CSRWire

John Paul Selects will be participating in this year's LOHAS forum on June 20th, 2013 as a partner and a presenter of the “Excellence in Sustainability Award.” LOHAS and John Paul Selects' missions are very similar in that they focus on educating and building communities around a central theme of healthy and sustainable lifestyles, for both individuals and societies. Named after our co-founder, humanitarian and entrepreneur, John Paul DeJoria, John Paul Selects scouts the world for the best up-and-coming eco-conscious brands and entrepreneurs. Every brand affiliated with John Paul Selects is carefully vetted and tested by our team to ensure the quality of their products, and the sustainability of their production.

A highlight of the event will be Jonathan Kendrick, one of the founders of John Paul Selects, will be presenting the “Sustainable Excellence Award.” John Paul Selects will choose the winner, awarding the company who meets the most criteria based on the sustainable benchmarks that are set for each of the brands that are sold on the site. All John Paul Selects brands are tagged with eco icons to indicate the value that each product places on sustainability, social causes, and the way they make this world a better place. The nominees for the Excellence in Sustainability Award are: Lotus Wei / Chocolate Wei, Acure Organics, Gaia Herbs, Organic India Tea, Chico Bags and Sweet Riot.

In addition to presenting, Jonathan Kendrick will also be a panel participant on June 19th, 2013 in an investor pitch session, exemplifying his entrepreneurial spirit. “Raising Capital Fishbowl Pitch” will be dedicated to sharing experiences and lessons learned, while breaking down the ‘game film’ of a pitch. Companies will present their businesses to investors, who will then provide feedback while the audience observes. A following Q&A between the audience and both the presenter companies and investors will be facilitated.

LOHAS is the ideal partner for John Paul Selects, as we both believe in educating that small changes do make a powerful impact. Sustainability is a way of life and we all have to start somewhere – we want people to understand and feel that taking action is better than doing nothing. The more we educate consumers as to what products are made of, where and how they are produced, and what sustainable impact they have, the closer we get to building communities around the theme of healthy and sustainable lifestyles.

26 sons and daughters of active, retired, or deceased service members are receiving $1,500 scholarships thanks to BATH FITTER and their EducationAd advertising through CBS EcoMedia. Each of the students are from the Philadelphia or Pittsburgh areas and will be getting vital funding for their payment of college tuition, books, lab fees and other related college expenses.

Today at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Barbara Sannino, Defense Commissary Agency Zone Manager, John Zoubra, Defense Commissary Agency Store Director, Donna Chew, Defense Commissary Agency Store Administrator, were joined by Bernard Cote and Janet Cote, Scholarship Managers for the Scholarships for Military Children Program, James D. Weiskopf, Vice President, Fisher House Foundation and Paul Polizzotto, President and Founder of CBS EcoMedia Inc. as they hosted one of the eight different celebration ceremonies for the recipients of the 2013 Fisher House scholarships made possible by BATH FITTERS. Scholarship recipients Daniel Carney, Kathryn Foley, Elizabeth Hager, and Chantel Smith attended the ceremony at the Joint Base. In addition to the student recipients, their parents, teachers, high school principals and high school guidance counselors are also expected to attend the ceremonies.

Of the 26 Fisher House scholarships being funded by BATH FITTER, 18 are going to students from the Philadelphia area and eight are being awarded to students from the Pittsburgh area. In addition to the McGuire Air Force Base scholarship ceremony, other Fisher House scholarship recipients will be celebrated at ceremonies at C.E. Kelly SF Commissary, Carlisle Barracks, Tobyhanna Army Depot Commissary, Dover AFB Commissary, Lakehurst NAES Commissary, Aberdeen Proving Ground Commissary and Picatinny Aresenal Commissary.

The Scholarships for Military Children Program, now in its 13th year, was created in recognition of the contributions of military families to the readiness of the fighting force and to celebrate the role of the commissary in the military family community. Nearly 7,500 students, all sons or daughters of commissary patrons, have shared $11,326,000 in scholarship grants. Each year the Fisher House scholarship program provides over $1 million to military children.

“Fisher House Foundation, together with Scholarship Managers, are honored to administer the Scholarships for Military Children Program,” said Foundation vice president Jim Weiskopf. “The young men and women selected to receive these merit based scholarship grants are most deserving. They are truly the best of the best. They will be our nation’s future leaders.”

“BATH FITTER is proud to support the sons and daughters of our Philadelphia and Pittsburgh area military veterans who give so much to protect our freedom,” said Andrew Zahn, Public Relations Manager, BATH FITTER. “Fisher House does a tremendous job caring for the families of those who serve and these Scholarships for Military Children are another great way to give our men and women in uniform some additional peace of mind about their kids’ higher education. We are excited to partner with CBS EcoMedia to use our advertising to help make a difference for the communities we care so deeply for.”

“It’s not just enlisted men and women who serve our country with courage, honor and dedication. The children of military families also sacrifice – but all too often, their contributions to our nation’s freedom and security go unheeded,” said Paul Polizzotto, Founder and President of CBS EcoMedia. “Today, through the awarding of 26 Fisher House Scholarships, BATH FITTER and EcoMedia are delighted to recognize the academic achievements – and selfless service – of these very deserving children of military families. Thanks to the generous financial support provided by BATH FITTER through our EducationAd program, these inspirational young people will have the resources they need to continue their educations. It is a privilege to help them achieve their goals and dreams; at EcoMedia, it’s our goal to fund, through our EducationAd, WellnessAd and EcoAd programs, a wide range of worthwhile projects like this one, which bring quality of life improvements to communities across the country.”

