Being environmentally conscious at the workplace can be a challenge, especially if your employer is resistant or doesn’t readily see the economic benefits of going green. However, on the flip side, many employees aren’t doing all they can either. By taking a few simple steps each day, everyone in the office can do their part to help the company become more eco-friendly.

A recent survey found that 73% of people believe it is important that their employer be an environmentally and socially responsible company. However, energy saving measures people take in their own home don’t always carry over in to office. Ninety-two percent of those surveyed said they turned off lights in unoccupied rooms in their own homes, yet only 52% admitted to following the same practice at work.

The survey was sponsored by Sun Microsystems, whose Vice President of Eco Responsibility, Dave Douglas says:

Businesses don’t cut power consumption — people do. If you’re an employee, these survey results show that you have an enormous opportunity to make a difference for our planet and to help America’s business make better use of their economic resources. If you’re an employer, bridge this gap by communicating about the issue and how everyone can benefit by taking small steps. The good news is that your employees care about the environment, but they may need your help in realizing how much they can actually make a difference.

Some small steps you can take:

• Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms such as kitchens, break rooms, and conference rooms. To help remind others to do the same, create a small sign to post on the door or above the light switch. If there is plenty daylight is coming in, keep the lights off until needed.
• Turn off your computer at the end of the day, and set it to go into energy saving mode (sleep, or hibernation) after a period of inactivity. Unplugging it at the end of the day will also save energy. Likewise, turn off the monitor when you’re away from your desk.
• When printing or photocopying use both sides of the paper. If possible, set the default settings on printers and photocopiers to double-sided.
• If your workplace offers recycling, do your part and recycle.
• Cut back on paper cups and use your own mug for coffee/tea and water.

These are just a few small things, but if you do them every day, and you can get your co-workers to do the same, these little things will add up to have a noticeable impact.

The survey, released on Wednesday, was commissioned by Sun Microsystems, Inc, and conducted by Harris Interactive.

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Jeff Lazar, Lone MeadowThe hospitality industry is booming, but still has a long way to go in being green. I spoke with Jeff Lazar, owner of JLF, a leading supplier for custom seating in the hospitality industry, about his new collection of environmentally friendly seating, Lone Meadow and the challenges of being one of the few sustainable designers in this field.

Green Options: Why did you begin Lone Meadow?

Jeff Lazar: We have a primarily domestic manufacturing base in Southern California and in North Carolina. I had been thinking for a few years about what that means and how to take advantage of that opportunity, and what can be done better in moving forward. We wanted to tie in our manufacturing goals, which was to produce the highest quality product available and align it with my personal sensibilities - what it means to manufacture in a clean, and sustainable kind of environment.

Looking at that opportunity to improve ourselves would ultimately send a message to our industry that we have to do a whole lot better in terms of what we do for our consumers, which are the hotel guests and hotel properties. The hospitality furntiture manufacturing industry - and the hospitality industry in general in the United States - is light years behind the other markets for thinking productively about sustainable living standards.

GO: Do you feel that is changing or is there still resistance within the industry that is keeping it from moving towards more sustainable ways?

JL: There's certainly awareness of the movement. Because of all of the media and publicity around the issue, and more consumer interest and awareness of creating more sustainable environments, there is some progress. However, I would caution that the industry is still very, very far behind. For example, we have now gone to a major trade show for the third year in a row since I first introduced Lone Meadow in 2005, and we're the only seating manufacturer in the industry that is not only talking about sustainable hospitality seating, but actually acting on it. That absolutely boggles my mind. We're the only one in a trade show with thousands of vendors. So there is some movement, but I just think it is very slow to come.

GO: Why is that? Is it a perception that green is too expensive?

JL: Certainly the cost components are there. More importantly I think the ethical motivation on the part of manufacturers and buyers is slow to come. What I mean by that is if the research is done, if time is taken by each of the parties to really scope this out, they will find that the costs are just pretty much apples to apples. And in our case we've been able to prove they're virtually apples to apples so that you take that cost component out of the equation.

GO: So you're saying that the Lone Meadow line is pretty much equivalent in pricing to conventional hospitality seating lines?

JL: That is correct. It is not exactly equal but it is very close.

GO: Another common perception about green design, at least until recently, is that it isn't as aesthetically pleasing. Can you talk about the design aspect of the Lone Meadow line.

JL: Part of the concept of Lone Meadow was to not compromise in any way, shape or form the design, quality, comfort, style of the product. So part of the goal or the vision of Lone Meadow was to enhance and even go beyond what we've done with JLF and offer something that is even a better product. So you take any kind of concern or cost components out of the equation - we want to be thinking about all of the enhancements. Coming from a design influence in furniture is to enhance and attract the design community and ultimately the buyers for our product.

