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February 17, 2012

In an effort to “help industry and the environment prosper,” this blog is devoted to providing the latest news on management system and sustainability topics.

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Capaccio Environmental Engineering, Inc. has been through the entire process from development and implementation of programs and necessary documents, all the way through to helping our clients achieve the certification/registration to ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards. CAPACCIO’s sustainability team is also ready to assist you in addressing your organization’s sustainability challenges and opportunities.  Whether you are just beginning to investigate how sustainability fits into your organization, or if you already have mature programs in place, our sustainability experts can bring significant value to your organization through our services. Click on our logo to see the full range of our services or to request information.Capaccio Environmental Engineering, Inc.

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Posted by capaccioems

Which green labels and certifications are reliable?

May 25, 2012

In recent years, “green” has become a household term, used to describe a wide array of products and processes. But how do we know if something is truly environmentally friendly or sustainable?

Image from BuildingGreen.com

Various industries and companies have applied labels and certifications as a possible solution to inform consumer decisions. 

Wood, cotton, appliances, buildings, and restaurants are just a few of the areas with their own labels or rating schemes. The website, EcoLabel Index, currently tracks over 400 labels and certifications around the world! But just because certain products or locations have a label or certification, what does that really mean? How do we avoid greenwashing?  

Here are some things to consider:

  • How do you define “green”? Green is a color between blue and yellow. To be sustainable, you must balance the three responsibilities within your business model.
  • Do your research! Look into the ingredients on the label, the metrics used for certifications, and the background of the certification agency. Websites like the GoodGuide can be an excellent resource.

While many green labels and certifications have faced criticism, it is undeniable that they have motivated demand for sustainable solutions, and consumers are becoming more educated about the products they use. This has increased the competition among various industries, ultimately raising the bar for the best in the class. 

Tell us what you think – which labels or certifications do you find reliable and why?

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Posted by jmuszalski

A brewery & a school system – apples to apples?

May 22, 2012

What could a brewing company and a school system possibly have in common? The straightforward answers are – building and energy concerns, social impacts, and costs associated with the business. While New Belgium Brewing Company, Inc. and Waltham Public Schools fall on opposite ends of the industry spectrum, they both employ management systems to address these issues.  

Like many sustainability endeavors, the story began with a grassroots effort when employees at New Belgium Brewing Company raised their environmental concerns. Aiming to be a model in the industry, the company responded by incorporating Planet Earth within its strategic planning and created a Sustainable Management System (SMS).  Similarly, the City of Waltham, Massachusetts has an Environmental Management System (EMS) for its 12 public schools, offering an elaborate energy management plan and environmental policy modeled after ISO 14001.  

Although in 2 very different industry sectors, both case studies use the same approach; as described in our previous blog, the continual approach is useful for measuring environmental impacts, setting targets and plans, establishing policy, and consistent review.  Using the same methodology also allows for the same end goal: business and environmental sustainability. 

The New Belgium Brewing Company precisely describes the importance of management systems, “Transparency and authenticity are central to our culture. Authenticity means our actions match the things we say about ourselves. Transparency shines a light on our successes and our shortcoming so that our stakeholders can be the judge of our authenticity. The SMS will help us to achieve more of both.”

 For more information, please visit:

http://www.walthampublicschools.org/environpolicy.cfm

http://www.newbelgium.com/Files/SMS%204th%20edition,%202011%20for%20external%20release.pdf

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Posted by jmuszalski

Reminder – 2012 CDP Reporting Deadlines are Approaching

May 11, 2012

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) reporting deadlines for 2012 are rapidly approaching.  As a reminder, below are the upcoming deadlines. The CDP rankings are widely used to evaluate the performance and transparency of publically traded companies (even Google Finance prominently lists CDP rankings as part of company key stats and ratios).   Guidance on CDP reporting and information on the scoring methodology is available on the CDP website.

The timeline for Carbon Reporting for Investor CDP:

  • Feb 1:  CDP sends out its annual information request to companies worldwide
  • May 31:  Deadline for corporations to submit their responses
  • Sept -  Publically disclosed information is published on the CDP website

 The timeline for Carbon Reporting for Supply Chain CDP:

  • April 1:  CDP sends out its annual information request to companies worldwide
  • July 31:  Deadline for suppliers to submit their responses
  • Jan – Publically disclosed information is published on the CDP website

The timeline for CDP Water Reporting:

  • Feb 1 – CDP Water Disclosure Information Request to targeted companies
  • June 30 – Deadline for companies to respond to the questionnaire
  • Oct-Nov – Public response data is published on CDP website

Capaccio Environmental Engineering, Inc. has assisted our clients with sustainability strategic plans, benchmarking, gap analysis, carbon and water footprinting, program implementation, data management, and reporting to help improve rankings as well as address other important sustainability performance objectives.   We are proud of the fact that our clients consistently appear at the top of both environmental and business performance lists, which is consistent with our mission of “helping industry and the environment prosper.”

For additional information or assistance in completing or reviewing reports, please contact us at information@capaccio.com.

Leave a Comment » | Carbon Disclosure Project, EMS - Environmental, Environmental Compliance, Greenhouse Gas, SMS - Sustainability | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by jmuszalski

2012 Newsweek Green Rankings are Underway

May 9, 2012

Newsweek announced today that it has initiated its review of publically-traded companies for its 2012 Green Rankings. This is the fourth annual evaluation of the environmental performance of the world’s largest companies, which will be released on October 22, 2012.

The Newsweek Green Rankings are recognized as a leading assessment of the environmental performance of companies in America and around the world. Newsweek’s Sustainability Rankings are the result of a rigorous, peer-reviewed research process, including both quantitative and qualitative assessment of environmental impacts, management, and communication practices. The rankings provide a cross-industry framework for comparing the environmental commitment and performance of major companies.

An initial assessment of annual reports, 10-K, CSR reports, and websites, is already underway by Trucost and Sustainalytics. Initial analyses of ranked companies will be available for review beginning in early June, and the deadline for companies to submit additional data or feedback for consideration is July 31, 2012.

Stay tuned — Newsweek will hold a webinar in early June for anyone who wants to learn more about the Newsweek Green Rankings. 

Capaccio Environmental Engineering, Inc. has assisted our clients with sustainability strategic plans, benchmarking, gap analysis, program implementation, data management, and reporting to help improve rankings as well as address other important sustainability performance objectives. We are proud of the fact that our clients consistently appear at the top of both environmental and business performance lists, which is consistent with our mission of “helping industry and the environment prosper”. For additional information or assistance, please contact us at information@capaccio.com.

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Posted by karynt

Take CAPACCIO’s Sustainability Survey!

May 8, 2012

 

What defines a successful sustainability program? Do you want to hear about what your peers are doing in sustainability?

CAPACCIO is conducting a sustainability survey to gather just this information! We invite you to take part in our survey/research study on Current Sustainability Trends. The questions on this survey will delve into how companies are currently addressing sustainability; in particular, who is responsible for it, what are the current initiatives, and how companies plan to address sustainability in the future.

 This short survey should take 5 minutes or less to complete. As a thank you for your participation, we will share the survey results with you for free when they are released in June.

 

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/908141/Sustainability-Survey-Phase-1

 

The deadline for participation is Monday, May 14, 2012. Don’t miss this opportunity! Don’t forget we’ll send you the complete study for free as a thank you for your participation. This is data you’ll want  to see!

If you have any questions about the survey, please call Julie Muszalski at 508-970-0033 ext. 124 or by email at jmuszalski@capaccio.com.

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Posted by karynt

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