Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility

Target Passes Walmart as Top Corporate Solar Customer

October 28, 2016

Target has surpassed perennial champion Walmart as the U.S.'s top corporate user of solar power, according to a new report. Target has installed 147 megawatts of solar capacity on 300 stores, according to the 2016 Solar Means Business Report from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

Retailers Say They Are Increasingly Turning to Sustainable Cotton

October 26, 2016

Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Cotton, the most widely used natural fiber, is considered the world's dirtiest crop because of its heavy use of pesticides - its cultivation accounts for 17.5 percent of global insecticide sales. So in recent years, several apparel and home-goods companies, including Eileen Fisher, Patagonia, and Nike, have used organic cotton, grown by farmers who eschew pesticides and enrich their soil with compost. That's good for the environment but raises another big problem: Organic cotton is too expensive for average shoppers.

Chemical Industry Joins Fight Against Climate Change in Landmark Deal

October 25, 2016

The New York Times

Negotiators from more than 170 countries have reached a legally binding accord to counter climate change by cutting the worldwide use of a powerful planet-warming chemical used in air-conditioners and refrigerators.

Global 500 Companies Report Finding Business Opportunities Resulting From Climate Change

October 24, 2016

Environmental Leader

As corporations look to cut their environmental costs, evaluating total cost of ownership - or the total direct and indirect costs of owning a product or service - may provide a way to achieve greater environmental accountability, better resource management and financial savings, according to a report by the Carbon Disclosure Project.

DB Schenker, Lufthansa Reportedly Halfway to 2020 Emissions Reduction Target

October 21, 2016

Air Cargo World

A five-year plan from Lufthansa Cargo and logistics provider DB Schenker to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is on track to meet its goal of reducing 20,000 tonnes of CO2 output by 2020, both companies say. To date, Lufthansa and Schenker have reduced their CO2 output by more than 10,000 tonnes, combined, under their joint Carbon Reduction Agreement.

Study Shows Profit But Low Priority in Sustainable Supply Chain

October 20, 2016

Industry Today

According to a 2015 World Economic Forum study, organizations can increase revenue up to 20 percent and boost brand value up to 30 percent by investing in supply chain sustainability. But are organizations taking action to realize these benefits? And if so, how?

Seaport Group Pressures IMO to Act on Emissions

October 18, 2016

Maritime Executive

A range of shipping organizations are putting pressure on the International Maritime Organization to act on air emissions ahead of the marine environmental committee meeting (MEPC 70) in late October. The meeting is scheduled to discuss policy measures for the shipping sector in terms of CO2 reduction and whether or not to postpone the global 0.5 percent sulfur cap planned for 2020.

How Social Compliance Can Make or Break a Supply Chain

October 14, 2016

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Global companies today live or die by the effectiveness of their social compliance programs.

UN Agency To Fee Airlines for Cross-Border Flight Pollution

October 13, 2016

The Economist

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a United Nations agency, has announced a framework for mandatory carbon-offsetting on all international flights. The agreement was backed by 65 countries, which between them account for 86.5 percent of international flight operations.

REI's New DC Is 8 Times Faster, Energy Self-Sufficient, Retailer Says

October 12, 2016

RIS News

Outdoor apparel retailer REI has designed its new distribution center to be both energy and workflow efficient. The DC, in the Arizona desert, is a net-zero energy facility and will provide to co-op retailer with 20 years of free energy, according to Rick Bingle, REI's vice president of supply chain.