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By Fiona Pelham

On Saturday 12th December 2015, an historic international climate agreement was reached in an old air hanger on the outskirts of Paris. World leaders, NGOs, and business leaders created a global plan to limit the average global temperature of the earth from rising above 2°C.

What does this mean for the global event industry -- an industry intensive in carbon use? Global events inevitably rack up air miles with delegates traveling internationally to global events, and on a smaller scale, the sheer demand of AV facilities and other power sources at events have a significant impact on the environment in terms of carbon emissions. Yet, events are vital in creating a world that works! Meeting Planners International (MPI), the world’s largest association for the event industry, which I'll be chairing in 2016, confirms that when when we meet, we change the world. There is no doubt that the COP21 agreement could not have been created without people physically coming together in Paris.

Having been part of this year's Conference of the Parties (COP) and reviewed the Paris agreement myself, I have identified four new sustainability priorities for every event industry professional:

 

1) Be ready to address regulation and carbon pricing within event bidding and procurement process

If you are a corporate planner your company will be expanding its carbon reporting. If you are a supplier to a corporate your client will be expanding its carbon reporting.

Currently there is barely any event industry reporting on energy use, attended travel miles and food wastage. Due to regulation, shareholder pressure, and reputation risk management, this is going to change and people will want to know the carbon footprint of your event.

The data is already being collected; for example, over 24,000 hotels provide carbon measurements to the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative. New tools are entering the marketplace to facilitate data gathering and reporting; Sustainable Events has re-launched EventSustainability as an online reporting system and it is continually adapted and innovated to meet customer needs.

 

2) Budget time and money to educate yourself and your team. Your sponsors or clients and their investors will expect it

The event industry has had an internationally recognized ISO standard (ISO 20121) and a reporting framework (The Global Reporting Initiative Event Organizer Sector Supplement) for over 3 years, and there is no reason why every single event industry business is not using both frameworks.

Every business in the event industry should be budgeting time and money for education as part of a strategy to future-proof the business.

 

 

3) Put structures in place to measure the positive and negative impact of your event and get ready to make event decisions based on this

There is a real possibility that companies looking to decrease their carbon footprint will identify their travel and event department as carbon intensive. Those unaware of the value of face-to-face events see it as a quick win to replace business and event travel with virtual attendance.

Having measurements is the only way that as an industry we will be able to quantify the social, economic, and environmental value of a face-to-face event. With measurement data we will be able to demonstrate the positive impact that our carbon spend results in. The Joint Meetings Industry Council are currently working on an initiative where they are gathering event case studies to demonstrate the value of events which may be overlooked such as knowledge transfer and local community engagement.

 

4) Tell the story of the power of events so the world thinks about more than the carbon footprint

The agreement is full of terminology that references that we should think broader than carbon: sustainability, indigenous rights, local communities and inter generational equity.

To consider the impact of an event purely based on its carbon footprint is not a good story for our industry. At least until the time comes that electricity-generating walkways replace carpets, and temporary event construction includes renewables that generate more electricity than the event uses.

It is essential that we tell the story of the positive impact our industry has; from local economic impact, to inspiring positive behavior change, to the fact that face-to-face collaboration is essential for creating a world that works for everyone. The event industry is the only industry vital to achieving each of the UN's global sustainable development goals.

For those of us within the industry it seems obvious but now is the time for us to all become experts in telling the story of what we do.

Now is the time for the event industry to be in serious action. Sustainability has been a conversational trend for over ten years now. The onset of regulation, carbon pricing and corporate leadership which will come from the Paris Agreement means we have no choice but to take more action over the next 10 years. As Helene Rey of UNEP explained during the COP21 tourism event- we have what we need, our focus now is on “scaling up and speeding up.”

Image credit: Mark Dixon, Flickr

Fiona Pelham founded not for profit Positive Impact in 2005 to provide education for a sustainable event industry. She recently became international chair for Meeting Professionals International, a global association of over 18,500 members.

So, you heard about one of our Twitter chats and RSVP'd? Excellent! Now, how in the world do these Twitter chats work? Follow this step-by-step guide, whether you're completely new to Twitter or have some basic experience.

First things first:

1) Sign up for a Twitter account.  Well that was obvious, no? If you are truly new to Twitter, you'll want to take a few minutes and learn what it's all about.  A Twitter chat happens to be a great learning experience, but please go over the 101 first!

