Exemplary cases of sustainability leadership and intrapreneurship, and the qualities, ethical principles and/or dilemmas inherent within them.
After seven years of working on sustainable business at REI, I am taking some time to reflect and share some of the things I learned. My time at the co-op was a wonderful personal and professional experience, a kind of perfect storm of opportunity: an engaged employee base, a motivated and inspirational leadership, a co-op business model with enthusiastic members all wrapped in a brand and industry position that leveraged $2B in sales well beyond its footprint.
BASF is the first chemical company to achieve gold-level certification for its production site in Tarragona, Spain according to the European Water Stewardship (EWS) standard.
Printing and packaging paper company Monadnock has announced that it has achieved 100 percent carbon-neutral production status and can now offer customers and supply chain partners a third-party verified claim that all of its products are made with certified, clean renewable electricity.
Air New Zealand took home top honors at the 2013 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, recognising sustainable tourism global best practice. the airline won in the Global Tourism Business category against applicants from 46 countries across all seven continents including finalists Abercrombie & Kent in the U.S. and ITC Hotels in India.
As a young professional, I find myself asking some crucial questions every day: How do I develop the leadership qualities to succeed in our modern society, economy and polity? How do I excel in a world of constant change, and what does success mean in this world? How do I accommodate concern for the well-being of others within our profit-oriented society?
A coalition of 30 consumer, health, food safety and fishing groups today launched the Campaign for Genetically Engineered (GE)-Free Seafood by announcing that several major grocery retailers representing more than 2,000 stores across the US have already committed to not sell GE seafood if it is allowed onto the market.
Experts see a world facing greater risks this year than last, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks 2013, its latest annual assessment of global risk, and they rank environmental risks among the likeliest to manifest over the next 10 years.
Amidst the wanton extravagance of the Las Vegas Strip, Caesars Entertainment is making notable strides in reducing its environmental impact. Estimates find that for every $10 million in revenue earned, Caesars produces fewer than 1,300 metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which monetize at less than $28,000 in environment costs (compared to an average 3,800 metric tons for S&P 500 companies, which monetize at over $80,000 in environmental costs).
Fewer than 20 percent of consumers believe business leaders tell the truth when confronted with difficult issues, and they are twice as likely to trust academics, technical experts or even their peers, according to the 2013 Edelman Trust Barometer.This may come as no surprise following several high-profile scandals in 2012 involving CEOs and government officials, including former McKinsey managing partner Rajat Gupta, Chinese government official Bo Xilai and Lance Armstrong, former chairman of the Livestrong Foundation.
Sustainability leaders in large service-based organizations know it is important to promote grassroots leadership to engage employees with their organizations’ sustainability goals and brand promise. What happens when we explore the deepest roots of sustainable practices by letting nature guide us?Applying Biomimicry
Belgium‐based materials technology and recycling company Umicore topped the annual list of sustainable companies produced by Toronto-based investment research firm Corporate Knights. The Global 100 list was unveiled at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week. Natura Cosmeticos, Statoil, Neste Oil and Novo Nordisk rounded out the top five. (Novo Nordisk held the top spot on the 2012 list.)
Business model innovation and collaborative innovation are expected to play larger roles in global performance, particularly in emerging markets, according to the annual "Global Innovation Barometer," published by GE this week.
Ramon Arratia is a sustainability director with 13 years' experience in corporate positions at companies such as Vodafone, Ericsson and, currently, Interface.
2011 has been a rough year for leaders. Popular revolutions toppled dictators in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya; the Occupy movement attacked corporate leaders who led us into recession; Europeans tossed government after government; and Americans watched in horror as their political leaders led the nation to the brink of default. We shook our heads as global summits failed to make any si
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Like most clichés, this one conveys some truth, as do words attributed to ancient Greek poet Hermesianax: “As within, so without.” Those who have endured inner-work fully enough to enjoy the outward results will attest that self-awareness leads to empowerment, which in turn leads to voice. Leadership, expressed thro
Danish pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk was named the most sustainable corporation in the world by Corporate Knights, the Toronto-based media company focused on “clean capitalism.”Corporate Knights’ 2012 Global 100 list includes companies from 22 countries encompassing all sectors of the economy, with collective annual sales in excess of $3.02 trillion, and 5,285,645 million employees.The top ten companies on the list are:
Brand leadership is about creating a connection between the brand and its customers. We can identify three waves through which brand leadership has evolved in relation to sustainability:
Whether you are a business leader or a MapQuest user, knowing where you are and where you want to go is important. But if you’re a leader of a sustainable brand, this is only the beginning. Who you are at your core now counts more than ever.
I did not think about it before sitting down this evening (January 16, 2012), but to write about leadership on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is to feel one’s own limitations.