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US BCSD Kicks Off Louisiana Water Synergy Project

February 10, 2012 in Noteworthy, Press, Water

Companies and regional water experts from New Orleans to Baton Rouge gathered in New Orleans this week to launch an industry-led initiative aimed at finding and implementing solutions to critical regional water challenges.

The meeting, led by the US Business Council for Sustainable Development (US BCSD), kicked off the Louisiana Water Synergy Project, a structured forum providing the opportunity for watershed users to identify water quality, quantity, and storm water management issues in the New Orleans to Baton Rouge Mississippi River Corridor, find solutions that work, and get them implemented. Through this project, the US BCSD seeks to work with local business leaders to achieve tangible water conservation and quality improvements, and establish a long-term water collaboration plan in the region by harnessing collective industry capabilities and interests. In addition, it plans to develop a replicable work process that could be applied in other water-challenged regions.

Susan Fernandes, US BCSD Project Manager for the Louisiana Water Synergy Project, wraps up the Project Kickoff Meeting.

“The opening session of the Water Synergy Project provided the workshop design team with a solid foundation of information regarding industry’s relationship to natural waters in the regional watershed. We are now eager to explore challenges and opportunities of the future of water in Louisiana,” said Dr. Robert A. Thomas of Loyola University.

The meeting was hosted by Entergy Corporation in New Orleans. Steven Scheurich, VP, Customer Service and Commercial & Industrial Accounts, Entergy Louisiana, set the stage for the meeting with opening remarks emphasizing the importance of industry collaboration to get ahead of water management challenges that otherwise could damage the economic viability and attractiveness of Louisiana to both residents and businesses.

The 45 attendees at the February 8th meeting included representatives from the oil and gas, chemicals, steel, fertilizer, and food and beverage industries, other businesses, and regional planning organizations. The project has also raised interest from municipal water management agencies, local and regional planning organizations, and water specialists. Partnerships with governments and non-governmental organizations such as parks and wildlife organizations and water conservation groups, are expected to be added as specific water management strategies are prioritized for action.

In development since October 2010, the project will apply the US BCSD’s facilitated collaborative work process to provide a safe zone where public and private stakeholders can identify issues, find and prioritize alternative solutions, and craft implementation plans for their watershed/region. The project also seeks to build partnerships in the region and has already established a memorandum of understanding with Waggonner & Ball Architects, the lead contractor selected by Greater New Orleans, Inc. to develop a long-term water strategy for the New Orleans region.

Attendees participated in small breakout sessions to discuss water quality, quantity, and storm water issues at their facilities.

“Water management can create a better community, leveraging existing structures for reinvestment in a sustainable city, enhancing safety and insurability, improving urban and environmental quality, and spurring creative industry and entrepreneurship. Community-wide cooperation on a regional scale, including support from business and industry stakeholders, is essential to achieve these aims,” said David Waggonner, Waggonner & Ball.

The project also introduces an innovative financing mechanism that allows participants to pay for energy efficiency retrofits of their water systems with little or no upfront costs. The Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program was authorized in Louisiana under SB 224 in 2009. While a number of additional development steps are required prior to implementation of this program, the US BCSD’s national PACE collaborator, Ygrene Energy Fund and its banking partner, Barclays Capital, have pledged an initial $100 million to finance viable energy saving projects from project participants.

The US BCSD has a 15-year track record of successful By-Product Synergy and afforestation projects. This track record demonstrates that collaborations can be highly productive, usually grow in value and scope, lasting years, or even decades, and are capable of accomplishing long-term results that generate economic returns while improving the environment and society — the triple bottom line.

The US BCSD is a results-focused non-profit business association whose members work on authentic sustainability projects with industry, governmental and other key stakeholders, www.usbcsd.org. It is part of a network of 60 national councils worldwide focused on actually implementing sustainable development. It is also a partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, a global network of 200 international companies with members drawn from 30 countries and 20 major industrial sectors, www.wbcsd.org.

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US BCSD Members Highlighted in ISHN’s Power 101

January 25, 2012 in Press

Industrial Safety and Hygiene News (ISHN) recently released its Power 101 list for 2012, applauding 101 top leaders of the environmental health and safety world. A number of US BCSD members and colleagues are present on the list, including David Carroll, Lafarge; Mike Gromacki, Dixie Chemical; Mary Margaret Hamilton, Shell; Andrew Mangan, US BCSD Executive Director; Carol Singer Neuvelt, NAEM Executive Director; Martine Stolk, Dow Chemical; and Sabrina Watkins, ConocoPhillips.

