A CLEAR Approach to Connect Sustainability to Business Strategy

A great article. I think this is a pretty decent model for corporations to adopt in the implementation of their sustainability strategy and practices.

 

Source: http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2011/07/19/clear-approach-connect-sustainability...

A CLEAR Approach to Connect Sustainability to Business Strategy

Teleworking and its biggest barrier

That's so true. Although I just interviewed one teleworker last time, but what was suggested by the staff with regards to the barrier is similar. It is the boss (management fear and distrust)! But the teleworkers simply love the work/life balance that comes from the practice.

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From: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2011/06/29/biggest-barrier-telecommuting-boss?ut...

The Biggest Barrier to Teleworking: The Boss

Despite a steady rise in recent years in the number of teleworkers -- and the many benefits that accrue to employers and employees alike -- there's been no broad-scale or systematic adoption of remote working in the U.S.

That's one of the top-level findings in a new report, "The State of Telework in the U.S.: How Individuals, Business, and Government Benefit." The report (PDF), from the Telework Research Network, on behalf of Citrix Systems, also found that workers in management positions or with the highest seniority tend to work from home more regularly than lower-paid employees, even though about half of all workers in the U.S. have jobs that are compatible with telework, at least part time. 

The No. 1 barrier? Management resistance. 

"It's entirely clear the hold-back is culture," said the report's co-author Kate Lister, adding later, "Companies need to manage by results rather than by butts in seats."

Companies that aren't taking advantage of telework opportunities could be missing the boat now, or down the road, Lister said, noting that 82 of the top 100 companies on Forbes' list of best companies to work for allow their employees to work from home at least 20 percent of the time.

"Those that do (allow teleworking) realize it's a killer way to engage people, attract the best and the brightest, and to hold onto the people they already have," Lister said.

Some 55 million workers have jobs that would be compatible with teleworking at least part of the time, but just 2.9 million work primarily from home, or 2.3 percent. If 50 million potential telecommuters were allowed to work off-site on a regular basis, they would save a combined $900 billion annually and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51 million metric tons per year, about the equivalent of the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 33 million vehicles.

Teleworking is not necessarily and all-or-nothing proposition; two to three days a week is optimal, Lister said. And data shows that telework opportunities are more frequently surfacing outside the traditional information technology industries, such as in the waste management, agriculture and military sectors.

"It's a reflection that jobs today across industries have some sort of information component," Lister said.

The transformation to a telework-friendly culture, however, can take time.

"They have to do it now or they will be looking at the back of their employees' heads as they're walking out the door," Lister said, pointing to a poll earlier this year  that found 60 percent of workers planned to look for a new job after the recession.

Other findings from the report:

• Between 2005 and 2009, regular telecommuting -- defined as working from home at least weekly -- grew 61 percent. The average time spent working from off-site was 2.4 days.

• If historical growth rates continue, the number of regular telecommuters will reach 4.9 million by 2016, a 69 percent increase over current levels. This conservative estimate is below other forecasts.

• San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif., has the highest concentration of telecommuters -- 4.2 percent -- who work primarily from home out of the 15 largest U.S. metro areas. In last place is the Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich., at 2.1 percent.

• Since 2005, the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area posted the fastest percentage growth in regular telecommuting, at 77 percent.

• The stereotypical telecommuter is 49, college-educated and making $58,000 a year in a professional or management role.

• 76 percent of telecommuters are employed by private companies, compared to 81 percent in 2005, largely due to an increase in state and federal workers telecommuting.

• Larger companies are more likely to permit telecommuting. Biggest barrier: management fear and distrust.

6 Types of Sustainability Software that Meet Any Company's Needs (and Its Mapping to Hart's Eco-Sustainability Strategies)

The following article by Christopher Mines provides the supporting arguments for my earlier works on Green IS typology. In particular, the classification by Mines fit into the Type 1 of Green IS, where (1) the green "spirits" are inscribed during the software  design and development; (2) it is used by the users in their work practices for managing organisational eco-sustainability measures and then, (3) the organisational eco-sustainability goals can be evaluated at the end of the day, either the company has achieved their environmental performance targeted or otherwise. 

During practice, the software can be used to support various eco-sustainability strategies, and if we were to follow Hart's eco-sustainability strategies, there are the (a) pollution prevention; (b) product stewardship, (c) clean technology and (d) sustainabililty vision. All the 6 types of software classfied by Mines can fit into one or more strategies outlined by Hart.