GO: Was it difficult for you to incorporate green elements into the produciton of this line?

JL: In some ways yes, and in some ways no. What I mean by that is it didn't take a whole lot to be able to do the research to find lumber suppliers that offer sustainable lumber. There's no cost attached to that. There's no cost added to offer water based finishes as opposed to oil based finishes, and there's no quality impact for either of those two elements or features. So my point is with a little bit of effort and thought a lot of the components that come with green or sustinable seating don't have to cost more.

So then you look at the marketplace and say your primary market is the design community; who will specify or select your products for their hotels? In order to attract them to your product you have to come up with that "Wow" factor on the design side. You can't minimize that. That was a very primary goal of mine: to ensure that the designer will see a fantastic product. With Lone Meadow, we were able to introduce the benefit of it being a fully or near fully sustainable piece of furniture. That becomes the added benefit, an enhancement, and it's a win-win on all sorts of fronts.

GO: Can you talk a little bit about the sustainable features of your line.

JL: First of all, I know some of your readers they may cringe at SFI [Sustainable Forestry Initiative]. We do also offer FSC [Forest Stewardship Council] certified lumber, but when you're dealing with hospitality manufacturing, oftentimes if we're doing 500 rooms of furniture the purchases are so large that there aren't always a lot of avenues yet availalble to purchase that kind of lumber - FSC, as opposed to SFI.

Having said that, we use SFI certified lumber which gives the designer and owner a sustainable solution for lumber which comes from replenished, or managed forests. We use water-based finishes, which is the lowest VOC [volatile organic compound] emitting finish that you can manufacture with and have it hold up under hospitality construction and standards.

We offer a recycled foam. It's called the Lone Meadow Integrity + Foam system. That gives the buyer a sustainable story for foam which is probably the most difficult area to create a sustainable story. Foam is an oil-based product and is highly toxic, so it is a big problem in our field that hasn't been solved yet, but we did find one supplier who offers recycled foam. It also gives the buyer added durability because it is twice the durability as conventional foam. We call it a foam system because we've created a seating system that is equally as comfortable and soft sitting as conventional foam.

All of our steel clips, springs, staples are made from reused first consumer steel products and materials. One-hundred percent of our seating is upholstered using Designtex sustainable fabrics.

GO: The hospitality industry is huge, but how does it impact the average consumer?

JL: The hospitality includes places like restaurants, hotels, resorts and time shares. The hotel market alone has been a booming industry over the past ten years. For example, think about Las Vegas and the enormity of that hotel environment and how many properties are still going up there. When you think of that volume of construction and the amount of materials that go into these 4000 room properties and how much furniture they need, you can start to think about the amount of materials and processes involved in their construction, installation or completion of that number of rooms and casino spaces, and the impact of that amount of construction has on the environment in a whole variety of ways - energy consumption, material consumption, and processes finishes, you name it.

As consumers, we have to think about what kind of effect that has on our environment. That's not to say that I think in terms of anti-growth, but i think more along the lines of smart growth, intelligent growth so that we have better systems and methods of being able to continue build and prosper. Las Vegas is moving in that direction with the new MGM development that is wholly dedicated to sustainable development and manufacturing.

GO: So if more people in the hospitality industry were doing what you're doing with Lone Meadow, that would really have effect on a large scale.

JL: Absolutely. Recreational travel continues to be a growth industry. My understanding is that destination travel is at an all time high. Travel is often a time of reflection and relaxation for people, so it would be natural for them to think about things that are beyond just their day to day concerns.

A portion of the profits from Lone Meadow is donated to The Nature Conservancy.

Eco-surveys abound as think tanks and organizations across the globe are all trying to gauge how people are feeling about green these days.

The latest survey, Advancing Sustainable Prosperity, comes from Ceres, an environmental investment group.

What is sustainable prosperity? From what I gather from Ceres (pronounced series) sustainable prosperity incorporates environmental and social issues into business strategy and economic markets.

Since the survey was administered to participants at their annual conference last week (including a who's who in the corporate and enviromental sectors), respondents are likely to be involved in a for-profit business venture. Therefore the answers should be indicative of what the feeling is in the corporate world regarding environmental issues.

Of those surveyed, 80% think that climate change is the biggest sustainability challenge facing the world today; 90% said the most important issues for corporations to address are greenhouse gas emission reductions and improved energy efficiency; and 67% thought that renewable energy technology has the biggest chance at achieving sustainable prosperity.