2) Now, take a moment to understand the hashtag. It's simply an agreed upon-word or phrase which is used to organize a Twitter conversation around a topic. Lets say you want to see what's happening on corporate social responsibility. By simply searching #CSR, you can see the running conversations around that topic. There are tweets being shared on CSR 24/7, but by using the hashtag you can drop in any time and find something interesting!

3) What we do during a Twitter chat is basically the same thing, except that we've agreed with a few other organizations to make a coordinated effort to converse on a particular topic, at a particular time, using a specified hashtag. This makes things nice and organized.

Now what? Here's what to do when it's time for the 3p Twitter Chat to begin:

4) About 10 minutes before the chat is scheduled to begin, log into Twitter and search for the designated hashtag.

5) Pay attention to tweets coming from the moderator (in our case @TriplePundit) for any last minute instructions.

6) Our chats always begin with approximately 30 minutes of structured interview between TriplePundit and the panelist(s). We will begin by asking the subject some questions using this format:

@triplepundit: "Q1: How is your day going? #hashtag" @panelist: "A1: Well, my day is going great! #hashtag"

Notice that each question is numbered "Q1, Q2, etc..." and each answer corresponds with: "A1, A2, etc..." Notice that everything must contain the conversation's #hashtag.

7) If you'd like to say something, just tweet it with the hashtag! If you want to refer to a question or answer, just include "Qx" or Ax" where "x" is the number of the question or answer.

8) The first half-hour of the Twitter Chat is a dedicated Q/A with our guests, and the second half-hour is dedicated to answering audience questions. TriplePundit will note of your questions and organize them for the subject, then (if time allows), re-tweet them with a number. So, the panelist may answer your question in Q11, Q15, Q19, or after the discussion is concluded.

9) We welcome you to ask questions to panelists at any point, and to directly address other people in the chat (simply include their twitter handle and the hashtag in your tweet).

10) Bonus Points: Including photos, links to articles, YouTube clips, or infographics enriches the conversation across the board. Join in and share your thoughts!

Still confused? Don't worry, you have to try it a few times before it all sinks in.  We're here to help! Tweet us at @TriplePundit.

Image: Pexels

By Dick Kempka

The California cap-and-trade program recently completed another successful allowance auction, providing an opportunity for lessons learned regarding compliance instruments. The market demand for California Compliance Allowances (CCAs) continues to increase. In turn, the market for offsets (which tend to be less-used) will also continue to grow, providing attractive transaction opportunities for both landowners with potential projects throughout the U.S. and covered entities who are seeking a less costly option to CCAs.

To provide some context, the historic AB 32 California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requires sharp reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to approximately 1990 levels by 2020. Covered entities, or sources that emit more than 25,000 tons per year, are required to address their emissions-reduction obligation in three compliance periods: 2013-14 (CP1), 2015-2017 (CP2), and 2018-2020 (CP3). At the end of each compliance period, each facility is required to turn in compliance instruments, including CCAs and a limited number of California Air Resources Board (ARB) offset credits.

In the most recent November 2015 auction, three years after the first auction, all 75.1 million current vintage allowances offered were purchased at an average settlement price of $12.73. This price is 63 cents above the floor price set by ARB. Additionally, all of the 10.4 million future vintage allowances offered also sold out at a price of $12.65. These are positive signs for the California carbon market, and demonstrate that the system is proceeding as planned.

Strong interest from regulated entities around future CCAs are also generating continued interest in offsets. California Carbon Offsets (CCOs) are the first compliance instrument in a covered entities’ portfolio that must be retired. Offsets are generated from sectors that are uncapped in California like forestry, livestock methane and ozone-depleting substances (ODS). ARB has rigorous greenhouse gas accounting protocols for each of these project types that allow quantity and vintage to be determined. Covered entities purchase these credits from individual landowners, project developers, brokers or other sellers.

We believe that the number of covered entities or companies that use offsets in the California system will continue to grow because offsets are less expensive than CCAs. Over the past few years, offsets have traded at approximately 15 to 25 percent below the price of CCAs. The Climate Trust, as well as several other organizations, track price on a weekly (and sometimes daily) basis to inform term sheets used for offset supply and sales contracts.

Of note, under the California Carbon Offsets moniker, three products have emerged:

• CCO8s: These are basic program CCOs with an eight year invalidation period, meaning that the buyer accepts the risk of project or credit invalidation until eight years after initial ARB issuance.


• CCO3s: These are CCO8s where a second verification is conducted that reduces the invalidation period to three years.


