Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Water is essential for life, but it's also essential for our economy. We all use water for drinking, bathing, watering crops and gardens, and so on. But a surprising amount of water use is bound up in the products we purchase and consume from corporations. Chemical manufacturing, energy production, mineral extraction and commercial farming all require massive amounts of water to run viable businesses, and they often take water locally to make products that get sold internationally.

But countries and companies have few contingency plans for what happens if this virtual trade in water runs dry -- which could happen sooner rather than later according to a recent World Bank report that predicts the demand of water will outstrip supply by 40% in the next 20 years.

This episode, we are joined by Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians, to talk about the virtual global water trade, how it affects local communities as well as multinational corporations and what companies, investors and governments need to do to avert the global water crisis.

[Music: Madlib, "Slim's Return" from Shades of Blue (Blue Note, 2003); Animal Collective, "Brother Sport" from Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino Recording, 2009), Photo: Flickr user pdkliment]

Tue, 25 May 2010 14:48:00 +0000

Almost a year after the U.S. House passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act and after months of planning and preparation, Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) released the American Power Act. This is a significant step forward, but as time keeps ticking oil is spewing into the Gulf of Mexico at an alarming rate and other countries like Germany, China and Brazil are grabbing attention for their advances in renewable energy markets like offshore wind farms and solar power. The risks to our environment and economy are already in place. So just what is taking the United States so long to pass comprehensive climate and energy policy? And what are the possible ramifications - both environmental and economical - facing us if we fail to act?

In this episode, we speak with Kevin Parker, Global Head of Deutsche Asset Management, about the need for a strong regulatory environment that will spur energy investment here in the U.S. instead of sending investment dollars outside our borders.

[Music: LCD Soundsystem, "Someone Great" from The Sound of Silver [Capitol, 2007]; DJ Shadow, "You Can't Go Home Again," from You Can't Go Home Again/Disavowed/Treach Beat (MCA, 2002)]

 

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 19:08:00 +0000

As the possibility of living in a carbon constrained world becomes more and more a reality, many companies are rethinking their business models and integrating sustainability factors into their business models to address the environmental and social risks they face. But companies are not the only ones that need to put sustainability at the top of their agenda. Investors are growing increasingly aware of the risks that climate change, water scarcity, workplace conditions and other sustainability issues present to companies’ bottom lines. Some of these investors, like the California State Teachers' Retirement System – the largest U.S. teacher’s retirement fund and second largest U.S. public pension fund – are not only telling companies to minimize these environmental and social risks in their business plans, but are actually taking proactive steps to ensure that their own investment practices embrace sustainability from the top down. in this episode we’re joined by Jack Ehnes Chief Executive Officer of CalSTRS to talk about the role investors play in creating sustainable companies – and how the recently released Ceres Roadmap for sustainability can be used by investors to help evaluate a company’s sustainability performance and move us closer to a more sustainable economy.

[Music: Galatic, "Tighten Your Wig," from Crazyhorse Mongoose (Volcano, 1998); Sunset Rubdown, "You Go On Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II)," from Dragonslayer (Jagjaguwar, 2009)]

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:09:00 +0000

Energy prices are rising, water supplies are dwindling and the population keeps growing. It's clear that the global context for business is changing -- and the race to sustainability is more important than ever before. To help companies tackle these sustainability concerns, Ceres has released the 21st Century Corporation: The Ceres Roadmap to Sustainability. The Roadmap analyzes the drivers, risks and opportunities involved in making the shift to sustainability, and details strategies and results from companies who are taking on these challenges.

In this episode, we are joined by Anne Stausboll, CEO of the California Public Employees Retirement System, Howard Rifkin, Deputy Treasurer of Connecticut, Hannah Jones, VP Sustainable Business and Innovation at Nike, and Ceres’ own Andrea Moffat, to talk about how both companies and investors can use the roadmap to help move us towards a more sustainable economy.

Learn more and download the Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability at www.ceres.org/ceresroadmap.