A telling survey question that caught my eye was: "Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: 'Collaboration, such as partnerships between NGOs, companies and investors, is important for progress on sustainability issues,'" to which 79% of respondents answered "strongly agree."

Seventy-nine percent of businessminded people at the Ceres conference think that partnerships to finding solutions to environmental problems is a good idea. That is good evidence that the corporate front is changing their tune and sustainable prosperity is catching on.

Via GreenBiz

Still think American's aren't catching on to the new green wave? A new survey indicates otherwise. The 2007 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey finds that Americans are more environmentally aware today than they were last year. They're buying more green products and taking small steps to do their part.

93% say they conserve energy
89% recycle
86% conserve water
70% talk about enviro issues with friends and family
47% have purchased environmentally friendly products

The survey also indicates that people's expectation of business has changed. Americans expect companies to reduce their pollution, reduce packaging and other wastes, and communicate environmentally responsible practices to consumers and employees. This should be a red flag to the business world as the survey also found that:

The vast majority of Americans (91%) say they have a more positive image of a company when it is environmentally responsible. On the flip side, almost as many (85%) indicated they would consider switching to another company's products or services because of a company's negative corporate responsibility practices.

So listen up corporate America, people are on the look out for green products and have a favorable attitude towards companies that are environmentally responsible. While this survey could give businesses an excuse to green wash (which is to say they're green or skew their PR and advertising to allude to green-ness that doesn't really exist), I think more companies will look for ways to green their current offerings or have a green product line to get in on this widening marketplace.

The Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) has challenged Walt Disney World Resort to switch to environmentally friendly, non-toxic cleaning products and practices throughout their operations. According to CHEJ, Disney World avoids using toxic cleaners in their Animal Kingdom but not in their theme parks, hotels or restaurants.

The “Disney Go Green Campaign” sponsored by CHEJ and several Florida activist organizations, kicked off the 2007 Florida Environmental Health and Organizing Conference on Friday. Part of the campaign effort uses the animated characters from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves as spokespeople. On the CHEJ website Grumpy says,

“I’m Grumpy that Disney uses certified green cleaning products to protect the health of animals in Animal Kingdom, but not everywhere else to protect children and me!” [Followed by a factoid] Disney uses green cleaning products in Animal Kingdom and three of its fifteen hotels. They know how to do it!

Many chemicals used in cleaning products contain carcinogens, hormone disruptors and respiratory irritants than can trigger asthma attacks and other illnesses. School districts across the country have implemented least toxic policies to protect students and workers because of these concerns. CHEJ wants Disney World to establish a similar green cleaning purchasing policy.

CHEJ is hoping to put a little pressure on the resort by asking people to e-mail Disney. In the end Disney may have to go green anyhow as there is green cleaning legislation pending in Florida’s House and Senate.

Via CHEJ

Business leaders in Houston say they support California's low emission vehicle standards and have called on Texas to follow suit.

The Greater Houston Partnership, an advocate for area businesses and economic development in the city, passed a resolution endorsing the Texas legislature's move to adopt California tough standards on vehicle emissions.

This announcement may come as a surprise and has put some environmental groups on guard as it reverses an earlier decision the partnership made in 1992 to oppose California's standards in Texas.
Another surprise is that this decision comes from the biggest oil producers. 2007 executive partners of the Greater Houston Partnership (a 501 (c) 6 non-profit, member driven organization) include Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Shell.

Of course oil isn't the only voice on the partnership's board, but it is a prominent one. An endorsement like this could send a signal to automakers to re-think their stance on the issue. The reasoning behind the partnership's decision, in part, is that a city with cleaner air will be more likely to attract businesses and new residents.

Via SustainableBusiness.com; Reuters; Greater Houston Partnership

You've seen the Fair Trade and Certified Organic logos on product packaging indicating responsibly produced goods. Now Whole Foods is adding another one to the mix, the Whole Trade Guarantee.

The Whole Trade label criteria ensures environmentally responsible practices, more money for producers and farmers, and better working conditions and higher wages for workers. Whole Foods is working with TransFair USA, a certifier of fair trade products in the US, and the Rainforest Alliance, a non-profit that works to promote environmental conservation and responsible land practices. Partnering with these organizations will give the Whole Trade Guarantee credibility and ensure it is verifiable.

Products such as bananas, coffee, tea, cocoa, rice, sugar and vanilla will carry the Whole Trade label. Within ten years Whole Foods wants to get least 50% of its imported inventory under the new certification.

