2003
Power
Management
Everyone can save energy and money by enabling power management on
their computer monitors. With over 55 million office computers in
the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that
over 11 billion kWh per hour could be saved through monitor power
management. This amounts to:
* $935 million per year saved at 8.5 cents/kWh.
* Enough energy to power over one million households for a year.
* CO2 reductions equivalent to preventing the emissions from 1.5 million
cars or planting 2.5 million acres of trees.
Free software provided by the EPA automatically puts monitors to rest
when not in use—saving a significant amount of energy and money.
What’s more, monitor power management will not affect computer
or network performance. A simple touch of the mouse or keyboard “wakes”
the machine within seconds.
The EPA has launched the Million Monitor Drive— a national Energy
Star campaign to activate power management on one million monitors
nationwide. A company’s “contribution” to the drive
is made in the form of a pledge to enable monitor power management
that will help to obtain significant environmental benefits.
For more information, visit www.epa.gov
Photovoltaic Rebate Program
Launched
Chicago, IL, property owners have one more reason to join the growing
number of homes, businesses and institutions that generate their own
electricity using the power of the sun. ComEd, in partnership with
Spire Solar Chicago, encourages Chicago residents to take advantage
of the “Photovoltaic Incentive Program (PIP),” a rebate
to help support locally-based manufacturing and installation of photovoltaic
systems within the city of Chicago.
PIP makes individuals and organizations eligible for ComEd rebates
on grid-tied solar electric systems purchased from Spire Solar Chicago.
Systems must be one to 50 kilowatts of direct current nameplate capacity
and installed within city limits. The rebates are offered through
2004 or while funds are available. Rebates are $1,250 per kilowatt
in 2003 and $1,000 per kilowatt in 2004.
Other incentives, offered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and
Community Affairs’ Renewable Energy Resources Program, the Illinois
Clean Energy Community Foundation, and the Federal Business Energy
Tax Credit and Accelerated Depreciation, are available to further
reduce costs. These incentives lighten the load on PV initial costs,
monthly utility bills and the environmental impact buildings create
because of their significant energy consumption.
For information, visit the Chicago Solar Partnership Web site at www.chicagosolarpartnership.org.
Corporate Governance Tops
SRI Headlines
SRI World Group, Inc., a leading authority on socially responsible
investing, announced through its Web site (www.SocialFunds.com) the
top social investing stories of 2002. They include:
* Substantial corporate governance reforms.
* SRI mutual funds matched non-SRI peer funds in performance.
* Community investments outperformed equity funds for the third year
in a row.
* A shareowner resolution on equal employment opportunity policy got
results after 10 years of corporate opposition.
* Government mandates for transparency shaped international momentum
for SRI.
All investors welcomed measures to improve corporate governance, such
as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the new listing standards imposed by
the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The measures aim to enhance auditor
independence, corporate responsibility, financial disclosure and corporate
accountability while guarding against conflicts of interest.
“Out of tragedy sometimes comes good, as the corporate governance
debacles finally inspired legislators and regulators to enact reforms
that are welcomed by all investors,” said SRI World Group president
Jay Falk.
For more details about the top social investing news stories of 2002,
visit www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/article1005.html.
Clean Coal Projects Selected
Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham has announced the first eight
projects, valued at more than $1.3 billion, chosen by the Department
of Energy (DOE) in the initial phase of President Bush’s Clean
Coal Power Initiative. The projects are the first in a series of competitions
to be run by the DOE to implement the 10-year, $2 billion commitment
to clean coal technology.
The chosen projects were proposed by: the City of Colorado Springs,
CO; LG&E Energy Corp., Louisville, KY; Wisconsin Electric Power
Co., Milwaukee, WI; Great River Energy, Underwood, ND; NeuCo, Inc.,
Boston, MA; University of Kentucky Research Foundation, Lexington,
KY; Waste Management and Processors Inc. (WMPI PTY., LLC), Gilberton,
PA; and Western Greenbrier Co-Generation, LLC, a newly-formed public
service entity serving the municipalities of Rainelle, Rupert and
Quinwood, WV
More information is posted on the DOE’s fossil energy Web site
at: www.fossil.energy.gov.
A New Industry Standard
for Catalogs
The U.S. catalog industry mailed nearly 17 billion catalogs in 2001,
using 3.6 tons of paper. Manufacturing this much paper has significant
environmental impacts, including wood, energy and water consumption,
air and water pollution, and solid waste. With their enormous purchasing
power, catalog companies can make a big difference for the environment
by switching to recycled paper—a simple step that conserves resources
and cuts pollution and waste. The good news is that recycled paper
for catalogs is now widely available, is competitively priced and
performs just as well as virgin paper. Companies like Norm Thompson
Outfitters, Chico’s, Sundance and Hanna Andersson are proving
that recycled paper works for the environment and their business.
Other catalogers can improve their environmental performance, honor
their customers’ expectations and meet their business needs by
following their lead.
A recent report from the Alliance for Environmental Innovation, Does
Your Catalog Care?, makes the case for catalogers to switch to recycled
paper. A question-and-answer section on the environmental benefits
of recycled paper explains how doing so helps preserve forests, reduces
pollution during manufacturing and cuts solid waste.
For Information , visit www.environmentaldefense.org/alliance
Pragmatic Guide to Reporting
A new report issued by the World Business Council on Sustainable Development
(WBCSD) answers the worldwide call on companies for greater accountability
and transparency by explaining why and how sustainable development
reporting can help turn the recent wave of boardroom scandals into
renewed boardroom trust. A by-business, for-business pragmatic guide,
Striking the Balance is co-authored by Bert Heemskerk, CEO, Rabobank
Group; Pasquale Pistorio, president and CEO, STMicroelectronics; and
Martin Scicluna, managing partner, Global Strategic Clients, Deloitte
Touche Tohmatsu.
Striking the Balance is designed to encourage companies to provide
a rationale, the business case and tools to produce such reports.
It covers three main areas:
* a step-by-step guide to help companies to improve or develop their
reports;
* recommendations on how to bridge the gap between the information
needs of the financial community and the reporting practices of companies;
* and insight into the debate on the standardization of reporting
formats.
The guide is supplemented by an on-line “reporting portal”
that features practices drawn from some 50 WBCSD members. For information,
visit www.wbcsd.org.
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