March 3, 2010 – A new bottled water brand has been launched this week, called Green Planet, which is manufacturing recyclable, commercially compostable, and BPA & petroleum-free bottles along with healthier water.  

March 2, 2010 – The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) have announced Sears Holdings, Lowe’s, and Samsung among dozens, as their annual ENERGY STAR Award winners.

March 1, 2010 – Apple Inc. held their annual shareholders meeting this past Thursday, during which two proposals regarding a sustainability report and an amendment to establish a Board committee on sustainability were voted down.

 February 26, 2010 – Ben&Jerry’s Homemade Inc. announced earlier this week that its entire line of ice cream, no matter which country it is sold in, will be fully Fair Trade in Europe by the end of 2011 and globally by the end of 2013. 

February 25, 2010 – A new pan-European research study called “Sustainovation” has revealed that 81% of European CEO’s are combating shortages in raw materials such as oil and water through focusing their efforts on sustainability.

Each occurrence of sustainability gaining ground in corporate board rooms and academia ultimately shortens the life of the sustainability movement. For those committed to the movement, there could be no better outcome. Here’s why. By Eric Lowitt

February 24, 2010 – Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately owned spirits group, has published their second Corporate Responsibility (CR) Report, in which they report a 20,000 tonne reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG’s).  

February 23, 2010 – In a report due for release in May, the United Nations uncovers that the largest 3,000 international companies cause an estimated $2.2 trillion in environmental damage per year.  More than half of that total is on account of greenhouse gas emissions.  

February 22, 2010 – Global tea brand Tetley, the second largest manufacturer and distributor of tea, has announced its commitment to completing Rainforest Alliance Certification by 2016 and to purchasing all of its tea products from Rainforest Alliance Certified TM (RACTM) farms. 

February 19, 2010 – Ofgem, Britain’s regulatory Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets, has announced its new certification scheme that will label which electricity tariffs have genuine environmental benefits and those that do not.  

The insurance industry is at the forefront of climate change awareness, because it has to be. Climate change is regarded as one of the greatest social and economic threats facing the planet and the welfare of humankind. Where there are threats, there is both opportunity and risk for insurance providers.

February 18, 2010 – The Green Alliance launched its new report last week, From Hot Air to Happy Endings, which outlines how to inspire public support for a low-carbon society.  If governments shift the way they communicate about climate change, perhaps the outcome may change as well.  

February 17, 2010 – Hotel company Sol Melia has become the first hotel brand in the world to be named and certified a “Biosphere Hotel Company” by the leading researchers in responsible tourism, the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) in Leeds, England. 

 February 16, 2010 – Neenah Paper is set to sponsor a FREE Webinar, hosted by the Forest Stewardship Council-US (FSC-US), on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 2pm.  The webinar will focus on the FSC’s role in the paper market and their future plans, as well as the importance of responsible forestry and what the FSC certification process entails.

February 15, 2010 – A new UK government-supported initiative called the Forest Footprint Disclosure Project (FFD Project) has been launched in an Annual Review of its first report.  Of 217 surveys sent to major international brands regarding their direct and indirect impacts on forests, 35 were returned and analyzed by 180 corporate and financial representatives in London last week.

February 12, 2010 – Sustainability consulting firm Ecoxera, announced yesterday that it has acquired B Corporation Certification.  The company now sets the same corporate standards for social and environmental performance as trusted brands like Method and Seventh Generation.     

February 11, 2010 – Greenopia.com, a local San Francisco guide to green living, has released its 2010 Brand Ratings list, a comprehensive directory of the most eco-friendly brands in the nation.  Each brand’s ‘Leaf Award’ is based on green building design, supply chain, recycling programs, green power, and sustainability reporting. 

As consumers demand more transparency regarding product toxicity, brands must realize the importance of communicating their activities clearly. Why then, does Nike emphasize performance over sustainability in product marketing? Because they understand their audience. By Jacquelyn Ottman

February 10, 2010 – Yellow+Blue, a certified organic wine brand of importer J. Soif, Inc., announced yesterday that it has made two partnerships that will make the company the only wine importer in the U.S. to be carbon-neutral, as well as the only importer in the world to donate a portion of sales to global microloans.     

February 9, 2010 – Specific to issues regarding climate change, the SEC published an interpretive release last week concerning disclosure obligations.  Effective immediately, the Commission suggests that public companies err on the side of disclosure when preparing annual reports for 2009.