders like Christoph Frehsee of Amour Vert, Dave Cobban of Nike and Greta Eagan, author of “Wear No Evil,” will talk about how improved methods can lighten the impact of the industry. From sustainable textiles to closed-loop manufacturing, this panel invites you to the “future of fashion.”


• The Human Side of Climate Change: Take a journey with Rainforest Partnership founder Niyanta Spelman and photographer Matt Lankes deep into the Amazon jungles of Peru through a collection of photographs and accompanying stories. This journey pulls together spectacular photographs of wildlife, landscapes and indigenous peoples — raising public awareness about the pressing issues of forest protection and climate change.


• Closing Party presented by Nat Geo WILD: Wrap things up at the annual Closing Party at the Textile Warehouse (310 E. 3rd St.) presented by Nat Geo WILD. Learn about the locations explored in Nat Geo's natural history franchise series Destination Wild, enjoy food and drinks inspired these locations, and pal around with new friends one last time before heading home.

Image credit: Amanda Stronza (courtesy of SXSW Eco)

By Carol L. Cone

I just returned from my first business trip to India. The country recently instituted the world’s first mandated CSR law, requiring all companies doing business there, with at least $830,000 in profits, to allocate 2 percent of the average net profit over three years against key social and environmental programs.

While the issues are diverse – education, water and sanitation, financial inclusion, hunger, poverty and malnutrition amongst others – the intent of the Act is clear: to achieve significant impact at the grassroots level.

Couple that with a new Prime Minister at the helm asking for bolder and more innovative social action from the corporate sector, a large millennial population that’s increasingly vocalizing its preference for brands that do good, and mobile phone penetration nearing 80 percent, the time is ripe for action. Coming from a poor background, Narendra Modi, the new prime minister is a passionate advocate for India’s poor and is focusing on two key areas - access to banking and sanitation. In his recent Independence Day speech he challenged the country to “walk together, we move together, we think together, we resolve together and together we take this country forward.”

With these historic milestones framing the context of my visit, my speech – titled The Power of Possible – was poised to provoke the audience to think about the opportunity this presented for them to act strategically and embrace cross sector innovation.

And it was fitting that my speech at Praxis 2014 was held in Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. Constructed in the 17^th century by over 20,000 workers, this breathtaking monument is the physical manifestation of possibility. (Imagine transporting thousands of tons of white marble from Rajasthan, hundreds of miles away by 1,000 elephants with no roads, let alone crafting the magnificent building!)

Edelman, now India’s largest PR firm with 400 staffers in 11 offices, represents some of India’s largest companies as well as multinationals. Our meetings were fascinating. Our clients are taking the new law seriously. Some discussed new programs while others mentioned expanding previously made commitments.

I see the new law as a “gift” to India.

A comment that was shocking to many in the audience at Praxis 2014. But it is. Because the law thoughtfully sets out key infrastructure requirements that have taken decades to develop as critical elements in the creation of strategic and impactful public-private partnerships for social good. It also formally introduces CSR to the Boards of thousands of companies who may not have understood nor practiced the concept.

Among the key actions the law requires is the establishment of a governing CSR committee of three senior members (one independent from the company) with responsibilities to oversee CSR policy setting, its framework, implementation, measurement and reporting.

For those who want to understand the depth of the CSR mandate, PwC has created an excellent handbook.

The new law holds the potential for what is estimated to involve 8,000 companies, investing more than $2 billion in social programs. Yet, I see even more potential.

In my speech I challenged the audience to align their CSR commitments with business strategy, adding more resources from their companies, including key products, services, human resources and communications to programs. Incorporating these resources could expand the impact two or three fold.

For example, a business coalition in India, led by Dr. Mukund Rajan of Tata Sons (disclosure: Edelman client), has started a movement to have skilled volunteerism hours counted as part of the 2 percent requirement.

India already has leading companies taking innovative actions toward social issues.

Hindustan Unilever, following Unilever’s global Sustainable Living Plan (disclosure: Edelman client) has multiple campaigns underway in India. One of the most notable is the Lifebouy hand washing initiative. This program aims to change the behavior of children, especially under the age of five, by showing them how to wash their hands properly. This small behavior change has the potential to prevent life threatening diseases that often lead to tens of thousands of early childhood deaths. A fascinating innovation, the color green, had been added to the soap. It “magically” appears when a child washes for the correct amount of time. A terrific idea to impact behavior change.

Another campaign, from middle market jeweler Tanishq, celebrates a taboo Indian subject: remarriage. Described by Adweek as a “bold and revolutionary campaign,” Tanishq’s ads immediately sparked social media conversation and found honor among one of the world’s top women’s empowerment ad campaigns.

