TRANSFORMATIONAL
COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
by Coro Strandberg
and Alexandria Fisher,
CBSR Associates.
1. Sustainable Purpose
5. Long-Term Vision
2. Sustainable Customer
Offerings
6. Sustainability
Governance and Culture
10. Closed-Loop
11. Resource Productivity
3. Solutions-Oriented
7. Enlightened Leadership
12. Value-Chain Influence
4. Restorative
8. Employee Engagement
13. Stakeholder
Accountability and
Transparency
9. Inclusive Business
The Transformational Company Framework:
19 Qualities to accelerate and scale sustainability
• Benchmark and scale your Transformational Company efforts.
• Help CBSR accelerate take-up of the Transformational Company Framework in
companies, industries and supply chains.
• Register for an upcoming Transformational Company event to learn how to
operationalize the qualities.
14. Customer Engagement
15. Industry Standards
16. Multi-Stakeholder
Collaboration
17. Finance Community
18. Public Engagement
19. Public Policy Advocacy
cbsr.ca/transformationalcompany
TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
WHAT YOU DO
1. Sustainable Purpose
PAGE 3
Unilever Adopts a New Purpose
- “To make sustainable
living commonplace.”
2. Sustainable
Customer Offerings
PAGE 4
Philips’ EcoVision Program Sets
Target to Increase Sustainable
Customer Offerings
3. Solutions-Oriented
PAGE 6
Coca-Cola develops Programs
and Policies to Address Obesity
- “Our Position on Obesity”
4. Restorative
7. Enlightened Leadership
PAGE 12
Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever on
Embedding Sustainability at the
core of Unilever’s business
14. Customer Engagement
8. Employee Engagement
PAGE 13
B&Q “One Planet Home”
program engages customers
on sustainable lifestyles
GE Fosters a “We Company” Culture
through its Sustainability Programs
15. Industry Standards
9. Inclusive Business
PAGE 15
Assiniboine Credit Union pursues
Inclusive Business objectives
10. Closed-Loop
PAGE 17
Puma InCycle collection and Bring
Me Back closed loop initiatives
11. Resource Productivity
Kingfisher is Transforming the
Way it Operates to Become
Net Positive by 2050
Sony’s adoption of the
Road to Zero plan
5. Long-Term Vision
PAGE 10
Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan
6. Sustainability
Governance and Culture
PAGE 11
Nike integrates Sustainability
into the heart of its Business
Plan and Governance Structure
PAGE 23
PAGE 25
PAGE 8
HOW YOU DO IT
WHO YOU
INTERACT WITH
PAGE 19
12. Value-Chain Influence
PAGE 20
BASF Analyzes the Product Life
Cycle Along the Entire Feed and
Food Value Chain with their SET applied sustainability™ program
13. Stakeholder
Accountability and
Transparency
PAGE 22
Coca Cola Company,
Unilever and McDonald’s Refrigerants, Naturally!
16. Multi-Stakeholder
Collaboration
PAGE 26
IKEA & The Better Cotton Initiative
17. Finance Community
PAGE 27
Puma Pioneers the first
Environmental Profit and
Loss (EP&L) Statement
18. Public Engagement
PAGE 28
Marks & Spencer sets target
to engage three million people
on personal sustainability
19. Public Policy Advocacy
PAGE 30
Nike, Starbucks, Levi Strauss,
and Timberland found business
climate change advocacy coalition
SC Johnson “What’s
Inside” Initiative
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
1. Sustainable Purpose
Aim to align overall corporate purpose
with sustainability principles where
sustainability drives values, where
what the company does is of benefit
to society, and where profits enable
fair and equitable compensation for
natural and societal resources.
Unilever Adopts a New Purpose –
“To make sustainable living commonplace.”
In 2009 Unilever, the world’s third biggest consumer goods manufacturer
launched “The Compass” – their business strategy for sustainable growth. It
sets out a vision of the company’s future, in which “our brands and services
reach and inspire people across the world, helping us double the size of our
business while reducing our environmental footprint and increasing our positive
social impact”. The outcomes of Unilever’s business model are sustained
growth; lower environmental impact; and positive social impact.
In 2012 Unilever adopted a new purpose – “To make sustainable living
commonplace”. The new purpose builds on the original purpose of the
company’s 19th century founder, William Lever, “to make cleanliness
commonplace”. They have a Sustainable Living Plan, first launched in 2010,
which sets out a range of ambitious sustainability targets to achieve by
2020. In April 2013 they published their year two progress report against the
targets in the Plan. Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) is the company’s
competitive differentiator.
Unilever has remained the top-scoring company in the Food Producers sector of
the 2012 Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) for the 14th consecutive year
and was named the Food and Beverage super-sector leader.
The diagram to the left represents the company’s idea of its virtuous circle
of growth. It summarises how they derive profit from the application of their
business model.
Source: http://www.unilever.com/
sustainable-living/ourapproach/
ourcompassstrategy/index.aspx
References
•http://www.unilever.com/sustainable-living/ourapproach/ourcompassstrategy/index.aspx
•http://www.unilever.com/aboutus/purposeandprinciples/Default.aspx
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
2. Sustainable
Customer Offerings
Integrate sustainability into the full lifecycle if product and service design, use
and disposal, and advance sustainability
through continuous improvement
of core products and services
Philips’ EcoVision Program Sets Target to
Increase Sustainable Customer Offerings
Phillips (Royal Philips Electronics) is a diversified health and well-being
company, focused on improving lives through innovations. As a leader
in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design
into people-centric solutions. Through their EcoVision program Philips has set
a target to increase their sustainable customer offerings to 50% of total sales
by 2015. In 2012 Green Product sales increased to 45% of total sales ($15 billion
USD) putting them on track to reach their target. By design, green product sales
contribute significantly to Phillips total revenue stream.
Source: http://www.sustainablebrands.com/
news_and_views/articles/green-productsaccount-roughly-half-philips-2012-revenue
To be considered a “Green Product”,
a product needs to prove leadership
in at least one Green Focal Area.
This is done either by outperforming
reference products (which can be a
competitor or predecessor product)
by at least 10 %, or by being awarded
a recognized eco-performance label.
The Green Focal Areas are Energy
Efficiency, Packaging, Hazardous
Substances, Weight, Recycling and
Disposal and Lifetime Reliability.