To be one of the 101, individuals were evaluated on:

Ability to reach a national and/or international audience;
Ability to create a community of pros with shared interests;
Current, active participant and contributor as subject matter expert;
Ability to draw and/or generate national media coverage;
Personal access to corporate management executives; ability to create, manage and/or change large corporate EHS cultures;
Personal access to Washington federal safety and health policy makers;
Ability to influence federal safety and health policy; corporate policy; professional society policy; labor union policy; international policy;
Ability to start up and/or manage a successful safety-related business; volunteer organization; display of commitment and management acumen;
Innovation and creativity — development of EHS-related research, theories; models; performance measures; communications products; best practices.

Click here to view the full list.

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Dr. Joseph Fiksel to speak at World CEO Forum in Delhi

January 24, 2012 in Press

Dr. Joseph Fiksel, Executive Director of the Center for Resilience and longtime supporter of the US BCSD, will appear as an invited panelist at the World CEO Sustainability Summit in Delhi, India on Feb. 1 2012. Organized by TERI, in association with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the Summit will draw over 250 delegates including CEOs, heads of international organizations, and senior government representatives from across the globe. This is the “curtain-raiser” event for the 12th annual Delhi Sustainable Development Summit. Click here for more information.

Fiksel is an internationally-recognized expert on sustainability and resilience, and is currently serving as Sustainability Advisor to the U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development. Since sustainability is a critical challenge in India, the Center for Resilience is currently working with The Ohio State University’s Office of International Affairs to help establish a new OSU Gateway Office in Mumbai, India, scheduled to open in March 2012.

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City of Chicago Restarts Waste to Profit Network

November 10, 2011 in By-Product Synergy, Noteworthy, Press

The City of Chicago has announced that it has issued a grant to the US BCSD for the re-launch of the Chicago Waste to Profit (WTP) Network, a by-product synergy project in which wastes and under-valued resources at one facility are matched with users at another, resulting in cost savings for the participating businesses while diverting waste from landfills, reducing energy use and CO2 emissions and helping create and retain jobs.

The highly successful network was started in 2006 by the Chicago Manufacturing Center and the US BCSD in partnership with the City of Chicago Department of Environment, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and US EPA Region 5.

When the Network was launched in 2006 it had the objective of identifying and facilitating waste exchanges that would result in cost savings to participating businesses. The US BCSD has expanded upon the former model by proposing integration of an innovative private sector financing model for viable energy-saving synergies and collaboration beyond waste reduction and reuse to include a broad spectrum of sustainability-related issues that directly impact the Chicago Climate Change Action Plan. The US BCSD intends to create a forum for this collaboration that will meet both in person and on-line, which will link the Chicago Network to other US BCSD BPS projects throughout the US and world.

“We have seen in Chicago and elsewhere around the country that cross-industry collaboration opens the door to a wave of economically viable reuse and efficiency opportunities, resulting in significant job creation and wide-spread economic development,” said Andy Mangan, US BCSD’s Executive Director. “A new accelerator is that we now have a private sector financing model to fund implementation of those viable projects.”

The WTP Network addresses Chicago’s sustainability needs by working together with Chicago area companies, institutions, and City of Chicago departments to identify and implement by-product synergies that reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions and deliver economic impact.

“The re-launch of the Waste to Profit Network will allow Chicago and the region to improve upon our waste diversion strategies, reduce green house gas emissions, and just as importantly maintain jobs during these rough economic times”, said Karen Weigert, Chicago Chief Sustainability Officer. “We can’t ignore the many success stories that have taken place as a result of the Network. The foundation is in place and we must continue to build on those accomplishments and explore ways to improve the process.”

The US BCSD is a non-profit business association that provides opportunities for its members to work on authentic sustainability projects with industry, government, academia, and other key stakeholders who might not otherwise have the chance to collaborate and network. The projects generate economic returns while improving the environment and society — the triple bottom line. The US BCSD is part of a broad network of 60 national councils worldwide, and is a partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, a global network of 200 international companies with members drawn from 30 countries and 20 major industrial sectors.

The US BCSD’s Goals for 2011-2012 Chicago WTP Network include:

75 member organizations
$5MM in savings from landfill diversion
Reduction of 15,000 tons of CO2 equivalent

Stats regarding the Chicago WTP Network since 2007:

Over 225,000 tons of solid waste diverted;
Approximately 0.16 million metric tons CO2 eliminated;
$20M in estimated economic impact/business bottom line impact;
Over 45 jobs created or retained.

