News

Happy New Year! 2010 was a year of good progress for the corporate community in sustainability. Whilst probably only 5% of major global companies have genuinely embedded sustainability in their operations, we now have some examples of leadership which will inspire others to follow in the coming years. Examples include Siemens and GE reporting environmental revenues of $27bn and $18bn respectively, and M&S showing how a CEO-led sustainability strategy can account for 10% of profit at a FTSE100 retailer.

At Green Monday we have no doubt that 2011 will see a major leap forward for corporate strategies around sustainability. Here are our 10 predictions for 2011 in relation to those who control corporate strategies in this area, which we will review at the end of the coming year.

1. The global policy focus will increasingly shift towards Energy Efficiency – it offers the best return on investment and can be achieved through regulation rather than subsidy.
2. We see a new breed of Energy Manager emerging. He or she will be well versed in finance and can advise their board on strategic issues such as whether to outsource energy management
3. The role of the Chief Sustainability Officer will grow. There will be increasing recognition that an executive board member who is solely responsible for sustainability is a CEO’s most effective tool for impacting an organisation.
4. A pilot biodiversity trading scheme will be launched in the UK which, like carbon emissions trading in the 1990’s, will establish the UK as a global leader in this area. Good news for UK property developers.
5. The use of Corporate Marginal Abatement Curves will rise, and with it a realisation that all major companies have millions of dollars of investment opportunity which has an ROI similar to or better than their core business.
6. There will be a lot of innovations around financing, ranging from climate bonds to EIS funds to ESCO’s. The Sustainability Function will need to keep the Finance Director abreast of these changes.
7. Electric vehicles will give a glimpse of a better, low carbon world. People will be surprised at what a good drive an electric vehicle is compared with a combustion engine.
8. A major company will have its sustainability claims challenged with an impact on its share price. This may either be claims in a CR report, or made in an advertisement.
9. Climate scepticism will get more coverage, which will at times create confusion. Mirroring the rise of scepticism in the Republican Party in the US, there are a number of sceptic groups who are getting better organised and better funded in the UK.
10. China will increasingly be recognised as the leader in global sustainability politics. With the US being increasingly sidelined, we expect China rather than the EU to start to lead climate negotiations. 

We hope that we will play a role in making 2011 an excellent year for you - and hope to see you at a  Green Monday soon - our January London event will be looking at the 'seismic' changes that come with the Energy Market Reform. Here's to the next 12 months.