According to my wise SV (Molla, 2011), and I fully agree with him, the mapping of the 6 eco-sustainability software with the eco-sustainability strategies:

 

• Sustainability performance and project management (SPPM) software is for supporting sustainability vision

• Enterprise carbon and energy management (ECEM) software is for supporting pollution prevention

• Sustainable product development software is for supporting clean technology

• Sustainability knowledge and learning management software is for supporting sustainability vision

• Collaboration and communications systems is for supporting product stewardship and pollution prevention

• Smart infrastructure management software is for supporting product stewardship and pollution prevention


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6 Types of Sustainability Software that Meet Any Company's Needs

It's been clear for some time that sustainability is moving from the periphery toward the center of many companies' strategic agenda, and that IT systems and software will play a crucial role in accelerating that movement.

But what's been missing -- until now -- is an overarching framework for understanding who the stakeholders (and buyers) of IT-for-sustainability (ITfS) systems are, what motivations and barriers they face, and which categories of products, services and solutions can help them. With the research report that we will publish next month, Forrester takes a giant step towards providing that framework. Based on interviews with sustainability leaders at more than a dozen large global enterprises, we developed three company archetypes of sustainability adoption (see Figure 1):


Marketer: Improving branding and transparency with advanced reporting. Companies that fall into this category are either early in their sustainability maturity or just do what they have to do when it comes to regulatory compliance.

However, in common is that marketers use sustainability primarily to drive more awareness and transparency, which has a positive side effect on the company's branding and positioning. IT's role is helping to gather and report non-financial information, but these companies drive sustainability principally from their marketing and CSR departments.

Transformer: Improving the bottom line with positive sustainability impacts. Companies in this category go further and use sustainability as a lever for increasing operational efficiency.

Lower energy consumption decreases both costs and carbon footprint. Hence, sustainability for these companies is seen as an opportunity to lower a company's cost base. IT is helping to identify opportunities to reduce costs, but is object of own improvement too.

Companies in this category are driving sustainability investments on an enterprise-wide basis, driven by the management of lines-of-business and owners of key processes like supply chain and real estate.

Innovator: Improving the top line with a sustainable portfolio approach. Companies that fall into this category are the most mature, and have shifted their approach from cost to revenue.

Innovators are looking to improve their top-line through a sustainable product/services portfolio approach to differentiate better in their existing markets or enter new ones. IT is helping here not only to design and produce greener products from scratch, but also to better manage the entire portfolio via integrated analytics and dashboards. The Boards and executive officers of companies in this category are pushing sustainability strategy from the top of the organization.

Next page: Six categories of IT-for-Sustainability solutions

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On the supply side of the equation, we identify six categories of ITfS solutions, each aimed at a different set of customer stakeholders and seeking to solve a different facet of the corporate sustainability challenge (see Figure 2):

Sustainability performance and project management (SPPM) software. For executive roles. Improving understanding corporate sustainability performance and tracking progress of sustainability projects. Example providers include MetricStream and SAP.

Enterprise carbon and energy management (ECEM) software. For executive and operational roles. Monitoring, managing, and reporting corporate carbon footprint and resource consumption. Example vendors are CA, Enablon, Enviance, ENXSuite, Hara, SAP, Verisae and others.

Sustainable product development software. For R&D and product management roles. Improving the design and development of greener products. Example vendors are Autodesk, PTC, and Siemens.

Collaboration and communications systems. For information workers, IT, and HR roles. Helping reduce travel and improve workforce efficiency by using collaboration and communications technologies. Example vendors are Cisco, Microsoft, Google, and IBM.

Smart infrastructure management software. For facilities, operations, and building management roles. Software helping manage smart infrastructure and improving utilization of hard assets such as buildings and vehicles. Example vendors are GE, IBM, Ingersoll Rand, Johnson Controls, Schneider Electric, and Siemens.

The original article is here: http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2011/06/15/6-types-sustainability-software-meet-any-companys-needs

Greener fleet

Most organisations can readily implement one or two recommended solutions for reducing their fleet carbon and energy footprints as covered below:

9 Expert Tips for a Greener Fleet

It's going to be a summer of pain at the pump.

That's the dismal assessment offered on Monday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, predicting the average retail price of a gallon of regular gasoline to average $3.75 through September. Thankfully, that's lower than last month's forecast but still about 36 percent higher than last summer, when a gallon averaged $2.76.