• Golden CCOs: GCCOs are CCOs that are backed with a promise to replace with CCAs or cash further reducing buyer risk and giving them premium market value.

There have also been rumors of a potential “Platinum” product that is secured by an insurance offering, similar to a home owner’s insurance policy, but this has yet to be introduced to the market.

Current price for compliance products are listed below:

COMPLIANCE PRODUCT	PRICE	DISCOUNT TO ALLOWANCE PRICE ($)	DISCOUNT TO ALLOWANCE PRICE (%)
CCA (aka allowance)	$12.92	N/A	N/A
Golden CCO (GCCO)	$12.25	$0.67	5.0%
CCO3	$11.53	$1.39	10.7%
CCO8 (CCO or offset)	$11.18	$1.74	13.5%

A CCA cannot be invalidated, so it is the lowest risk compliance product. Offsets are less costly due to the invalidation risk associated with individual projects, such as a potential federal, state or local environmental law violation at the project site. Offsets are viewed as a cost containment measure by large covered entities, such as oil companies that have the financial wherewithal to manage invalidation risk. Many of the large utility companies are interested in offsets as well, but are more likely to purchase Golden CCOs due to constraints placed on them by the California Public Utility Commission that oversees regulated utilities in the state.

It is likely the California offset supply will be constrained in the long run because there are very few approved project types, and the time to get projects approved is quite lengthy and arduous. For these reasons, a shortage of offset volume is anticipated by many market players, particularly in the latter part of compliance periods 2 and 3. In the meantime, offset volume issuance continues to grow. Forest project offsets were the most rapidly growing project type in the California compliance market in 2015. As of November 25, 2015, ozone depleting substances, livestock, and mine methane capture consists of 12.9M or 38% of ARB Offset Credits Issued. U.S. Forests constitute 21.4 million or 62% of issued offsets, approximately double that of all other project types combined. It is expected that this forestry growth trend will continue in 2016. There are still several early action eligible projects in the queue to be reviewed and potentially approved by ARB staff, which will add a significant number of forestry offsets to the market in 2016.

On November 2, 2015, ARB adopted new Common Practice values for all U.S. Forest Assessment Areas (essentially ecoregions). Over 65 forestry projects were listed as potential ARB compliance projects before this date in order to use the older Common Practice Values, which in many instances are lower and thus more favorable for offset volume generation. This includes over 35 projects with Climate Action Reserve, and over 30 projects with American Carbon Registry. Newly listed projects will increase the offset volume from forestry projects in 2016 as well.

Stabilized and predictable auctions, a growing offset supply, more defined products and a rising CCA and offset price are all great signs the carbon market is here to stay. Entities with emission liability in California and landowners with potential projects should consider building an offset portfolio to take advantage of this supply-constrained market.

Image credit:Flickr/Zoetnet

Dick Kempka is the Chief Commercial Officer for The Climate Trust.

By Jake Jagdfeld

Resource scarcity is a reality in the world today, and will continue to increase with the growth of the earth’s population and modernization of underdeveloped economies. Specifically, lack of reliable energy and clean drinking water are chief concerns in the developing world. Too often the debate about a solution focuses around major energy projects such as coal and gas-fired power plants, nuclear, or big hydro dams (Big Power). These all come with major political, economic and environmental challenges, and often are not economically feasible for remote or underdeveloped regions.

Typically, developing and remote communities whom are not able to access Big Power are forced to rely on more expensive and unreliable energy, such as diesel power generation, which requires costly shipping in areas that are difficult to reach. These energy sources are too costly for most remote or developing communities. In turn, these communities are often forced to rely on less efficient power sources, such as wood-burning, which requires a great deal man-hours for gathering fuel and in areas where such fuel is frequently scarce. Dependence on these inefficient and environmentally unsound sources of power saps the local community of its ability to engage in other economic and social activities which would improve health and quality of life.

The International Energy Agency calculates that 55 percent of all new electricity supply will need to be furnished through decentralized or off-grid systems in order to provide greater universal energy access. A decentralized and reliable power supply can help developing and remote communities by allowing better social and economic stability and growth potential, which result from access to water purification and pumping, and energy stability for things like schools, healthcare facilities and other economic activities requiring a stable energy supply.

Modern micro-hydro kinetic (MHK) technologies are a potential solution for reliable decentralized energy production in developing and remote communities around the globe by harnessing the kinetic energy of flowing water from the local waterways, and without the major costs associated with Big Power. There are numerous existing technologies intended for producing energy in rivers and ocean currents for such applications, but there has been limited success and adoption of these technologies.

