Sustainability


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 →


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 →


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.


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 →


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 →

Marvin Odum: Relationships between business, government, and society are broken.We need collaboration for sustainable solutions. Shell_US


When it comes to saving energy and pursuing sustainability, corporate peer pressure can be a wonderful thing.

That’s the experience of Walmart, which since 2010 has been using its own environmental policies, along with its considerable corporate muscle, to persuade suppliers to join its ongoing campaign to reduce carbon emissions. Keep reading →


Sustainable investing is an increasingly mainstream activity. But utilities are only beginning to adjust their business approaches to get in on the popularity of using those sustainability metrics to evaluate company performance and outlooks.

While the industry may appear to be awash in metrics, and the sector was in large part born out of an indexation process kicked off by the United Nations and continued in this year’s high-profile Sustainable Energy for All initiative, a new company from a father-and-son pair of energy experts says it has identified a remaining gap in the market for indices. Keep reading →

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (C) and his wife Ban Soon-taek receive Brazil’s football team jerseys as gifts from residents during a visit to the Babilonia shantytown in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 27, 2010.

In rural villages in East Africa, nearly 150 women entrepreneurs are selling solar lamps and cell phone chargers that provide clean and reliable lighting and connectivity to remote and energy-poor communities. These women, empowered by the social enterprise Solar Sister, are the ground troops of social and economic development. Keep reading →


As advanced information technology continues to permeate the power sector and the two-way data flow between utility and customer deepens, countless opportunities to streamline the delivery and consumption of electricity arise. Across the US, utilities are taking innovative approaches to fostering energy efficient behavior by working with customers to build sustainable practices, programs and business models.

The key is to use all available channels – including social networking – to engage customers with a simple message, you need to “keep [customers] informed and show [them] results,” Bill Andrew, President and CEO of the Delaware Electric Cooperative told audience members at last week’s DNV Kema Utility of the Future Leadership Forum in Washington DC. Keep reading →

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