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:00:00 +0000

While Congressional action on climate and energy legislation may be in a holding pattern, debates about the costs and benefits of climate change legislation haven't stopped. In fact, these disagreements have driven a wedge between political leaders, economists and the general public, adding confusion and doubt when it comes to the merits of passing climate and energy legislation in the U.S. Will climate policy cost thousands of dollars and endanger thousands of jobs? Or will it bolster the U.S. economy, create clean American jobs and keep our country competitive as we usher in the clean energy economy? There have been plenty of studies on the matter, but attempts to distort the facts have led to confusion over the realities of the economics of climate change. So, why should we be skeptical of the doom and gloom models that climate naysayers are propagating? In this episode, we speak with John M. Reilly, Associate Director for Research at the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, about the facts and fancy of climate change economics. [Music: Rahsaan Roland Kirk, "The Creole Love Call" from The Inflated Tear (Wea UK, 1967); Puff Daddy, "It's All About the Benjamins" from No Way Out (Bad Boy, 2005)]

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:29:00 +0000

Despite billions of public dollars going toward education, health care and infrastructure projects as part of the federal stimulus package passed earlier this year, unemployment in the U.S. is higher than it has been since the early 1980’s. Of the $780 billion stimulus package passed earlier this year, nearly $80 billion has been set aside for ‘green’ projects, such as upgrading regional utility grids, increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and manufacturing solar panels and wind turbines for renewable energy installations across the country. Some are saying that this is merely the start of what is our best hope for creating new jobs in the U.S. What’s the next step? Passing climate and energy legislation that would further support green manufacturing jobs based on renewable energy, clean technology and energy efficiency investments.

This episode, we are joined by Jeff Rickert, Director of the AFL-CIO Center for Green Jobs who talks about how the new energy economy is our best hope to revitalize American labor so we don’t get left behind in the global clean tech markets of the future.

[Music: Sonny Clark, "Cool Struttin" from Cool Struttin' (Blue Notes Records, 1958) and Billy Bragg and Wilco, "Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key" from Mermaid Avenue (Elektra, 1998)]

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Companies are under increasing pressure to reduce the impact they have on their surrounding communities and the environment as a whole. But in order to minimize impact, companies must adequately measure the impact their operations have on a wide variety of variables – from energy and water usage to packaging and transportation.

For this week’s podcast, Ceres sat down with Peter Williams, Chief Technology Officer for IBM’s Big Green Innovations division that aims to provide better real-time environmental data to help companies measure their impact and better manage risk.

[Music: Richard Bishop, "Tennessee Porch Swing" from Polytheistic Fragments (Drag City, 2007) and Phoenix, "If I Ever Feel Better" from United (Astralwerks, 2000)]

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:16:00 +0000

The United States is responsible for 20% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions -- and nearly half of that pollution comes from heating and maintaining our homes and buildings. As we reach for clean energy solutions to reduce our carbon footprint, we can’t ignore one of the cheapest and most effective ways to reduce our energy usage and our greenhouse gas emissions: energy-efficiency.

This month, the Ceres Sustainability Podcast speaks with Lauralee Martin, CFO of Jones Lang LaSalle, a global real estate services provider that operates and manages 1.4 billion square feet of commercial building space in more than 60 countries. Martin reveals how Jones Lang LaSalle is unlocking the power of energy efficiency to reduce energy use in commercial buildings and save money in the process.

[Music: The Meters, "People Say" from Rejuvenation (Sundazed Music Inc., 1974) and Dan Deacon, "Pink Batman" from Spiderman of Rings (Carpark Records, 2007)]

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:40:00 +0000

Climate change is forcing companies, investors, and consumers to change their behaviors and attitudes about a host of issues, ranging from production to consumption to pollution. As the negative effects of climate change heat up, fears about water scarcity are beginning to flow. Dwindling water supplies are causing governments, businesses and investors to rethink the way we value what was once an abundant resource.

This week we are joined by the Jason Morrison from the Pacific Institute and Brooke Barton from Ceres. The two groups recently released a new report, Water Scarcity and Climate Change: Growing Risks for Businesses & Investors that discusses the links between climate change and water supply, how it affects companies and investors, and ways to prepare for a world of increasing water scarcity.

