Sustainability Blog: Do it Now!

Ideas aren't enough; they must also produce results. Once vision and strategy are created organizations need to make sustainable development a reality – not just for a few years, but for the long term. Moving beyond incremental change toward transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It requires a phased, holistic, integrated approach that builds mastery each step of the way.

Creating a sustainable organization entails building some muscle before moving on to the heavy lifting. Sustainability is certainly a catalyst for innovation and prosperity. However, learning, leadership...

Tantalum [1] is a rare refractory metal used in many electronic devices such as cell phones, Blackberries, laptops and i-phones. While most tantalum mining occurs in Australia, about 20% of the world’s supply is in the Congo. Tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold are among the minerals being mined and smuggled out of the Congo and according to a group called the Enough Project, they are making their way into the...

A few days ago in Singapore, I commented to a friend on how green the city was. She told me that the vision of Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was not to merely create a city with gardens, but to create a city within a garden.

The two main objectives for this strong vision were to attract investors and to improve the quality of life for Singapore’s citizens. Urban concrete jungles, particularly in a hot climate, can drain the human spirit, whereas nature is restorative. This verdant landscape was also a way to demonstrate Singapore’s efficiency and quality of life in order to...

Strategic Imperatives and GreenBusiness WORKS are continuing to welcome speakers, sponsors and subject matter experts to the upcoming Sustainability Leadership Series including the GA Department of Natural Resources Sustainability Division, Georgia Power, the EPA, AGL Resources, EnergyAce, Greenguard, Cousins Property, communications 21, Perkins + Will, Southeast Energy Alliance and more……

The...

Not too long ago it was unusual to find a company with a CSR executive, so it’s been encouraging to see that the number of senior level sustainability professionals (Director, VP or above) seems to be increasing. During my research I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing several, including Alison Taylor, Siemens VP Sustainability – Americas, James Farrar, VP of Sustainability for SAP, Bill Frerking, VP & Chief Sustainability Officer for Georgia Pacific, and Harriet Hentges, VP,Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability for...