Of previously existing micro hydro technologies in the marketplace today, there are some significant technological limitations. The primary problem with most current “run-of-the-river” hydro technology is clogging and jamming. Many devices were originally designed for wind-power generation, and do not translate well into marine applications. While some devices are efficient at producing energy when operating, they become clogged and jammed by river-debris, which limits or ends their ability to produce energy, and necessitates costly maintenance that may not be feasible in remote or developing regions. This lack of dependability makes adoption of existing micro hydro technology in the developing world slow and difficult, if not wholly impractical.

Verterra Energy is just entering its Series A capital raise to commercially produce its new “run-of-the-river” MHK technology, Volturnus, a hydro-kinetic turbine purpose-built and designed to avoid the clogging and jamming. It has a sleek design for placement on the river-bottom, with low clearance and underwater operation. It is also designed to be environmentally sound and safe for aquatic life. Verterra’s goal is to manufacture Volturnus utilizing recycled materials.

The commercial, 3-meter diameter Volturnus will produce an estimated 10 kilowatt-hours of electricity when placed in waterways with flows of 1.5 to 3 meters per second, which is enough to power seven to 10 average American homes.

Voltunrus can be deployed individually or in “pods” to meet the desired energy production. While costing is not complete, Verterra expects Volturnus will be very competitively priced, with the advantage of avoiding the pitfalls of other MHK technologies.

Early adopters of Volturnus are anticipated to be pilot project developers in Haiti, Tajikistan, Italy and several locations throughout the continental United States. During operation of the pilot projects, Verterra will begin to make Volturnus commercially available, with plans to start deployment in several developing and remote communities around the world for both humanitarian and commercial use.

Additionally, as a part of its commercial and humanitarian development strategy, Verterra is investigating options for deploying Volturnus with other system integration, such as water pumping and purification, and partnering with non-governmental organizations in their humanitarian outreach efforts around the globe.

Image credits: Verterra Energy

Jake Jagdfeld is Communications Director for Verterra Energy, Inc., a renewable energy company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. jake@verterraenergy.com

Preservatives have augmented our favorite foods for thousands of years. Those sugary sweet jams your grandmother may have pulled down from her larder each Christmas or New Year's breakfast, or the canned salted meats that served as a backup for many early American pioneers during seasons when hunting was sparse, are actually some of the later examples of traditional food preservation.

Observant Jews have been using salt to preserve their meats for years. While it is a religious prescription to do so, the act of "koshering," or soaking and heavily salting chicken, lamb or beef prior to use, also serves as 'magic potent' that guards against food spoilage during transport, storage and preparation.  Sugar has been used not just as a preservatives in canning, but also as a antimicrobial agent to promote healing in wounds. Both uses gain their popularity from sugar's inhibition of microbial spoilage.

The Korean fermented vegetable dish called kimchi is another example of ancient food preservation at work. The dish, which uses salt and pickling methods for vegetables (often in clay crocks, and traditionally in the ground), has been around since the third century A.D. Kimchi lovers swear by its nutritional and medicinal properties, which are touted to cure constipation and provide balance to the intestinal system. In hot, humid environments across the globe, pickled foods of all kinds serve as an important means for ensuring enough vitamins and fiber in the common diet.

In the last century however, increased food production and changing technology has prompted food producers to search out other ways to guard against food spoilage and extend shelf life. Many of these additives began as natural derivatives that were later engineered as artificial or chemical substances.

Food preservatives: The call for federal regulation

Of course, the concept of using ingredients to artificially retard spoilage in food has not always been popular with consumers. In fact, the push-back against creating artificial, mass-produced preservative compounds has been around just as long as the search for better preservation methods has existed.

The federal Food and Drug Act that now regulates the use of preservatives in the United States owes its origins to just such a backlash in the early 1900s, when the then largely unknown writer, Upton Sinclair, released his book "The Jungle" in 1906. Although Sinclair's story actually had to do with the exploitation of immigrants in food-packing plants (and other industries), it was the unsanitary conditions of those plants and the largely unregulated substances that were being added to food that actually galvanized public outcry. Sinclair's graphically depicted novel not only launched his writing career, but also forced the federal government to recognize the need for further testing and regulation of the preservatives being added to human foods. The Pure Food Act, born out of the populist support for safe and wholesome foods, gave rise to the creation of the FDA as well as the Meat Inspection Act that same year.