Previous case studies:

Glass cullet from Engineered Glass Product recycled into glass countertops by Gilasi/Innerglow Surfaces;
Mixed contaminated plastics recycled into plastic curb stops used by Department of Fleet Management;
Diversion of 20,000 tons of industrial bleach from Abbot Laboratories to ArcelorMittal Steel;
Numerous cases of increased recycling of challenging commodities.

For more information about US BCSD and by-product synergy, please visit http://bps-hub.org

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Energy-Efficiency Approach Cuts Costs, Creates Jobs, and Helps Environment

September 21, 2011 in Energy Efficiency, Noteworthy, Press

New coalition of business, finance, and energy leaders implementing projects nationwide

AUSTIN, TEX. _ Companies could save millions of dollars in energy costs under an innovative strategy unveiled by a new coalition of business, finance, and energy-sector leaders.

The plan, which offers the potential to create thousands of jobs and to stimulate local economies across the state using private sector capital, was highlighted in the New York Times on Tuesday, September 20.

The United States Business Council for Sustainable Development (US BCSD), in coordination with Ygrene Energy Fund and Barclays Capital, has developed a two-step approach that identifies commercial energy-efficiency projects and gives companies financial incentives to invest in them.

The solution has two parts. One is the US BCSD’s By-Product Synergy Project process, a proven approach to identify, assess, and valuate efficiency-improvement projects within a regional network of companies and other organizations. The other is Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) finance programs, which allow commercial and industrial property owners to finance energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation and by-product synergy projects associated with their buildings and processes.

The business council is working closely with Ygrene to integrate PACE financing into regional synergy projects across the country.

The process has also won praise from Sir Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the Virgin Group and the non-profit Carbon War Room. “The PACE Commercial Consortium is the missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle for cities looking to implement green plans,” he said. “I’m thrilled by the news and believe it will unlock a trillion-dollar market for green retrofits, creating jobs and growth around the world.”

The process, which is being implemented in Florida and California, and is under development in at least six other states, finances energy-efficiency programs using 100 percent private capital, at no cost to local, state, or federal governments. Companies that might have balked at investing in efficiency improvements because of the high upfront costs are able to spread the payments out over as many as 20 years through voluntary tax assessments.

The need for greater efficiency is clear. Buildings worldwide account for 40 percent of global energy consumption, exceeding the amount consumed by all forms of transportation combined. Building retrofits for efficiency and alternative energy usage should allow companies to cut their energy bills on older buildings and manufacturing plants by 30 percent or more. And by reusing materials rather than sending them to landfills or incinerators, companies can achieve the lowest cost energy efficiencies per kilowatt-hour. In terms of commercial and industrial operations, the challenge is to get industries to invest in efficiency improvements rather than approaches with faster returns on investment.

In the most recent application of this two-pronged approach, Ygrene Energy Fund Florida, a subsidiary of nationwide Ygrene Energy Fund, signed an agreement with the town of Cutler Bay, Fla., to administer Florida’s first PACE program as part of an extended Green Corridor district for Miami-Dade County. The US BCSD is working closely with Ygrene to develop synergy projects that qualify for PACE funding.

Besides benefiting property owners through reduced energy and insurance bills, the programs provide local jobs – particularly in the construction and equipment-manufacturing industries – stimulate the local economy and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Ygrene offers a financing arrangement through Barclays Capital that ensures a virtually unlimited flow of private capital to fund demand throughout the country. PACE participants secure the financing with a voluntary property assessment, which is then repaid through their property tax bill over terms of up to 20 years.

“PACE is a win-win: Property owners can save money, increase the value of their homes and help support local job growth,” said Steve Alexander, Cutler Bay’s town manager. “Program guidelines ensure that property owners will save more money on their energy bills than the cost of the project.”

Ygrene Florida projects that every $40 million spent on projects results in 600 permanent local jobs. With a multiplier effect, every $40 million of new financial investment adds approximately $100 million to the local economies and as much as $10 million in tax revenue.
Lockheed Martin, the consortium’s engineering partner, will guarantee the technologies used in select PACE-financed projects.

