Consumer Environmental Survey

2007 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey
By Cone LLC
Recently, the results of the 2007 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey were released. Brands would be interested in learning about how seriously Americans are now taking the environment, and the implications these feelings have on business practices.

The survey found one-third of Americans (32 percent) report heightened interest in the environment compared to a year ago. This brings the total of Americans who claim to be interested in the environment to 88 percent.

Additionally, consumers believe that corporations owe it to them to engage in sustainable and environmentally conscious business practices. In addition to pollution concerns, Americans are increasingly concerned over product packaging and transportation. With this in mind, consumers say they will either "reward" (purchase) or punish companies based on their actions.
May 2007

Sustainable Strategies driving 25% stock rise

Last week's UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in Geneva, Switzerland,
brought together some of the world's biggest companies committed to
corporate social responsibility. It also left behind some potentially
powerful tools. For starters, there's a new online tool
(www.gln-openaccess.org/) aimed at helping companies "embed responsible
business practices as a driver of long term, sustainable competitive
performance."

A report released at the summit by Goldman Sachs showed that among six
sectors covered -- energy, mining, steel, food, beverages, and media --
companies that are considered leaders in implementing environmental, social
and governance (ESG) policies to create sustained competitive advantage
have outperformed the general stock market by 25 per cent since August
2005.

There's more: a group of chief executive officers representing some of the
world's largest corporations issued The CEO Water Mandate, urging their
business peers to take immediate action to address the emerging global
water crisis. The chief executives of 153 companies worldwide committed to
speeding up action on climate change and called on governments to agree as
soon as possible on measures to secure workable and inclusive climate
market mechanisms post 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol expires.

And a new report on business-NGO partnerships found that environmental
issues account for a third of all business corporate social responsibility
partnerships on a global level and that education projects are the
preferred corporate social responsibility partnerships at a local level.

Details on these and other Global Compact Summit actions can be found on
GreenBiz.com and at the Compact's site: www.globalcompact.org.

-- Joel Makower, Executive Editor

CSR is Good Business

Successful Companies Incorporate CSR Into Business Models
Aug 08 2007

Superior product quality and competitive pricing may no longer rule as the most critical variables in the equation for business success, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer article by AHC Group president Bruce Piasecki. A third strategic factor is coming into play: social responsibility. A growing number of multinational business leaders are already demonstrating that successful enterprises are willing to devote unprecedented time and effort to incorporate social responsibility into their business models.

Piasecki points to the culture shift occurring at General Electric as an example. GE, according to Piasecki, sees green technology for what it is: a great business opportunity.

But it's the actions of Wal-Mart and its Sustainability 360 program, which goes beyond its direct environmental footprint to engage everyone the company touches: associates, suppliers, communities and customers, that signals the true significance of the trend, according to the article.

By requiring suppliers to reduce product packaging five percent by 2013, Wal-Mart expects to realize savings equal to removing 213,000 trucks from the road and saving about 324,000 tons of coal and 67 million gallons of diesel fuel per year, Piasecki writes. It will save millions more by making stores 30 percent more efficient by 2012, increasing fleet efficiency 25 percent by 2010, and reducing solid waste from its U.S. stores and Sam's Clubs 25 percent by 2008.