Situation Vacant: Researcher/Project Manager

The New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development is seeking a person to help manage member projects, supervise research and to write reports and submissions, as a member of a small executive team.  Click here for more information and to view the Position Description.

Invitation to 3rd in the Business Council's Excellence in Supply Chain Seminars: Lean Thinking to Lean Consumption

We are delighted to have one of the world's leading thinkers on sustainable supply chains providing a half day seminar for New Zealand supply chain professionals

Prof Daniel Jones, Chair of the UK’s Lean Enterprise Academy will facilitate a supply chain workshop on

Thursday 24th February 2005 - 09.30 to 13.00 in Auckland (venue TBA)

• Attend this workshop and learn at first hand, from one of the leading experts on supply chain management, how to put the customer first.
•  Whatever your business – service provider or manufacturer; retailer or transport company, health care provider or financial manager - this workshop will help you rethink your operations.
•  Do you know where your supply chain begins and ends? How well does it really serve your end customers?

Daniel T. Jones is coauthor of Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation (Simon and Schuster, 1996) of The Machine That Changed the World (Rawson Associates, 1990). His paper “Lean Consumption” will appear in the March Harvard Business Review.  

 Learn how companies around the world are addressing the 6 principles of Lean Thinking

1. Solve the customer’s problem completely by insuring that all the goods and services work, and work together.
2. Don’t waste the customer’s time.
3. Provide exactly what the customer wants.
4. Provide what’s wanted exactly where it’s wanted.
5. Provide what’s wanted where it’s wanted exactly when it’s wanted.
6. Continually aggregate solutions to reduce the customer’s time and hassle.

This workshop will be designed for the NZ and Australian market place and will provide an opportunity for you to discuss your own supply chain with Daniel Jones.

There are limited places for this workshop, and these will be filled on a first come first served basis with priority given to members.

Cost: $400 (NZBCSD members); $800 (non members)

For full details download invitation.  Please rsvp to Claire McShane (office@nzbcsd.org.nz) by Monday, 14 February.

WORLD NEWS

Cash, emergency relief and expertise – WBCSD members play active role in tsunami aid efforts

Geneva, 11 January 2005 - With sums still rising, official donations by WBCSD member companies have to date reached more than 250 million USD in cash and in-kind. It is widely stated the tsunami catastrophe is igniting a business response on an unprecedented scale. While cash is essential, expertise, equipment and labor are proving just as important to dealing with the massive challenges in the disaster areas.   Read the full story.

2005: A year in preview

SDI, 13 January 2005 - 2005 will be an important year for sustainable development. There will be a number of high-level events and processes taking place, which will raise the profile of key challenges faced by the world. Some shall focus on the commitments made by governments, whilst others will explore the role of the private sector. Read the full story.

Sustainability pays off – WBCSD members outperform global benchmarks

Geneva, 4 January 2005 - In an update of the 2003 study "Sustainable Development Pays Off", Kommunalkredit Dexia, an Austrian Asset Management company, confirms that WBCSD members enjoy high investor confidence.

The study analyzed the performance of the 141 WBCSD members listed on stock exchanges around the world. The result was a clear outperformance of an equal-weight WBCSD member portfolio over the corresponding market indices, particularly on a long-term basis. Read the full story and download the study.

Fishing in troubled waters

Geneva, 3 January 2005 - The Marine Stewardship Council spurs new consumer behavior. In the early 1990s, over-fishing put the global stocks of fish at serious risk. As a result, one of the world’s largest fish buyers, Unliver, committed to buy all its fish from sustainable sources.  Read the full story.

The new supply chain standards: FTSE4Good enough?

UK government must walk the talk on procurement ethics

These days the UK is almost universally seen as the world leader in corporate responsibility policy take-up, at least in terms of corporate ethical reporting. But more needs to happen.  New Labour has long espoused its credentials as a leading agent of corporate responsibility among its global peers.   Read the full story.

Waste disposal system targets increased recycling

A newly-invented automatic waste transportation and sorting system has been developed in Finland that operates economically and ecologically on virtually any kind of premises.  Read the full story.

