Berkeley-Stanford Cleantech Conference

The 7th Berkeley-Stanford Clean Tech Conference will feature great panels and networking opportunities. This year's conference will will explore how China and the U.S. will collectively (and competitively) create green jobs from perspectives of policy, business, and technology.

 Sputnik 2.0? The Pursuit of Green Jobs In China and the U.S.

Where: PG&E Headquarter - 77 Beale Street, San Francisco

When: April 9th, 2011 | 10am - 8pm

Get further details here: http://cleantech.stanford.edu/bscc7/

Sign up now and let us know how you liked it!

 

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR SOCIAL GOOD - EVENT

"SOCIAL MEDIA FOR SOCIAL GOOD"

 Speaker Kitt McCurdy
Context optional
Date: March 21, 2011
Time: 5:45 p.m.
Room: 2203

Spread the word and join us for this great event!

The “Green” Investment Trap

I know many of you remember our discussion a couple of weeks ago about how many companies are investing and trying to go ”green.” The skeptic in me came out and said that I don’t believe that these companies really do believe in what they are promoting, but rather are going with the new trend. Everywhere we look now there is an “organic” stamp on everything from apples to make up and even gum…not sure how gum can clarify as organic… ?

Whether you want to believe it or not, being green, sustainable, and buying organic is a new TREND and it is what everyone is trying to be a part of so that they are not the outsider. How many companies out there are promoting themselves as being environmentally friendly and going green, yet they have not changed how much paper their employees print, or the lightbulbs in their offices, or even promoted a recycling program at their offices? I’m willing to bet that it is a big chunk of them!

O.K. enough of my own personal opinion, let’s go and list some facts down.

1. According to the LA Times, green investing has been quite volatile if we look at the WinderHill Clean Energy Index or the S&P Energy Index. Just two and half years ago the WinderHill Clean Energy Index closed the year 70% down, compared with the 34% that the Dow Jones was down. In 2008, S&P Energy Index lost 35.9%

2. The New York Times in October 2009, cited Green Technology investments a big Plummet. In California alone green technology investments fell 61/% in 2009!

3. Remote Revolution.com said it best in this direct quote: ” Still, I have noticed that there are several companies who produce “green” goods and who suggest that they are doing their part to reduce waste, recycle, give back, etc. simply because of their process. They are missing the other half of the equation—the half that is essential when calculating just how environmentally heroic these organizations are.  They are focusing on the greenness of the output and missing the importance of the input—the workers and the duties they perform. A company that looks past this issue is not green and is far from progressive.”

Even though I believe that many consumer lifestyles will change in California tremendously within the next decade, it is very hard for me to believe that the rest of the United States will comply and start carrying about not only our nation, but our world. I’m also very much still on the side that the majority of the companies are promoting being green and investing in green technology simply because it is a trend and because they do not want to lose out on any money that this boom will create for them, but do not whole heartedly believe in actually making a change or bettering the world.

by Juliannabb

UPCOMING EVENT - MARCH 3rd

Sustainability & Supply Chain Professional’s Key Role

By World Renowned Speaker

Cathy Rodgers, MBA

Vice President, Global Opportunities at IBM

and

Golden Gate University Alumnus

Sourcing for a Sustainable Future

One tree will be planted for each person in the audience 

WHEN:  Thursday, March 3, 2011

5:30 PM – Registration/Networking

6:30 PM – Dinner

7:30 PM – Speaker

WHERE:  Golden Gate University

536 Mission Street, 5^th Floor Room 5310

San Francisco, CA 94105

REGISTRATION

APICS & ISM Members; advance registration: $25

APICS student member; advance registration: $15

Non-members & At-the-Door: $35

Reserve in Advance and be part of the tree planting event at:  add your name & APICS email address here.

Speaker Biography:

Responsible for providing complex global opportunity engagement and pursuit leadership on approximately $20B international deal annual pipeline. Cathy is responsible for IBM Global Services Worldwide Strategic Relations and has been instrumental in driving cooperative relationships with a wide variety of key ISV, OEM and Services business partners. Her leadership, integrity and creative partnering approaches paved the way for a world-class engagement model in the growing area of 'multi-sourcing' and co-opetition. Cathy currently Chairs the IBM GTS Smarter Planet/Cities Global Advisory Board, is the Chairperson for ISM (Institute of Supply Management) Committee on Sustainability & Social Responsibility and is a member of Tech America's Commercial Executive Board of Directors, Chairman of the Committee for International Policy; including the International Environmental Committee.