To reach their goal of 50% of total
sales coming from Green Products,
Philips is committed to continuously
Source: http://www.philips.com/about/
work on the environmental
sustainability/ourenvironmentalapproach/
performance of their products,
greenproducts/index.page
which includes designing for energy
efficiency, chemical content of
products, life time reliability and recyclability. To support this goal Phillips
launched 269 new ENERGY STAR-qualified products in 2012. In addition, Phillips
views recyclability as critical to reducing the environmental impact of products
at the end of their life and to reducing the costs of recycling. As a result, Phillips
aims to double the collection and recycling of its end-of-life products, as well as
the amount of recycled materials used in Philips products by 2015 (compared to
2009). By 2015 Phillips has targeted to be using 3500 tons of recycled plastic in
their products.
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
2. Sustainable
Customer Offerings
To support the growth and development of green products, Phillips invested EUR
569 million in 2012 in Green Innovation and is on track to reach their target of
EUR 2 billion green innovation investments by 2015.
Phillips Green Products portfolio ranges from lighting to healthcare to consumer
products. This range includes:
•The first LED equivalent for the 75-watt incandescent bulb;
•The Green Performer vacuum cleaner which is made of 50% post-industrial
plastics and 25% bio based plastics; and
•The MX40 Patient Monitor which uses 85% less power and 86% less material
than its predecessor.
Source: http://www.lumec.com/blog/index.php/2013/07/02/philipssustainability-recognition-energy-star-partner-of-the-year/
To assist consumers in identifying green Philips
products, the Philips Green logo is placed on
packaging. The presence of the logo “enables
consumers to make simple choices about the
products they buy and the impact they have
before, during and at the end of their life cycle”.
Source: http://www.philips.
com/about/sustainability/
ourenvironmentalapproach/
greenproducts/index.page
References
•http://www.philips.com/about/sustainability/ourfocus/ecovision5.page
•http://www.newscenter.philips.com/main/standard/news/
press/2013/20130225-sustainability-report-2012.wpd#.Uffeo421Fu4
•http://www.philips.com/about/sustainability/
ourenvironmentalapproach/greenproducts/index.page
•http://www.philips.com/about/sustainability/ourenvironmentalapproach/
greeninnovation/closingthematerialsloop.page
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
3. Solutions-Oriented
Working with key stakeholders, adopt
business models and strategies that
address systemic social, economic
and environmental problems; scale
solutions in all aspects of the
company, including relationships
with customers and suppliers.
Coca-Cola develops Programs and Policies to
Address Obesity - “Our Position on Obesity”
Coca-Cola is the world’s largest beverage distribution company with consumers
in more than 200 countries consuming the company’s beverages at a rate of
1.8 billion servings a day. Coca-Cola is working with its partners to address the
growing social issue of obesity. This is a world-wide problem. According to the
World Health Organization, worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980.
Over one billion adults are overweight today and 11% are obese, while obesity
levels continue to rise.
Coca-Cola has developed programs and policies to address obesity because
“the health of our business is interwoven with the well-being of our consumers,
our employees and the communities we serve. The prevalence of overweight
and obesity is one of today’s most critical health concerns.”
In its obesity campaign, Coca-Cola drives home the sentiment that “beating
obesity will take action by all of us, based on one simple, common-sense fact:
All calories count, no matter where they come from. ... And if you eat and drink
more calories than you burn off, you’ll gain weight.”
In 2012, Coca-Cola developed “Our Position on Obesity” which outlines the
company’s commitments to addressing obesity. These commitments include
promoting active healthy living, marketing responsibility educating around
choice, and informing with transparency.
To support their commitment to active healthy living Coca-Cola takes a threepronged approach to educating people on the importance of energy balance,
providing variety in their products and package sizes and encouraging active,
healthy lifestyles that include a sensible, balanced diet and regular physical
activity. Coca-Cola is taking a number of actions to address obesity including
increasing the availability of smaller portion sizes, offering a wider selection
of low calorie drinks, and clearly displaying calorie information. Coca-Cola
sponsors physical activity programmes, and runs television advertisements
onhow calories affect weight.
In September 2009, Coca-Cola made a commitment to provide front-of-pack
energy labeling (as calories, kilocalories or kilojoules) on nearly all of their
packages to increase the transparency of nutrition labelling. This goal was met
at the end of 2011. As well, Coca-Cola’s commitment to responsible marking
prohibits marketing products directly to children under 12 and purchasing
advertising directly targeted at audiences that are more than 35% children under
12. To support this policy, Coca-Cola will not offer their beverages in primary
schools unless asked by parents or school authorities.
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
3. Solutions-Oriented
Coca-Cola supports more than 280 nutrition education and physical activity
initiatives in more than 115 countries, and aims to implement programs in every
country they do business. For example, to date 26 million people have been
reached through Coca-Cola’s physical education programs in Latin America.
In addition, the company has a website outlining partners and locations to
help connect individuals to programs. This website also publicly and actively
measures the scale and reach of its efforts and “invites people to learn more
about what the Company is doing, track its progress, post feedback and
exchange ideas on how we can collectively promote choice, energy balance and
movement”.
References
•http://assets.coca-colacompany.com/9b/62/
c661da674cc690db3ccad9195639/obesity-position-statement.pdf
•http://www.coca-colacompany.com/sustainabilityreport/me/activehealthy-living.html#section-promoting-active-healthy-living
•http://www2.coca-cola.ca/illustrating-coca-colas-global-commitmentsto-help-fight-obesity-2/?gclid=CJSalMSr8bkCFUfZQgodZT8AGg
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
4. Restorative
Generate net positive benefits
for society, the environment, the
company and shareholders, advancing
local and global reliance.
Kingfisher is Transforming the Way it
Operates to Become Net Positive by 2050
Kingfisher is Europe’s largest home improvement retail group and the third
largest in the world, with 1,025 stores in eight countries in Europe and Asia, and
sales of over $17 billion. In October 2012, Kingfisher announced a new corporate
social responsibility plan call “Kingfisher Net Positive.” This plan outlines a
strategy to be net positive and go beyond zero impact to create positive change.
Net Positive was launched “with an ambition to contribute positively to some
of the big challenges facing the world, while creating a more valuable and
sustainable business for our stakeholders”. According to Kingfisher, “We cannot
deliver on our core purpose of helping people make better homes without Net
Positive”.
Kingfisher is transforming the way it operates to become Net Positive by
2050. To achieve this objective Kingfisher has set targets across the business
until 2020 and focuses on four priority areas: timber, energy, innovation and
communities. To enable Kingfisher to track progress against their 2020 targets,
they will collect data to establish baselines until 2014.