While the FDA regulates more than what can be added to the foods we purchase and eat, its oversight has, through the years, prompted acceptance of a wide selection of ingredients that, of their own, aren't meant to add nutritional value to the product. Instead, they serve to artificially bolster the production and shelf life of foods.

But are artificial preservatives always good for us?

The use of artificial preservatives like butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), nitrates and benzoic acid, which are all used by food manufacturers to slow maturation or spoilage, have been a subject of vigorous debate in past years, particularly as their functions and effects have become better understood.

For example, we now know that nitrate, which naturally occurs in leafy vegetables (and is actually good for us), creates carcinogenic properties when added to red meats. BHA, used in everything from bread to medications, can also be toxic, particularly when ingested in large amounts.

The preservative benzoic acid came into existence when the 16th century seer Nostradamus was working with bitter almonds to produce amygdalin. Today, benzoic acid is synthetically produced. While it is widely used as a preservative, it now falls under the category of suspect additives because of its potential to create benzene when  paired with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).

Few additives can illustrate the confusion over synthetic additives and their risks than Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (ETDA), a substance that is often used in chelation, but is also considered a preservative. Its unexpected benefit to food manufacturers comes in its ability to hinder the production of benzene in soft drinks that contain benzoic acid.

21st-century food production: Can we live without preservatives?

New technology has also helped reduce the excess of salt, sugar and honey in foods, which carry with them their own health risks. Products that meet the needs of certain health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, continue to add challenge for food producers, who want to appeal to a broader consumer base. So do new processing guidelines that require better separation and identification of allergens such as wheat, milk and nuts, as well as preservatives like malic acid (another natural substance now largely manufactured artificially) that pose health risks for some consumers.

'New' processing techniques like flash freezing and hermetically sealed containers help answer some of these challenges. Foods that can be sealed in hermetic packages or flash frozen without water, sugar or salt can appeal to a broader sector of customers.  Irradiation (also called cold pasturization), which is often mistakenly confused with radioactive procedures, helps preserve foods that are susceptible to mold or pests and reduces the needs for expensive product preparation. Hydrogen peroxide, used for years as a food preservative in limited settings, can now be used to safeguard bananas and other fresh fruits and vegetables before they reach the store aisle.

Preservatives will likely always play a role in our food preparation. Expanding global markets and increased demand for food production that can meet the rigor of long distance transport means we must have ways to safeguard the products prior to consumption. But better technology and a better understanding of the chemical interactions in preservatives are natural outcomes of searching for better ways to improve global food security.

Want to try some preservation of your own? Check out the recipe below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7qLXrHFMpw

Images: 1) Nic; 2) News21 - National;  3) Yeowatzup; 4) Jeffrey W; 5) Dennis Hamilton; 6) United States Department of Agriculture

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzu-bae4EtA#action=share

By Lindsay Bass

In 2014, a small winery in the central coast of California experienced a dramatic reduction in the flow of its groundwater wells, severely limiting the amount of water available for production, and threatening the viability of the entire operation.

At the time, the winery -- along with the rest of California – was experiencing its third straight year of drought. With water resources already scarce, the severe reduction in available water could have been a disaster for the winery, as well as its employees and business partners, many of whom are residents of the surrounding Paicines community. Instead, the winery decided to embark on a new journey of water stewardship.

Although the Blossom Hill Winery was focused on its environmental impact for some time, this was a wake-up call, and sparked a movement to become more organized and prioritize their water stewardship work. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) collaborated on this journey to help Blossom Hill, a property of Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines, become the first winery in the world to pilot elements of the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard.

“For many years, all the way back to 2006, we’ve been monitoring and measuring our water and making improvements,” said Julie Collins, environmental risk manager for Diageo. “But the drought has taken us to a whole new level.”

The AWS framework recognized the previous work Diageo had done on water, but also identified gaps and opportunities where more could be done. Implemented changes ranged from the easy – using brooms to sweep floors instead of washing them with water; switching from 2-inch to 1-inch hoses; reusing the water used to clean tanks to wash floors – to the complex. In the vineyard, for example, Blossom Hill targets water use to the needs of the vine. Sensors in the soil monitor moisture levels. When water is needed, the drip irrigation system is triggered to supply only as much water as the monitors indicate is needed. Therefore, instead of just watering for a set time, increased attention is given to the specific vines in order to determine if it needs water or not.