Cathy is one of IBM's most sought after executives for employee motivational events and speaks regularly on the topic of sustainability, supply chain, creating a smarter planet and women in business. Cathy's passion, bold thinking, teamwork and commitment to being a positive catalyst for change has continued to have a significant positive impact on her team, her global colleagues, the people she mentors and the clients she supports.

Cathy has been recognized twice as woman of the year in business in California, has received a special accommodation from the Governor of California and was previously featured in the New York Times for her work with minority suppliers. Cathy holds a B.A., M.A. in Education/Community Services, and an MBA with a minor in Finance (from GGU), and holds a lifetime teaching credential. 

 

Sustainable University Campuses in California

The University of California Chico is the only campus in the California State University system that has made a commitment to zero-waste. The University wants to achieve a waste diversion rate of 90% or better by 2015, which is needed to achieve a zero-waste status.

How does the University want to achieve this? It gradually decreases its environmental impact over the next four years. Here are some of the ways that the university changed its business practices to be more sustainable.

·      composting nearly 200,000 pounds of food scraps each year from CSU, Chico’s cafeterias, coffee shops, and AS Catering

·      continuously expanding their already successful book buyback program

·      setting up recycling bins around the campus to motivate the students to recycle

But the University of California Chico is not the only school implementing sustainable business practices. A great school very close by has emerged to the greenest campus in the world: UC Berkeley.

The following list represents some of the highlights of its sustainability practices:

·      Reduction of greenhouse gas emission by 4.5%

·      Total water usage (not incl. residence hall) has dropped by almost 20% in the last 21 years.

·      Bottled water sales have been reduced by 25% due to an “I Heart Tap Water” campaign on campus.

·      The launch of the university’s Campus Cycle Plan has lead to an increase of 850 bicycles commuters

These universities set a great example for campus around the world. What other campus can you think of that implement greener and more sustainable business practices?

Legalizing Sustainability – Joel Makower blog

The article I read is based on a bill presented in Senate last week that would legalize for California corporations to pursue social/ environmental good over profit. Right now shareholders can sue companies that have social or environmental programs that affect shareholder equity or company profits. The SB 201 (The Corporate Flexibility Act of 2011)  will allow any entity in California to include a social and/or environmental mission and go after them just as much as after profits. I’m not sure if this bill is passed if shareholders will still attain the same shares and/or equity within a company.

Mr. Makower makes an excellent point in his article:

“To gain traction, these companies will need the support — or the demands — of institutional investors, such as large pension funds, embracing flexible purpose corporations. It will take leadership companies, government agencies, universities and other large buyers of goods and services to adopt policies giving procurement preference to these companies. And it may well take preferential tax treatment for flexible purpose corporations, or other policy mechanisms, such as fast-track permitting or reduced oversight.”

I would like to know more details about the “preferential tax treatment” that these companies would get…because again if they see preferential tax treatment, most companies will jump on the sB201 law just to get a break on taxes without actually believing in the environmental and social measures that they will put forth. (Maybe I’m just too much of a negativist when it comes to my beliefs about companies.)

Let’s see if it will pas before I make any further assumptions. I think overall this is a great bill to pass for large companies, but I think it would be unfair to pass it on to small businesses that may not have the means to do so. Also will this be obligatory or just something to protect companies agains shareholders who don’t want to jeopardize earnings?

For the full article please go to Joel’s Blog.

 by Juliannabb

JOB OPENING

Craigslist Link: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/mar/2204851107.html

Help manage the marketing implementation of our web2.0 lead generation process, and grow into other marketing roles. We are a software startup-up, applying gamification innovations to the work-place, with the goal of making the world a better place.

We are looking for someone who:
• Is very comfortable with experimenting with technologies such as Twitter, Salesforce, Mechanical Turk, LinkedIn
• Can manage outsourced marketing research projects.
• Can break down business processes into small executable components
• Personable, effective, detail oriented.
• Loves Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility.
• Can write/edit great marketing collateral.

Please check out recipro.com, and respond with:
• Your linkedin resume
• Your experience with the above listed technologies, and/or experience writing marketing copy.
• How you want to make the world a better place

20h/week, with flexible hours. It is ideal for a college senior or recent graduate looking to learn from this experience, and grow into a more senior marketing or sales role. 3-month commitment required.