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CASE STUDIES
4. Restorative
Each of Kingfisher’s priority areas is tightly linked with business goals and
achieving each target will create measurable business benefits. Achieving
Net Positive will enable Kingfisher to secure crucial resources, unlock new
opportunities and drive growth. Kingfisher’s approach to energy will enable the
company to tap into a fast-emerging $36.5 Billion European market for in-home
energy efficiency. As well, Kingfisher’s community programme will connect the
company to hundreds of thousands of new potential customers equipped with
the DIY skills, and achieving their timber targets could help Kingfisher save $97
Million by 2020.
Net Positive is fundamental to the future of Kingfisher, as the company believes
the businesses that will succeed in the future are those that today show
leadership on the sustainability challenges facing the world.
References
• http://www.kingfisher.com/netpositive/files/reports/
cr_report_2013/2013_Net_Positive_Report.pdf
• http://www.kingfisher.com/netpositive/files/downloads/kingfisher_netpos_brochure.pdf
• http://www.kingfisher.com/netpositive/index.asp?pageid=1
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
5. Long-Term Vision
Commit to an ambitious long-term
multigenerational sustainability
vision that includes bold goals and
precautionary approach that takes
into account the needs of present
and future generations, as well as the
natural system on which they rely.
Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan
Launched in 2010, Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan specifies three long-term
commitments Unilever plans to achieve by 2020:
• To help more than one billion people improve their health and well-being,
• To reduce the company’s environmental footprint from making and using
Unilever products by 50 percent, and
• To source 100 percent of agriculture raw materials from sustainable sources.
These 10-year goals are part of the company’s overall sustainability vision
to improve the health of billions of people without increasing the company’s
environmental footprint. Measureable progress towards these goals is being
made. In 2012, 100 percent of palm oil used by Unilever was purchased from
sustainable sources and waste disposed from manufacturing sites was halved
compared to 2008.
References
•http://www.unilever.com/sustainable-living/ourapproach/oursustainabilitystrategy/
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
6. Sustainability
Governance and Culture
Embed sustainability into governance,
business processes, operations,
investments, culture and competencies;
incentivize sustainable decisions and
enable sustainable innovation.
Nike integrates Sustainability into the heart of
its Business Plan and Governance Structure
Nike views corporate responsibility as an “opportunity to create value for
our business” and innovate for a better world. Its sustainability strategy is
focused on innovation, integration and mobilization with the intent to integrate
sustainability into the heart of their business model and governance structure.
The Corporate Responsibility Committee of the Board of Directors oversees
“environmental impact and sustainability issues, labor practices and corporate
responsibility issues in major business decisions”. The Committee meets five
times a year to review strategies and plans for corporate responsibility and the
meetings are attended by either the company chairman or CEO.
The department of Sustainable Business & Innovation (SB&I) further embeds
corporate responsibility throughout the company and enables Nike to transition
to sustainable business models. SB&I’s mission is to enable NIKE to thrive
in a sustainable economy by focusing on sustainable products, sustainable
manufacturing and sustainable marketplaces.
The SB&I department is home to the company’s “Innovation Lab”. The mission
of the “Innovation Lab” is to deliver enterprise- and industry-level sustainability
solutions from design to manufacturing to marketplace to recapturing, recycling
and reusing. Sustainability is now a core component of Nike’s growth plans and
corporate strategy and is a key priority for each of its affiliate companies.
The vice-president of the SB&I group is a member of Nike’s executive
committee, the Strategic Leadership Team, chaired by the CEO. The executive
committee is responsible for managing the sustainability reporting process. An
executive-level Committee for Sustainable Innovation, also chaired by the CEO,
was formed in 2012 to provide additional senior cross-business leadership on
sustainability and innovation. Through having the executive-level Committee for Corporate Responsibility
and Sustainable Innovation, as well as, inclusion of an SB&I executive on the
Strategic Leadership Team, Nike has fast-tracked integration of corporate
responsibility into its business and elevated sustainability as a core value.
From these Committees Nike has developed their long-term vision of designing
closed-loop products and helped create coalitions to advocate for key
sustainability policies, such as Business for Innovative Climate and Energy
Policy (BICEP).
References
•http://nikeinc.com/pages/reporting-governance
•http://www.nikebiz.com/crreport/content/strategy/2-1-4-a-newmodel-and-shift-to-sustainable-business-and-innovation.php
•http://www.nikeresponsibility.com/report/content/chapter/governance
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
7. Enlightened Leadership
Have committed, values-based executive
leaders who position the business for
short and long-term success by driving
the company to adapt to – and influence
– structural social, economic and
environmental trends, and who foster
organization capacity for change and
innovation to create sustainable business
models and solutions for the future.
Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever on Embedding
Sustainability at the core of Unilever’s business
Paul Polman has been the CEO of Unilever, the world’s third biggest consumer
goods manufacturer, since January 2009. Polman has embedded sustainability
at the core of Unilever’s business as a result of his belief in sustainable and
equitable capitalism. He believes that business has to learn to be successful
while contributing to society and supporting environmental sustainability. Under
his leadership Unilever has embedded the three pillars of sustainability into
its corporate structure and business strategy. This is being achieved through
the implementation of Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan. This plan covers
Unilever’s entire supply chain and aims to double Unilever sales while reducing
its overall environmental footprint and increasing its positive social impact.
Polman is aiming to be a leader, not only for his company, but for the industry by
illustrating the business case for sustainability through the Sustainable Living
Plan. “If we hit all our targets on this plan, but no-one else follows suit, we will
have failed miserably,” says Polman. “We are trying to show that you can be
successful as a business and at the same time show the financial community
this should be one of the better drivers for their investments.”
Polman hopes Unilever’s actions will help move companies away from a focus
on short-term profit and reconnecting business to a sense of purpose. To
support this objective, under Polman’s guidance, Unilever stopped publishing
industry standard quarterly profit (or earning) reports and moved to publishing
revenue-only reports. Polman told stakeholders, “If you buy into this long-term
value model, which is equitable, which is shared, which is sustainable, then
come and invest with us.”
Polman has acknowledged his action originally caused controversy among
Unilever shareholders but stated, “If you believe in something you have to fight
for that and have the courage to take the tougher decisions that come with it.”
Polman vision appears to be working, the share price of Unilever has doubled
since he has been CEO.
