The Sustainability Learning Forum

Five things we’ve learnt from Rio+20

Tom Bigg, International Institute for Environment and Development

While the outcomes from Rio +20 may not currently give grounds for much optimism, its value is likely to be in longer-term changes in attitudes and understanding. more[...]

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Economy leaders need sustainability standards

Dr. Sahsa Courville, ISEAL Alliance

Sustainability Standards Systems – such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels, or Social Accountability International with its SA 8000 standard – represent the practical, hands-on dimension of the CSR landscape. With consensus-based voluntary standards defined through global multistakeholder processes, and with enterprise compliance assessed through independent third-party certification, these market-based tools provide clear pathways for producers to improve sustainability practices. more[...] login_required

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Eco-labels: Signed, Sealed… Delivered?

Mark Lee, SustainAbility
Patrin Watanatada, SustainAbility

Today’s supply chains span the globe. While a century ago we might have known where, how, and who produced the things we consume, today we rely on what we are told. And how can we be sure that what we are told can be trusted? Enter the eco-label: the independently verified, on-pack label that tells the consumer how a product was produced (think Fairtrade or organic) or how it might be consumed (think nutritional labels or Energy Star) in a more sustainable way. It is a powerful idea that combines sustainability standards-setting and branding, underpinned by the credibility of an independent body. more[...] login_required

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The First Global Consumer Label for Companies Using Wind Energy

Dr. Sahsa Courville, ISEAL Alliance

In 2010 Vestas decided to embark upon a challenging journey: to build a global partnership and create an organization that would produce the world’s first consumer label for wind energy. WindMade™ was created to drive the global adoption of wind energy by convincing the world’s largest consumer brands to put a renewable energy label on their products. This label would inform consumers about the source of energy used to make the product, thereby empowering them to consciously choose products originating from a clean source of energy. more[...] login_required

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Institutional Challenges for a Green Economy

Prof. Dr. Adil Najam, Lahore University of Management Sciences - LUMS
Dr Henrik Selin, Boston University

What if the world could actualize its finest visions of a “green economy”? What sorts of institutions would we need to manage it? What sorts of institutional innovations will lead us to such a destination? Those are some of the questions that should be at the forefront of our thinking as we think about what Rio+20 can achieve. more[...] login_required

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The Social Enterprise World Forum

NESst

The Social Enterprise World Forum - Fórum Mundial de Negócios Sociais is the premiere global event focused on building a social enterprise movement worldwide. more[...] login_required

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Corporate Social Responsibility: Stragegies to Create Business and Social Value

Harvard Business School

Corporate Social Responsibility explores the challenges and opportunities of current CSR models, as well as the next generation of issues that business practitioners will face. New frameworks and concepts will help you sharpen your program's focus and integrate social responsibility throughout operations in order to position your firm for higher levels of success. more[...] login_required

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Sustainable Brands Conference 2013

Sustainable Life Media, Inc.

Sustainable Brands is an international community of learning and action focused on understanding and leveraging the role of brands in shaping a flourishing future. The Sustainable Brands Conference is ground zero for sustainability, brand and innovation professionals who come together from around the world to be inspired, engaged and equipped to succeed by building the better brands of tomorrow, while building a network of likeminded colleagues who can help. more[...] login_required

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MiaGreen 5th Edition

Show Winners Corporation

The MiaGreen Expo & Conference, is the only event in the United States providing access to the ever-growing, non-stoppable green, renewable and sustainable markets for ALL the Americas. This annual, business-to-business event is one-of-a-kind and grows bigger and better every year. more[...] login_required

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Green Economy – the Next Oxymoron?

Prof. Ulrich Brand, Vienna University

The concept of a green economy has become the new buzz word in sustainability discourses, particularly in light of the Rio+20 Conference. Because of the current economic crisis and the perception that sustainability politics cannot be implemented efficiently, politicians have set their hopes on greening the economy. However, there are major problems with the aims and strategies linked to this concept. Specifically, if political, economical, and cultural constraints are not consid ered, green economy strategies will not be successful in their goals to end environmental degradation and reducing poverty. more[...] login_required

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A Green Building Inspired by the Future

Editorial Team

The recent Sonae Maia Business Center, located at Sonae's Business Park in Maia (Portugal), is the first building on the Iberian Peninsula to be awarded Leed Gold Certification. Built with the most environmental efficiency advanced technologies existing in the world, this eco-friendly building, with an area of 16.000 m2, allows a considerable reduction of environmental impacts, giving their occupants an indoor environment of excellence, quality and comfort. more[...] login_required

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A Green Building Inspired by the Future

Sonae
Sonae

The recent Sonae Maia Business Center, located at Sonae's Business Park in Maia (Portugal), is the first building on the Iberian Peninsula to be awarded Leed Gold Certification. Built with the most environmental efficiency advanced technologies existing in the world, this eco-friendly building, with an area of 16.000 m2, allows a considerable reduction of environmental impacts, giving their occupants an indoor environment of excellence, quality and comfort. more[...]

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The Future of Cities

Wolfram Haller, Siemens
Siemens

Today more than half the world’s population lives in cities, which emit 80 percent of all greenhouse gases and use 75 percent of energy – figures rising. It is thus with the cities that we must start if we want to manage population growth, increasing energy demand and climate change. Many solutions are already available, including environmentally compatible energy supply, highly efficient building, transportation and water supply systems and affordable financial models. These improve climate protection, increase the security of supply, enhance the quality of life and reduce costs. For world wide success, however, cooperation on a global basis is needed, for example in United Nations programs. more[...] login_required

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The Future of Cities

Wolfram Haller, Siemens

Today more than half the world’s population lives in cities, which emit 80 percent of all greenhouse gases and use 75 percent of energy – figures rising. It is thus with the cities that we must start if we want to manage population growth, increasing energy demand and climate change. Many solutions are already available, including environmentally compatible energy supply, highly efficient building, transportation and water supply systems and affordable financial models. These improve climate protection, increase the security of supply, enhance the quality of life and reduce costs. For world wide success, however, cooperation on a global basis is needed, for example in United Nations programs. more[...]

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Sustainability 2.0 – Looking Beyond the Factory Gates

Volker Hasenberg, PE INTERNATIONAL
Celine Furnanz, PE INTERNATIONAL
Thinkstep

PE INTERNATIONAL is a leading sustainability consulting service and software solution provider. PE embraces sustainability as a strategic issue that will influence future competiveness of business and will enable a business transformation in long-term. PE supported for example PUMA in developping a new sustainable packaging with the help of a Life Cycle Analysis. It also helped NiroSan Multifit to build an eco-efficient production facility. more[...] login_required

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