Green benefits from canning plant wastewater

Irrigation with wastewater from the canning industry is not harmful to the quality of agricultural soil and may even, in some cases, improve it, according to a new PhD thesis from the Public University of Navarre in Spain.

The vegetable canning industries, by the very nature of its processes, produce a considerable volume of low-contaminant effluents. A research project began in 1996 to determine the viability of agricultural irrigation as an alternative to the dumping of this wastewater.  Read the full story.

Waste disposal system targets increased recycling

05/01/2005 - A newly-invented automatic waste transportation and sorting system has been developed in Finland that operates economically and ecologically on virtually any kind of premises.

Pre-separated waste is transported in biodegradable bags through a sealed pipeline. Each type of material is delivered to an appropriate container for recycling, disposal or use as an energy source.   Read the full story.

Russia Plans Laws Against Polluting Industry in 2005

MOSCOW - Russia plans its first laws to crack down on industrial polluters next year, and will force offending companies to invest in clean technology rather than pay fines, the natural resources minister said on Friday.  Read the full story.

Australia seeks to link up with US on action against global warming

Australia’s Environment Minister Ian Campbell yesterday said that the US and Australia must join the battle against global warming, claiming that Australia was very vulnerable to climate change.

The two countries have refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, but Campbell now seems interested in taking action against climate change, although ratifying Kyoto remains out of the question.  Read the full story.

Demand a better deal for the poor of the world in 2005

The Daily Telegraph, 3 January 2005 - There are moments in history when civilisation redefines itself. Times when momentum builds to bring down a status quo that people are no longer willing to accept. The abolition of slavery was one. So were the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of apartheid. 

When it comes to the wanton loss of lives to extreme poverty and disease, 2005 might be such a moment. Right now it seems unthinkable: the year has begun on an incomprehensibly tragic note in Asia. Yet momentum has been building to make this the year when the world finally gets serious about changing the future for its poorest people. The coming 12 months are a test for us all - especially the leaders of G8 nations, whose vision and resolve have never been more on the line.  Read the full story.

Researchers challenge carbon absorption effects of managed forests

Greenwire, 5 January 2005 - Managed forests may not soak up carbon as previously thought, casting doubt over the ability of "carbon sinks" to mitigate power plant and auto emissions, scientists said.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland have placed sensors above treetops at the privately owned Griffin forest, a sitka spruce plantation near Perth, Scotland. They found that while the forest initially absorbed enough carbon to mitigate emissions from four British households per hectare, the forest started emitting carbon dioxide after forest workers trimmed the trees to increase their suitability for sale as lumber. The researchers discovered that bacteria consumed the dead plant material on the forest floor and emitted carbon dioxide as a byproduct of the digestion process.  Read the full story.

CO 2 trading targets too generous, say environmentalists

The Guardian, 5 January 2005 - The European Union is at the centre of a new row between governments, industry and environmental campaigners over its ambitious new CO 2 emissions trading scheme, which came into effect on January 1. It is designed to help the 25 members meet their commitment to an 8% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2012 under the Kyoto protocol.  Read the full story.

Obesity fears prompt Kraft to stop targeting children with junk food ads

Financial Times, 13 January 2005 - Kraft Foods has promised to stop marketing junk food directly at children in one of the industry's biggest concessions yet to anti-obesity campaigners.

The voluntary response by one of the world's largest food producers came as the US government announced new health guidelines aimed at radically cutting salt and sugar consumption.  Read the full story.

Fueling the future; Automakers are exploring at least 7 alternative fuels

Automotive News, 10 January 2005 - The biggest benefit of alternative fuels is that they offer lower emissions and better fuel economy. Used in vehicles, the fuels generate fewer toxic emissions and save energy.  Read the full story.

Portfolio 21 identifies sustainability trends to watch

Environmental Finance, 7 January 2005 - Carbon neutral targets, 'green' accounting and 'cradle-to-landfill' product stewardship are set to become the sustainability trends to watch, and investors should take note, according to Portfolio 21, a US-based global mutual fund company with a sustainability focus.