About BATH FITTER
BATH FITTER is one of North America's leading acrylic bathtub, shower enclosure and tub-to-shower conversion companies. Our bathtub refinishing products are custom molded to fit over existing fixtures for quick and clean bathroom renovations that last a lifetime. Best of all, we can complete the installation in just one day without compromising quality.

We have state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Springfield, Tennessee, and Montreal, Quebec, where we design our bathtub liner and shower liner molds and accessories made of top-quality acrylic material for bathroom remodeling projects. Our finished goods are shipped directly to our retail locations via our fleet of specially equipped tractor-trailers, ensuring safe and on-time deliveries.

We regularly train all of our personnel on bathroom remodeling trends, and also provide marketing and business support to our franchises to uphold BATH FITTER standards. Additionally, we make it a priority to stay on top of the latest consumer trends in bathroom design and bathroom renovations to consistently meet the ever-changing needs of our customers. Our highly qualified technicians work diligently to ensure your complete satisfaction. Please visit www.bathfitter.com to learn more.

About Fisher House Foundation
Fisher House Foundation is best known for the network of comfort homes built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. The Fisher Houses are 5,000 to 16,800 square-foot homes, donated to the military and Department of Veterans Affairs, where families can stay while a loved one is receiving treatment. Additionally, the Foundation ensures that families of service men and women wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan are not burdened with unnecessary expense during a time of crisis. Located in close proximity to the medical center or hospital it serves, each Fisher House consists of between 7 and 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths.

Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, spacious dining room and an inviting living room with a library and toys for children. Fisher House Foundation ensures that there is no fee to stay in a Fisher House. Since inception, the program has saved military and veteran families an estimated $200 million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation.

Fisher House Foundation operates the Hero Miles Program, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members. To date, Hero Miles has provided more than 35,000 airline tickets to our military and their families. The Foundation also manages a grant program that supports other military charities and scholarship funds for military children, spouses and children of fallen and disabled veterans. Please visit www.fisherhouse.org to learn more.

About CBS EcoMedia, Inc.
At EcoMedia, we're propelled by the desire to create positive social change; that's been our mission since we founded the company in 2002. In 2008, after successfully partnering with CBS on a wide range of environmental projects, EcoMedia became the newest addition to the CBS Corporation portfolio, exponentially scaling our reach across television, radio, interactive, publishing and outdoor media.

Through our patent-pending EcoAd, WellnessAd and EducationAd programs, an innovative twist on traditional advertising, advertisers are able to support much-needed local projects which in turn creates jobs, saves taxpayer money and improves the quality of life in communities nationwide. In the process, we’re fundamentally altering the advertising landscape, elevating the ordinary, traditional commercial – and media, in general – into a catalyst for tangible, quantifiable social change. Please visit ecomediacbs.com to learn more.

By participating in EcoMedia’s EcoAd, WellnessAd and EducationAd advertising programs, EcoMedia’s advertisers agree to provide funding for projects we believe will have a beneficial effect upon the environment, health and/or education within local communities. EcoMedia’s advertising programs are not certification programs nor are the EcoAd, WellnessAd or EducationAd logos seals of approval. EcoMedia does not in any way certify, endorse or make any representations about EcoMedia program advertisers, their products or services.

Amid growing concern that climate change is already having substantial global economic impacts that are certain to grow, a coalition of institutional investors, including the Boston-based Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), will meet in Hong Kong June 13-14 to identify the financial and investment risks associated with climate change and the opportunities for investing in a low carbon future. The Global Investor Forum on Climate Change is being convened by the Global Investor Coalition on Climate Change (GIC), whose members collectively manage more than $20 trillion of assets.

Investors and policymakers participating in the two-day gathering include UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, former U.S. Vice President and Chairman of Generation Investment Al Gore, and senior investment executives of many of the world’s largest pension funds and other institutional investors.

The Forum comes on the heels of a new International Energy Agency report stating that global temperatures are currently on track to rise between 3.6 °C and 5.3 °C, a change that would have dramatic adverse effects on every sector of the global economy, from agriculture to automobiles.

“The GIC Forum is an extraordinary gathering that signals the urgency major capital market players attach to climate change and its far-reaching economic impacts,” said Christopher Davis, director of Investor Programs at Ceres, a nonprofit group that coordinates the Investor Network on Climate Risk, (INCR), one of four investor networks that comprises the GIC.

Davis, who is representing INCR in Hong Kong, said a key goal of the forum is to engage Asian investors on climate change as a key investment risk and opportunity. The forum will also focus on sharing best practices on integrating climate concerns into investment practices and on encouraging investors to engage with their portfolio companies about their own climate strategies.

"Investors also have a major role to play in directing capital towards climate change solutions such as clean energy, efficient technologies and resilient infrastructure," Davis said.

In addition to INCR, the Global Investor Coalition includes the Europe-based Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, the Australia/New Zealand-based Investor Group on Climate Change, and the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change. GIC’s goal is to reduce climate risks to investors and the global economy by encouraging strong carbon-reducing government policies that will galvanize increased low carbon investments.

“When $20 trillion dollars in capital speaks, companies and governments tend to listen,” Davis said. “GIC’s investor members have a critical role to play in moving governments and businesses to take the action necessary to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, and to accelerate the necessary transition to a low carbon economy.”

“To date, governmental efforts to address climate change have been inadequate,” Davis added. “The implications for the global economy are enormous and that’s why major institutional investors are committed to take action. But it will take clear market signals from policy makers, such as limits or taxes on greenhouse gas emissions, to ensure the flow of investment capital towards climate solutions is adequate to meet the challenge. The Global Forum on Climate Change is an important step forward in advancing investor engagement on this critical issue.”