But Innovative products are also coming to market, specifically focusing on health issues. The Shell Foundation focuses on products and systems that support inclusive economic development. They fund concepts that support job creation, access to energy, urban mobility and sustainable supply chains. Its Envirofit cook stove, for example, utilizes more healthful power sources than kerosene. With sales over $300,000, this innovation provides health and environmental benefits and is now the No. 1 cookstove in India.

The Mahindra Group stimulates social innovation through its “Spark the Rise Fund,” a digital platform for individuals or groups to submit concepts to develop innovations. Project ideas are considered in technology, energy, agriculture and rural development, infrastructure, transportation and social entrepreneurship. Those selected for funding are aptly called “sparks.”

Companies are also recognizing the power of volunteerism, with the Times of India hosting multiyear campaigns to encourage citizens and employees to engage in literacy training for children and most recently English training.

With a population of 1.2 billion and more than 700 million living on $1 per day, the CSR mandate under the Companies Act should stimulate strategic engagement with social issues. Corporations can comply at the very basic level of the law or use this historic moment to innovate for the betterment of India, its people and economy.

The choice is there.

I trust the communication profession will help guide its clients to long-term, strategic and impactful programming not as just the right thing to do but also as key investments in India’s future.

Image credit: Dennis Jarvis, Flickr, cc

Carol L. Cone is global chair of business and social purpose for Edelman.

We have all had that moment where out of convenience, or desperation, we call up the local pizza joint and order a pie. And why not? Pizza covers all (or most) of the food groups, is satisfying, and can be eaten anywhere. The only caveat is that manky cardboard pizza box in which your instant meal is delivered. Awkward, bulky, and quite gross to look at after you’re done devouring your Hawaiian or meat lover’s special, that tomato sauce and cooking oil-stained box may not be compostable or recyclable.

But never mind, Ecovention’s GreenBox, or the “pizza box of the 21^st century” as described by Fox News, is continuing to make a difference in the pizza industry—six years after we first touted this innovation here on Triple Pundit. This recyclable pizza box has its own Twitter account, has been showcased on Rachael Ray’s show and keeps you updated on the latest pizza creations on its blog. And of course, in case we forget, it’s 100 percent recyclable.

The GreenBox is one of these innovations that make you slap your head and cuss to yourself, “Why the **** didn’t I think of that?” Its genius is in its simplicity. The top of the GreenBox simply breaks down into four individual plates (no flimsy napkins or Styrofoam plates needed), while the bottom folds into a handy storage container, holding next morning’s breakfast. Say good-bye to plastic wrap, aluminum foil and those annoying disposable plates. The only question mark remaining is what to do with those pesky little packets of Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper.

The latest pizza joint to jump on the GreenBox bandwagon is Pizza Pie-er, the venerable New England pizza house with locations in Boston, Cambridge and just an hour down I-95, Providence.

“At Pizza Pie-er, we pride ourselves in providing a unique and endless selection of specialty pizzas. It is only fitting to carry a one-of-a-kind pizza box that is just as good for the Earth as it is useful for our valued patrons,” said Bahman Jalili, owner of Pizza Pie-er. “The GreenBox is part of our larger eco-friendly initiative: at Pizza Pie-er, if customers bring in any used pizza box, we recycle it and give the patron $2 off a large pie.”

Dubbed one of the 15 most brilliant ideas of 2010 and scoring press all over the map, the GreenBox is one of the more sustainable ideas to come out of the fast food industry—it has far more staying power than a salad at a burger joint or a sandwich chain growing its own lettuce at a restaurant. Now it’s time to put the pressure on some national chains to get serious about being more responsible, stock these boxes and support recycling.

“We are thrilled to have the GreenBox featured at Pizza Pie-er – a remarkable restaurant chain that serves so much more than just pizza. It is a pleasure to be a part of their exceptional vision,” said Jennifer Wright, Co-Founder of Ecovention, LLC. Now it’s time for Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, Little Caesars and CPK to make this idea scale and join in on the recyclable, sustainable fun.

Image credit: GreenBox/Ecovention LLC

After a year in the Middle East and Latin America, Leon Kaye is based in California again. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter. Other thoughts of his are on his site, greengopost.com.

By Shayna Samuels and Glenn Turner

From L’Oreal’s new sustainability campaign to General Mills’ recent acquisition of Annie’s Inc. natural and organic foods (at 37 percent above the stock valuation), big brands are catching on to the fact that today’s consumers are looking for a lot more than a pretty package and a good deal. They’re looking for products with purpose and brands who care about more than just the bottom line. And if today’s entrepreneurs want to survive in an increasingly crowded marketplace, they need to take a page from the playbook of pioneers like Seventh Generation and Ben and Jerry’s, whose mission-based business models and marketing have catapulted them from a corner in the co-op to every mainstream grocery store in America.

A growing body of market research is proving this isn’t simply a trend, it’s a tidal shift in our economy. Here are 10 facts about modern consumers and how their demand for socially conscious businesses is driving marketplace evolution.

