GreenBuzz :: Workers Losing Confidence in Corporate Green Goals, Addicted to Paper, and More...

On 8/30/2010 7:26 AM, GreenBuzz Editor wrote:

August 30, 2010   » The Latest News: Office Workers' Paper Addiction, Dell's Million-Pound Packaging Progress, and More...   » Featured News: The View from the C-Suite: Diversey's Ed Lonergan   » GreenBiz Blogs: Answering 10 Questions about Green Certifications, the Perils of Simplifying CSR, and More...   » GreenBiz Radio: Steelcase's Vision for an Eco-Friendly Future: 'Radical Evolution' Sign Up Now for our FREE Newsletters »Subscribe Here THIS ISSUE'S SPONSOR Taking Care of Business By Joel Makower Given the general loss of faith in large institutions on the part of the public, it's of little surprise that consumer confidence in company environmental commitments has eroded in recent months. But it's more than a little galling, given that companies represent one of the few true centers of activity in the environmental sphere -- at least compared to government and consumers. Galling or not, that was the finding of the latest Green Confidence Index, our monthly subscription-based research report on Americans' green attitudes. According to July 2010 data, released last week, Americans' confidence that "the company you work for" is doing enough to address environmental challenges dropped more than 2 percentage points in a single month -- at a time that confidence in other institutions either rose slightly or held steady. Why is that? One can only speculate -- a certain oil company's travails in the Gulf of Mexico, for example, is one likely contributor to public cynicism over corporate responsibility. It also could reflect a loss of confidence in business overall, born of perceived Wall Street greed, bank bailouts, or record profits during high unemployment. Whatever the cause, your company's efforts to get reputational credit for its environmental commitments and achievements just got harder. It's never been easy, of course. Many companies long ago gave up trying to promote their good, green actions in favor of just doing them because they lowered costs and risks and increased quality and employee loyalty, among other measures of business value, even if they didn't garner P.R. points. Talking, it turned out, was much harder than walking. But in an era where being modest about sustainability measures is no longer an asset, it will take equal parts patience and persistence -- not to mention a dollop of nuance -- to effectively communicate to an ever-skeptical public. This week, P.R. pro Shel Horowitz offers up 10 Ways to Make Your Message Resonate with Green Consumers -- how to make marketing messages that both educate and motivate. What's your communications advice? We'd love to hear your successes, frustrations, and lessons learned. Send me a note with your thoughts. The Power of 10: Our ongoing 10th anniversary series of insight and inspiration continues this week with two fine contributions. In addition to Horowitz's aforementioned communications advice, there's 10 Must-Answer Questions When Mulling Third-Party Certification, from sustainable business veteran Melissa Schweisguth. She offers insight into when to consider external labels versus pursuing in-house initiatives, such as purchasing guidelines, supplier engagement and producer capacity building. Cleaning Up: Finally, there's the latest installation of "The View from the C-Suite," Heather King's monthly interview with senior leadership on sustainable business. Ed Lonergan, CEO of Diversey, Diversey, Inc. the world's second largest provider of industrial cleaning, sanitation and hygiene products, is this month's featured exec. Lonergan talks about the sustainability legacy of S.C. Johnson & Son, from which Diversey was created; innovations that save water, energy and labor; and how his team reinvented his first summer job: waxing grocery store floors.    The Latest News Employees Losing Confidence in Companies' Green Commitments By GreenBiz Staff The monthly Green Confidence Index shows that employers are losing ground among major institutions' green commitments , while confidence in other institutions is holding steady.... Read More Shrinking Packages Help Dell Cut Material Use by Nearly 9M Pounds Royal Caribbean Charts Incremental Progress on Cruise Ship Impacts U.K. Office Workers 'Addicted' to Paper NextEra Credits Renewable Energy for Small Carbon Footprint German Army Enlists Johnson Controls to Boost Energy Efficiency Recovery Act Keeps U.S. on Clean Energy Path Cintas' Recyclable Shirt Made from Plastic Bottles, 'Eco-Charcoal' Kyocera's Edible 'Green Curtains' Take a Bite Out of Energy Use Plan Seeks 100 Pct Renewable Energy in Australia in Ten Years    Featured News The View from the C-Suite: Diversey's Ed Lonergan By Heather King Diversey President & CEO Ed Lonergan talks about the Johnson family legacy of sustainability; innovations that save water, energy and labor; and how his team has reinvented his first summer job: waxing grocery store floors.... Read More Sponsored Content Do you know the weight of the Great Sphinx? 200 tons. Do you know how much paper UPS saved by printing directly on the boxes? Six times that. To learn more about paperless printing and for more amazing stories, visit hp.com/earth.    GreenBiz Radio Steelcase's Vision for an Eco-Friendly Future: 'Radical Evolution' By Leslie Guevarra The key to Steelcase Inc.'s business sustainability practices -- and its design strategy -- lies in its approach, says Angela Nahikian, the company's director of Global Environmental Sustainability. That approach may come as a surprise to some people who have tracked this industry leader and its nearly 100-year history of innovation. Nahikian tells GreenBiz Radio about her company's outlook and the concept of "radical evolution."... Listen Sponsored Content Corporate Responsibility – What Does it Mean for Dell? Sustaining the environment, acting with integrity and understanding our responsibility to contribute our time, technology and know-how to create a more promising tomorrow for communities everywhere are fundamental ideals for Dell. Learn more about our commitment to being a responsible global citizen and read our corporate responsibility report.    Columns and Blogs Melissa Schweisguth 10 Must-Answer Questions When Mulling Third-Party Certification > Read more... Dave Douglas The Perils of Oversimplifying CSR > Read more... David Levine How Shoddy Chemical Regulations Hurt U.S. Businesses > Read more... Shel Horowitz 10 Ways to Make Your Message Resonate with Green Consumers > Read more...       FEATURED RESOURCES Carbon Management Center GreenBiz.com and Groom Energy have teamed up to launch the Carbon Management Center, where you'll find the latest news, resources, and opinions on the rapidly expanding universe of carbon management strategies and enterprise carbon accounting software. Water Conservation There is a great deal of information on reducing water use in a cost-efficient manner. Don’t drown in it: Grab hold of this GreenBiz Essential. BROWSE BY TOPIC » All News » Energy and Climate » Business Operations » Design and Innovation » Resource Efficiency » Marketing » Small Business » Events & Tools FEATURED JOBS Director of Sustainability and Energy Management Oberiln, OH Strategist San Francisco, CA Director of Regulatory Affairs (EPA) Denver, CO (SEATTLE, WA) » Browse All Jobs FEATURED EVENT Green Teams and Employee Engagement: How Volunteers Can Help Meet Corporate Sustainability Goals Date: Thu, 16 Sep Location: Virtual Green Teams are a recognized trend in the workplace. But the story that is still developing is how green teams can contribute to measurable organizational and environmental goals over time. In our research and in this online conference: we address how green teams can define and demonstrate value, effectively align interests and company priorities, help to deliver results with limited time, and best interface with executive leaders and functional managers. 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