About Ceres
Ceres is a Boston-based nonprofit organization mobilizing company and investor leadership on climate change and other sustainability challenges. Ceres coordinates the Investor Network on Climate Risk, a network of more than 100 institutional investors with collective assets totaling more than $11 trillion.

(Marketwired) - Ask almost any business: Delivering products and services to customers involves a tangle of both challenges and opportunities. The supply chain extends across geographies and business sectors. Driving efficiency throughout the supply chain is crucial for any successful business. The supply chain is also an area where companies extend their efforts to curb or limit their environmental impacts on both the global and local communities in which they operate. Against that backdrop, AT&T was recognized for its efforts to address the impact of its supply chain by becoming the largest wireless carrier to join the SmartWay Transport Partnership program in the shipping category (see www.epa.gov/smartway/partnership/index.htm). The program is a collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and freight and transport divisions of companies representing the manufacturing, retail, freight, and logistics sectors to voluntarily improve fuel-efficiency and curb emissions.

"SmartWay is helping U.S. businesses slash fuel costs, saving $8.1 billion to date. As one of the largest telecommunications companies, we're excited about AT&T's participation in the SmartWay Transport Partnership program and hope it serves as an example for more within the industry," said Christopher Grundler, EPA's Director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality.

AT&T's involvement in the SmartWay Transport Partnership program requires the company to benchmark and measure progress in transport emissions management. This will help the company further integrate energy efficiency, air quality, and climate change initiatives into the transportation decision-making process. The program will also provide support to identify potential additional carbon reductions and cost savings opportunities in AT&T's distribution network.

"We know we need to continue identifying savings and emissions reductions from our transportation and distribution networks," said Shannon Carroll, a Senior Manager with AT&T's Supply Chain Sustainability team. "Participating in the EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership program will help us identify additional steps we can take in order to keep seeing results."

The SmartWay Transport Partnership program continues the ongoing collaborative efforts of AT&T in resource efficiency and emissions reduction described in the AT&T 2011 Sustainability Report. In addition to the SmartWay Transport Partnership program, AT&T works with external groups, such as the Environmental Defense Fund and Rocky Mountain Institute to investigate highly-scalable sustainability projects.

Visit www.att.com/csr to learn more about AT&T's sustainability initiatives.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at www.att.com/aboutus or follow our news on @ATT, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at www.youtube.com/att.

© 2013 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 4G not available everywhere. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

The 2013 Conference on Scaling Impact is for foundation officers, philanthropists, corporate executives, trustees, and wealth managers and philanthropy advisors interested in learning about innovative methods to support high-impact nonprofits in education, youth development, poverty alleviation, health and impact investing.

The conference includes presentations from foundation CEOs and nonprofit leaders, as well as knowledge sessions and peer networking opportunities.

Hear how cross-sector collaboration is taking social impact to new levels.

Attend sessions about scaling initiatives that are revitalizing U.S. cities, the effects of networks on aggregating capital and spreading innovations, and more.

See the agenda and register at www.scalingconference2013.org.

GreenBiz Group, The Sustainability Consortium, and the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives, a program of the Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University, will be coming together for the Sustainability Solutions Festival, a unique and powerful partnership among three leadership institutions.

The three entities have agreed to align interests and audiences as part of the weeklong series of events to be held in Phoenix, February 15-22, 2014. The week will include the 2014 GreenBiz Forum, sustainability-focused innovation fairs, a green “Un-gala” and meetings and workshops for the board and network of The Sustainability Consortium and other events.

“This three-way partnership takes the GreenBiz Forum to a new level, leveraging the leadership and networks of three great organizations,” says GreenBiz Group CEO Eric Faurot. “It will allow all of us to tap into one another’s deep expertise, high-level relationships and talent to create a world-class event that features high-quality content and a rich, dynamic experience.”

“As our network grows globally, we are excited to continue to collaborate with great groups like GreenBiz and our partners at GIOS to bring together some of the best companies, civil society organizations and universities working on sustainability today,” said Kara Hurst, CEO of The Sustainability Consortium.

The GreenBiz Forum, now in its sixth year, is centered around the publication of the “State of Green Business Report,” an annual assessment of global sustainable business metrics and trends. The Forum brings together thought leaders and sustainability executives to define the trends, challenges, and opportunities in sustainable business today.

Participants in the GreenBiz Forum and TSC members will be registered to attend the “Green Carpet Un-Gala” on the evening of February 19, hosted by ASU’s Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives. The Un-gala will be an unconventional celebration of sustainability solutions and champions.

“This week will bring together brilliant minds, best practices and emerging ideas to collectively advance sustainability. We are thrilled to partner with GreenBiz Group and the Sustainability Consortium on the first annual Sustainability Solutions Festival,” said Patti Reiter, Director of the Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives.

ABOUT GREENBIZ GROUP
GreenBiz Group’s mission is to define and accelerate the business of sustainability. It does this through a wide range of products and services, including its acclaimed website GreenBiz.com and daily e-newsletter GreenBuzz; webcasts on topics of importance to sustainability and energy executives; research reports, such as the annual State of Green Business; the GreenBiz Executive Network, a membership-based, peer-to-peer learning forum for sustainability executives from Fortune 1000 companies; and conferences such as the GreenBiz Forum and VERGE. For more information, visit GreenBiz.com.

ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY CONSORTIUM
The Sustainability Consortium is an organization of diverse global participants that work collaboratively to build a scientific foundation that drives innovation to improve consumer product sustainability. TSC develops transparent methodologies, tools, and strategies to drive a new generation of products and supply networks that address environmental, social, and economic imperatives. The Sustainability Consortium advocates for a credible, scalable, and transparent process and system. The organization boasts over 90 members from all corners of business employing over 57 million people and whose combined revenues total over $1.5 trillion. TSC is jointly administered by Arizona State University and University of Arkansas, with additional operations at Wageningen University in The Netherlands and has recently launched an office in China. For more information, visit www.sustainabilityconsortium.org.

ABOUT THE ROB AND MELANI WALTON SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS INITIATIVES
The Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives are the result of a $27.5 million investment in Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability by the Walton Family Foundation. Within the Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives, diverse teams of faculty, students, entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators collaborate to deliver sustainability solutions, accelerate global impact, and inspire future leaders through eight distinct initiatives. For more information visit sustainabilitysolutions.asu.edu.

ABOUT THE GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF SUSTAINABILITY
The Global Institute of Sustainability is the hub of Arizona State University’s sustainability initiatives. The Institute advances research, education, and business practices for an urbanizing world. Its School of Sustainability, the first comprehensive program of its kind in the U.S., offers transdisciplinary degree programs to create practical solutions for environmental, economic, and social challenges. For more information, visit sustainability.asu.edu.

Nestlé Waters North America (NWNA) announces the release of its 2012 Creating Shared Value (CSV) report, the company’s third report documenting its sustainability and corporate responsibility commitments.

The 2012 CSV report highlights the company’s philosophy of Creating Shared Value – a fundamental approach to the way NWNA focuses on specific areas of business activity where value can best be created for both society and shareholders.

“As a natural resources company, our business depends on our commitment to environmental stewardship,” says Heidi Paul, executive vice president, Corporate Affairs at NWNA. “We also aim to make a positive impact on the lives of people we work with and in the places where we do business. This is what we mean by Creating Shared Value. We are committed to the goals and the roadmap outlined in this report.”

The report underscores NWNA’s continued sustainability pathway, including the company’s dedication to responsible water stewardship, packaging responsibility and operational sustainability.  Water as healthy hydration is a hallmark of NWNA and a focus of the (CSV) report, as is building community vitality with its employees at spring and plant locations.  

Water as Healthy Hydration: Consumers can rely on Nestlé Waters for convenient, healthy water choices and the assurance of rigorous quality standards in everyday life as well as in times of crisis.

Water Responsibility: Water efficiency and sustainable water management practices are key to the company’s long-term success, as well as working with partners to improve water resources.

 Building Community Vitality with Employees: Intrinsic to long-term success is creating a positive work environment for employees and engaging them with local communities to create shared value.

 Packaging Responsibility and Operational Sustainability: Inside facility walls, the company regularly seeks to improve operational and packaging environmental footprint. The company also goes beyond internal improvements to create shared value for society, seeking to increase recycling rates for beverage packaging and printed paper through advocating for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

The 2012 Creating Shared Value report is available now on the company’s website at:
http://www.nestle-watersna.com/en/csv/corporate-citizenship-report

NWNA will publish a new report every two years to provide updates on its progress and challenges in its sustainability pathway.

The company is engaging stakeholders about its sustainability commitments through a partnership with CSRwire, the global news source for corporate social responsibility. Aman Singh, editorial director of CSRwire, will moderate a Twitter chat about the CSV report on Tuesday, June 18 from 1-2:15 p.m. Eastern Time, using the hashtag #SharedValue. Heidi Paul will participate in the question and answer discussion about the company’s 2012 CSV report. CSRwire will also feature a three-part blog series about NWNA, its current sustainability commitments and future plans.

About Nestlé Waters North America
The availability of healthful beverages is more important than ever, and Nestlé Waters North America (NWNA) provides people with an unrivaled portfolio of bottled waters. The company's bottled water brands in the U.S. include Arrowhead®, Poland Spring®, Deer Park®, Nestlé® Pure Life® and international brands Perrier® and S.Pellegrino®. In 2011, the company added a line of ready-to-drink teas which now includes Nestea®, Sweet Leaf® and Tradewinds®. These well-known brands have led Nestlé Waters North America to be third largest non-alcoholic beverage company by volume in the U.S. Based in Stamford, Connecticut with 7,500 employees nationwide, NWNA is seeking to reduce its environmental footprint across its business and working with others to help improve U.S. recycling rates of all packaging and printed paper across the U.S. The company is also committed to creating shared value and being a good neighbor in the 140 communities where it has operations. To learn more, visit www.nestle-watersna.com.

Greater steps need to be taken to change consumer behavior if the cosmetics industry is to reduce its environmental footprint. This was one of the key messages from the 4th North American edition of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, which took place in New York City last month.

With the global population projected to reach 9 billion by 2050, questions are emerging about sustainability in the cosmetics industry. Critics argue that natural and synthetic raw materials going into cosmetic products could be re-directed to other worthwhile applications. Others question the role of beauty products in geographies where food poverty is rife and resources scarce. In the western world, life-cycle analysis shows that over 90% of the environmental impact of many personal care products is at the consumer level.

Against this backdrop, the summit organizer believes the way forward is greater efficiency in the production and use of cosmetic and personal care products, as well as encouraging sustainable purchases. A major challenge however is changing consumer behaviour. A paper by Accenture showed that 72% of consumers said they are ready to pay more for environmentally-friendly products, however just 17% actually purchase such products. Other research presented at the summit stated just 19% of American consumers are regular buyers of green products. 

A number of solutions to translate green consumer intent to action were proposed by speakers. The Worldwatch Institute believes that sustainable business practices can influence consumers, whilst marketing and legislation can directly change consumption habits. Citing the example of the Washington D.C. plastic bags tax, Erik Assadourian said that government can be a major lever of change. Other speakers called brands to engage consumers for positive change, utilising social media as well as conventional communication tools.