More About PACE:

The US Business Council has joined forces with Barclays Capital and Ygrene Energy Fund to offer a comprehensive PACE program, at no cost to cities or counties. Under the program, the Business Council works with companies in a metropolitan region to establish a by-product synergy network that identifies PACE- eligible energy efficiency, by-product synergy, and renewable-energy projects. At the same time, the Council works with the local city or county to establish a PACE tax district designed to finance viable projects that are underwritten by Barclays Capital. In the end, companies upgrade their facilities with more efficient equipment and processes, cities stimulate economic development and job creation, and the financial partners receive solid returns on secure investments – all with zero government funding. Repayment is secured by a tax lien on the property, amortized over the life of the improvements. Efficiency improvements lower energy bills and free up money to cover the tax payments. PACE assessments are not approved unless the energy cost savings are greater than the cost of the improvements. As of September 2011, laws authorizing establishment of PACE districts had passed in 27 states.

And the US BCSD’s By-Product Synergy Program:

BPS is the matching of under-utilized resources and waste streams from one facility with potential users at another to create environmental and societal benefits as well as new revenues or savings. Synergies identified during a BPS project lead to significant energy and water efficiency improvements that are eligible for PACE financing. The BPS process, originally defined by US BCSD in 1997, has been implemented in regions across the country including Houston, Seattle, Columbus, Ohio, Mobile, AL, Chicago and Kansas City. The US BCSD is working to expand these regional synergy networks in to a national grid of BPS projects. By 2015, the goal is to have 20 or more robust, ongoing projects around the country, able to deliver 5 million tons of CO2 equivalent reductions, 5 million tons of landfill-bound waste diversion and significant job creation.

For more information, contact Daniel Kietzer at the US BCSD, kietzer@usbcsd.org.

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Andrew Mangan on the US-China EcoPartnerships Program

July 16, 2011 in EcoPartnership, Press

Andrew Mangan, US BCSD Executive Director, speaks on the US-China EcoPartnerships Program.

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US BCSD Launches Louisiana Water Synergy Project

June 14, 2011 in Advanced Synergies, Press, Water

AUSTIN, TX – June 14, 2011 – With financial support from ConocoPhillips, Entergy Corporation and The Walmart Foundation, the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development (US BCSD) has launched a water synergy project aimed at addressing regional water challenges in the New Orleans to Baton Rouge Mississippi River Corridor. The US BCSD seeks to achieve tangible water conservation and quality improvements, and establish a long-term water collaboration plan in the region by harnessing collective industry capabilities and interests. In addition, it plans to develop a replicable work process that could be applied in other water-challenged regions.

Between 20 and 30 diverse companies and business organizations are expected to participate and bring their collective interests and capabilities to bear on the water challenges facing the region. Interest also will be solicited from local and regional governments and non-governmental organizations such as parks, wildlife organizations and water conservation groups as specific water management strategies are prioritized for action. Organizations interested in participating should contact Susan Fernandes at fernandes@usbcsd.org.

The project responds to an increased awareness of the importance of water management to business sustainability, the economy, and society. Specific challenges include fresh water quantity and quality, storm water management, and energy efficiency in wastewater treatment and distribution. Because challenges in this area are so complex, viable solutions for a watershed or region require crossing traditional boundaries and reconciling often-competing interests of business, municipal, rural, and ecosystem water needs.

In development since October 2010, the project will apply the US BCSD’s facilitated collaborative work process to provide a safe zone where public and private stakeholders can identify issues, find and prioritize alternative solutions, and craft implementation plans for their watershed/region. The project will use customized tools including the US BCSD By-Product Synergy database and WBCSD Global Water Tool to accelerate and document actions taken.

ConocoPhillips, Entergy and the Walmart Foundation have provided $120,000 in funding to support the launch of the project, which each funder has called an innovative systems approach that holds great potential to bring together public and private sectors to address critical regional water challenges. In addition, ConocoPhillips and Entergy have provided representatives who have provided guidance in the initial planning stages and are serving as co-chairs on the project’s steering team along with representatives from the Dow Chemical Company, AECOM, URS, Veolia Water North America and ERM.

The US BCSD has a 20-year track record of successful By-Product Synergy and Afforestation projects, which demonstrates that collaborations can grow in value, lasting years, or even decades, and are capable of accomplishing long-term results that generate economic returns while improving the environment and society — the triple bottom line. In this new type of project, the collaborative approach is aimed at bringing watershed stakeholders together to develop resilient water management practices that foster mutually beneficial agreements rather than competitive tensions.

The US BCSD is a results-focused non-profit business association whose members work on authentic sustainability projects with industry, governmental and other key stakeholders. It is part of a network of 60 national councils worldwide focused on actually implementing sustainable development. It is also a partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, a global network of 200 international companies with members drawn from 30 countries and 20 major industrial sectors.

