PRESS RELEASE -
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Shelton Group, the nation’s leading marketing communications firm entirely focused in the sustainability and energy efficiency sectors, announced today that it has added Brooks Clark as Managing Editor of Shelton Insights, the agency’s soon-to-be-launched, web-based news service.
“This is an exciting move for us a company because we’re expanding our service offering and exploring more ways to share our insights,” said Suzanne Shelton, founder and CEO of Shelton Group. “With Brooks’ extensive writing and editing experience, I know he will do a great job in pioneering this initiative.”
PRESS RELEASE -
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Shelton Group, the nation’s leading marketing communications firm entirely focused in the sustainability and energy efficiency sectors, announced today that its latest Utility Pulse study shows that energy-saving habits have declined in the last three years.
The national poll shows decreases in many behaviors, including those listed below:
• Replacing incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient CFLs or LEDs, down 13 percent • Adding sealing, caulking or weatherstripping, down 17 percent
• Purchasing a higher-efficiency/ENERGY STAR qualified appliance, down 6 percent
In addition, the survey found:
• 50 percent of Americans still don’t unplug chargers and un-used appliances • 40 percent don’t use energy-saving thermostat settings
WALKING THE TALK -
Corporate leaders and experts on global warming and climate change policy came together on Earth Day in Sausalito, California for REDD+ Talks, an inaugural event focused on how emissions from deforestation contributes to global warming and how this will affect the business world.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Grocery delivery services such as those provided by Safeway, FreshDirect, Amazon and Google can slash carbon dioxide emissions by 20 to 75 percent compared to individual household trips to the market, according to researchers at the University of Washington.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Mosaic, an online marketplace that connects investors to solar energy projects, is tackling more and more ambitious projects. Recently, it started the Golden State Series, a string of solar investments that will total $100 million. The first project, seeking a investment $153,000 in a solar charity in San Diego, sold out in just six hours.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
A poll conducted among several hospital administrators at the recent CleanMed 2013 Conference found most hospitals are increasing sustainability investments and committing to greener healing environments.
ICT AND BIG DATA -
“Tech giants have the capacity to lead society to cleaner, smarter energy systems, as both Cisco and Google have demonstrated,” announced Greenpeace International Senior IT analyst Gary Cook. The two companies tied for first place in a recent evaluation of the top 21 IT and telecom firms that prioritize energy solutions to climate change as a core aspect of their business model.
PRESS RELEASE -
•Facility will serve Dell team members, promote sustainable gardening and teach healthy eating
•Dell uses tools on Causes.com to ask people to join company in taking action for the planet; campaign could plant up to 30,000 trees with The Conservation Fund
CLEANTECH -
Walmart has released a new set of commitments aimed at increasing energy efficiency and achieving its goal of being supplied 100 percent by renewable energy by 2020.
WALKING THE TALK -
On Monday Unilever announced that since 2008 it has reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in its manufacturing and logistics operations by more than a million tons while also increasing sales by more than a quarter.
CLEANTECH -
United Airlines is commemorating Earth Month by announcing its commitment to save 85 million gallons of fuel this year under the umbrella of its Eco-Skies program. This would lead to a reduction of 828,750 metric tons of CO2 and a savings of $275 million at current fuel prices.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
UK grocery chain Sainsbury’s is now selling farmed fish certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) in what is apparently an industry first, according to The Grocer.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
UK grocery chain The Co-operative has just announced significant reductions in the weight of its private label wine bottles. With the help of its supplier, Kingsland Wines and Spirits, the Co-operative achieved reductions that amounted to a savings of 725 metric tons of glass and 556 metrics tons of CO2. Not only does a major reduction such as this use fewer resources and save energy, the biggest reduction comes from having less weight to transport and therefore dramatically lower fuel costs. By the end of 2013, the Co-operative plans to reduce its packaging weights by a further 15% and increase its carrier bag reduction target to 75%.
PRODUCTS AND DESIGN -
Philips has announced a breakthrough in LED lighting after developing a TLED prototype that produces twice as much light as traditional fluorescent lamps using the same amount of energy.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
As President Obama prepares to unveil his budget for the coming year, 33 multinational companies, including eBay, IKEA, L’Oréal, Nike and Limited Brands, have signed a “Climate Declaration” urging federal policymakers to take action on climate change.
WALKING THE TALK -
On Thursday Pepsi announced it has reached its goal of helping three million people gain access to safe drinking water in Africa, Asia and Latin America two years ahead of schedule and now plans to double its target to helping six million by 2015.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Bacardi Limited has achieved a nearly 50 percent drop in water usage and roughly 33 percent reductions in both energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the last six years, according to its latest corporate responsibility report, released online Wednesday. Reductions were achieved through a combination of conservation measures that included more efficient equipment and greater use of renewable energy sources.The digital report, “Our Spirit is Clear,” embodies Bacardi’s commitment to reduce both its carbon footprint and impact on the earth’s natural resources. The company says the water saved is equivalent to providing a glass of water to every person on the planet.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Swiss chemical company Clariant has released a series of score cards to demonstrate the percentage savings in water and energy consumption, chemical usage, time, GHG emissions and Biological/Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD/COD) ratio attainable with its technology compared to conventional methods.The company says its One Way sustainability toolbox offers textile mills, manufacturers, brands and retailers facts and measurements to help them select products and processes with both ecology and economy in mind.
WASTE NOT -
This article first appeared on edie.net on March 26, 2013.
NEW METRICS -
Three cheers to Bill McKibben and 350.org for raising much-needed awareness through their campaign urging university endowments and pension funds to divest from fossil fuel-producing companies.