The growing use of green ingredients in cosmetic formulations was also extensively discussed at the summit. Mibelle Biochemistry and IRB / Sederma gave details on how plant stem cell technology can be used to extract actives from plant materials. AkzoNobel showed how its zeta fraction technology can also be used as a sustainable alternative to traditional extraction methods. Mike Rohlfson from Heliae stated that marine algae could emerge as an important feedstock for cosmetic ingredients; unlike agricultural materials, algae are not susceptible to weather disruptions and poor harvests. The panel discussed the take-up rate of green ingredients and sustainable processing methods; although high prices are currently a barrier, speakers stated costs were dropping as demand rises for such materials and technology.

Other papers highlighted the varying approaches companies have towards sustainability. With most companies focusing on raw materials / formulations and business processes for efficiency, the social aspects of sustainability are often neglected. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps gave details of its fair trade projects for sourcing vegetable oils. Procter & Gamble demonstrated how large companies can make a social difference; 5.5 billion liters has been provided by its safe drinking water program, saving thousands of lives in Asia and Africa. Both companies stated a major challenge for such programs was scaling up such initiatives.

The North American edition of the summit raised further questions about sustainability in the cosmetics industry: how can companies take a holistic approach to sustainability and move away from isolated aspects? How do you measure sustainability performance? What sustainability schemes are emerging for natural raw materials? How can packaging be used in conjunction with formulations to reduce environmental impacts of finished products? What can be done to improve sustainability communications to consumers? How can mobile technology be used to influence consumers towards positive change? Such questions will be addressed in upcoming editions of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit…

Sustainable Cosmetics Summit Latin America, São Paulo, 18-20 Sept 2013

Sustainable Cosmetics Summit Europe, Paris, 21-23 Oct 2013

Sustainable Cosmetics Summit Asia-Pacific, Hong Kong, 11-13 Nov 2013

About the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit
The aim of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit is to encourage sustainability in the beauty industry by bringing together key stake-holders and debate major sustainability issues in a high-level forum. The North American edition (New York, 16-18th May 2013) was the 11th edition in this international series of summits; the proceedings are available for a professional fee. More information is available from www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com.

The summit in pictures: www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com/ny2013summitpics.htm

About Organic Monitor
Organic Monitor is a London-based specialist research, consulting & training company that focuses on the global organic & related product industries. Since 2001, we have been providing a range of business services to operators in high-growth ethical & sustainable industries. Our services include market research publications, business & technical consulting, seminars & workshops, and sustainability summits. Visit us at www.organicmonitor.com.

In May 2013, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) published the 4th version of its Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (G4). The mega launch in Amsterdam was attended by more than 1600 professional dedicated to responsible business, including CSE CEO & team on the ground.

So, for those interested in using the G4 Guidelines as soon as possible, CSE will be delivering the GRI Certified G4 Bridging Module, with the first launch taking place in Athens, July 19!

This 1-day training program focuses on the major differences between G3/3.1 and G4 and enables participants to continue their sustainability path more efficiently and in alignment with the new GRI G4 Guidelines. It has been designed for experienced GRI reporters aimed exclusively for those that have a G3/G3.1 certificate.

G4 represents an important shift in sustainability reporting and GRI is currently developing the Certified training on G4 Guidelines. The “Certified GRI G4 Training on Reporting” is expected to be available around November 2013.

You can also take a sneaky peak here to find out why the G4 represents an important shift in sustainability reporting and discover how it benefits your organization’s materiality. For other CSR & Sustainability trainings please click here.

CSE is an official GRI Partner for the Middle East and Greece.

CSE is a global Sustainability (CSR) strategic advisor and training organization providing in-house and open trainings that meet the needs and requirements of every industry and the business activities of every organization. CSE has trained more than 5,000 high profile professionals from prestigious organizations across 30 countries and 5 continents working with leading companies such as Lloyds Bank Group, HSBC, Coca Cola, Mc Cain, Heineken, The Savola Group, Nestle and Papaellinas.

(Marketwired) - Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) – Have you heard of the term Network Function Virtualization (NfV)? How is it different to Software Defined Networking (SDN)? If you want to understand what NfV is, and how it applies to Mobility, Cisco will host a conference call with Deutsche Bank to discuss these market trends on Tuesday, June 18th.

The webcast will be hosted by Kelly Ahuja, SVP and GM, Mobility Business Group. Interested parties can view this event on Cisco's Investor Relations website at investor.cisco.com.

No previously unannounced issues will be discussed in this webcast.

Date: Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Time: 8:30 am PT / 11:30 am ET
Speaker: Kelly Ahuja, SVP and GM, Mobility Business Group

About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news, please go to thenetwork.cisco.com.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

RSS Feed for Cisco: newsroom.cisco.com/rss-feeds.

Experts from The Dow Chemical Company, Shell, Swiss Re and Unilever, working with The Nature Conservancy and a resiliency expert, evaluated a number of business Case Studies, and recommend in their newly published White Paper that green infrastructure solutions should become part of the standard toolkit for modern engineers.

Green infrastructure employs elements of natural systems, while traditional gray infrastructure is man-made. Examples of green infrastructure include creating oyster reefs for coastal protection, and reed beds that treat industrial waste water.

The research team evaluated the assumption that green infrastructure can provide more opportunities than gray infrastructure to increase the resilience of industrial business operations against disruptive events such as mechanical failure, power interruption, raw material price increases, and floods. The evaluation concluded that hybrid approaches, utilizing a combination of green and gray infrastructure, may provide an optimum solution to a variety of shocks and improve the overall business resilience.

