BlogBloghttp://www.carlson-communications.com/blog/2008-10-13T17:21:45ZSquarespaceMaking money while fighting climate changeClimate changehttp://www.carlson-communications.com/blog/2008/10/13/making-money-while-fighting-climate-change.htmlLeslie Carlson2008-10-13T17:13:12Z2008-10-13T17:13:12ZClimateBiz has an interesting story on their site today about the new "sector" of the economy that has formed to fight climate change. HSBC has even created an index for this sector of the economy, and last year, it outperformed the biotech and software sectors combined--an amazing feat, in my opinion.

Most interesting to me, however, is the quote from an HSBC director:

Climate change is no longer an environmental and social issue, but a huge economic global opportunity.

While I disagree with the first part of this quote--one only has to comtemplate the current state of New Orleans to realize that climate change remains a huge social issue--I do agree that the economic benefits to investing in greentech/cleantech are big, and growing. The economic upside of creating a low-carbon economy is not widely accepted--yet--but I'm glad to see an investment bank interested in the economic change this country so badly needs.

]]>Thinking outside the u-no-whatBusiness practice changehttp://www.carlson-communications.com/blog/2008/9/10/thinking-outside-the-u-no-what.htmlLeslie Carlson2008-09-10T16:24:40Z2008-09-10T16:24:40ZSorry, I couldn't help myself--I'm a victim of bad puns. But how's this for a shift from conventional thinking about packaging:

Don't Shoot the Messenger
New HP laptop packaged in messenger bag instead of box

Don't take Grandma to Wal-Mart: the big-box store's new Hewlett-Packard laptop "will be displayed on shelves wearing only the HP Protect Messenger Bag." Scandalous! But actually, there's no need to avert your eyes: the HP Pavilion dv6929 is served up in a recycled, reusable messenger bag instead of a box, cutting cardboard and plastic packaging by 97 percent. Thinking outside the box helped HP win Wal-Mart's Home Entertainment Design Challenge, which judged suppliers' products on attractive design, environmental innovation, and less-wasteful, less-toxic packaging. Wal-Mart says 25 percent less truck space is now needed to schlep the computer to stores, cutting transportation costs by 31 percent. In addition, purchasers of the $798 laptop, which is available only at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, can recycle an old PC for free.

Hat tip to Grist, one of the liveliest, best-written publications about sustainability in the world. Seriously.

]]>Now that energy is a priority...http://www.carlson-communications.com/blog/2008/9/1/now-that-energy-is-a-priority.htmlLeslie Carlson2008-09-01T18:48:22Z2008-09-01T18:48:22ZThe Democratic Convention last week was the first time I can remember (my childhood memories of the 70s being fairly hazy) that energy became a "top five" political priority.

Even when they were talking about national security, the Democrats in Denver mentioned energy as key to safety at home.  They directly linked our foreign policy to our energy policy--and talked about the drastic consequences that oil addiction has to our pocketbooks and our ballooning budget deficit. This is not just about drilling, said many on the dais, but about building a comprehensive energy plan that reduces our use of foreign oil, promotes renewable resources and makes us the market leader for new technology and green jobs.

It will be tough for the Republicans to top that, and given Hurricane Gustav, I expect we'll hear little about a comprehensive energy policy from them, outside of offshore drilling and maybe promotion of  nuclear energy. The Republicans seem content to propose a few magic energy bullets (offshore drilling, nuclear) rather than raise the level of discussion about a diverse energy mix, which most experts believe is best.

The next few weeks of the campaign, however, I expect energy to be a much-talked-about topic. I sincerely hope Americans are listening and thinking critically about life in the decades to come, and not just worrying about the price of gas tomorrow.

]]>When going green means really saving moneyBusiness practice changehttp://www.carlson-communications.com/blog/2008/8/11/when-going-green-means-really-saving-money.htmlLeslie Carlson2008-08-11T18:56:40Z2008-08-11T18:56:40ZLots of times clients have turned down my suggestions to look for new and better ways to become more sustainable because they fear it costs too much. Sometimes, it does cost a little more--in the case of a green building, a premium of perhaps a few percentage points. (Of course, I always argue that the attention you can receive for building green outweighs the costs by a great margin, but that's a subject for another post).

Here's a great example of how sustainability can create a cost savings. Intercall, a well-established video and teleconferencing service, has launched a marketing campaign touting the greenhouse gas savings of its services. It seems that when employees don't have to fly, that saves on carbon emissions and saves on the cost of airline tickets.