For commercial fleets, that $1 price difference adds up quickly, offering a strong business case for managers to refine their long-term purchasing strategies, revisit their driving training programs, and even turn to technology to help improve fuel efficiency.

As Jonathan Bardelline reports today, Ford Motor Company, for example, is relying on its Crew Chief telematics system to monitor how a variety of factors are influencing vehicle fuel efficiency, such as tire pressure, quick starts and excessive idling. You also have many companies exploring alternative fuel vehicles, as Dow Chemical and Waste Management did last month, an option gaining in popularity if managers can overcome some potential challenges, such as infrastructure and cost.

While there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for every fleet, there are some common best practices and tips that may help lessen the pain at the pump for many. But don't just take our word for it -- we've asked nine experts in the fleet management industry to weigh in with advice on how to implement green initiatives. 

 

John Boesel
John Boesel

1. Study How Others Are Making Their Fleets Greener
John Boesel, President and CEO, CALSTART

 

Many commercial fleets are taking steps that will not only improve their environmental performance, but also provide an important buffer from the next oil shock or run-up in oil prices. Coca Cola, for instance, is now leading the nation and has bought 900 hybrid trucks. For a beverage fleet, hybrid technology saves money not only by saving fuel, but reducing the number of brake replacements -- something that happens often when hauling tons of beverages in urban areas. Another example is Florida Power & Light, which combined hybrid technology with biodiesel (20 percent blend) in their "bucket trucks" and found they could displace 70 percent of the oil they use! 

 

Kristofer Bush
Kristofer Bush

2. Take a Triple-Bottom Line Approach
Kristofer Bush, Vice President of Marketing, LeasePlan

 

There are many different reasons for fleets to go green, but going about it the right way is crucial to a successful green initiative. At LeasePlan, we apply the triple bottom line principle of the three Ps -- People, Planet and Profit -- to our sustainable fleet management model. This model takes into account three important factors that need to balance for a well-functioning fleet: 1. Profit: how the acquisition cost affects your financials. 2. People: the function required of that vehicle for the driver. 3. Planet: the environmental impact. Finding that balance will lead to more fulfilled employees and a greener planet while maintaining profits and keeping shareholders happy. 

 

Sam Spofforth
Sam Spofforth

3. Develop a Green Fleet Action Plan 
Sam Spofforth, Executive Director, Clean Fuels Ohio

 

The "Six Rs" of diesel and overall fleet cleanup is a comprehensive matrix that helps make sense of the tremendous range of green fleet options today. Fleets can reduce fuel consumption using technology or driver behavior, refuel with a cleaner fuel, retrofit with emissions controls (or converting to use an alternative fuel), rebuild an engine with improved emissions control, repower with a new cleaner engine, or replace the vehicle, ideally to use an inherently cleaner fuel. Once understanding the "Six Rs" matrix, the fleet manager can develop a comprehensive "green fleet action plan" based on their fleet's unique characteristics -- vehicle composition, vehicle functions and short and long-term goals such as acceptable length of payback for new fuels and technologies.

 

Jason Mathers
Jason Mathers

4. Set a Long-Term Emissions Reduction Goal
Jason Mathers, Project Manager, Environmental Defense Fund

 

How green is your fleet today? How much greener should it be in five years? Companies need to be asking these questions and should use greenhouse gas emissions as the KPI used to evaluate "greenness." To develop a meaningful goal, companies will need to grapple with several key questions, including: How green can we be? What are the price, vehicle choice and operational implications of "greening?" And what steps fit best with corporate culture? Companies that tackle these questions are often very surprised by how much they can cut emissions. These questions also create the focus needed to think long-term and achieve impactful reduction goals, and not be distracted by passing trends or the popular technology of the moment. 

 

David Coleman
David Coleman

5. Educate Your Drivers
David Coleman, Vice President of Business Development, GreenRoad

 

Safe, efficient driving behavior must be a top priority in order for a green fleet program to be truly successful. This means taking steps to help drivers understand how improvements in their driving can lead to significant reductions in fuel usage and crashes. Driving behavior accounts for up to 33 percent of fuel consumption and 90 percent of crashes, and drivers can make significant improvements with the help of an in-vehicle feedback system, web-based coaching, incentives and countermeasures. Some examples of efficient driving behavior include: adhering to posted road speeds, entering and leaving turns smoothly, minimizing idling time and executing gradual starts and stops -- basically, driving gently. Once fleet managers and drivers see the increased fuel efficiency they can achieve, in addition to reduced crash risk, they readily embrace in-vehicle feedback and coaching that occurs outside the vehicle. The best results come from a true partnership between drivers, supervisors and management. 