But one of the most revolutionary changes that Diageo and the winery made – and a key part of the AWS framework – is a culture shift around water. Water efficiency isn’t just a box to tick; it’s become a central focus of the organization. The staff at Blossom Hill created a “Blue Team” consisting of employees from all levels, who meet regularly to discuss water usage, identify problems, and come up with solutions.

“I can focus on saving water but I’m not doing the job every day,” explained Wayne Childress, director of operations at Blossom Hill. “The person who does the job needs to have that focus, and that’s what we’ve tried to change.”

The Blue Team has also created ambassadors who can reach out to the local community about the importance of saving water, working with local farmers and businesses to share success stories and challenges. While this may not be a traditional model of corporate-community outreach, the local, neighborly approach works well in the small agriculture-dominated town. The AWS framework highlights the importance of “talking” along with “doing,” because watersheds can’t be protected by a single user alone, no matter how much work they do inside their fence lines.

The changes Blossom Hill has made around their water usage will continue long after the California drought ends. The winery is using significantly less water while maintaining production levels and high quality standards. They have engaged their community on water, raising awareness amongst the many different people who share the same water source. In times of water crisis, these measures have proven essential.

While the drought in California will certainly end, the experience has taught Blossom Hill and other industries in the area that water is a precious, finite and shared resource, and that it can only be secure if all users work together. Collective action and sustainable management of water by all in the watershed is what will ensure that the winery — and its neighbors — are still thriving 25, 50, or even 100 years from now.

Photo and video courtesy of Blossom Hill Wines

Lindsay Bass is manager of corporate water stewardship for WWF.

The egg industry is often a brutal one, with egg-laying hens hardly living the idyllic life often portrayed on those packages you buy at the supermarket. But the outlook is improving for chickens, due largely to the efforts of the Humane Society. 2015 has been a breakthrough year for the cage-free movement, which has seen companies including Carnival Cruises, Caribou Coffee, Peet’s Coffee, Shake Shack, McDonald’s and Starbucks promise to go cage-free in the next few years. Now add Nestlé’s American operations to the list of companies pledging to reduce animal cruelty within their supply chains.

Last week, Nestlé announced that it will switch to 100 percent cage-free eggs within the U.S. by 2020. The company estimates its annual use of eggs reaching 20 million pounds (9 million kilograms), in products that range from ice cream to frozen dinners to cookie dough. As for its supply chain in Europe and other global regions, the company claims it is working with the NGO World Animal Protection to expand the use of cage-free eggs throughout the rest of its operations.

According to the Humane Society, Nestlé’s transition to cage-free eggs means 780,000 fewer birds will be confined in battery cages annually. That means fewer hens that are denied the ability to act out their natural behavior, which includes dustbathing, nesting and perching. The Humane Society says the averaged caged hen is afforded about 67 square inches (432 square centimeters) of cage space — less room than what can be squeezed within a sheet of letter-sized (or A4) office paper.

It is important to point out, however, that “cage-free” does not necessarily mean cruelty free. As the Humane Society notes, cage-free hens will have more room to move around, but such a label does not guarantee that they spend any time outdoors. Beak cutting is still common practice at many hatcheries. Forced molting, which involves starving hens or feeding them a low-energy diet to manipulate the egg-laying cycle, is also the norm. Furthermore, almost all commercial egg operations kill male chicks shortly after they are hatched — a cruel and wasteful practice that's done because the chickens raised for egg-laying are not as large as the ones used to produce meat.

Nevertheless, the advocacy of organizations, such as the Humane Society, are raising awareness of animal welfare issues, including gestation crates and tail docking. And as more consumers learn about what happens to animals in order to make their food products, they are leaning on companies to change their ways. The result is that firms such as Nestlé really have no choice but to source more responsible ingredients if they are going to keep their customers.

Image credit: David Paul Morris/For the Humane Society

Editor's Note: To learn more about Bill's thoughts on breaking through silos at your company, check out this post. 

By Bill Hatton

One issue in silo-breaking is: Where do you start -- top-down, or bottom-up? Can’t an organization just say, “Share this information" and work together?

Yes, says Silvia Garrigo, a lawyer who has retired as manager of global issues and policy at Chevron Corp.: “There is no doubt that if the CEO or someone on the executive management team tells their function ‘This is the law, abide by it,’ there will be action that will follow that pronouncement; however, in my experience, those kinds of hierarchical decisions and mandates really lead to transactional experiences and results as opposed to the transformational results. I’ve got to go up, down, center, and always deep.”