Most companies haven't even begun to tap the savings of teleconferencing (and its video cousin) but I'm betting that technological innovation (just look at Skype) in this area will grow ever faster if oil prices continue to rise over the long term.

And the smart companies that invest in teleconferencing will be the ones that save on future carbon taxes, too.

]]>I just can't help myselfhttp://www.carlson-communications.com/blog/2008/7/11/i-just-cant-help-myself.htmlLeslie Carlson2008-07-11T22:33:00Z2008-07-11T22:33:00Z]]>350: A number you need to knowClimate changehttp://www.carlson-communications.com/blog/2008/6/29/350-a-number-you-need-to-know.htmlLeslie Carlson2008-06-29T21:04:48Z2008-06-29T21:04:48Z350 parts per million of carbon dioxide is the number the earth needs (that we need, actually) to achieve climate stability. That number is the agreed-upon target of the vast majority of scientists across the globe. Right now, there are 387 ppm in our atmosphere, and that number is climbing.

350.org has created a great video that shows the importance of creating climate stability, and all without words. Today, in the midst of a unseasonable heat wave and record temperatures in Portland, Oregon, I've posted the video for your viewing pleasure. Head on over to 350.org for more, or to join the campaign.

]]>A little Al Gore for a cold Friday in Portlandhttp://www.carlson-communications.com/blog/2008/6/6/a-little-al-gore-for-a-cold-friday-in-portland.htmlLeslie Carlson2008-06-06T21:21:35Z2008-06-06T21:21:35Z]]>What are the lessons learned?Market transformationhttp://www.carlson-communications.com/blog/2008/5/20/what-are-the-lessons-learned.htmlLeslie Carlson2008-05-20T20:39:07Z2008-05-20T20:39:07ZI've been feeling badly over the last few weeks about the demise of Nau, the sustainable sportswear company that seemed to be the very model of transparency and authenticity in their operations and marketing. Being transparent and authentic is something that I always recommend to clients, you see, and now the company that was my primary example has fallen flat.

That's led me to add a new, key recommendation to my advice: make sure you business model is a good one. All the sustainability in the world won't keep you afloat if your business model isn't successful in linking you to customers and ultimately driving sales.

Of course, Nau may have had a perfectly good business model and just ran into hard economic times--something that can happen to even Fortune 500 companies .

I'm hoping that some smart MBA will dissect the Nau failure soon, so we all can draw lessons from what happened. And, I'm hoping that the very model of sustainability that they offered will be picked up by the Naus of the future and taken to yet higher heights.

]]>Happy Earth Dayhttp://www.carlson-communications.com/blog/2008/4/22/happy-earth-day.htmlLeslie Carlson2008-04-22T18:22:32Z2008-04-22T18:22:32ZIt's April 22, 2008, and I'm not sure whether to be discouraged or hopeful about our progress as a planet toward sustainability. It probably doesn't matter anyway, as how I personally feel about our progress-or lack thereof-doesn't change the ultimate outcome. Not unless I put my feelings into action.

No Impact Man says it better than I could say it today. Enjoy.

]]>The companies that get itBusiness practice changehttp://www.carlson-communications.com/blog/2008/3/31/the-companies-that-get-it.htmlLeslie Carlson2008-03-31T18:20:56Z2008-03-31T18:20:56ZI've been pleasantly surprised by sportswear companies in the past few years. They are among the leading edge of companies that seem to understand that climate change and environmental devastation are really, really bad for their business. It makes sense, of course--who wants to buy outdoor clothing if the outdoors no longer exists?

Leading the pack for a long time has been Patagonia, who recently launched the "Footprint Chronicles" to let customers track the carbon footprint of individual pieces of Patagonia clothing. As far as I know, Patagonia is the first retailer to examine the impacts of manufacturing and shipping at this granular level. (I know, because I have a long, bad habit of asking retailers I shop with why they don't do more to reduces the impacts of  shipping halfway across the globe).

Other sportswear companies, are not far behind. Particularly, Portland's own Nau is demonstrating great transparency and honesty as they attempt to ameliorate their impact. Simple Shoes, Nike and Icebreaker have also made good strides.

The unfortunate news is that sustainability appears to cost much more than unsustainable goods. Sometime in the near future, that will probably be different, as governments grapple with imposing carbon taxes. I think the companies I've named--and others that are on a path towards sustainability--will definitely have a leg up when that time comes.

 

 

 

 

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