Sustainability

PwC Notes New Trends in Sustainable Investing and Operations

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What gets measured gets managed is one of the truisms of the contemporary business environment, particularly as tools for collecting and analyzing data continue to proliferate across sectors. And as more companies include “sustainability metrics” in their self-measurement tools, the sector is seeing increased management and investor attention.

Major service providers, like the global accounting and consulting firm PwC, are seeing the change on the ground at firms and rushing to guarantee they are able to help their clients manage the newly visible risks and opportunities that come with these novel and increasingly detailed data sets. Keep reading →

Published February 27, 2013 at 11:00 AM

Government Seeing Big Savings From Green Buildings

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The U.S. Treasury has always been a place where people could find something green, but this time the term is not referring to money. The U.S. Treasury building has obtained a green environmental designation, probably the oldest federal building to earn one. It has reduced its operating costs by $3.5 million annually as a result.

Published January 14, 2013 at 9:30 AM

Samsung Racks Up Sustainability Awards At CES 2013

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In case you haven’t heard, there’s a little trade show going on in Las Vegas right now. The 2013 Consumer Electronics Show is a festival of futuristic technology and highly advanced gadgets. Want to know what your TV’s going to look like in a few years? It’s probably on display at CES right now.

Although we may not know what shape it will be or in how many dimensions it will display, one thing’s for sure, your future television will be more energy-efficient and contain fewer earth-killing materials. Sustainability is at the forefront of CES this year, and Samsung has wasted no time in establishing itself as a company with the environment in mind. The company is the first to achieve Gold Level UL Environment certification for TVs and winning 2013 Eco-Design Awards for four other devices. Keep reading →

Published January 11, 2013 at 10:30 AM

Conference Highlights: USAEE Closing

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The 31st USAEE North American Conference held in Austin, Texas featured hundreds of presentations on topics like sustainable energy and the implications of North American natural gas developments.

Breaking Energy was there covering the event from beginning to end, as well as following the US presidential elections and Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts. The conference was attended by economist, analysts, industry professionals and students from around the US and around the world, who discussed dozens of topics relevant to all major energy sectors. Keep reading →

Published November 8, 2012 at 8:30 AM

Government Subsidies are Scaring Away Capital from Green Deals, Investment Banker Says

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Global investment in sustainable and cleantech businesses has softened during the last couple of years, and there are multiple reasons for the trend. In the US, an investment banker says, one of the key reasons is that government subsidies are scaring away capital. But the banker has detected a growth area that could become a significant driver for clean-tech and sustainability deals.

Most of the major investment banks don’t have stand-alone sustainability practices. But there’s a fair number of middle-market banking firms focused on clean tech and sustainability. Keep reading →

Published October 31, 2012 at 8:30 AM

New Mexico’s Earthship Homes Are a World Away From Traditional Living (Off the Grid)

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We are currently living in a way that is indisputably unsustainable. The ecological resources on which modern housing depend are becoming increasingly scarce, and the excessive carbon footprint left behind by “McMansions” and sprawling suburban developments are leading more and more people to seek radically greener housing alternatives.

This is the second of a five-part series called “Off the Grid,” in which we explore environmentally-sustainable, self-sufficient communities across the globe. We’ll attempt to answer the question: Is green, off-grid living our future? This week, we take a look at an Earthship community in the deserts of New Mexico in the United States. Keep reading →

Published September 28, 2012 at 10:30 AM

Market Driven: Corporate Sustainability Builds on Data and Metrics

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Recent evidence suggests companies that score highly on sustainability metrics tend to be well run and have solid business models – 655 institutional investors representing $78 trillion in assets appear to agree.

The 655 investors are signatories to the Carbon Disclosure Project, which is a global greenhouse gas emission reporting initiative that incentives companies, governments and cities to voluntarily disclose data pertaining to key sustainability metrics. Keep reading →

Published September 26, 2012 at 2:30 PM

Costa Rica’s Finca Bellavista Treehouse Community Is 100 Percent Sustainable (Off the Grid)

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We are currently living in a way that is indisputably unsustainable. The ecological resources on which modern housing depend are becoming increasingly scarce, and the excessive carbon footprint left behind by “McMansions” and sprawling suburban developments are leading more and more people to seek radically greener housing alternatives.

Published September 19, 2012 at 3:00 PM

NRG Energy Goes Deep on Opening Drive with NFL Solar Deals

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With 30% coal generation in NRG Energy’s fleet, chief executive David Crane cannot exactly be hailed the Sun King. But the photovoltaic roof over the top tier of the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey is a crowning solar achievement for what may become the largest independent electricity generator in the US after its pending merger with GenOn is approved.

“Not all renewables are created equal and solar has versatility lacking in other technologies such as wind,” said Crane. “To NRG, solar is the gamechanger.” Keep reading →

Published September 4, 2012 at 8:30 AM

Business Schools Focusing on Corporate Sustainability Trends

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Policy proposals to solve environmental problems flow from a myriad of sources, particularly activist groups and legislators. But business schools are sharpening their focus on environmental economics, and they may be poised to emerge as much more vocal proponents for environmental solutions.

One such voice was raised in April, when a Northwestern University economist proposed an unusual – some would say radical – approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Keep reading →

Published August 24, 2012 at 10:30 AM
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