“Instead of thinking about independent solutions, we must look at integrated systems,” said Andrew Liveris, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dow. “Natural systems not only serve multiple functions, but have multiple benefits – often requiring less capital and less maintenance while promoting biodiversity that we all enjoy.”

“Green infrastructure can bring benefits for companies, for communities and for the environment,” said Peter Voser, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell plc. “It can be cheaper, provide new opportunities for engagement with stakeholders, and create wildlife habitats. Green infrastructure should be part of mainstream business thinking.”

"Protecting nature and the services it provides to people and business is one of the smartest investments we can make,” said Mark R. Tercek, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. "This is the case whether we are talking about the production of clean, abundant freshwater, protection from storms or healthy and productive soils. Green infrastructure solutions also provide many co-benefits, such as wildlife habitat, and typically appreciate over time, rather than depreciate as happens with gray infrastructure."

The case studies gathered to support this research encompass a wide variety of possible applications of green infrastructure. They range from growing plants that cost-effectively remediate contaminated soil (phytoremediation), to constructing wetlands that naturally treat industrial waste water, to mitigating air pollution through innovative forest management approaches.

Two green infrastructure solutions from the business case studies are described below, which illustrate the recurring benefits and challenges inherent to green infrastructure solutions.

Union Carbide Corporation (subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company) uses constructed wetlands to treat wastewater near Seadrift in Texas. This 110-acre (approximately 44.5-hectare) engineered wetland was designed to consistently meet regulatory requirements for water discharge from the manufacturing plant, and has operated successfully for over a decade.

The green infrastructure solution, which was implemented in half the expected time for the gray infrastructure alternative, and was fully operational in 18 months, delivered a series of additional benefits. The capital expense was between $1.2 million and $1.4 million, compared to an expected $40 million for gray infrastructure. The wetlands also require no electric power and very little operations and maintenance support as opposed to the energy-intensive gray infrastructure alternative requiring 24/7 support.

The cost savings associated with this decision yield value year after year and increase exponentially over time.

Petroleum Development Oman LLC (PDO) uses constructed wetlands to treat produced water from oilfields in Oman. The Nimr oilfields, in which The Shell Petroleum Company Ltd is a joint venture partner, not only produce oil, but also more than 330,000 m3 of water per day. PDO built the world’s largest commercial wetland, and it treats more than 30% (or 95,000 m3 per day) of the total produced water. This volume would normally require extensive infrastructure to treat and inject the water into a subsurface disposal well. Gray infrastructure would thus result in a high-cost facility, requiring large amounts of electric power and producing greenhouse gas emissions.

Instead, a green infrastructure solution was selected, consisting of a four-tier gravity-based wetland system. As gravity pulls the water downhill, reeds act as filters, removing oil from the water. The oil is eaten by microbes that naturally feed on hydrocarbons underground. Oil content in the produced water is consistently reduced from 400 mg/l to less than 0.5 mg/l when leaving the wetlands.

Power consumption and CO2 emissions are 98% lower than they would have been with the alternative man-made solution. Also, the wetlands are providing habitat for fish and hundreds of species of migratory birds.

Visit The Nature Conservancy website for more information about green infrastructure solutions, research findings from the case studies and conclusions in the White Paper.

About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2012, Dow had annual sales of approximately $57 billion and employed approximately 54,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 36 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

About Royal Dutch Shell plc
Royal Dutch Shell plc is incorporated in England and Wales, has its headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam and New York stock exchanges. Shell companies have operations in more than 70 countries and territories with businesses including oil and gas exploration and production; production and marketing of liquefied natural gas and gas to liquids; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals and renewable energy projects. For further information, visit www.shell.com.

About The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.

Three winners were announced today for Green America’s quarterly “People & Planet Award,” which recognizes America’s best green, small businesses. Each of three winners will receive $5,000. The winners are: Love & Carrots, The Chile Woman, and Green City Growers. Winners were selected by the public, who had a month-long open voting period online at Green America’s website.

Green America’s “People & Planet Awards” recognize innovative entrepreneurial U.S. businesses that deeply integrate environmental and social considerations into their strategies and operations. This round of the Awards focused on green businesses that have an overall green way of doing business and a strong commitment to a sustainable food system.

Alisa Gravitz, president, Green America, said: “Sustainable food sourcing is key to a healthy and greener way of doing business. Green America is proud to recognize businesses that demonstrate green innovation in their business models and sustainability in their food systems with this People & Planet Award.”

The winning companies’ descriptions are below:

• Love & Carrots, Washington, DC, www.loveandcarrots.com, is a home organic gardening service which designs, installs, and maintains vegetable gardens in DC and the surrounding suburbs. Organic, locally grown food and fruitful green spaces are beautiful, healthy, and better for the soul. Founded by ecologist Meredith Sheperd, the vision of Love & Carrots is to educate people about the importance of local food and environmental stewardship through gardens. Love & Carrots promotes the growth of urban agriculture through a home-based garden education service that teaches families, businesses, and organizations how to grow their own food.

• The Chile Woman, Bloomington, IN, www.thechilewoman.com. The Chile Woman is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and growing chile pepper varieties from all over the world, as well as preserving chile pepper biodiversity. The Chile Woman now maintains a seed bank of over 1800 chile pepper varieties, and excludes all hybrid, GMO or bioengineered seeds. When Susan Wesland (AKA The Chile Woman) was hit with a tornado in 2011, she found the silver lining: Although her property had been too heavily wooded to support efficient solar power before, the trees felled by the storm opened up spaces that Wesland filled with solar photovoltaic panels to power her home and gardens. The company is celebrating the installation of a 5.2 K solar array that went online in January of this year.