ConocoPhillips, a US BCSD member, is an integrated energy company with interests around the world. Headquartered in Houston, the company had approximately 29,600 employees, $160 billion of assets, and $226 billion of annualized revenues as of March 31, 2011. For more information, go to www.conocophillips.com.

Entergy Corporation, a US BCSD member, is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $11 billion and approximately 15,000 employees.

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support the charitable causes that are important to customers and associates in their own neighborhoods. The Walmart Foundation funds initiatives focused on education, workforce development, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness.

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Secretary Clinton’s Remarks at EcoPartnerships Signing Ceremony

May 10, 2011 in EcoPartnership, Press, US BCSD News

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed Andrew Mangan from the US BCSD and other eco-partners in the Treaty Room in Washington D.C. for the EcoPartnerships Signing Ceremony on May 10th. Video of the event is available above, with Mangan’s appearance at 22:19. Full transcript available here.

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US and China Business Councils Selected for New EcoPartnerships Program

May 10, 2011 in EcoPartnership, Press, US BCSD News

The United States Business Council for Sustainable Development and its counterpart in China have been selected to join the US-China EcoPartnerships Program, which formally brings together businesses and other stakeholders to help solve pressing energy and environmental problems facing both countries.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to welcome the US BCSD, the China Business Council for Sustainable Development and five other new EcoPartnerships that will collaborate on projects that provide economic, environmental and societal benefits. The signing ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 10 in Washington, D.C.

The new EcoPartnerships were selected by a Joint Secretariat co-chaired by U.S. Department of State and the People’s Republic of China’s National Development and Reform Commission.

Through the EcoPartnership program, the US and China business councils will strengthen an existing bi-national business partnership focused on achieving sustainable development. The partners will develop projects on water, energy, climate and ecosystem objectives. Specific plans could include applying new financing approaches for energy efficiency in commercial and industrial buildings and implementing by-product synergy, a system that allows companies from diverse industries to work together to match their underutilized waste streams with potential users at other facilities.

The EcoPartnership Program was established under the U.S.-China Ten Year Framework on Energy and Environment, approved in Beijing in 2008. The program links stakeholders from the public, private, and civic sectors across the United States and China to solve environmental and energy challenges and address climate change in ways that promote economic growth.

The other new EcoPartnerships include: Case Western Reserve University with the China National Off-shore Oil Corp – New Energy Investment Co, Ltd.; Duke Energy of Cincinnati, Ohio and the city of Charlotte, N.C., with ENN Solar Energy Group of Langfang, China; the State of Utah with Qinghai Province in China; the Center for Climate Strategies in Washington, D.C. with Global Environmental Institute of Beijing; and Purdue University with the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research in Beijing.

The US BCSD is an Austin, Texas-based business association that provides opportunities for its members to work on sustainability projects with industry, governmental and other key stakeholders that might not otherwise have the chance to collaborate and network. The projects generate economic returns while improving the environment and society – the triple bottom line.

The China BCSD is a coalition of leading Chinese and foreign enterprises established through the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. Since its foundation in 2003, CBCSD has been proactively promoting sustainable development activities focused on corporate social responsibility, environmental protection, and clean production.

The two councils are part of a network of 60 national business councils worldwide associated with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, a global network of 200 international companies with members drawn from 30 countries and 20 major industrial sectors. The US and China business councils represent more than 100 member companies including Shell, Dow Chemical, Alcoa, General Motors, Sinopec, BaoSteel, Procter & Gamble, and State Grid.

Click here to download a .pdf of the press release.

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EPA Research is Focusing on Sustainability

April 19, 2011 in Press

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is aligning its diverse research portfolio around the integrating theme of sustainability, under the leadership of Dr. Paul Anastas, the Assistant Administrator of EPA’s Office of Research and Development. Building on strategies developed by his Senior Advisor, Dr. Alan Hecht, Anastas has proclaimed sustainability to be the “true north”, and has commissioned a National Research Council study on how to incorporate sustainability across all EPA programs.

A key contributor to this effort is Dr. Joseph Fiksel, Executive Director of the Center for Resilience and a recognized expert in sustainability. He is currently on a special appointment at EPA helping to incorporate systems thinking into the Agency’s research programs. Fiksel emphasizes the importance of linking environmental protection to economic prosperity and quality of life, and is helping to build partnerships between EPA and the business community.

For more information, click here to see the EPA Science Matters newsletter.

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