Polman plays an active role with global sustainability organizations: he is the
incoming Chair of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and
serves on the Board of the UN Global Compact.
References
•http://www.unilever.com/aboutus/companystructure/executivedirectors/paul-polman.aspx
•http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/unilever-ceo-paul-polman-interview
•http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/features/1055793/
•http://www.unilever.com/aboutus/companystructure/executivedirectors/paul-polman.aspx
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
8. Employee Engagement
Have diverse, equitable, thriving,
participatory workforces where
employees are champions of
sustainability at work, at home
and in the broader community.
GE Fosters a “We Company” Culture
through its Sustainability Programs
GE is creating a culture for its over 300,000 employees that emphasizes it is
a “We Company”, rather than a “Me Company”. Two ways GE “We Company”
culture empowers employees to be successful is through fostering their wellbeing and encouraging employee input into sustainability activities.
To foster employee well-being, the company’s “HealthAhead” program provides
GE employees and their families tools and resources to live a healthy lifestyle. A
big part of HealthAhead is a comprehensive certification program that rewards
excellence in work site health by evaluating the company’s sites on eight critical
elements: Site Leadership & Wellness Teams, Education & Prevention (e.g.
employees and their families are made aware of the recommended medical
screening tests for their age and risk groups, and they are educated about how
to prevent chronic diseases), Nutrition (e.g. cafeterias and vending machines are
required to carry healthy foods so employees can make better choices), Physical
Activity, Tobacco, Stress Management, Health-Related Absence, and Health
Risk Questionnaire. The company has a target that all large established GE sites
(100+ employees) be “HealthAhead certified” and plans to launch and roll out
a program for small sites. They are also developing a company-wide healthyweight initiative and are piloting targeted programs for employees with at-risk
conditions.
GE uses its “Ecomagination” program to engage employees in environmental
sustainability initiatives. The “Ecomagination” program encourages employees
to come up with sustainable solutions for challenges faced at work. If a site and
its staff are committed to reducing GE’s carbon footprint, and energy and water
use it can become an Ecomagination Nation. The eighteen sites that met the
established Ecomagination Nation criteria had a savings of $2.3 million in 2012
as a result of sustainability programs. GE also uses gaming techniques to promote sustainability among employees
and developed the Eco-Treasure Hunts program to make sustainability fun.
The program enables employees to compete with one another in a scavenger
hunt in which teams square off to see who can identify the most energy-saving
opportunities at a specific GE site. GE has conducted 200 treasure hunts across
their business units and found a total of $150 million in energy savings.
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
8. Employee Engagement
In support of growing diversity and inclusiveness at the company, GE’s Affinity
Networks and Employee Groups help employees realize their potential by
giving them a supportive community where they can develop crucial skills
and establish a network of resources that help them succeed. These networks
include the African American Forum (AAF), the Asian Pacific American Forum
(APAF), the Hispanic Forum, the Veterans Network, the Women’s Network,
and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Allies Alliance (GLBTA). Each
is sponsored by corporate executives who provide leadership, vision and
resources to support the group’s efforts.
The Corporate Diversity Council (CDC) was established as a way to engage the
most senior business and functional leaders across the company. Co-chaired
by Chair and CEO Jeff Immelt and Chief Diversity Officer Deborah Elam, the
CDC comprises over 20 senior executive leaders from various businesses and
functions as well as Affinity Network leaders. The CDC meets three times a year
to discuss diversity strategies and ideas, review primary initiatives and monitor
progress. The CDC also takes a “deep-dive” into business diversity initiatives,
challenges and opportunities. Through discussions in these meetings, the CDC
leverages the GE Affinity Networks to support and accelerate key company
initiatives.
References
•http://www.gecitizenship.com/focus-areas/people/
empowering-employees-to-be-successful/
•https://www.ge.com/about-us/ecomagination
• http://www.ge.com/globalimpact/ecomagination.html#!report=next-gen-locomotive
• http://www.ge.com/healthahead/files/healthahead_overview.pdf
•http://www.healthymagination.com/projects/
•http://sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/jul2012/
engaging-employees-sustainability-20
•http://www.gecitizenship.com/focus-areas/people/
empowering-employees-to-be-successful/
• http://www.ge.com/healthahead/files/first_sites.pdf
•http://ehsjournal.org/http:/ehsjournal.org/rachel-becker/
healthahead-ge-employee-wellness-program/2010/
•http://www.gecitizenship.com/focus-areas/people/
empowering-employees-to-be-successful/
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
9. Inclusive Business
Expand opportunities for all
populations as employees, suppliers,
distributors and customers.
Assiniboine Credit Union pursues
Inclusive Business objectives
Assiniboine Credit Union (ACU), a financial institution based in Winnipeg with
nearly 600 employees, over 100,000 customers (members) and over $3 billion
in assets, has a mission to provide financial services for the betterment of their
customers (members), employees and communities. Their vision is of a “world
where financial services in local communities contribute to a sustainable future
for all”. As part of their mission, they look for opportunities to provide financial
services that make a difference in the lives of people and communities not well
served by mainstream financial institutions. They also build partnerships and
invest financial and non-financial resources to foster self-reliant, sustainable
communities.
They pursue their inclusive objectives through community hiring, financial
inclusion, ‘social impact’ financial services and social purchasing, expanding
opportunities for people facing economic barriers as employees, customers and
suppliers.
With a focus on community hiring, ACU’s “Diversity and Inclusion Vision” is to be
an inclusive workplace with a diverse workforce that mirrors the communities
they serve. To move this vision forward they established a steering committee
of senior leaders and managers to lead their Diversity and Inclusion vision and
strategy. They conduct regular workplace surveys to measure their progress
and partner with community organizations and schools to provide training
and employment for people facing barriers to employment. The following table
summarizes their diversity and inclusion progress as of 2012:
Group
% of community
% of ACU employees
Aboriginal People
10.0%
9.2%
People of Colour
16.0%
20.0%
6.4%
7.3%
People with DisAbilities
With a commitment to financial inclusion, the credit union also sets goals to
increase access to affordable financial services for people living in poverty. ACU
works with community partners to open accounts for unbanked and underbanked citizens and partners with SEED Winnipeg to help families living on
low income open Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) to save for their
children’s post-secondary education. They also offer special Matched Savings
Accounts for participants of poverty-reducing asset building programs offered
by members of the Winnipeg AssetBuilders Partnership. ACU employees are
also engaged: the employee-led United Way Campaign raised over $95,000 for
asset building programs in 2012.
