2010 will be an important – but bad – year for green business

Cop15, the global conference in Copenhagen last year, produced about as much as anyone could have expected (a lot less than was hoped) – a fudged solution that requires much further discussion and negotiation. And in the UK, the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (the renamed Carbon Reduction Commitment) initial deadline for creating baselines was pushed out a year to April 2011. It’s unlikely the USA will be able to get to a final cap and trade agreement into legislation during 2010 (the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 must still pass through the Senate). While China made positive noises before Cop15, it seems that they were really sticky in Copenhagen and were a big reason that the final agreement did not include any operational terms.

With all of these issues in mind, it seems clear that 2010 is likely to be a year of talks and discussions, but very little action. For companies involved in green industries this will be frustrating. Many of these companies are startups, gearing up for the expected demand in sustainability issues (technology, consulting, business processes, engineering, energy, and much more). But many of them won’t survive another year of waiting and delays in implementation and client demand. It seems likely they will have to.

Companies that are keen on implementing green strategies (for whatever reason) have probably started to do this already. Companies looking for an excuse to delay implementation, however, will have plenty of excuses in 2010. They’re likely to keep delaying. They’ll do so until they’re forced to change (and that’s the main reason I support emissions trading legislation!).

So, 2010 will not be a good year for those involved in the sustainability industry. But it is an important year nevertheless. It’s important to continue lobbying. It’s important to continue to search for the best solutions and the best processes that will not only produce the best outcomes, but will also be compelling for those who are not yet convinced that anything needs to be done. It’s an important year for science – more must be done to show the scientific evidence of climate change and the need for changes in our lifestyles. And it’s an important year for venture capitalists, who must try to separate out those startups that truly have something to offer from those that are just taking a chance on the bandwagon (remember the shakeup in the online IT industry just 10 years ago?).

HBR: Why Sustainability Is Now the Key Driver of Innovation

Last week, The Harvard Business Review issued a new white paper illustrating that sustainability strategies are not a bottom line drain to business, but the most effective way to create competitive advantage moving forward. The authors, Ram Nidumolu, C.K. Prahalad and M.R. Rangaswami, are well known for their future focused views, and I think their article makes a good contribution to this field. As you would expect from HBR, there is a focus on the opportunity in sustainability, using successful corporate sustainability stories from companies such as Wal-Mart, Clorox and HP.

You can read the introduction to the study here, and get the whole study if you’re an HBR subscriber.

They come out with a five point strategy:

… Continue Reading

Online video training on saving energy and saving money

For some years now, we’ve been tracking the issues related to climate change, global warming and the business case for sustainability. We are convinced that these issues are critical for businesses everywhere – not as a nice to have, but for very good business reasons.

We’ve put our money where our mouth is. Working together with one of our clients in the UK, Sustainable Energy Design Solutions (SEDS Ltd), and an online learning team, the 8.45 Club, we’ve developed a series of online, video-based courses designed to help your company and the people who work for you to not only understand the issues, but also do something about them.

The concept of the 8.45 Club is simple. Courses are delivered in 10 minute segments, just right for 8.45am before work gets going properly at 9am. You get an email at 8.45am, giving you the link to a video (if you don’t have access to high speed broadband, the courses can be delivered on video to you). It takes you a few minutes to watch, and a few more to go through the notes, and then you’re ready for the day. Courses typically have 10 modules, and can be done once per day over two weeks, or 2 or 3 times per week over a few months.

We’ve used this format to develop three courses aimed at helping companies to save energy. Doing this will obviously save money, and ultimately help us to secure the future of the planet and our companies. The courses are:

• How to Save Energy and Save Money: All you need to know about emissions trading, improving energy efficiency and saving money
• How to Make the Public Sector Green: All you need to know about reducing energy usage, saving money and improving public service
• The Carbon Reduction Commitment: All you need to know about emissions trading, improving energy efficiency and saving money. NOTE: In October 2009, the CRC was delayed by one year to be implemented on April 2011, and was given a new name: The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme. There are a few regulatory tweaks as well – the course is being redone to take this into account, and is now available at a new website as well: click here for details.
  

You would need to choose just one of the courses (if you don’t know which one, then the first one is for you). For just £ 47 per course, you get 13 video modules and supporting materials delivered direct to your inbox. If you have 100 or more people who’d like to do the training, we would be happy to chat about a bulk license rate.

You can see the first two modules of each course for free, before signing up. Just follow the links at the bottom of the main pages.

If you have any questions, please email Graeme Codrington.