Opinion

Egypt’s Solar Energy Plans Are Heating Up

Participating in an initiative to finance rooftop solar power units, National Bank of Egypt (NBE) and Banque Misr are offering loans to citizens in Egypt. As a preliminary stage, the initiative is being offered only within specific areas of Cairo. However, plans include expanding soon into Egypt’s other governorates. Energy Committee Head Magid Eldeen Almanzlaoy […]

Egypt’s Solar Energy Plans Are Heating Up Read More 👉

Time for a New Politics of Sustainability

The major defining feature of politics in our current day and age is the division between the political left and right, with the political spectrum popularly being perceived as a progression from communism on the extreme left, through socialism, liberalism, and conservatism, to fascism on the extreme right. The terms left and right are believed

Time for a New Politics of Sustainability Read More 👉

Short Termism and the Human Brain: How We Tune Out the Long-Term Consequences of Our Actions

Sometime between fifty and one hundred thousand years ago, the ancestors of modern-day homo sapiens are believed to have left their African homeland and begun their relentless expansion across the world. Within a comparatively short time period, early humans had extended their influence to every continent. Life is believed to have existed on this planet

Short Termism and the Human Brain: How We Tune Out the Long-Term Consequences of Our Actions Read More 👉

Private Wealth vs Common Wealth | Building a Sustainable Economy

Private wealth.. what’s that all about? Well it’s easy to explain.  It wealth, that is to say assets and money, which is owned and controlled by a private individual or privately owned organisation for their private gain.  Easy. What about common wealth, what’s that?  Well it’s sort of the opposite, where assets and money are

Private Wealth vs Common Wealth | Building a Sustainable Economy Read More 👉

Wealth Distribution – An Unemployment Centric Perspective (Private)

Wealth distribution discussions are frequently focused on the amount of pay that people deserve, but I have a different perspective to share with you. For example: The liberals argue that the middle class is struggling, but the wealthy are earning from a few times more, to hundreds of times more money than hard working middle

Wealth Distribution – An Unemployment Centric Perspective (Private) Read More 👉

Social Business Good, Corporate Social Responsibility “Largely Nonsense”

A New York Times business feature on PepsiCo’s support of Mexican corn farmers has thrust a glowing light on the firm’s business practices, while simultaneously beating the anachronistic drum against the value of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Reporter Stephanie Strom provides an interesting overview of how over 300 poor farmers in San Gabriel, Mexico have

Social Business Good, Corporate Social Responsibility “Largely Nonsense” Read More 👉

Where Carbon Footprint Reporting Meets Greenwashing

As we forge deeper into 2011, the number of CSR reports from fiscal 2009 and 2010 that cross my desk with headlines boasting corporate enterprise carbon footprint reductions in the 5%-12% range is astounding. Here’s a quick sample: Reckitt Benckiser (RB) plc (2010): Reduction of 11% KPMG (2009) : Reduction of 7% While it’s certainly

Where Carbon Footprint Reporting Meets Greenwashing Read More 👉

End the Witch Hunt for Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Microfinance

There’s no doubt that the news from Andhra Pradesh, India about indebtedness crippling microfinance clients is troubling. SKS, India’s largest microfinance bank, raised cash last year by selling shares at 95 times their initial value. And now comes an increased chorus from politicians in Andhra Pradesh about fraud, corruption and impoverishment linked to SKS —

End the Witch Hunt for Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Microfinance Read More 👉

George Clooney’s New Satellite Sentinel Project in Sudan to Uphold Human Rights

A new human rights project, initiated by George Clooney, will combine satellite imagery analysis and field reports with Google’s Map Maker technology to deter the resumption of war between North and South Sudan according to CSRwire’s press release.   The Satellite Sentinel Project will use satellite imagery analysis and crowd-sourced mapping to monitor the tense border

George Clooney’s New Satellite Sentinel Project in Sudan to Uphold Human Rights Read More 👉

Wind Power’s Greatest Enemy — The Changing Winds of Political Economy

Following the Democrats’ “shellacking” in the November midterm elections, the American conversation has now accelerated in its derision of government. After the Republicans used a belligerent cry of consumer cost escalation to defeat cap and trade — a market concept the GOP initially embraced over a carbon tax model —  US energy policy remains antiquated,

Wind Power’s Greatest Enemy — The Changing Winds of Political Economy Read More 👉

Is Philanthropy CSR?

I’ve been pondering this question for quite some time and as far as I’m concerned, the answer is still unclear. Without analyzing the specifics of what CSR is (100 different people may give you 100 different answers), I’ve always broken things down into two camps. One side would be companies that have formulated their business

Is Philanthropy CSR? Read More 👉

The Continuing Saga of Conflict Diamonds and the Kimberley Process

Previously, I’ve written about conflict minerals in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and US efforts to curtail their sales (parts I and II), as well as the repercussions of companies doing indirect business in countries where direct business is forbidden by the US government. So, it only make sense that this article takes

The Continuing Saga of Conflict Diamonds and the Kimberley Process Read More 👉

Strategically Aware Investing: Do We Really Need Another Acronym?

The world of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Reporting is not always easy to navigate.  It is heavily laden with definitions that often overlap, yet their users (or opponents) attempt to keep them distinct.  I always thought this peculiar.  If a company is concerned with reporting

Strategically Aware Investing: Do We Really Need Another Acronym? Read More 👉

Putting 100% Compostable Packaging to the Test

Over the last few weeks, I’ve written about SunChips’ 100% compostable chip bag and Boulder Canyon’s 100% compostable bag, both of which are made from different materials. The SunChips’ bag is loud as a firecracker, while Boulder Canyon’s has a softer sound, like the crunching of a paper bag. Maybe that’s because it’s made from

Putting 100% Compostable Packaging to the Test Read More 👉

Does Corporate Social Responsibility Simply Reframe Friedman, Smith?

Dr. Aneel Karnani Dr. Aneel Karnani, whose August WSJ op/ed (“The Case Against Corporate Social Responsibility”) argued that CSR has no relevance in today’s global business world, was provided with an ample opportunity yesterday to clarify his thesis along with a panel of CSR experts and business journalists. “CSR and the Role of Business Today”

Does Corporate Social Responsibility Simply Reframe Friedman, Smith? Read More 👉

Plumpy’nut and the Role of the Private Sector in International Development

Recently, the New York Times Magazine has been a hotbed for articles covering business in or affecting developing countries. Last week I wrote about a potentially more unconventional way of looking at the counterfeit goods trade from the perspective of major apparel companies. More recently, an incredibly impressive article was written by Andrew Rice, on

Plumpy’nut and the Role of the Private Sector in International Development Read More 👉

Tonight in New Orleans — Here’s to a Sustainable Pigskin Season

It’s been a significant day of news in the sustainable business world with the announcement of the latest updates to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (hello, Morgan Stanley; better luck next year, Shell). But it’s an important day for CSR in aspirational terms for another blue chip corporation, The National Football League (NFL). That’s right:

Tonight in New Orleans — Here’s to a Sustainable Pigskin Season Read More 👉

Scroll to Top