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
9. Inclusive Business
The credit union pursues strategies to grow the value of ‘social impact’ financial
services benefitting underserved neighbourhoods, organizations, communities
and households. In 2012 they opened an inner city branch, and created the
Community Financial Centre to better serve non-profits, co-operatives and
social enterprises and to deliver special micro-credit programs. With SEED
Winnipeg they launched the “Recognition Counts! Loans for Skilled Immigrants
Program” to support skilled immigrants living on low income to pursue
certification, upgrading or training so they can gain employment in their field
here in Canada.
In 2012 ACU reports 461 unbanked/under-banked individuals who opened
accounts through community partnerships, 268 new RESPs opened for lowIncome families, and 686 Asset Building Program participants who used
ACU’s Matched Savings Account to save. As well, in 2012 the credit union
approved $4.3M in new financing for affordable housing, $6.2M in financing for
community facilities and $.2M in micro-credit financing for business start-ups
and expansion. By the end of 2012 they had nearly $45M invested in community
finance loans.
Assiniboine also includes inclusive objectives in its procurement program.
In 2012 they sourced over $350,000 in goods and services from inner-city
businesses, co-operatives, fair-trade suppliers and social enterprises. For
example, they hired Inner City Renovations, a social enterprise which hires inner
city low-income residents for construction projects, to renovate their new inner
city branch.
References
• http://annualreport.assiniboine.mb.ca/files/ACU%20
-%202012%20Highlights%20Brochure.pdf
• http://annualreport.assiniboine.mb.ca/Non-financials_
Communities.html#Investingforimpact
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
10. Closed-Loop
Implement closed-loop production and
advance a closed-loop economy.
Puma InCycle collection and Bring
Me Back closed loop initiatives
In March 2013, Puma launched the InCycle collection which offers apparel,
footwear and accessories that are 100% C2C (Cradle to Cradle) certified. All
items in the InCycle collection are closed-loop and are either part of the
‘Biological Cycle’, which means materials that are biodegradable/compostable,
or the ‘Technical Cycle’, which refers to materials, such as textiles and plastics
that are recyclable. To educate consumers and facilitate the process InCycle
items have special identification labels.
PUMA encourages individuals to return the items at the end of their lifecycle
under the Bring Me Back Program. To facilitate this program Puma has installed
recycling bins in stores worldwide, which can be used to return used shoes,
clothing and accessories of any brand. The “Bring Me Back” program is run in
conjunction with global recycling company I:CO.
The InCycle initiative was stated after Puma did its 2010 Environmental Profit
and Loss statement and found that 57% of the company’s footprint comes
from the raw materials that go into its products, such as leather, cotton and
rubber. As a result the company aimed at increasing the number of products
made of more sustainable materials. InCycle uses biodegradable polymers,
recycled polyester and organic cotton in order to eliminate pesticides and other
hazardous chemicals.
The biodegradable products of the InCycle line, such as shirts, can be broken
down by microorganisms into biological nutrients. As a result, the biodegradable
clothing items in the InCycle line have a third lower environmental footprint than
conventional products.
PUMA’s recyclable InCycle products, such as a Track Jacket and a Backpack,
have been created using a single material to ensure they are fully recyclable. For
example the PUMA Backpack is made of polypropylene and will be returned to
the original manufacturer in China, who will then produce new backpacks from
the recycled material.
According to Puma CEO Franz Koch, “We feel that we are responsible for the
environmental impact our products cause and this innovative concept in
sustainability is a first step towards our long-term vision of using innovative
materials and design concepts for PUMA products that can be recycled in
technical processes or composted in biological cycles.”
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
10. Closed-Loop
Source (http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/waste_not/puma-introduces-c2ccertified-recyclable-track-jacket-backpack-part-incycle)
References
•http://www.puma.com/bringmeback
•http://about.puma.com/puma-introduces-biodegradable-and-recyclable-products/
•http://www.greenwisebusiness.co.uk/news/puma-launchesfirst-closedloop-collection-of-products-3795.aspx
•http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/waste_not/pumaintroduces-c2c-certified-recyclable-track-jacket-backpack-part-incycle
•http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/puma-launches-incyclethe-brands-first-cradle-to-cradle-certifiedcm-basic-collection-ofbiodegradable-and-recyclable-products-190798571.html
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
11. Resource Productivity
Achieve a major improvement in
the use of resources and materials
and become a zero carbon company
with respect to energy use.
Sony’s adoption of the Road to Zero plan
Sony, a multi-national Japanese electronics company, has adopted the Road
to Zero, a global environmental plan setting the company’s course to achieve
a zero environmental footprint throughout the life cycle of its products and
business activities by 2050.
The Road to Zero pursues a series of medium term goals based on four
environmental perspectives and six life cycle stages. The four environmental
perspectives are curbing climate change, conserving resources, promoting
biodiversity and controlling chemical substances. The six product life cycle
stages include: research and development, product planning and design,
procurement, operations, logistics, and take-back and recycling.
In each of the environmental perspectives areas Sony has set a 2015 target.
Highlights of the 2015 targets include:
• 30 % reduction in annual energy consumption of products (compared to 2008
levels);
• 10 % reduction in product mass (compared to 2008 levels);
• 30 % reduction in water consumption (compared to 2000); and
• 50 % reduction in waste generation (compared to 2000).
Commenting on the company’s zero carbon plan, Sony’s chairman and chief
executive officer, Sir Howard Stringer said: “From the development of new
materials and energy-efficient technologies, to the introduction of better
processes in manufacturing and production we will work aggressively to
meet the ambitious targets we are setting for ourselves and, at the same time,
establish a model for others in our industries to follow.”
As of its 2012 Fiscal Year Sony had exceeded many of its targets. The use of
these medium term goals will help Sony reach its 2050 goals which include
zero emissions of greenhouse gases and eliminating the use of valuable virgin
resources such as oil and copper.
The company’s chair and CEO comments further: “We believe it is impossible for
business to flourish in a degraded environment. We are committed to using our
technological ability and know-how to reduce our impact on the planet, and to
help our customers reduce their impact at home.”
References
•http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/csr_report/environment/
management/gm2015/index.html#block4
•http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/csr/SonyEnvironment/vision/plan.html
• http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/csr/eco/RoadToZero/gm_en.html
•http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/csr_report/environment/management/gm2015/index4.html
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
12. Value-Chain Influence
Take responsibility for sustainability
outcomes of their value chain, both up
and downstream of their operations,
and across regions and sectors.
