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 👉
In recent weeks I have read a number of reports published on the BBC which look at energy issues. One article in particular by science editor David Shuckman caught my attention. It looked at how European countries might replace Russian Gas imports. In the wake of the Ukraine crisis and the possibility of tit for
Seeing Past Fossil Fuels Read More 👉
The recent events in Ukraine have been described as the most serious international diplomatic incident to have occurred since the end of the cold war. To those familiar with the power politics of that earlier time, the signs are eerily familiar; a sovereign country being destabilised by the actions of two competing power blocks; an
Moving Towards Global Unity Read More 👉
It is a question which is of concern to all high school students and to all parents of teenage children. What will I do after school? For some the choice will be obvious; they will have a desire to follow a certain career path, or to enter a specific field of study. However, the majority
Educating Students for the World of Tomorrow Read More 👉
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 👉
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
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 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 👉
The medical field has one that dates back to the 5th century BC and now about 2,600 years later an oath is taking shape for students of the Master’s of Business Administration degree. We here at the Inspired Economist clearly hold Net Impact in high regard. After all, we’ve seen articles on their sustainable MBA
The Oath. Has It Really Come to This? Read More 👉
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 👉
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 👉
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 👉
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 👉
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 👉
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 👉
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 👉
Yes! We have achieved deterioration! This is week three of my unofficial, unscientific test of 100% compostable packaging claims from SunChips and Boulder Canyon. Three weeks ago, I buried the bags in my home compost pile, along with a Doritos bag just for fun, and I have been digging them up to see how they
Testing Composable Packaging Claims: Week 3 Read More 👉
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 👉
One week ago, I buried two 100% compostable bags (one made from tree fiber and the other most likely from corn), along with a Doritos bag for control, in my compost pile. I wanted to see what would happen in a real environment, in the type of compost pile most people have, and how useful
Testing Package Compostability Claims: Week 2 Read More 👉
Most Americans are aware of the fact that San Francisco is known as one of the more progressive towns in the Unites States. In attempt to uphold that title, policy makers in the city are hoping to get mayor Gavin Newsom on board as they attempt to ban toys in Happy Meals in order to
San Francisco Attempting to Ban Happy Meal Toys Read More 👉
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 👉
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 👉
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 👉
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 👉
