The May 2010 issue of Harvard Business Review has an interesting feature article called ‘The Sustainability Imperative’. The authors argue that sustainability is the next transformational business megatrend comparable to past megatrends like IT revolution and globalization. Some businesses will come out as winners and others as losers. Firms seeking to gain advantage should get the vision right and get the execution right. Read more on what to do and how to do it in this post.
Like any business initiative, environmental initiatives have their potential upside and downside. The key to success is to manage them carefully. So what are the potential downsides and upsides when it comes to environmental initiatives? What should you focus on? Build the upside by increasing revenues and building intangible values. Manage the downside by minimizing costs and controlling risks. Read more in this post.
Widely covered by the press including the New York Times, Ontario announced the approval of 184 renewable energy projects worth $8 billion under their Feed-In Tariff program. If you operate a business in Ontario, what should you do? In addition to looking at this as an opportunity to make money while being socially responsible, you could also consider it as a chance to diversify your energy mix and reduce your future energy pricing risks. Read more in this post.
In developing climate change initiatives for your Canadian business, it is advisable to take a 360 degree look at your stakeholders and anticipate how they may respond. Five main stakeholder groups are generally applicable to climate change initiatives by Canadian businesses: (1) Consumers & Community, (2) Investors & Risk Assessors, (3) Business Partners & Competitors, (4) Rulemakers & Watchdog, (5) Idea Generators & Opinion Leaders.
The new British Columbia greenhouse gas emissions reporting regulation took effect on January 1, 2010. This means any B.C. business facility that emits 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) or more per year must file an annual report on their emissions. In addition, a facility emitting 25,000 tonnes or more of CO2e per year would require third party verification for their report. For the purpose of calculating your emission threshold, certain emissions from biomass may [Read more…]