BASF Analyzes the Product Life Cycle Along
the Entire Feed and Food Value Chain with
their SET - applied sustainability™ program
BASF is the largest chemical company in the world with a portfolio ranging
from plastics, agricultural products to oil and gas. BASF employs over 100,000
individuals and has customers in over 200 countries. As a result, BASF has an
extensive supply chain with around 30,000 different raw materials purchased
from more than 6,000 suppliers. BASF’s purpose is to “create chemistry for a
sustainable future”, and believes chemistry is a key enabler to help ensure future
generations have sufficient resources.
BASF has implemented multiple programs up and downstream of its operations,
and across regions and sectors. One tool used for its nutrition and health
business is a program called SET – applied sustainability™, which analyzes the
product life cycle along the entire feed and food value chain: from the use of raw
materials through to production and all the way to consumption by the endconsumer and finally disposal.
The SET program takes both a qualitative and quantitative approach to
assessing the value chains of BASF’s products and those of its customers.
A “hot spot perception analysis” is conducted first, which is a qualitative
assessment of sustainability perceptions and concerns of stakeholders (e.g.
external interest groups and end-consumers), such as labour and human
rights, labeling, water use or packaging waste. This identifies improvement
opportunities. A quantitative “eco-efficiency analysis”, based on ISO 14040 and
14044 standards for ecological evaluations, is also conducted. Through these
steps potential areas for optimization along the value chain are identified, such
as evaluation of where the largest water consumption occurs and determining
the optimal reduction in bottle weight. The SET model has been used in 14
running and implemented projects.
SET was used to help a meat production company determine an extensive CO2
footprint for their pork, beef and veal products and identify life cycle changes
that could be made to reduce CO2. These changes included replacing imported
barley with domestic oil-seed rape which requires less fertilizer and new
technologies in the stall to reduce energy consumption. These measures were
visibly successful: A review of the values for pork carried out three years later
showed a reduction of three percent in the annual amount of greenhouse gas
emitted to the earth’s atmosphere.
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
12. Value-Chain Influence
BASF’s comprehensive approach enables whole-chain traceability, resource
optimization, product innovation, and third party verification of customer
eco-claims. This positions BASF customers to achieve product differentiation
and competitive advantage – contributing to the chemical company’s value
proposition in the marketplace.
References
•http://www.basf.com/group/corporate/en/sustainability/global-compact/blueprint
•http://www.set.basf.com/web/global/set-initiative/en_GB/
•http://info.greenbiz.com/03192013BASFWebcast-RecordedLP.html
•http://www.newtrition.basf.com/web/global/newtrition/en_GB/
function/conversions:/publish/content/microsites/newtrition/
news_media/media/SET_Image_brochure_SET_120701.pdf
•http://www.set.basf.com/web/global/set-initiative/en_GB/set_in_practice/index
•http://basfanimalnutrition.com/en/news_2013_09_01.php
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
13. Stakeholder
Accountability and
Transparency
Actively engage and are accountable
to all stakeholders, disclosing
their sustainability performance,
impacts and dependencies.
SC Johnson What’s Inside Initiative
In 2009 SC Johnson, an American cleaning supply company, launched a “What’s
Inside” initiative and website to inform consumers of the ingredients in their
household products. The “What’s Inside” disclosure initiative increases product
transparency and stakeholder accountability by making information about
product ingredients easy to find and understand. This program goes beyond
industry standards set by the household products industry “right-to-know”
initiative.
The SC Johnson “What’s Inside” initiative lists all products ingredients,
including dyes, preservatives and fragrance ingredients. All ingredients are
defined and a plain language explanation of their purpose in the product
is included. In addition, the What’s Inside” initiative focuses on ingredient
names that are meaningful to consumers, using the personal care industry’s
International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) names and those in
the Consumer Specialty Products Association’s Consumer Product Ingredients
Dictionary. More comprehensive ingredient information, including toxicity
and health effects, can be found on the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
available for each product as well as links to websites that provides additional
information on the ingredient.
To ensure effective ingredient communication, the majority of product
information in North America is available in English, Spanish and French. In
addition, to ensure equal access information the company provides ingredient
product information over their Toll-free Consumer Products Helpline and
ingredient list on product labels.
SC Johnson is working
toward continuous
improvement of the
“What’s Inside” initiative
through increasing
product disclosure. An
example of this is in 2012,
SC Johnson published a
full list of the fragrance
ingredients that may be
used in their products.
Source: http://www.scjohnson.com/en/commitment/
focus-on/greener-products/sharing.aspx
References
•http://www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com/
•http://www.scjohnson.com/en/commitment/focus-on/greener-products/sharing.aspx
•https://www.scjohnson.com/en/products/monty.aspx
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
14. Customer Engagement
Enable customers to make informed
choices, reduce their lifestyle impacts
and make a positive difference through
education, engagement and innovative
products and business models.
B&Q “One Planet Home” program engages
customers on sustainable lifestyles
B&Q is the UK’s largest home improvement retailer, serving 3 million customers
every week. In 2008, B&Q launched the One Planet Home program, which has
two aspects – Our Home and Your Home. The “Your Home” component of the
One Planet Home Program aims to make it easy and affordable for customers to
reduce their environmental impacts and create a sustainable home. Through the
program B&Q offers a range of One Planet Home products as well as supportive
mechanisms to make it easier for customers to choose a sustainable lifestyle.
The B&Q’s One Planet Home range consists of almost 4,000 products which
have to perform well in one of the following six areas in order to be accredited as
One Planet Home: Save Energy, Save Water, Recycle and Reuse, Grow your Own
(e.g. vegetable seeds), Healthy Homes (e.g. minimal VOC paint), and Conserve
Nature (e.g. nest boxes). This program has led to high sales of insulation and
light bulbs as customers look for low-cost energy-saving solutions. For example
the sales of One Planet Home light bulbs increase by 75% in 2012.
In 2012 B&Q launched the B&Q Energy Saving brand, offering home energy
efficient tips, advice, and product installation services. Energy Saving Shops
were opened in four stores to sell products and services with specialized teams
to provide customer advice. Bruce Marsh, Managing Director, B&Q Energy
Saving has said: “We’re excited to see the results of our energy centre trial as we
make energy saving easier and more affordable for homeowners. We’ve been
working with experts in energy efficiency and we’re invested in new products,
services and training to ensure that B&Q is the best place to come for energy
saving advice”. To support this program B&Q bought and retrofitted a home as a
demonstration centre.