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:47:00 +0000

As Congress gears up to debate some of the furthest reaching environmental legislation it’s faced since the creation of the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act, proponents and opponents are lining up to make their case for why we should or shouldn’t aggressively address climate change. And support for strong action on climate is coming from unlikely places like the boardrooms of major U.S. consumer companies that are part of BICEP, a business coalition advocating for strong climate and energy policy.

The Ceres podcast caught up with representatives of the BICEP coalition at an event in Washington DC. Listen to this interview with Sarah Severn, Director of Horizons Corporate Responsibility, Nike.

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:42:00 +0000

As Congress gears up to debate some of the furthest reaching environmental legislation it’s faced since the creation of the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act, proponents and opponents are lining up to make their case for why we should or shouldn’t aggressively address climate change. And support for strong action on climate is coming from unlikely places like the boardrooms of major U.S. consumer companies that are part of BICEP, a business coalition advocating for strong climate and energy policy.

The Ceres podcast caught up with representatives of the BICEP coalition at an event in Washington DC. Listen to this interview with Jim Hanna, Environmental Affairs Manager at Starbucks Coffee Company.

[Music: Rattatat, "Wildcat" from Classics (XI Recordings, 2006) and Bonobo, "Transmission 94" from Days to Come (Ninja Tune, 2006)]

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:38:00 +0000

As Congress gears up to debate some of the furthest reaching environmental legislation it’s faced since the creation of the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act, proponents and opponents are lining up to make their case for why we should or shouldn’t aggressively address climate change. And support for strong action on climate is coming from unlikely places like the boardrooms of major U.S. consumer companies that are part of BICEP, a business coalition advocating for strong climate and energy policy.

The Ceres podcast caught up with representatives of the BICEP coalition at an event in Washington DC. Listen to the interview with David Douglas, Senior Vice President of Cloud Computing and Chief Sustainability Officer, Sun Microsystems.

[Music: Rattatat, "Wildcat" from Classics (XI Recordings, 2006) and Bonobo, "Transmission 94" from Days to Come (Ninja Tune, 2006)]

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:16:00 +0000

As the U.S. and the world get serious about solving the energy crisis, new forms of renewable energy are being developed that could be key to eliminating our dependence on fossil fuels and ushering in a green economy. A new technology called concentrated solar power is emerging as a potentially-viable source of renewable energy and could transform the American Southwest into one of the most lucrative solar power markets around. But concentrated solar is not perfect yet.

To shed some light on the advantages and shortcomings of this new technology, we caught up with Reese Tisdale, Research Director for Renewable Power Generation at Emerging Energy Research.

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:48:00 +0000

Chances are your pants have probably been more places than you have. From cotton grown in India, zippers manufactured in China and apparel factories in Guatemala, the apparel industry relies on a complex and sophisticated series of relations to get their clothes to a store near you - the global supply chain. But global supply chains carry serious environmental and labor challenges that apparel and other industries must attend to if they truly want to be sustainable.

Michael Kobori, Vice President of Global Supply Chains at Levi Strauss & Co. spoke with the Ceres Podcast about how the company is incorporating these issues into its sourcing decisions in order to create a more sustainable supply chain for its products.

[Music: Jack Rose, "Linden Ave Stomp" from Two Originals of Jack Rose (VHF, 2004)]

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:14:00 +0000

Water is essential for life. We rely on it for nearly everything from simple daily uses like drinking, cleaning and cooking to large-scale commercial needs like agriculture, high-tech manufacturing and energy production. But, according to a recent report by UNESCO, if current trends continue the quantity of water available to everyone could drop by as much as 30 percent over the next 15 years. Figuring out how to balance the needs of communities, corporations and ecosystems may well be the most important sustainability challenge of the 21st Century.

This week, we talk with Jeff Connelly, VP of General Electric’s Global Supply Chain and Water and Process Technologies Division, about the technological solutions being implemented in order to conserve and recycle the earth’s most valuable resource.

[Music: Iag Bari, "Doina" from Fanfare Ciocarlia (Piranha, 2001) and The Standells, "Dirty Water" from The Live Ones! (Sundazed Music, 2001)]

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:00:00 +0000

Corporate disclosure of risks and liabilities is something that helps investors make informed decisions about where they put their money. A handful of institutional investors, including CalPERS, CalSTRS, the NY State Comptroller and the Florida State Board of Administration, among others, filed a petition with Ceres and the Environmental Defense Fund last September (2007) requesting that the Securities and Exchange Commission require companies to disclose risks to their businesses from climate change. The general idea is that once a risk is analyzed and disclosed, that risk will eventually get managed. The SEC petition was recently updated this June (2008).

