Retail/Commercial: GLRPPR Sector Resources

News: An up-close assessment of Walmart's sustainability index

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:20:23 GMT

Does the retail chain measure up? EDF's Bentonville office weighs in.

Resource: Six growing trends in corporate sustainability

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:06:19 GMT

Our 2013 survey looked at how companies are responding to a wide range of internal and external forces related to environmental sustainability risks and how well companies are prepared to address them. Six trends emerged: -- The "tone from the top" is key to heightened awareness and preparedness for sustainability risks. -- Governments and multilateral institutions aren't playing a key role in corporate sustainability agendas. -- Sustainability concerns now include increased risk and proximity of natural resource shortages. -- Corporate risk response is not well paired to the scale of sustainability challenges. -- Integrated reporting is slow to take hold. -- Inquiries from investors and shareholders are on the rise. The survey tells us that companies' response and approach to sustainability issues are influenced significantly by the "tone from the top" - that is, how and how much senior management are engaged in the conversation.

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News: How UPS makes the business case for sustainability projects

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:07:27 GMT

Getting a sustainability project approved takes more than just having a positive financial ROI. Initiatives also need to improve a company's brand and keep risks at bay.

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News: Employee Engagement Drives Sustainability Strategy

Tue, 07 May 2013 18:15:00 GMT

Have you considered how employee engagement can drive your sustainability strategy and how you can also leverage sustainability initiatives to engage your employees and create a values-driven culture of collaboration and creativity?

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Resource: Pay for Environmental Performance: The Effect of Incentive Provision on Carbon Emissions

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:57:06 GMT

Executive Summary -- Research has shown that reducing carbon emissions and exhibiting good environmental performance are important for corporations. But how exactly are these environmental goals carried out within organizations? In this paper, the authors analyze the incentive structures of climate change management for a sample of large, predominantly multinational organizations. The authors then characterize and assess the effectiveness of different types of incentive schemes that corporations have adopted to encourage employees to reduce carbon emissions. Results suggest that contrary to widespread belief in the effectiveness of monetary incentives, in fact the adoption of monetary incentives is associated with higher carbon emissions. By contrast, the use of nonmonetary incentives is associated with lower carbon emissions. Overall, the study suggests that socially positive tasks significantly impact the effectiveness of different types of incentives and should be considered in the design of accounting and control systems. Key concepts include: -- Monetary incentives are associated with higher carbon emissions. -- Non-monetary incentives are associated with lower carbon emissions. -- When employees perceive their action as socially positive, the adoption of non-monetary incentives might be more effective than monetary incentives in reducing carbon emissions. -- For tasks involving socially positive behavior, monetary incentives are not effective and actually detrimental unless they are provided to people for whom such tasks constitute part of their formal job responsibility.

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News: Cosmetics Industry Targets Consumer Behavior

Wed, 01 May 2013 18:23:40 GMT

Cosmetics companies need to address the environmental consequences of consumption if they are to significantly reduce their ecological footprints, Sustainable Cosmetics Summit organizers say.

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News: How to Manage Scope 3 Emissions

Wed, 01 May 2013 18:20:46 GMT

Properly managing value chain, or Scope 3, emissions is a critical survival tool companies must use to gain competitive advantage in a resource-constrained future, the Carbon Trust says.

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News: Companies Increasingly 'Pursue Triple Bottom Line'

Wed, 01 May 2013 18:18:51 GMT

Echoing the growth in corporate social responsibility reporting, a growing number of mostly small- and medium-sized companies are taking environmental and social stewardship further and becoming benefit corporations -- companies that are legally bound to have a positive effect on society -- according to a report by Worldwatch Institute.

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News: Growing green businesses in Austin

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:16:50 GMT

In the latest P2 Pathways column, Jennifer Lasseter explains how the Texas capital's program to spur small green businesses is also providing a boost to its economy.

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News: A gold standard for truly sustainable enterprises

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:30:27 GMT

A question has been simmering on our back burners over the last 15 years: How would we recognize a truly sustainable enterprise if we saw one? Joel Makower's "What is sustainability, anyway?" post asked that question and added a second one: How do we get business people, like sales reps, excited about sustainability?

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