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Oh dear Tesco!

Tuesday, 18 August 2009 04:50 By Chris Innis

Tesco's have made two press releases this month. One advising us that 100 per cent of its waste has been diverted from UK landfill a year ahead of schedule and, the second announcing a doubling of its club card points for purchases from Tesco. The two appear unrelated but they are not. One looks to make better use of waste, but not necessarily reduce it, by recycling and turning waste into electricity, the other, well, it wants you to spend more at Tesco stores, and if history repeats itself, waste more.

The point is this. It is hard being green, or sustainable, if you are wasteful or encourage waste.

Should cleantech be open source?

Tuesday, 16 June 2009 22:49 By Chris Innis

This column may be too much of an ask but it must be a question worth asking. Should more clean technology be "open source", in same way as code for software in the computing industry is?

Open source software has helped the computer industry and education. The idea is well established. Could aspects of clean tech go the same way?

IFC’s energy and climate change approach

Tuesday, 16 June 2009 00:01 By www.ifc.org

Many people in developing countries still suffer from extreme shortages of energy. About 700 million South Asians and 550
million Africans don’t have access to electricity. Access to affordable energy is essential for poverty reduction. It is IFC’s mission to work with private sector companies to bring energy solutions to developing countries.

Making sustainability sustainable in your business

Monday, 15 June 2009 23:31 By Tess Power, www.anthillonline.com

With increasing pressure from external regulatory bodies and savvy consumers looking to make smarter and more responsible purchasing decisions, it is more important now than ever to operate sustainably. But it isn’t a matter of simply planting trees or installing energy-saving light bulbs. It is imperative that companies take responsibility for their operations and, ultimately, control of supply chain activities.To achieve the desired status, the organisation must have a plan.

Call for more co-operation between business and NGO's

Monday, 15 June 2009 23:02 By Joel Makower, www.greenbiz.com

For more than 20 years, environmentalist and companies alike have promoted the power of partnerships, particularly those between environmental nonprofits and big corporations. Ever since McDonald's partnered with the Environmental Defense Fund back in 1989 — which involved the activists flipping burgers

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