Cisco and City of San Francisco Embark on 'Sustainable 21st Century San Francisco' Project
San Francisco Climate Change Center
Cisco today signed an agreement in principal with the city of San Francisco during Mayor Gavin Newsom’s visit to Bangalore to develop a joint vision for a ‘Sustainable 21st Century San Francisco.’ The agreement in principal outlines the potential for Cisco and the city to collaborate in exploring a Living Innovation Laboratory within a new United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) Center on the Hunters Point Shipyard in San Francisco, a facility that will address global warming and support social and economic innovation. As part of the understanding, Cisco and the city will also explore drawing on Cisco® Smart+Connected Communities expertise in multiple projects in San Francisco.
The agreement in principal was signed at Cisco’s Globalisation Centre East, an environmentally sustainable campus in Bangalore that serves as a showcase for urban development solutions. The Cisco Smart+Connected Communities initiative is designed to provide cities and communities with smart and connected solutions for utilities, safety and security, connected real estate, transportation, health care, learning, sports venues, and government services.
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Starting a Business From Your Home Office Can Have Tax Benefits
Editor’s Green Notepad: Go green at work in your home business office by following a few pointers: use earth-friendly cleaning supplies, buying used furniture, go paperless, buy green office supplies, turn off the lights and electronics when out of the office, get a plant and grow it inside your home office and support vendors that also practice green principles in their business.
Recycle and reuse old office furniture - Flickr ChicagoGeek
Starting a business from home can be extremely advantageous. In addition to controlling expenses, the allowed IRS deductions can go a long way to reducing your tax liabilities. The eligibility rules are pretty clear and easy to follow, but it is important to understand the limitations on writing off the business use of your home. And, in order to receive the maximum benefit of the tax laws, it is critical to establish a system for managing the paperwork to keep track of deductible expenses.
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Toyota and Dow in West Virginia Partner with EPA for Sustainable Future
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s mid-Atlantic region welcomed two new members into its Sustainability Partnership Program in two signing ceremonies held today.
A Toyota facility keeps a landscape beautiful as a zero landfill contributor - Flickr shchukin
EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin joined Secretary Randy Huffman of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection in recognizing Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia, Inc. at its Buffalo, W. Va., facility, and Dow West Virginia at its South Charleston facilities.
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Bombardier Releases Corporate Social Responsibility Report
- Enhanced role of corporate social responsibility in business strategy
- Achieved 10% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions between fiscal 2004 and 2009 and aims to reduce emissions by additional 10% by 2015
Discover a new sense of speed with the BOMBARDIER ZEFIRO
Today Bombardier Inc. released its second company-wide corporate social responsibility report entitled Moving Forward Responsibly. The report captures the company’s commitment to act responsibly as a public company, employer, neighbor and partner. It also details how corporate social responsibility is one of the top priorities of Our Way Forward, Bombardier’s corporate strategy.
“A sharper focus on corporate social responsibility augurs well for all of our stakeholders. It underscores our commitment to leverage our industry-leading innovation, talents, products and resources to increase our positive contribution to the communities where we are present around the world,” said Pierre Beaudoin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier Inc.
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Sustainable Life Media Launches Sustainable Brands Boot Camp Series
An Introduction to Sustainable Business Innovation
Sustainable Life Media announces the first Sustainable Brands Boot Camp, a 13 part online course in sustainable innovation. The course is designed to teach companies to build business value and brand equity by innovating for sustainability, and give students additional resume qualifications and the tools to enact change from within their company.
Developed by the producers of the Sustainable Brands Conference, Boot Camp participants learn from some of the world’s top sustainable business thought leaders, each a leading sustainable business expert in his/her specialty. These long-time sustainability practitioners have consulted with top global brands, including Coke, Pepsi, Walmart, UPS, HP and Kraft, among many others.
Designed for executives and managers seeking to understand how to identify and respond to today’s market demands around improving the environmental and social impact of business, the course follows Sustainable Life Media’s 4-step prescription for building the better brands of the future: “Observe, Re-Design, Measure and Communicate.” Read the rest of this entry »
RONA Receives "Boreal Award" for Its Wood Products Procurement Policy
RONA Inc., the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products, was rewarded for its wood products procurement policy at the Boreal Awards ceremony held by the Canadian Boreal Initiative in Ottawa yesterday. RONA was one of six winners selected by a committee of the Boreal Leadership Council, which is made up of leading conservation groups, Aboriginal organizations, and businesses committed to taking action to preserve the boreal forest.
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Naya Waters to Introduce 100% Recycled Plastic Bottle
Naya Achieves Important Industry Benchmark Through Innovation and Ongoing Dedication to Reducing Its Impact on the Environment
Canada-based Naya Spring Water announced today it is the first bottled spring water company in the world to use 100 percent recycled plastic in its bottles. Recycled plastic, or rPET, is made from plastic that was previously used as packaging, then recycled and processed to create new bottles.
Less Waste
After seven years of R&D, Naya’s 100 percent rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) bottles are engineered to utilize plastic waste, which otherwise could end up in landfills. The rPET plastic used in Naya’s new bottle is FDA approved and meets the same rigorous safety standards as virgin plastic bottles. Naya’s pure spring water will be available in the new bottles in the New York City area beginning this month and the rest of North America in early 2010.
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CH2M HILL Releases 2009 Sustainability Report
CH2M HILL, a global full-service consulting, design, construction, and operations firm, announces the release of its 2009 Sustainability Report detailing the company’s activities for the 2007-2008 reporting period.
The report focuses on the complex and interrelated global issues of water, energy, climate change, and land use/development, and details how CH2M HILL is addressing these challenges internally and in support of its clients.
“Our goal is to both manage the impacts of our operations and apply our creativity and technical skills to help our clients become more sustainable,” says Lee McIntire, CEO. “With the interconnectivity of water, energy and climate change becoming more apparent, CH2M HILL feels it has the responsibility to improve the health of the planet. It is an exciting time to be creating new sustainable solutions in this world of threat and opportunity.”
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The Truth About Green Business
Gil Friend
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The Truth About Green Business
– Purchase Online
The Truth About series, is a comprehensive guidebook for executives and professionals wanting to set pro-active priorities for all aspects of their business, including operations, marketing, design, finance, and management, with triple bottom line focus.
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Ford on the Right Track With Sustainability Efforts
By John Gartner – Matter Network
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
The company’s Sustainability Report, released Monday, show gains made in fleet-wide fuel economy (up from 25.3 in 2007 to 26.0 in 2008) as well as a reduction in CO2 emissions per mile, which fell by 3.4 percent. Those gains were in part due to the introduction of two new hybrid sedans, the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan, which each get 41 mpg in the city. Ford is also accelerating plans for plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles, with the first models being rolled out starting next year.
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