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Can Environmental CSR Initiatives Stimulate Economic Growth?

经济低迷带来了新的皱纹,使大型公司作为其企业社会责任计划的一部分解决。

随着前所未有的重点是解决经济状况,再加上由财政刺激方案驱动的迅速政府反应,CSR计划将成为主要公司未来增长机会的最前沿。公司将被迫决定是否有财务责任继续投资于CSR计划或纳入保守的支出习惯以度过经济风暴。在公司可以追求的六项主要企业社会责任计划中,环境举措被视为诱发经济刺激的最吸引人的选择,同时实现了稳固的CSR目标。

Environmental CSR initiatives play a key role for major corporations to impact climate change, water use footprint and energy use effectiveness. Some of the leading corporations that have achieved CSR success with environmental initiatives can motivate the competitive landscape of the marketplace to improve operational efficiency, rethink product designs, and seek out new and innovative technology. Effective resource management and energy efficiency are major environmental CSR goals that are relevant for the present participants. This leads to opportunities for cost savings, revenue generation, and can even influence overall brand strength through positive environmental reputation.

环境CSR计划可能会影响公司结构的以下水平:环境披露,环境政策,环境影响和环境绩效。有了披露,公司可以提高内部运营的透明度,以展示正在跨设施或资产所实施的改进。通过政策,首席执行官的任务是集中内部努力,以整合公司范围内的政策和议程,以将公司指导其环境目标。影响涉及定义环境计划对环境对地方或国家规模的影响。绩效代表了由环境CSR策略定义的一组关键绩效指标,这是随着时间的推移成就的基准。

尽管经济不景气,但鼓励公司继续投资于环境CSR计划,以促进长期增长。

Chart 1.1 represents the key drivers for environmental corporate social responsibility initiatives for North America for 2009.


Strategic Recommendations and Case Studies

Environmental CSR initiatives can be viewed as growth initiatives for a number of major corporations. These initiatives can be implemented for corporations to remain competitive in industries that are becoming more aware of the impact these efforts can have on the bottom line.

对于化学制造业,诸如能源效率和生产优化之类的项目是要改善的关键领域。制药行业必须继续关注来自废水废水排放的问题,并且必须意识到对行业施加的高纯净水法规的日益关注。对石油和天然气行业的温室气体排放,水和废水的关注正在强加重点,而能源效率和运营优化是汽车行业的持续问题。参与纸浆和造纸行业的领先公司必须解决资源管理改进和长期森林资产管理的问题,而鼓励发电部门纳入可再生能源投资组合,以减少温室气体的排放。

这些行业中持续的主题是,环境CSR投资不再被视为“可选费用”。环境企业社会责任计划在每个行业领域维持公司的可持续性,同时实现增长并增强竞争优势。竞彩足球app怎么下载

公司内部询问的一些关键问题,以确定与他们相关的环境CSR计划:
•经济低迷在北美会有什么影响?
•要注意的主要挑战是什么?
• Is it profitable to invest in environmental initiatives?
• What are the short-term and long-term benefits?
• What are the regulations to watch out for?
•公司是否会因环境责任而获得奖励吗?

Some corporations are leading examples to the overall benefits of environmental policy and performance. These distinct examples display the true impact environmental CSR planning can have on the environment and to the bottom line.

作为公司环境CSR政策的一部分,Dow Chemicalhas maintained membership with the美国气候行动伙伴关系along with being a participant on the联合国政府间气候变化小组. In addition, Dow Chemical is striving to reduce energy intensity by 25 percent by 2015 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.5 percent per pound of product by 2015 -- both measures of performance.

Valero Energy Corporation曾获得德克萨斯州州长卓越环境奖的获得者,该奖项验证了对清洁燃烧燃料产品的持续发展投资的持续发展投资。2006年,Valero Energy Corporation在其北美设施中降低了二氧化硫排放量的93%。作为环境披露政策的一部分,它将在2009年底之前重点介绍年度温室气体排放清单。

Enbridge Inc.is one of the leading Canadian corporations in terms of environmental performance and disclosure. In 2007, Enbridge Inc. had implemented a spill and lead prevention program along with a carbon management strategy program to supplement the full-scale environmental scorecard system used internally to track goals and initiatives. The company has also encouraged the reduction of energy use at the consumer level with incentives and education programs. In addition, Enbridge Inc. is on track to achieve a 20 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by 2010 as part of the company's performance benchmarks.

Weyerhaeuser Co.of the pulp and paper industry has focused its environmental CSR efforts on footprint management. The company has achieved a substantial reduction in water and wastewater footprint, while utilizing biomass fuel generation at their facilities. The company has accomplished a 20 percent reduction in wastewater effluent production to compliment a 70 percent increase in biomass fuel used at their operational facilities. Weyerhaeuser Co. is also incorporating an intensive forest management program for the North American facilities to address the company's sustainable forest management initiatives.

Key Growth Initiatives

Four key growth initiatives can be incorporated into various environmental CSR plans and implemented in a short time frame, namely:
• Time Investment
• Efficient Product or Process Design
• Energy Efficiency
• Waste Reduction

Industry experts highlight the following when discussing opportunities to address the four growth initiatives:
•在环境层面上建立社区内的牢固的工作关系是公司一级时间和精力的关键投资。
• Designing energy-efficient products and maximizing operational efficiency for manufacturing processes will improve environmental performance.
•利用强调环境成就的营销活动将吸引行业消费者的意识。
• Having a distinct awareness of changing regulations that require long-term changes is key.
• Developing technologies and programs that recover waste or reuse key natural resources is a unique revenue stream -- and often is not fully utilized.
• Seeking alternative energy sources to supplement manufacturing operations is another area of improvement.

埃里克·梅利顿(Eric Meliton)是一名研究分析师Frost & Sullivan北美环境与建筑技术实践。他专注于监测和分析北美环境技术行业的新兴趋势,技术和市场动态。

Image byweirdvis.

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