As part of BASF’s 150th anniversary program, Collective Responsibility were appointed to organise a two-day summit on sustainable lifestyles in China, focusing on consumer choices of food, electronics, and textiles. Industry leaders, government associations, NGOs, and students from leading universities gathered to take part to address the current and future challenges in these sectors, and co-c…
When Unigroup recently announced that they were now moving twice as many expatriates out of China as they were into China, it created quite a stir for the global press. A piece by the WSJ stated: "For years, China was a promised land for expanding multinationals and manufacturers, drawing hordes of expatriate employees eager to capitalise on the country’s billion-plus consumers. Could those days…
On May 1st 2015, China’s Guangdong Province will implement a new labor law that will increase the minimum wage by 19% and in Guangzhou by 22.2 % (China Daily), making Guangdong the province with the highest paid minimum wage. It is a step being taken partly because Guangdong has found it more and more difficult to attract workers to the province each year. This is in part because wages in other p…
China announced this week the appointment of Chen Jining as its next Environmental minister. An environmental specialist and current president of Beijing’s Tsinghua University, he will take over from the widely criticized, Zhou Shengxian, with the move set to pave the way for a stronger stance on domestic environmental policy. His selection comes off the back of a highly decorated academic career…
This month, Rich Brubaker hosted a sustainable business session at the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai. Robert Duguay, VP & GM of Ecolab’s Water Division, David Nieh, Head of Lend Lease China, and Patrick Riley, China GM for Interface were the keynote speakers to the latest MBA class. Robert Duguay spoke about the importance of water as part of the food-water-energy n…
Earlier this week a report by Greenpeace revealed that levels of PM2.5 within China now contribute to more premature deaths than smoking. Figures state PM2.5 accounts for an average of 90 deaths per 100000 people, 20 more than smoking which stands at 70 per 100000. The studied incorporated a review of 31 cities and highlighted the relative danger present in each area. It was noted that despite the…
Over the last 30 years, China has gone through a period of unprecedented economic growth. Much of this economic development has occurred in cities and subsequently, vast waves of rural-urban migration have ensued. As a result, China’s urban population has doubled over the last decade and for the first time in 2011, the percentage of urban residents outweighed those living in rural areas. Such m…
At the first minute of this clip, Christopher Meyer of Monitor Talent states that: In my mind, this clip leads to the discussion of whether or not CSR is little more than window dressing that diverts the attention (of external stakeholders) away but ultimately does not serve the firm over the long run. That, instead of donating money to causes whose only direct link would be one of market d…
Following the successful Limits of Growth events in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore, the Beyond Business as Usual series will look at how firms are practically tackling the strategic issues of sustainability and then recalibrating their models. It is a process that may start off with philanthropy, efficiency, and offsets, but one that needs to quickly needs to move towards strategic actions…
While messages of rising carbon emissions, global warming, and planetary alarm seem to be a regular occurrence at the global level, in China the discussion is centered around a more tangible set of limits. Hosted by Haworth, and sponsored by EATON, this round of Beyond Business As Usual will be focused on the Limits of Growth so that participants can develop a deeper understanding of the issues…
While messages of rising carbon emissions, global warming, and planetary alarm seem to be a regular occurrence at the global level, in many part of the world, the discussion is centered around a more tangible set of limits: the availability of water, air pollution, the pressure of growing populations in the urban environment, and finding the energy supplies needed to keep the global economy on a g…
While messages of rising carbon emissions, global warming, and planetary alarm seem to be a regular occurrence at the global level, in China the discussion is centered around a more tangible set of limits. For China, a country whose goal is to surpass the U.S. as the largest economy in the world by 2030, finding a balanced economic model that protects its environment and meets the increasing ne…
While messages of rising carbon emissions, global warming, and planetary alarm seem to be a regular occurrence at the global level, in China the discussion is centered around a more tangible set of limits. Hosted by Haworth, sponsored by EATON, and in partnership with Green Drinks Singapore and the Family Business Network, this round of Beyond Business As Usual will be focused on the Limits of…
In the first two weeks of June, through the Beyond Business As Usual platform, we organized and hosted six events with Erin Meezan, Vice President of Sustainability for Interface. As one of the corporate executives, and a key reason for why the firm is now a firm recognized leader for their efforts to build a business with a core of sustainability, I came away with a deep appreciation for the effo…
A good brand still trumps good companies with consumers. I just scanned the GlobeScan paper RE: Thinking Consumption and came across this chart. It is a chart that struck me because it is supposed to show "How do consumers rate the environmental and social leadership of companies within their respective sectors." Yet, Interface (one of the recognized leaders) still comes after Shell and…