Garrigo was in charge of creating a human rights policy for Chevron. She says one key was the idea of a “license” to investigate where she needed to, to convene who she needed to convene, and talk to whomever she needed to talk to.

“We had executive champions who said, ‘Silvia, you and your team have an official license, you can go and convene whoever you need to decide if we are going to adopt a human rights policy. What we did – we went out to the field and spoke to seven or eight different business units, chose those which had the most difficult or sensitive operating environments within their day-to-day business, and asked, ‘What are your thoughts on the supply chain, security issues, labor issues’– sometimes mining security is providing by the host government and they have a different concept about how to use power.”

“We went and met all the different functions — procurement, HR, supply chain, functional heads of those units and leadership teams and went deep into their organizations and asked the same questions: ‘What do we already do in human rights and what do we do that touches on human rights that we can leverage on?’ Then we went back to the executive team. They said, ‘Fine, Silvia, your fishing license has now been extended to a construction license. Go back and do more work. Create a policy, an implementation plan and implementation guidance team, and create a governance plan. Who are you going to convene, who are you going to work with and co-create, and what enabling environment are you going to create, and then how are you going to govern all of that?’”

As a result, the team created its policy and its implementation plan, including:

• What to prioritize in the field first and how


• What clear expectations to set under the policy


• What governance to set under that, and


• What review and audit protocols to set, i.e., “If we have a standard, how do we know we’re doing what we say we’re doing, how do we satisfy that standard,” said Garrigo.

The bottom line: Thinking across silos involves a systematic plan for reaching out and then finding ways to create protocols to keep the communication moving across boundaries. It involves upper-management support to dig and change, but to become transformational instead of transactional, requires real understanding of others’ concerns — and then communicating that back to the various stakeholders as they prepare to create real change.

Silvia Garrigo spoke at a Nov. 5 Skytop Strategies conference on Integrated Reporting.

Image credit: Flickr/Picturepest

Bill Hatton is a veteran business-to-business writer who has written extensively on CR, EHS, compliance and management topics. He can be reached at billhatton at mountainvieweditor dot com.

History will look back at 2015 as a crossroads in America’s adoption of sustainability. It was a year that saw milestone steps toward the adoption of a low-carbon economy with the Clean Power Plan and the COP21 global agreement. The real milestone event of 2015 was California winning world economic growth leadership while also reducing emissions. The first article in this two-part series documented three 2015 mega-trends that are reshaping our country's trajectory toward human health, environmental and economic sustainability.

This second article profiles the 2015 milestone steps created by the millennial generation, our national weight crisis and corporate social responsibility's growing role in determining business success that are now the driving forces behind the emerging $250 trillion green economic revolution.

Millennials emerge as the driving force for the green economic revolution

2015 marked the milestone emergence of the millennial generation as the driving force behind the green economic revolution. Their demand for more sustainable products is reshaping commerce where software is sold as a service, products are shared and a green supply chain is a marketing necessity. Millennials, along with moms, are using their buying power to reshape the food industry around sustainably-sourced, clean food.

A 2015 millennial milestone event was this generation's new position as the United States' largest employed demographic group. Research released during 2015 found that millennials, unlike any other generation, expect CSR to be part of their job. This expectation is pushing commercial real estate's adoption of smart building designs using collaborative workspace along with increased investments in onsite solar systems, energy efficiency and smart building technologies.

By 2017 the millennial generation will be both our country's most employed demographic group and our country's largest consumer group. Future business success now hinges on satisfying the millennial generation's sustainability expectations.

National weight crisis

2015 provided further documentation that, for the first time in history, our health is threatened by our weight. We are in a national weight crisis. No generation is immune. Seventy-two percent of baby boomer men and 67 percent of this generation’s women are overweight or obese. It is now projected that 50 percent of Generation Z, the first generation born into the 21st Century, will be obese during their lifetime.

Encouragingly, 2015 saw a milestone where Costco became America’s largest retailer of organic food. Healthier food sales are now growing at three times the sales growth rate of less healthy food. Consumers are increasingly leaving the grocery store center aisles and fast food drive-through windows in search of foods that are labeled clean, organic, gluten-free and sustainably sourced.

Even so, a new lifestyle paradigm is required. Similar to the consumer search for sustainable products, we are in a national search for how to have fun while doing right by our health and the environment.