6. If the Car Fits, Drive It
Jonathan Culp, Manager of Strategic Alliances, PHH Arval

One of the largest opportunities to reduce GHG emissions -- and the cost that goes along with them -- is to make sure you have right-sized your fleet vehicles. Look carefully: The makes and models you order might be a carry-over from the days of $1.25 gasoline. Does the driver need a full-size van where a smaller vehicle would do the trick? Would a 4-cylinder engine work just as well as a 6-cylinder? Choosing more fuel-efficient vehicles for your selectors is a key first step in reducing emissions, fuel consumption, and cost. 

 

Elisa Durand
Elisa Durand

7. Choose AVFs that Enhance, Not Hamper, Fleet Efficiency
Elisa Durand, Assistant Manager of Strategic Services, Environmental and Fuel Strategies, ARI

 

Alternative vehicle fuel sources such as propane, biodiesel, CNG, and electric are making industry headlines, but it's still hard to know which is best for your specific needs. Here are three critical points to consider: 1. What will fit my budget? Electric cars or trucks converted to run on propane or CNG can cost $10,000 or more above traditional vehicles so know what your company can afford. 2. What will be most convenient for my drivers? Alternative fuel infrastructure is limited, so verify that your drivers will have access to fuel when they need it. 3. What makes the most financial sense? Going green has many benefits but you still need to champion smart business decisions for your fleet. 

 

Michelle Nissen
Michelle Nissen

 8. Turn On Telematics
Michelle Nissen, Environmental Performance Product Manager, GE Capital Fleet Services

 

Businesses can drive a 10 percent reduction in CO2 emissions simply by deploying telematics. Choose a provider whose telematics are integrated with vehicle lease and fleet management solutions. We have a GE Capital Fleet Services customer that used a telematics solution to monitor the impact of idling, speeding and off-hour usage on fuel consumption and emissions. This analysis yielded actionable recommendations to lower operating costs and improve productivity, including new policies and incentives to reduce speeding and idling. As a result, the company reduced idling minutes upwards of 40 percent, in addition to a drop in speeding events, which improved the safety of its fleet.

 

Steve Bloom
Steve Bloom

9.  Lighten Your Load
Steve Bloom, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Fleet Management

 

The more weight a vehicle carries, the lower its fuel economy will be. This is especially true for light duty trucks, which can feature the same space dimensions but vary significantly in gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), towing or payload capacity, and other options. In addition to getting poor mileage, if a vehicle is regularly overloaded, the frequency and cost of repairs for axle bearings, tires, brakes and other driveline and suspension components will end up costing a lot more than the money saved by purchasing the less expensive lighter truck.


From: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2011/06/10/9-expert-tips-greener-fleet

Ford, Toyota Rev Up Fleet Management with Advanced IT

Example of how fleet management software can be used to green the business operations of organisations.
 

Ford, Toyota Rev Up Fleet Management with Advanced IT

Source: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2011/06/10/ford-toyota-rev-up-fleet-management-advanced-it

Alaska Airlines ditches paper flight manuals for iPads

Menggunakan teknologi untuk menghijaukan operasi perniagaan. Mengurangkan penggunaan kertas, mengurangkan penggunaan minyak disebabkan pengurangan berat dalam penerbangan.

Overall, ini adalah salah satu contoh Green IS.

 


http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/28/alaska-airlines-ditches-paper-flight-manuals-for-ipads/

Green IS -- software enabled IBMS

The power of software (IS) in greening buildings.

IBM Unleashes Advanced Software Solution for Smarter Buildings

IBM formally introduces its Intelligent Building Management software today -- an advanced solution that's being put to work at Tulane University's School of Architecture, The Cloisters of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the company's 35-building facility in Minnesota.

The software is designed to be an analytics and automation powerhouse that can help ramp up the environmental performance of any building, even ones that are 100 years old or more.

The product is the latest in a steady stream of solutions that IBM has unleashed in recent months to make the management of buildings, the energy and resources they use, and the transportation and virtual networks that connect them more efficient, more effective and more intelligent.

The software and its applications, which are being detailed today in an IBM Smarter Buildings Forum in New York, also are the results of the company's steadily increasing collaborative projects, partnerships and acquisitions -- all of which are aimed at positioning IBM as a dominant player in a nascent field that brings together IT, the built environment, vehicles and energy.