• No. 1: 86 percent of global consumers believe that business needs to place at least equal weight on society’s interests as on business’ interests.


• No. 2: 91 percent of U.S. consumers are likely to switch brands to one associated with a good cause, given comparable price and quality.


• No. 3: 50 percent of global consumers said they would be willing to reward companies that give back to society by paying more for their goods and services.

Translation: Brands need to find something they’re passionate about that benefits the common good because commitment to a cause leads to higher customer acquisition. In years past, “do-gooders” have launched their efforts from within the walls of philanthropic foundations, nonprofit organizations, or government agencies. Increasingly, nonprofits and for-profits are collaborating on social change initiatives and social entrepreneurs are creating a whole new business model as the lines separating sectors blur entirely. As this paradigm becomes the status quo, cross-sector collaboration and cause marketing will be imperative for brand success. To do well, you must do good – consumers will expect nothing less.

• No. 4: 90 percent of U.S. consumers would be more loyal to companies that back causes.


• No. 5: 47 percent of consumers have bought a brand at least monthly that supports a cause, representing a 47 percent increase from 2010. There’s also been a 39 percent increase in how many consumers “would recommend” cause-related brands.


• No. 6: 75 percent of U.S. consumers say they would donate, volunteer and tell friends and family about a company’s social impact efforts if given the opportunity.

Translation: Commitment to a cause also leads to customer retention and the Holy Grail of marketing methods – word-of-mouth, peer-to-peer recommendations. People have values and personal passions, so it should come as no surprise that, given the choice, they’d prefer to align themselves with and talk about companies who share their values and support their preferred causes. Beyond providing a product or service, you’re giving them something to believe in and feel good about. By adopting nonprofit ideology into the for-profit business model, entrepreneurs don’t just attract customers, they build a community of loyal brand ambassadors.

• No. 7: 93 percent of consumers want to know what companies are doing to make the world a better place.


• No. 8: Buzzwords are not convincing and only 11-15 percent of consumers are confident about terms like “natural,” “organic,” “sustainable,” “fair trade,” “green,” and “eco-friendly.”


• No. 9: 71 percent of consumers report being confused by the message companies use to talk about their efforts and impacts.

Translation: Consumers want to know what brands are doing, but brands aren’t effectively communicating. Trendy marketing claims aren’t cutting it – consumers want transparency and clarity. Beyond traditional advertising and marketing, successful mission-driven media campaigns (like those outlined in this new report) are complex communications strategies involving inspiring stories, credible spokespeople, and opportunities for meaningful discussion. At its essence, it’s “content marketing” and it’s an age old tactic employed by the nonprofit sector to connect with constituents and drive people to action. If a business wants to effectively communicate and to be seen as authentic in their mission, much can be learned from the nonprofit sector.

• No. 10: 41 percent of consumers rely on news media to gauge whether a company is socially responsible.

Translation: What your website and packaging says about you isn’t nearly as important as what the media says about you. In a world saturated with advertising, consumers are learning to mute the noise (both literally and figuratively). Again, strategies modeled after nonprofit communications and content marketing are proving to be much more effective at both garnering attention and establishing authority and credibility.

Ultimately, there’s an enormous opportunity in this new market landscape for social entrepreneurs, mission-driven brands, nonprofits and any organization seeking social change.  But in a marketplace flooded with causes, authenticity combined with articulate storytelling and strategic media placement are vital to rise above the noise and make a real connection with consumers. Learn how to develop and execute a successful communications strategy using Ripple Strategies’ new report, “How to Use the Media for Social Change.” Take your marketing and your brand to the next level with tips and insights based on case studies and over a decade of experience.

Image credit: Mike Mozart, Flickr cc

Shayna Samuels and Glenn Turner are co-founders of Ripple Strategies, a PR & Cause Marketing Agency based in Boulder, Colorado

Travel has certainly become easier the past twenty years thanks to discount airlines and the web, but the effects are not always positive. Increased carbon emissions, more environmental degradation and the world’s cultural homogenization are amongst the results cited by those concerned about cheap and easy travel. But one emerging travel publisher is leveraging the latest technology with increased interest in responsible travel, and in turn aims to bring water to those who need it most: Ecoalsur.

Based in a coworking office in Montevideo, Uruguay, Ecoalsur is a group of travel writers, adventurers and techies who seek to inspire travelers to see the world in a more environmentally and socially responsible way. For now the ground Ecoalsur covers is Latin America, though the firm’s network of writers has started to write about Africa and more regions across the world are on the horizon. In addition to highlighting responsible travel opportunities from the Uruguayan coast to Patagonia to Chiapas, this social enterprise focuses on another task: bringing clean and safe water to South America’s Gran Chaco.