This podcast is a "recast" of the New York City Bar Associations Environmental Law Committee Environmental Law Interview with Ceres staffer Anne Kelly, Director of Ceres Corporate Governance Program, on the original SEC petition.

[Music: Amon Tobin, "Searchers" from Out From Out Where (Ninja Tune, 2002) and Ry Cooder, "Green Dog" from My Name is Buddy (Nonesuch, 2007)]

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:25:00 +0000

It seems everyone is going green these days, from green investing to green marketing to green consumerism. There is no doubt that we must transition to a cleaner, greener economy if we want to avoid the worst effects of climate change. But as alternative energies and clean technologies become more popular and prevalent in society, we need a new workforce to build, maintain and support this new economy. Where will this new workforce come from? And how do we ensure that we have the labor and skills needed to support a new energy future powered by clean technologies?

Ceres recently caught up with Van Jones, President of Green for All and director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, to discuss how new technology and energy solutions to the climate crisis can also help solve urban poverty, unemployment, and inequality in our workforce.

[Music: Thievery Corporation, "Liberation Front" from The Richest Man in Babylon (Universal Music Division Barclay, 2002) and Michael Franti and Spearhead, "Yes, I Will" from Everyone Deserves Music (Reincarnate Music, 2003)]

Thu, 29 May 2008 16:26:00 +0000

A growing movement of investors are pressing companies to provide more information about "off-balance" sheet issues, such as the impacts of climate change to the corporate bottom-line. Instead of just screening portfolios, or divesting stock, more and more investors in the Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) community are exercising their proxy power by filing and voting on shareholder resolutions that seek to improve corporate governance and sustainability practices while ensuring profits.

Lance Lindblom is President of the Nathan Cummings Foundation (NCF) and a leader in the SRI movement. Lindblom talks to Ceres about how NCF leverages their $500 million foundation endowment to improve corporate accountability.

[Music: Calexico, "Fake Fur" from The Black Light (Quarterstick, 1998) and Brian Eno, "The Big Ship" from Another Green World (E.G. Records, 1975)]

Fri, 16 May 2008 08:01:00 +0000

On February 14, 2008, investors representing over $22 trillion joined Ceres and the United Nations Foundation at the UN Headquarters in New York City to discuss the physical and financial risks of climate change and the opportunities and solutions to mitigate that risk.

Presenters included Harvard University's John Holdren, Khosla Ventures' Vinod Khosla, Ceres president Mindy Lubber, United Nations Foundation president Timothy Wirth.

[Video editing and music composition by Synthesis Media (www.synthesismedia.ca)]

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:04:00 +0000

In the world of investments, clean technology is seen as a boutique business - but that is starting to change. This year alone, $150 billion of new capital went into new energy sectors like solar, biofuel and wind. Mainstream investment firms, like State Street Corporation with over $2 trillion in assets under management, are bringing cleantech out of the shadows.

This week we're joined by Bill Page, VP of Environmental, Social and Governance Investments at State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), to talk about the emerging cleantech market and SSGA's Global Environment Opportunity Strategy (GEOS).

[Music: Nortec Collective "Funky Tamazula" from Tijuana Sessions No. 3 (Nacional Records, 2006) and Lighting Bolt "The Faire Folk" from Ride the Skies (Load Records, 2001)]

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 12:06:00 +0000

To mitigate the worst effects of global climate change, we need to reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases. One of the cheapest ways to reduce emissions is to reduce our demand for energy by promoting better efficiency in our industrial processes, our homes and our appliances. But can businesses and investors make money by reducing demand?

Diana Farrell, Director of the McKinsey Global Institute, made the case for investing in energy efficiency at the recent UN/Ceres Investor Summit on Climate Risk.

[Music: Vieux Farka Toure "Tabara" from Vieux Farka Toure (Modiba 2006) Radiohead "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" from In Rainbows (Self-release, 2007)]