"After years of business leaders grappling with the question of how to minimise the toll they take on the environment, we now see such well-known companies as IBM, Dell, AMD and Electrolux fully committed to sustainable business practices," says Potfolio 21 co-founder Carsten Henningsen. "Sustainability is good for the planet and it can be good for shareholder wealth."  Read the full story.

Tokyo Firm Plans Underground Farm

TOKYO - Tokyo residents are used to going underground to find food at basement supermarkets and restaurants -- now one firm is taking the process a step further by planning a subterranean farm.  Read the full story.

Chrysler 300, Ford Escape Hybrid Named Year's Best Vehicles

DETROIT - Chrysler's boldly styled 300 sedan and the hybrid version of Ford's Escape sport utility vehicle on Sunday were named North America's top car and truck for 2005.

It was the second consecutive year that a mass-produced hybrid - vehicles that switch between a gasoline or diesel engine and an electric motor to boost fuel efficiency - won the award, which is announced each year at the start of the North American International Auto Show.  Read the full story.

Hybrid Cars Stir Buzz But Jury Still Out Long-Term

DETROIT - The world's major carmakers appeared split this week over which fuel efficient, lower emission engines will prove to be the wave of the future -- hybrid, clean diesel or hydrogen fuel cell.  Read the full story.

Environment Ministry to Recruit 'Eco Families'

Starting in fiscal 2005, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment plans to invite families to make declarations of eco-friendly lifestyles, in order to promote environmental education and eco-friendly lifestyles at home, the ministry announced in August 2004.  Read the full story.

High Oil Prices Bolster Global Ethanol Market

LONDON - Global production of the renewable fuel ethanol will boom over the next few years if oil prices stay high, analysts said.

With crude oil prices climbing toward $46 a barrel ethanol has become an economically viable import for energy- hungry countries to use in industry or as a blend for vehicles, said Sergey Gudoshnikov, senior economist at the International Sugar Organization (ISO), an intergovernmental body.  Read the full story.

Fossil Fuel Curbs May Speed Global Warming

LONDON - Cutting down on fossil fuel pollution could accelerate global warming and help turn parts of Europe into desert by 2100, according to research to be aired on British television on Thursday.

"Global Dimming", a BBC Horizon documentary, will describe research suggesting fossil fuel by-products like sulphur dioxide particles reflect the sun's rays, "dimming" temperatures and almost cancelling out the greenhouse effect.  Read the full story.

Honda Announces New Greener Vehicles

DETROIT, Mich., Jan. 12, 2005 - Honda Motor Co.’s CEO Takeo Fukui announced several new and environmental initiatives for Honda and Acura vehicles as he reinforced the company's commitment to leadership in these critical areas of social responsibility.  Read the full story.

Environmentalists question emissions trading scheme success

50% More CEOs Report on Corporate Social Responsibilities in 2004

GreenBiz.com, 5 January 2005 - A new survey by andBEYOND Communications shows that 50% more CEOs heeded this warning in 2004. The New York-based investor relations firm analyzed the letters to shareholders in annual reports published from 1999 to 2004 to see how CEOs described corporate social responsibilities to the larger world.  Read the full story.

Global Firms Hide Social Risks From Investors'

Africa News, 30 December 2004 - Company boards all over the world are failing to disclose to financial investors how environmental and social issues pose strategic risks and opportunities for their businesses, according to an international review of sustainability reports.

Of the 50 companies that had the best sustainability reports, only three assessed the balance sheet implications of key environmental social risks, despite this information being increasingly important to analysts, investors, lenders and insurers.  Read the full story.

Davos Surveys Say More Emphasis by Global Financial Community Needed on Social, Ethical Issues

The New York Sun, 13 January 2005 - The global financial community needs to put more emphasis on social, environmental, and ethical issues in making investment decisions, and world political and economic policy-makers should focus more sharply on combating terrorism and eliminating extreme poverty and hunger as the most important global priorities for 2005, according to two surveys released yesterday by the World Economic Forum.  Read the full story.