Growing link between CSR and business success

In 2015 Nielsen released research that found 66 percent of surveyed consumers say they will pay more for products and services that come from companies that are committed to positive social and environmental impact. The business bottom line is that adopting corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the path to growing sales without damaging price competition.

2015 was a watershed in how businesses compete. A business can buy customers with price discounts. They can win customers by selling highly authentic products that are produced and delivered through transparent business practices. In 2015 corporate social responsibility moved from its historical niche role to become a driver in how businesses win and retain customers, most especially during today's intense price competition.

2015 accelerated the path along the green economic revolution

The following six 2015 mega trends accelerated the adoption of the Green Economic Revolution that delivers goods and services costing less and delivering more as measured in human health, environmental protection and economic growth:

Low-carbon economy. 2015 saw the achievement of economic growth and reduced emissions. California has turned global warming into an economic growth engine driving its economic success by delivering low emissions technologies that are price competitive with fossil fuels. California' success, along with the launch of the Clean Power Plan and the COP21 agreement, gave birth in 2015 to the low carbon carbon economy.

Solar price-competitiveness. 2015 saw solar power gain price competitiveness with fossil fuel generation. 2015 was also the year battery technologies began their path toward price competitiveness through increased economies of scale. 2015 was a launch year for an energy future where renewable energy and batteries will be the core technologies for our buildings and cars.

Cities default to green. Cities cannot wait any longer for national governments to adopt sustainable public policy. As a result, city leaders around the world are aggressively innovating in search of sustainable solutions to pollution, congestion and food porn. Their path toward "defaulting to green" is now a global innovation engine driving adoption of sustainable technologies and public policy.

Millennials drive the green economic revolution. The millennial generation is displacing the baby boomer generation in terms of employment and buying power. This mega shift is driving a green economic revolution. Today, businesses must incorporate CSR into job tasks to successfully recruitment millennials. Going forward, millennials will push CSR from a niche staff function to a core product design attribute.

National weight crisis. Food is increasingly becoming the path for initial consumer adoption of sustainable best practices. Industrial foods taste great, cost less and are the basis for a weight crisis that has delivered a diabetes epidemic and soaring health care costs. This ticking time bomb is exploding and only consumer purchases of clean and sustainably sourced foods will prevent a devastating denotation.

CSR is now core to business success. 2015 provided the evidence that CSR wins customers. It is the path out of the margin destroying price competition that continues to depress our economy. Companies like Unilever get it and are growing revenues and profits by incorporating CSR best practices in product designs and business operations. 2015 leaves us with the question of how quickly the majority of businesses will see CSR as the marketing path to winning and retaining customers.

Image credit: Pixabay

You could be honored as Masdar's guest VIP blogger and win an all-expense-paid trip to Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in mid-January, 2016. Enter Masdar's Engage blogging contest, and write a response to this prompt: Describe how government and businesses can cooperate to build a sustainable economy.

Businesses look for governments to implement policies that can provide a framework and guarantee economic stability, so that the private sector can plan for the long term.

• Should governments issue more regulations in order to secure a more sustainable future? Must financial incentives be available in order for next-generation technologies to thrive?


• Do we need programs that foster innovation and encourage more research and development, which, in the long run, can help solve future risks posed by climate change?


• Or should there be a more laissez-faire approach, as it is up to businesses to adapt to changing circumstances?

Be creative! The aforementioned topics are just a few examples of ideas that could provide solutions for climate change over the next 15 years. There is not a “right answer,” but the best response to this year’s question is one that offers a well-reasoned and logical approach for what almost everyone agrees is one of this century’s most pressing challenges.

The winning entry will clearly describe how government and business can cooperate in order to allow current and future solutions for climate change to scale and succeed, and therefore, play a significant role in limiting the increase in global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius by 2030.

Guidelines to writing the winning post:

The scientific community in general believes that increases in global temperatures must be limited to 2 degrees Celsius in order to mitigate the risks that could result from climate change. While governments and international organizations have long been at the vanguard of finding solutions for climate change, recent trends have shown that the global business community has become more vocal and proactive about the need to shift toward a sustainable economy by 2030.

Masdar’s 2016 blogging contest is all about how business can cooperate with government on addressing climate change and help society transition to a sustainable economy within the next 15 years.

See last year's winning entry here.

Visit Masdar's site for more info and terms of the contest. 

Entries are due January 4th!

We hope to see YOUR post in the competition! Good luck!