New Metrics

The new and evolving metrics that are helping expand the way businesses create, quantify, manage and report their impacts – and the value they deliver

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New Metrics
How to Make (Sustainability) Data Work for You
How to Make (Sustainability) Data Work for You
Published on July 22, 2014
About a 5 minute read

In the business world we are inundated with data on a daily basis: from bill of materials, formulations, and purchasing records to customer transactions, production volumes and utility bills. The amount of data available for use within organizations ... View More

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The Sudden Materiality Shock
The Sudden Materiality Shock
Published on July 16, 2014
About a 7 minute read

This is the first in a four-part series by Ralph Thurm and Nick De Ruiter examining Sustainability Context.Spring 2014 seems to be the moment in time where Materiality suddenly appeared on the screen of corporate sustainability reporters. At least on... View More

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New Metrics
Natural Capital Protocol Will Demystify Business Value of Nature
Natural Capital Protocol Will Demystify Business Value of Nature
Published on July 10, 2014
About a 3 minute read

The Natural Capital Coalition (NCC) announced this week its selection of two consortia to develop what will be known as the Natural Capital Protocol. ... View More

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SABMiller Aims to Help the World ‘Prosper’ with New 2020 Goals
SABMiller Aims to Help the World ‘Prosper’ with New 2020 Goals
Published on July 9, 2014
About a 3 minute read

SABMiller has set new 2020 targets for its sustainable development programs. The new program, called Prosper, focuses on supporting the role small businesses play in generating economic growth and reducing poverty around the world. The world’s seco... View More

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GE Generates $28 Billion from Sustainability R&D
GE Generates $28 Billion from Sustainability R&D
Published on July 2, 2014
About a 2 minute read

GE invested more than $2 billion in research and development for ecomagination and healthymagination innovations in 2013, with ecomagination offerings generating $28 billion in revenue, according to the company’s new sustainability report. ... View More

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CDP: US Utilities Now Pricing Carbon as Part of Core Business Strategy
CDP: US Utilities Now Pricing Carbon as Part of Core Business Strategy
Published on June 27, 2014
About a 3 minute read

In response to increasing recognition of climate risk, CDP has released a new white paper containing fresh insights into how a price on carbon pollution might benefit companies and the US economy as a whole. Contributors include American Electric Pow... View More

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How a Life Cycle-Driven Business Model Can Increase Sustainable Impact
How a Life Cycle-Driven Business Model Can Increase Sustainable Impact
Published on June 26, 2014
About a 4 minute read

There are now a rash of sustainable business models — sharing economy, eco-design, circular economy and many others — all with their good points and their fifteen minutes of fame. Even if companies have good products and a thorough understanding ... View More

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AT&T Saves $191 Million from Energy-Efficiency Projects in 4 Years
AT&T Saves $191 Million from Energy-Efficiency Projects in 4 Years
Published on June 25, 2014
About a 2 minute read

AT&T has realized annualized energy savings of more than $191 million from 18,800 energy efficiency projects implemented since 2010, according to the company’s recent Annual Update, released Tuesday.Besides energy efficiency, other highlights f... View More

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Ford Cuts Water Use 30% Two Years Ahead of Schedule
Ford Cuts Water Use 30% Two Years Ahead of Schedule
Published on June 19, 2014
About a 3 minute read

Ford has reached its goal to cut the amount of water used to make each vehicle by 30 percent worldwide two years ahead of schedule, according to the company’s 2013-2014 Sustainability Report.Ford says it is furthering its commitment to aggressively... View More

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MillerCoors Reduces Water Usage by 9.1%, Energy Usage 15.6%
MillerCoors Reduces Water Usage by 9.1%, Energy Usage 15.6%
Published on June 12, 2014
About a 2 minute read

MillerCoors now uses an average of 3.48 barrels of water to brew one barrel of beer, a 9.1 percent decrease from 2012, according to the brewer’s latest sustainability report. For comparison, some U.S. breweries use more than 6 barrels of water to p... View More

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#SB14sd: Can Social Impact Help You Grow Your Brand? Use the Social Value Index™ to Know Before You Invest.
#SB14sd: Can Social Impact Help You Grow Your Brand? Use the Social Value Index™ to Know Before You Invest.
Published on June 4, 2014
About a 2 minute read