• Green City Growers, Somerville, MA, growmycitygreen.com. Green City Growers (GCG) transforms unused space into thriving urban farms, providing clients with immediate access to nutritious food, while revitalizing city landscapes and inspiring self-sufficiency. GCG produces and installs raised-beds, cold frames, and rooftop farms in addition to providing farm maintenance, educational programming, and consulting services for all interested in growing fruits and vegetables. GCG’s clients include urban and suburban homeowners, corporate wellness programs, schools, healthcare facilities, and restaurant/food service providers, etc. Quality organic produce is expensive and difficult for the average family to procure. By bringing the farm to the consumer, GCG increases access to produce, fostering a stronger connection between people and the food they eat. This summer, the company is launching the largest rooftop farm operating in New England, with up to 11,000 pounds of produce projected to be grown on the roof of a Whole Foods in Lynnfield, MA.

"The Love & Carrots team is honored to be selected for this award,” said Meredith Sheperd, founder of Love & Carrots. “Our team of experienced organic farmers designs, installs, and maintains vegetable gardens, edible landscapes, and urban farms for residents and businesses all over the greater DC area. We are excited to devote the prize money to creating a larger composting system for the organic waste from our gardens-- completing the sustainability loop."

“I feel honored to be one of the People & Planet Award recipients,” said Susan Wesland, founder, The Chile Woman. “This is big news to a business as small as mine. When I started my business 21 years ago, I was dedicated to preserving chile biodiversity, reducing waste, and recycling and reusing whatever I could. What were once considered to be eccentric business practices are now hip! When we were hit with drought last summer, we sorely wished we had already installed a cistern. It will be a blessing to use part of the prize money to help harvest my rainwater instead of wasting any of that precious moisture. Finally, we also have a space in mind to convert into a small store we hope to stock with locally made spicy food products.”

"We're so excited to have been chosen by Green America for their People & Planet award!” said Jessie Benhazl, CEO of Green City Growers. “We plan on using our winnings to invest in a more environmentally friendly vehicle, and to research and develop additional techniques for sustainable urban farming at our home base in Somerville. We are dedicated to providing our customers with fresh, hyper-local produce."

Future rounds of Green America’s quarterly award for green businesses with 50 or fewer employees, will focus on workplace innovations, and other sustainability practices. The businesses that the public vote on are determined by public nominations and an expert panel of judges: Katie Galloway & Gigi Abbadie, Aveda; Justin Conway, Calvert Foundation; Elysa Hammond, Clif Bar; Lisa Stokke, Food Democracy Now; Jenny Burns, Honest Tea; Kristin Bower, Neighborhood Farm Initiative; Jonathan Reinbold , Organic Valley; John Lively, Preserve (winter winner!); Eric Henry, TS Designs; and Reed Doyle, Seventh Generation; Fran Teplitz & Andrew Korfhage, Green America..

ABOUT GREEN AMERICA
Green America is the nation’s leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America (formerly Co-op America) provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to solve today's social and environmental problems.
www.GreenAmerica.org | @GreenAmerica

W.S. Badger Company, leading maker of natural and organic personal care products, introduces the SLOW Sun movement, designed to make time in the sun fun and simple again.

The SLOW Sun movement – inspired by the SLOW Food movement, which was founded to encourage families to slow down and enjoy real meals together again – encourages people to slow down and take a more wholesome and positive approach to sun protection. SLOW Sun suggests that we complement proper sunscreen use with timeless cultural practices such as wearing protective clothing and taking time for a restful siesta under a shady tree during the peak hours of the sun. As a pioneer and long time category leader in natural and organic sunscreens, Badger intends to increase the public’s awareness beyond sunscreen.

“We believe that true sun protection requires a more mindful and holistic approach that doesn’t rely upon quick chemical fixes or high SPF products that mislead people to believe they’re safe regardless of the conditions,” said Rebecca Hamilton, Badger’s director of product development. “The best approach to sun safety involves a respect for the power of the sun and using common sense. This is what SLOW Sun teaches us.”

The SLOW Sun movement is rooted in six simple principles:

1. Be mindful: Know your limits and practice moderation in the sun.
2. Practice simplicity: Sometimes the simplest solution is to wear a wide-brimmed hat and other protective clothing.
3. Seek shade: Especially during the peak sun hours of 10-2. Think Siesta!
4. Choose wholesome solutions: Choose organic or natural mineral-based (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) sunscreens with antioxidant ingredients that protect and benefit skin. Avoid sunscreens with questionable chemicals like oxybenzone.
5. Apply enough sunscreen: Take ample time to apply your sunscreen right: at least two tablespoons to cover your body thoroughly. Under-application of even the safest sunscreen will drastically reduce your level of protection.
6. Protect yourself and our planet: Choose protection measures that are sustainable and biodegradable or reef safe. Even the smallest choices you make have a big impact on the world we live in.

Clara, the official spokesbadger for SLOW sun, astutely summarizes the SLOW Sun philosophy: “Go slow. Be mindful.” Clara says, “If we are more conscious in our choices we can appreciate the incredible gift of sun without causing harm. SLOW Sun is not just about sunscreens, it’s about a more holistic approach to respectful sun worship.”

Badger’s launch of its SLOW Sun movement coincides with the Environmental Working Group 2013 Guide to Sunscreens, which tested more than 1,400 products and was released last month. All 13 of Badger’s sunscreens were rated among the safest and most effective of sunscreens on the market today. The EWG’s Sunscreen Guide reports on the latest sun safety research. Only 184 products met the nonprofit’s criteria for safe and effective beach and sport sunscreens.