Of course with the extra certification comes a higher retail price since Whole Foods pays a premium for the goods. However, that premium has benefits at the source in helping farmers and producers earn a livable wage and improve the lives of their families and the conditions of their communities.

Additionally, for each Whole Trade product sold 1% of the retail sale will go to the Whole Planet Foundation, which supports micro-finance opportunities for women in lower income countries.

Whole Foods launched the new label in conjunction with the grand opening of their (long awaited) new location in New York City (at Houston and Bowery on Manhattan's lower east side.) I know one shouldn't get too excited about a Whole Foods opening, but it is much more convenient for me to get to, and the selection of organic goods in this neighborhood is fairly slim. On my next trip in I'll keep an eye out for the Whole Trade label and see what my fellow shoppers are putting in their baskets. Will they put their purchasing power to good use with the Whole Trade (premium) Guarantee or the non-labeled (cheaper) counterpart? Which would you buy?

Via GreenBiz; Whole Foods

The Institute of Travel Management (ITM) recently introduced an Environmental Impact Reduction Toolkit to help businesses reduce their eco-footprint when travelling.

The UK-based organization provides support for travel management professionals and promotes best practices across the industry. The toolkit was announced at their 2007 conference entitled "Responsible Travel Management". The intent of the toolkit is to help create a framework for the travel management industry to help companies conduct business travel more responsibly and to better understand corporate social responsibility.

The toolkit includes corporate case studies highlighting successes in the use of video conferencing and ground transportation, a guide to RFP and travel policy environmental best practices, an FAQ document dispelling some emission reduction myths, and tools to calculate and analyze carbon footprints.

The toolkit is part of ITM's Project ICARUS, which was established last year to "promote carbon reduction in travel management programmes throughout the UK business travel industry." As part of ICARUS ITM is also working to implement a set of environmental accreditation standards and an awards process to give credibility and recognition to business travel suppliers who are working towards these goals.

ITM has been around since 1956 and has no doubt seen changes in their industry as transportation and technologies have evolved over time. ITM is demonstrating the need to help their members respond to new corporate needs with Project ICARUS and the toolkit, which will also make it easier for businesses to reach their CSR goals and emission reduction targets.

Via Institute of Travel Management; The Transnational; Environmental Leader

SustainAbility, a consulting firm and think-tank that explores solutions for sustainable development, has released a new study on the positive effects of social entrepreneurship.

According to the report Growing Opportunity: Entrepreneurial Solutions to Insoluble Problems, a social entrepreneurs are:

…entrepreneurs whose new ventures (social enterprises) prioritize social returns on investment, i.e. improving quality of life for marginalized populations by addressing issues such as health, poverty, and education. One key reason why mainstream business needs to pay attention is that these people aim to achieve higher leverage than conventional philanthropy and NGOs, often aiming to transform the systems whose dysfunctions help create or aggravate major socioeconomic, environmental, and political problems.

SustainAbility surveyed 100 social entrepreneurs all over the world to gauge the different approaches to global health and environmental problems, and the challenges they face in their business ventures. Major challenges cited by respondents were access to capital, promotion and marketing of programs and services, and not enough opportunities to work with experts and other businesses.

Given these results, SustainAbility has made recommendations for governments and businesses to help in fostering the success of small entrepreneurs including pathways to funding and creating partnerships. They also map out different phases of funding, and the stages of evolution of an entrepreneur's business.

This report gives the global development community a better understanding of what problems social entreprenuers face. It also gives evidence to larger, established companies that corporate social responsibility continues to grow and provides new avenues of participation in this area.

SustainAbility

Vermont Governor Jim Douglas will travel to China in June to help promote the state's green industries and share clean and alternative energy technologies with leaders there.

During the trip Douglas and members of his delegation will meet with environmental and government officials to expand the market for Vermont businesses and products, and to share sustainable technology solutions as a way of helping to reduce the impacts of climate change. The delegation will also travel to the China International Environmental Protection Exhibition and Conference (CIEPEC), an exhibition for environmental protection products and services.

In January, the Governor introduced what is known as The Vermont Way Forward, an economic development initiative to create jobs through technological advancement, environmental leadership and innovative education. Douglas says that this visit to China will help further those efforts.

“An important part of the Vermont Way Forward is my plan to make Vermont a world center for environmental engineering and technology, I believe this represents the state’s best opportunity to influence climate change and to be a world leader in environmental protection and the development of sustainable technology.”

Vermont's environmental technology and alternative energy expertise includes landfill methane recovery and power generating facilities, wind farms, distributed energy research and development, and Cow Power - the production of energy using methane from cow manure.

Via Vermont.gov