It’s the same old story: Consumers say they care about social impact but their behavior just doesn’t match their statements. So marketers and brand managers have rightfully begun to doubt this claim. Why does this happen? Because the traditional... View More

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#SB14sd: PRé Offering Free Sustainability Metrics Assessments for Innovative, Sustainable Startups
#SB14sd: PRé Offering Free Sustainability Metrics Assessments for Innovative, Sustainable Startups
Published on June 3, 2014
About a 3 minute read

PRé has long been the metrics solutions partner for first-movers in a variety of industries aiming to create business value from sustainable products. Perhaps best known for its industry-standard SimaPro LCA software, PRé profoundly believes in the... View More

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How Postmodernism Can Help Your Company’s Sustainability Metrics. Really.
How Postmodernism Can Help Your Company’s Sustainability Metrics. Really.
Published on June 2, 2014
About a 8 minute read

Resources for grappling when “all perspectives seem true,” and long-established categories are crumblingIn 10 earlier parts of this series, we discussed 20 pitfalls in the sustainable business metrics field. (Find the first 7 articles here and th... View More

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New Metrics
Materiality and Integrated Reporting: A Context-Based Perspective (Part 2 of 2)
Materiality and Integrated Reporting: A Context-Based Perspective (Part 2 of 2)
Published on May 30, 2014
About a 6 minute read

In part 1, the Center for Sustainable Organizations’ Mark McElroy provided a refresher on the thinking behind context-based sustainability (CBS) and materiality. Here, he elaborates on ways companies can define and use materiality for themselves.Th... View More

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Materiality and Integrated Reporting: A Context-Based Perspective (Part 1)
Materiality and Integrated Reporting: A Context-Based Perspective (Part 1)
Published on May 29, 2014
About a 5 minute read

With all of the airtime being given to materiality and integrated reporting these days, I am increasingly asked to explain what the context-based sustainability (CBS) perspective might be for each. Indeed, the implications of CBS are quite profound o... View More

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EPA Power Plant Carbon Rules Could Drastically Reduce Harmful Air Pollution
EPA Power Plant Carbon Rules Could Drastically Reduce Harmful Air Pollution
Published on May 28, 2014
About a 3 minute read

Setting strong standards for climate-changing carbon emissions from power plants would also result in reductions in more than 750,000 tons of other air pollutants that can make people sick; damage forests, crops, and lakes; and harm fish and wildlife... View More

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Urban Emissions: Autodesk's Emma Stewart on Science-Based GHG Goals for Cities (#SustyGoals 10)
Urban Emissions: Autodesk's Emma Stewart on Science-Based GHG Goals for Cities (#SustyGoals 10)
Published on May 23, 2014
About a 7 minute read

Autodesk helped pioneer the corporate practice of setting science-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals with its open-source methodology, C-FACT, or Corporate Finance Approach to Climate-Stabilizing Targets. The effectiveness of this a... View More

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Big, Science-Based PivotGoals: A Dialogue with Jeff Gowdy (#SustyGoals 9)
Big, Science-Based PivotGoals: A Dialogue with Jeff Gowdy (#SustyGoals 9)
Published on May 21, 2014
About a 7 minute read

In conjunction with the publication of his new book, The Big Pivot, Andrew Winston partnered with sustainability consultant and Vanderbilt University business professor Jeff Gowdy to create the PivotGoals website, a database tracking thousands of cor... View More

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Footprints and Handprints: Harper on Intel's New Science-Based Climate Policy (Part 2)
Footprints and Handprints: Harper on Intel's New Science-Based Climate Policy (Part 2)
Published on May 19, 2014
About a 6 minute read

In this latest installment of the #SustyGoals series, Bill Baue speaks with Stephen Harper, Global Director of Environment and Energy Policy at Intel, about the tech giant’s new science-based climate policy, released last month. In part one of this... View More

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New Metrics
Footprints and Handprints: Stephen Harper on Intel's New Science-Based Climate Policy (Part 1)
Footprints and Handprints: Stephen Harper on Intel's New Science-Based Climate Policy (Part 1)
Published on May 16, 2014
About a 7 minute read

At SB's third annual #NewMetrics Conference last September, the need for next-generation sustainability goals — which measure progress toward real-world goal-lines such as carbon budgets, water tables, and living wages — emerged as a key theme. ... View More

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