Environmental Innovation
Across America, businesses both large and small are developing new ideas, inventing new technologies, and changing the way they interact with the environment. BCLC’s Environmental Innovation Network seeks to advance companies leading this trend and connect private sector, public sector, and NGO leaders towards more effective collaboration.
Bricks and Sticks Sustainability Symposium
From April 16 - 17, BCLC will be convening the Bricks and Sticks Sustainability Symposium. The event will bring together thought leaders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors to discuss how public/private partnerships and other tools can help communities and regions acheive economic and environmental goals.
Attendees will have the opportunity to hear best practices from experts from companies like General Motors, Veolia Water, and Entergy. The Symposium will also feature breakout sessions that focus on community challenges according to geography and issues like water use, energy efficiency, and mobility where attendees can make connections and propose solutions to crucial environmental and economic challenges.
For more information on the Symposium, including a list of confirmed speakers and panel topics, please visit here.
IN THE NEWS
April 2nd: European Industry Flocks to United States to Take Advantage of Cheaper Gas, via The Washington Post
March 26th: Disney, Microsoft, and Shell Opt for Self-Imposed Carbon Taxes, via The Guardian
March 26th: Petrobras, Brazil's Oil Giant, Struggles to Regain Lost Swagger, via The New York Times
March 22nd: Yes, Conservatives can be Environmentalists, Here's How, via The Washington Post
March 20th: Top Cities with the Most ENERGY STAR Certified Buildings in 2012, via ENERGY STAR
March 19th: FedEx Delivers Bigger Fuel Efficiency Targets, via GreenBiz
March 18th: This 17 Year-Old Built An Algae Biofuel Lab Under Her Bed, via Fast Company
March 16th: Cars in the U.S. Are More Fuel Efficient than Ever, Heres Why, via The Washington Post
March 11th: Designing Wealth: The Missing Piece in the Sustainability Puzzle, via GOOD
February 12th: State of Green Business Report, via GreenBiz
Corporate Sustainability Ratings & Rankings
2012 - 2013 Climate Counts Annual Company Scorecard Report
The Dow Jones SAM Sustainability Yearbook 2012
2012 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The Environmental Innovation Network has made significant progress towards its dual goals of promoting business leadership around environmental issues and facilitating collaboration between small & large businesses, as well as the public and NGO sectors:
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Hosted the Role of Business in Environmental Innovation Working Meeting on July 18th (see below), which brought together 80+ private sector, public sector, and NGO leaders to discuss the best ways to promote private sector solutions to environmental challenges.
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Released the Role of Business in Environmental Innovation Report, which featured thought leaders from IBM, the Carbon War Room, Intel and other companies and organizations.
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Convened a strategic planning meeting on September 24th to discuss how to advance regional resiliency around the U.S. 25+ attended the meeting.
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Revamped the Environmental Innovation Map, implementing a detailed process for project selection and increasing to over 100 projects featured. ADD LINK
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Expanded the Environmental Help Desk for Business, which now features more examples of environmental innovations and sector guides for small and medium sized businesses.
THE ROLE OF BUSINESS IN ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION Working Meeting
On July 18th, 2012 BCLC convened a high level meeting to explore how to advance the role of business in environmental innovation. The event featured such prominent thought leaders as David Bartlett from IBM and Nancy Gillis from the General Services Adminstration to discuss how to make progress towards more sustainable supply chains, where businesses can make the largest positive environmental impacts, and ways businesses, non-profit groups, and government agencies can work more efficiently together. More photos from the event can be found here.
The Role of business in environmental innovation Report
On July 18th, 2012 BCLC released The Role of Business in Environmental Innovation Report. The Report explores some of the most important trends facing businesses around environmental issues such as the American shale gas revolution and the movement towards a smarter built environment. The Report also features case studies from environmental leaders such as Prudential, MGM International, and Xilinx.
For more information about the Report and to access the pdf version, please visit this link.
Key Issues
BCLC uses resources such as the Environmental Innovation Map and the Environmental Help Desk for Business and services such as monthly conference calls and annual working meetings to make progress on:
- Advancing R&D and Product and Technology Innovations for Environmental Progress
- Stimulating Local, Regional, and National Green Market Development
- Sharing Financial Service and Project Investment Tools for Environmental R&D
- Identification and Advancement of Business Resource Management Practices
- Cultivating Awareness of Green Supply Chain Opportunities
- Capturing Lessons Learned and Best Practices in Promoting Environmental Innovation
Events
INitiatives
The Environmental Innovation Network is driven by a group of businesses who are leaders in their fields and in the 
overall advancement of strategic sustainability.
The Environmental Help Desk for Business is a resource to help America’s small and medium-sized businesses understand green supply chain requirements, green business certifications, and innovations that can save money while reducing environmental impacts. Discover what the Help Desk can do for you.
The Environmental Innovation Map represents creative and innovative business solutions to environmental challenges. The Map showcases projects that deviate from standard practices and could potentially have a revolutionsary, game-changing impact. To learn more about what businesses are doing please visit the Map.
Working Group Members
BCLC's Environmental Innovation Network is comprised of global companies across multiple sectors who are leaders in the practice of responsible environmental stewardship.
Underwriters
- Intel Corporation
- Prudential
- Shell Oil Company
Supporters
- Abbott
- Accenture Foundation
- Alcoa
- Allstate
- Altria
- Bank of America
- Daimler
- The Dow Chemical Company
- Entergy Corporation
- Ernst & Young LLP
- FedEx
- IBM Corporation
- Kimberly-Clark Corporation
- Mattel
- MGM Resorts International
- Motorola Mobility Foundation
- NorthWestern Energy
- Pepco Holdings, Inc.
- PwC
- Toyota
- TXU Energy
- United Technologies Corporation
- UPS
- URS
- Wellpoint
- Xerox Corporation
- Xilinx
BCLC Lead
Chris Ryan (email, @ChrisRyan_87) coordinates the Environmental Innovation Network. In this role, he is responsible for building awareness about best practices regarding environmental issues and facilitating collaboration between the public, private, and non-government sectors. Chris is also responsible for implementation of BCLC's annual Sustainable Community Awards, underwritten by Siemens. Chris can be reached at (202) 463-5714.
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