GreenerBuildings.com Executive Editor Rob Watson is the kickoff speaker at the forum today and GreenBiz.com Senior Writer Adam Aston will provide on-scene coverage of the event.

Here is an early look at the projects that will be featured during the forum:

  • Tulane University in New Orleans is using the software to transform the historic century-old Richardson Memorial Hall (pictured above), home of the Tulane School of Architecture, into what IBM is calling a "smarter-building living laboratory." Johnson Controls is a partner in the project.
  • The Cloisters, the branch of the Metropolitan Museum that houses 3,000 works of European medieval art, is using IBM software and its wireless environmental sensor network called the Lower-Power Mote to preserve the collection.
  • IBM's facility in Rochester, Minn., is realizing further energy savings using the  Intelligent Building Management system. The complex of 35 interconnected buildings that make up the 3.2-million-square-foot manufacturing and development facility has undergone several waves of efficiency improvements since the site opened in 1956 with a half million square feet of workspace. The company said it's achieving further year-over-year incremental energy savings and as well as saving in equipment operating costs with the software.

Smarter buildings can help owners and operators cut energy use by as much as 40 percent and reduce maintenance costs by 10 to 30 percent, according to IBM.

While technology advancements in building management systems have made it possible to cull an immense amount of data on structures, the challenge has been to organize, analyze and present it swiftly to building owners and operators so they can proactively manage their properties -- as IBM Smarter Buildings Vice President David Bartlett said at GreenBiz Group's State of Green Business Forum this year.

The new software, which is supposed to be the most comprehensive product thus far in IBM's smarter buildings arsenal, is intended to address that need.

Earlier this week, IBM introduced its Intelligent Operations Center for Smarter Cities. The plug-and-play, smarter-cities-in-a-box solution is expected to deliver high-powered systems and network management capabilities to communities without the high price tag that usually affixed to such technology.

From: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2011/06/09/ibm-unleashes-advanced-software-solution-smarter-buildings?page=full

More stories on smarter buildings: http://www.greenbiz.com/topic/smarter-buildings

Brisbane rally says 'yes' to carbon price

Brisbane rally says 'yes' to carbon price

Dan Nancarrow
June 6, 2011 - 7:15AM

Thousands of Brisbane residents rallied in support of the federal government’s proposed carbon tax yesterday.

Organisers of the Say Yes campaign reported as many as 5000 people attended a rally at the Brisbane Riverstage to call for a price on carbon pollution.

The nation day of action is said to have drawn as many as 40,000 people to rallies nationwide as part of the second phase of the Say Yes campaign.

The campaign was launched last week with advertisements supporting the carbon tax broadcast nationally.

Speaking at the rally, Greenpeace CEO Lynda Selvey said she believed Australians overwhelmingly supported combating climate change and cutting pollution.

But she claimed ‘‘rich multinational companies’’ were running scare campaigns against the Federal Government’s proposed carbon tax.

‘‘We’re up against big powerful multinational companies and they are fighting tooth and nail to protect their self interests,’’ she said.

‘‘They’re running scare campaigns all around the country, just like they did with the mining tax.

‘‘They’re going to workplaces [in places like Gladstone] and they are telling the workers that they are going to lose their jobs if we have a price on carbon pollution.’’

Ms Selvey called for existing industries to be ‘‘cleaned up’’ and for new industries to be built through the use of solar, wind and geothermal energy.

She said she had been brought up to “clean up after herself” but polluters were ‘‘expecting others to clean up their mess".’

‘‘Maybe someone should have a word with Clive Palmer’s mother,’’ she joked.

Earlier, reverend Tim Costello from World Vision said climate change was costing lives and livelihoods worldwide.

‘‘One of the extraordinary challenges I have is to help our supporters understand that as a child rights focused organisation climate change represents the greatest potential violation of children’s rights in history,’’ he said.

‘‘It is that serious already.’’

The rally encouraged attendees to pass leaflets handed out at the rally on to friends, neighbours and colleagues.

Among the audience for the rally were federal treasurer Wayne Swan, Queensland environment minister Kate Jones and Greens senator-elect Larissa Waters.

There was also a strong union presence with representatives of the AMWU, QCU and United Voice taking part in the rally.

This story was found at: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/brisbane-rally-says-yes-to-carbon-price-20110605-1fmzj.html