To provide in store advice on One Planet Home products, from 2010 to 2012,
B&Q had an Eco Advisor in each store. The advisors provided information
to customers about how to reduce the impacts of their home or do DIY the
greener way. In 2013 the Eco Advisor program was discontinued because rather
than training one individual per store B&Q now focuses on training all staff on
relevant issues and encouraging all staff to share their ideas and experiences
in creating a sustainable home. As well, B&Q is trialling One Planet Home
messaging throughout stores in an attempt to increase sustainable product
purchasing and including references to the program in all company brochures.
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
14. Customer Engagement
According to Martyn Phillips, the CEO of B&Q, “The One Planet Home program
has driven our business to a position of leadership in sustainability within the
home enhancement sector. It has driven significant cost savings, lowered our
environmental impacts and helped millions of customers get greener, cheaper,
healthier homes. ”
References
• http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/templates/content_lookup.jsp?content=/
content/marketing/one_planet_home/index.jsp&menu=eco
•http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/corporate/pdfs/bq_action%20Plan.pdf
• http://www.bioregional.com/files/media/image/publications/B&Q%20
One%20Planet%20Home%202012-13%20Report.pdf
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
15. Industry Standards
Collaborate within their industry
– including with competitors – as
well as across sectors to encourage
systematic industrial change.
Coca Cola Company, Unilever and
McDonald’s - Refrigerants, Naturally!
Refrigerants, Naturally! is a voluntary global initiative committed to combating
climate change and ozone layer depletion by substituting fluorinated gases,
such as CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs, with natural refrigerants. Natural refrigerants
are substances, such as hydrocarbons (iso-butane), CO2, ammonia, water and
air, which do not deplete the ozone layer and have negligible climate impacts.
Refrigerants, Naturally! promotes a shift in point-of-sale cooling technology,
such as freezers and vending machines, towards refrigeration technologies that
are safe, environmentally sustainable and cost effective.
The Coca Cola Company, Unilever and McDonald’s launched the collaboration
in 2004, committing to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by voluntarily
transitioning to natural refrigerants and improving the energy efficiency of their
refrigeration equipment. The initiative serves as a forum to collect intelligence
and share information on HFC-free technologies and public policy trends, a
“safe haven” to manage the institutional and NGO dialogue in an open and
non-confrontational way, a practical tool and critical mass to collectively
communicate with the supply chain and to take position in the public domain
(with legislators, with pro-HFC lobby, etc.), and a powerful alliance that can
show case the member’s achievements to a wide audience.
To ensure transparency each member is required to develop timetables to
move their operation towards natural refrigerants and share their progress. In
addition, member companies are required to make a substantial investment to
progressively replace fluorocarbons with natural refrigerants. For example, The
Coca-Cola Company has distributed 800,000 units using natural refrigerants
and is committed to buy only HFC-free equipment from 2015. By replacing HFCs
with natural refrigerants, member companies have phased out more than 1
million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
References
•http://www.refrigerantsnaturally.com/
•http://www.refrigerantsnaturally.com/about-us/members.htm
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
16.Multi-Stakeholder
Collaboration
Lead and participate in multi-stakeholder
collaborations to address and overcome
systemic barriers and challenges.
IKEA & The Better Cotton Initiative
Swedish retailer IKEA is the founding member of the Better Cotton
Initiative (BCI). The BCI is a multi-stakeholder organization committed
to reducing the environmental impacts of cotton production, improving
the livelihoods of individuals in cotton producing areas, and creating
a demand for sustainability produced cotton. The goal of the BCI is
to transform mainstream cotton production and support all cotton supply
chain actors, from producers to retailers. Multi-stakeholder partners include
cotton producers, retailers and brands, suppliers and manufacturers (ginners,
traders, spinners, mills, cut and sew, and financial institutions), and social
and environmental civil society organizations such as WWF and International
Labour Rights Forum. The program has provided training on sustainable cotton
farming practices to over 100,000 farmers in India, Pakistan, China and Turkey.
The BCI estimates that the cotton farming techniques it teaches can use 50
percent less water and pesticides than traditional practices. The program also
involves NGOs, such as UNICEF, to ensure that funding is in place for programs
that encourage children to attend school rather than working on cotton farms.
These supporting programs are important because one of the BCI criteria is the
elimination of child labour from the cotton supply chain. The BCI’s membership
base includes some of the leading cotton consuming corporations from around
the world including Nike, H&M, Wal-Mart and Levi Strauss. In addition to
supporting the BCI, individual companies can set their own targets. For example,
IKEA has committed itself to using 100 percent BCI sustainable cotton by 2015.
References
•http://bettercotton.org/
•http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/our_responsibility/cotton/index.html
•http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/34464-IKEA-ProducesSustainable-Cotton-Through-Its-Better-Cotton-Practices
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
17. Finance Community
Engage the financial community, including
investor shareholders, bankers, insurers
and accountants, on the opportunities and
benefits of sustainable business models.
Puma Pioneers the first Environmental
Profit and Loss (EP&L) Statement
Sports apparel brand Puma pioneered and released their first Environmental
Profit and Loss Statement (EP&L) in 2011. Puma’s EP&L, developed in partnership
with PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Trucost, is an effort to transparently calculate
the cost of its actions on the environment across the entire supply chain,
following the traditional Profit and Loss Statement (P&L) approach.
The EP&L calculates the monetary cost of environmental impacts such as
emissions, water consumption, waste, and impacts of land-use using recognized
ecological and economic measuring techniques. The EP&L also assesses
the value of the social and environmental benefits generated by the company
including the creation of jobs, tax contributions and business growth.
The EP&L reveals that the company’s brand wide environmental impact was EUR
145 million (EUR 94 million for GHG emissions and water consumption and EUR
51 million from land use, air pollution and waste). By valuing its impact on natural
capital, Puma is able to prioritize hot spots to address in its business strategy.
The EP&L helps locate specific supply chain and regional impacts. For example,
the EP&L report identified that the majority of Puma’s waste was generated in the
Asia Pacific region. Although these costs have no impact on the company’s actual
net earnings they help pinpoint areas to tackle in coming years in anticipation of
regulatory, supply chain and resource pressures.
Puma’s revolutionary approach with the EP&L is aimed at changing how
companies treat accounting practices and increasing the sustainability
performance metrics available to investors and customers.