While most of Latin America is relatively water rich, the Gran Chaco is an arid region where water scarcity is the norm for many citizens. Spread between Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil, this area, about the size of Texas, is home to a population where as much as 47 percent of the population lacks reliable access to water. For Paraguayans living within this Gran Chaco, the percentage of people who lack basic water needs is as high as 64 percent. While crops that could be churned into biofuel such as jatropha and and switchgrass may offer economic opportunity in the future, the Gran Chaco continues to suffer deforestation—and its people, poverty.

Proceeds from Ecoalsur purchases fund water programs in the Gran Chaco, with additional regions to benefit in the future as the company grows. For now Ecoalsur is available on iPhones and iPads: the download itself is free, and various guides are an in-app purchase that cost US$7.99 and are available online. The company contributes 20 percent of sales to water access projects in the Gran Chaco. Guides are available in English and Spanish. For now Ecoalsur is working with three NGOs, including Sed Cero, a multi-stakeholder organization based in Cordoba, Argentina. Sed Cero’s goal is to raise awareness and fund community water projects that will benefit 100,000 people in the Gran Chaco by 2016.

Vera Tochetti founded Ecoalsur after what she described a 10-year personal and professional growth path. After working for several different publishing companies in Montevideo, she finally decided to take the plunge and launch Ecoalsur. “You have no idea how passionate I am about this project,” she told me when we met in Montevideo late last month, “and I want more travelers to feel excited about not only traveling more ecologically, but know that their purchase can do some good for people far away.” At a time when many travel guides, including the Lonely Planet, make you wonder if the writers have actually been there in several years, the guides I have downloaded are crisply-written, full of detail and offer new ideas on how to explore Latin America.

Image credits: Ecoalsur

After a year in the Middle East and Latin America, Leon Kaye is based in California again. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter. Other thoughts of his are on his site, greengopost.com.

NRG is a company with a clever name and marketing strategy. The company provides sustainable energy choices, including solar power, for consumers. It is also a company that has sustainable energy solutions installed at six stadiums that are home to professional teams. Those energy solutions provide a way for the company to let attendees of the games held at the stadiums know that solar energy and alternative technologies, such as LED lights, are choices. Information about solar and those other technologies is available at the six different stadiums.

The LED lights and electric vehicle charging stations installed at the six stadiums, plus solar power, serves as “real life examples of alternative energy solutions," as Elizabeth Killinger, president of NRG Retail and Reliant, said to me.  The company installs them in “hopes of educating the people who've visited those stadiums that solar is something they can consider for their homes and businesses, as well as some of the other alternative technologies whether that's electric vehicle (EV) charging or the LED lights.” In other words, the company can spread the word about sustainable energy solutions while putting their name in the minds of potential consumers. It's a brilliant strategy.

Sustainable energy solutions currently being installed at NRG Stadium in Houston

The latest sustainable energy solution is currently underway at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, home to the Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. NRG Stadium is one of the first professional football stadiums in the U.S. to install high efficiency LED lights on its field. The LED field lighting system, made up of over 65,000 LED lights, will use 60 percent less energy than the system it replaced. The LED lighting system is part of a sustainability master plan for the stadium, which also features an EV parking lot with six charging stations.

Killinger says that NRG included LED lights and EV charging stations to provide “some example solutions that we could put in place so consumers and visitors from wherever they come from could see first hand and experience sustainable solutions.” Most people have heard about EVs and LED lights, but they haven’t experienced them first hand, she pointed out. The EV charging stations and LED lights are “intended to give them real examples to give them the power to be free, which means they are free to generate their own power and make sustainable choices, and to then consider those sustainable choices for their homes and businesses.”

Solar power installations at NRG Stadium and other stadiums

NRG Stadium will also feature solar power. Over 700 solar panels will be installed at the stadium. The solar panels will be placed on four different canopies. One will be over the EV parking lot, another one over the ticket booth, and the other two will be over the bridges that connect the parking lots to the stadium. The power generated by the solar panels will only be a “small fraction of the energy of the park,” Killinger explained. However, they are “intended to be demonstrations sites.” Just as the EV charging stations and LED lights are good examples of sustainable energy solutions, so will be the solar panels being installed at NRG Stadium.

The five other stadiums with sustainable energy solutions designed by NRG also feature solar power. FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins has over 8,000 solar panels, enough power to meet the needs of about 300 homes in the metro D.C. area. The power generated is equivalent to over two and a half times the power consumed during regular season game days. There are also thin solar film lines on top of a 30 foot statue of a quarterback near the stadium entrance, known as Solar Man.

The solar installations at the six stadiums prove what Killinger believes: “It doesn’t what kind of business you have. You can consider solar for your energy needs.” And they also prove that if a stadium can contain solar, so can a home.

Image credit: Eric Kayne/Invision for NRG/AP Images