Puma Executive Chairman Jochen Zeitz says “I sincerely hope that the Puma
EP&L and its results will open eyes in the corporate world and make the point
that the current economic model…must be radically changed. A new business
paradigm is necessary and a transformation of corporate reporting will be central
to this – one that works WITH nature and not AGAINST it.”
Puma’s approach to the EP&L is set to be adopted by Puma’s parent company,
PPR, across its entire brand portfolio which includes luxury fashion brands such
as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta.
References
•http://sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/articles/puma-completesfirst-ever-environmental-accounting-brand-wide-impact-eur-145
•http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/best-practiceexchange/puma-impact-environment-counting-cost
• http://about.puma.com/wp-content/themes/aboutPUMA_
theme/media/pdf/2011/en/epl1116.pdf
• http://about.puma.com/puma-completes-first-environmental-profitand-loss-account-which-values-impacts-at-e-145-million/
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
18. Public Engagement
Promote sustainability and
sustainable lifestyles to the public.
Marks & Spencer sets target to engage three
million people on personal sustainability
Marks and Spencer is a major British multinational retailer with over 700 stores
in the United Kingdom and 361 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It
specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products. Marks and
Spencer’s launched Plan A in January 2007 and set out 100 commitments to
be achieved by 2012. In 2010, Plan A was extended to include 180 commitments
to be achieved by 2015, with the ultimate goal of becoming the world’s most
sustainable major retailer. Through Plan A Marks and Spencer’s is working with
customers, the public, and suppliers to combat climate change, reduce waste,
use sustainable raw materials, and trade ethically. According to Marks and
Spencer’s, “We’re doing this because it’s what you want us to do. It’s also the
right thing to do. We’re calling it Plan A because we believe it’s now the only way
to do business. There is no Plan B.”
During the first five years, 5 million people took part in Plan A activities which
range from online pledges, to participating in river clean-ups, to supporting the
Prince of Wales’s START sustainability project. For example, in June 2011, as
part of Plan A Marks and Spencer’s launched Forever Fish, using the profits from
sales of food carrier bags to help people learn more about fish and supporting
marine conservation activities. By 2014, Marks and Spencer’s aims to show
400,000 primary school children just how important it is to protect the earth’s
fish species.
In addition to these sustainability education and activities, Marks and Spencer’s
has a dedicated Plan A website broken into two streams, “What we’re doing”
which focuses on internal Marks & Spencer’s programs, and “What you can do”
which focuses on public engagement. “What you can do” includes information
on recycling, sustainable purchasing, and measuring an individual’s carbon
footprint. In addition, as part of their “What you can do” program on their Plan A
website Marks and Spencer’s encourages the public to commit to Fair partner
pledges. Pledges fall under seven different categories ranging from difficult to
hard and include such actions as investing ethically, growing your own compost,
washing your clothes on cold, and buying Fairtrade coffee. Once individuals
are registered, Marks and Spencer will track their pledges and send reminder
emails to reaffirm pledges. Marks and Spencer’s aims to help one million people
develop personal sustainability goals through the website by 2015 and three
million by 2020.
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
18. Public Engagement
This commitment is behind the CEO’s belief that “Driving business efficiency
will continue to be important but over the next few years, everyone involved in
consumer products will have to respond to the growing demand for resources
from a global population that reached seven billion last year and is projected to
exceed eight billion sometime after 2020.” This underlies Marks and Spencer’s
effort to promote sustainability and sustainable lifestyles to the public.
References
•http://plana.marksandspencer.com/about
•http://plana.marksandspencer.com/media/pdf/ms_hdwb_2012.pdf
•http://plana.marksandspencer.com/you-can-do
•http://plana.marksandspencer.com/you-can-do/fair-partner
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
19. Public Policy
Advocacy
Advocate for public policy that
advances sustainability.
Nike, Starbucks, Levi Strauss, and Timberland
found business climate change advocacy coalition
BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy) is an American coalition
of businesses committed to working with Congress and other policy makers
to pass energy and climate legislation. Nike, Starbucks, Levi Strauss, and
Timberland founded the advocacy coalition in 2008. BICEP’s overall goal is to
encourage the creation of government policies that will reduce US greenhouse
gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, with an interim goal of
at least 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. BICEP is coordinated by the
sustainable business leadership organization Ceres, and founded on the belief
that “the energy and climate challenges facing the United States present vast
opportunities, along with urgent risks, for U.S. businesses”. In addition, BICEP
believes that a transition to a low-carbon economy will create new jobs and
stimulate economic growth while stabilizing the climate.
The BICEP recognizes the multiple paths to accomplishing this goal and
therefore stands behind the following principles in the development of U.S.
energy and climate policy:
1.Promote Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
2.Increase Investment in a Clean Energy Economy
3.Support Climate Change Adaptation, Technology Transfer and Forest
Preservation
Currently, 24 companies are members of BICEP ranging from outdoor recreation
areas to food manufactures.
According to Hannah Jones, VP Sustainable Business & Innovation at Nike,
BICEP is important because, “For the type of scale the world needs to see,
we need not only the business leaders to do what they do best – investing in
innovation and shaping market forces – we need government to play a crucial
role in creating policies, legislation and regulation that will enable the scaling of
transformative change.”
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TRANSFORMATIONAL COMPANY
CASE STUDIES
19. Public Policy
Advocacy
A major advocacy effort of BICEP working with Ceres is the “Climate
Declaration” campaign which calls on U.S. policymakers to capture the
American economic opportunity of addressing climate change. As of June 2013
there were over 600 signatories and BICEP continues to encourage Businesses
and individuals to sign the Declaration. By signing the Climate Declaration,
these business leaders assert that “Tackling climate change is one of America’s
greatest economic opportunities of the 21st century … We cannot risk our kids’
futures on the false hope that the vast majority of scientists are wrong … There
must be a coordinated effort to combat climate change—with America taking
the lead here at home.” This campaign supports the BICEP assertion that “Only
the market certainty provided by clear policies will spur development of an
efficient clean energy economy at the necessary scale”.
References
•http://www.ceres.org/bicep
•http://www.ceres.org/bicep/principles
•http://www.ceres.org/bicep/climate-declaration
•http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/04/when-biceps-475000-jobs-talk-congress-listen/
•http://www.ceres.org/press/press-releases/business-leaders-continue-callto-action-on-u.s.-climate-policy-by-signing-the-climate-declaration
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