Badger award-winning sunscreens have consistently received positive ratings each year since the EWG’s inaugural report in 2007. Badger’s new Daily Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen Lotions align with Slow Sun principles. Formulated from food-based ingredients, Badger’s Sunscreen Lotions protect with naturally effective, non-nano zinc oxide in a light, gentle lotion with a non-greasy, matte finish. Badger’s Sunscreen Lotions are 100% certified Natural (Natural Products Association) and 86% certified Organic (NSF ANSI 305), and are hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic and Cruelty Free. Formulated for adults, children and babies, each 4-ounce tube retails for $17.99 and is sold at leading retailers nationwide.

The SLOW Sun Movement - Badger from Badger Balm on Vimeo.

W.S. Badger Co. Inc. has produced quality, all-natural and certified organic body care products since 1995. Badger aims to protect, soothe and heal with ingredients safe for all. Family-owned and run, Badger was born when Badger Bill, a carpenter at the time, discovered a recipe of natural ingredients strong enough to soothe his rough, dry and cracked hands. Badger produces almost all of its products in Gilsum, N.H. Badger has been awarded B Corp Certification, after demonstrating its hard work to create a healthy business with ethical and charitable principles.

Recommended Resources on Safe Sun Practices:
EWG 2013 Sunscreen Guide
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Youth-Led non-profit Teens Turning Green is set to launch its newest initiative, Freshman Green 15 (FG15), to college campuses nationwide for implementation during Orientation Week in the fall. This “go-green” campaign, focused on raising awareness about conscious living, mindful consumption, and the collective impact of individual actions, is challenging first year students to use this resource to build a foundation for conscious living.

“Freshman Green 15 is a starting point for developing life long habits from the moment students arrive on their new campuses. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, actionable information, and projects developed around sustainable practices, we hope to prompt students, faculty, and staff to find ways to sustain the planet, starting on their campuses,” says Judi Shils, Executive Director, Teens Turning Green.

FG15 was created as a yearlong program to provide student leaders, (RA’s, Eco Reps, Eco-Club Heads, etc.) with the necessary resources to integrate conscious thinking into daily life. The program launches with distribution of two comprehensive toolkits; one for mentors and the other for incoming students. Incorporating four major resources, “15 Tips to Green Your Life,” “15 Terms to Green your Vocab,” “15 Things to Take to College” and a Green Packing List, students will have the tools to live consciously. The program will encourage collaboration between student leaders, school personnel and incoming freshman to inspire sustainable choices for everyday decisions.

TTG is currently working with student leaders to pilot this program at schools including Columbia, Rice, Barnard, Johns Hopkins, NYU, University of Delaware, University of Southern Mississippi, Tulane, University of North Texas, among others. Eco Rep and student environmental advocate, Taylor Seidel, a rising senior at Columbia University, commented on the progress of their collaboration with TTG and the program, “Freshmen Green 15 (or in our case, Green 17), contains a wealth of green knowledge that will help us educate incoming students about the importance of sustainability at Columbia. It provides structure and an elaborate communications strategy that will enable us to disseminate this information without wasteful flyers and unnecessary handouts. FG15/Green 17 builds a foundation in sustainable living that will last throughout an academic career at Columbia, if not a lifetime.”

With 16 summer interns from universities across the country, and led by Executive Director, Judi Shils, and Program Director, Jonathan Foley, the TTG team has worked on perfecting this program for the past several months. “It has definitely been a work in progress,” says TTG Student Ambassador, Ashley Ugarte, a rising junior from Rice University and TTG’s Communications and Social Media Coordinator. “All of our hard work has truly paid off. It’s amazing what collaboration and dedication can accomplish in just a short time. Coincidentally, this is exactly the kind of mindset we hope students will adopt by using the FG15 resources. TTG’s mission to mobilize youth towards sustainable action begins by inspiring students to voice their dreams. FG15 is the foundation which we hope will open the eyes of students, mentors and faculty to an entirely new way of living.”

FG15 is the prelude to Teens Turning Green’s Third Annual Project Green Challenge 2013, a 30-day global call to action in October for high school and college students to transition from conventional to conscious living to sustain our planet. Click here to sign up!

About Teens Turning Green
Teens Turning Green is a student led movement devoted to education and advocacy around environmentally and socially responsible choices for individuals, schools, and communities. TTG seeks to engage youth in the transition from conventional to conscious, empowering the next generation and mobilizing action to sustain our earth. What began in California in 2005 now has a presence through a variety of eco-conscious programs at elementary, middle and high schools, universities, and student organizations across the United States, and around the world as well as a strong virtual platform and media presence. Chapters nationwide lead grassroots efforts that aim to raise awareness, encourage behavior change, and lobby for policy that will lessen local and global impact.

Partners
The Freshman Green 15 (FG15) program is made possible through partnership with like-minded champions of sustainability and the environment, including The Shaw Fund, Lisa & Douglas Goldman Fund, Whole Foods Market, Acure, Amy’s Kitchen, Aubrey Organics, Crofter’s Organic, Dr. Bronner’s, Desert Essence, Greenology, Guayaki Yerba Mate, JetBlue, Kimpton Hotels, Natracare, Numi, Ecojot, Eileen Fisher, Juice Beauty, Kejriwal, Navitas, R.W. Garcia, U Konserve, Swisspers Organic, and Vermont Soap.

For more information, to sign up and get involved, visit TeensTurningGreen.org, email info@teensturninggreen.org or call 415.289.1001. Begin your conventional to conscious journey, share your story with us and join us on Facebook and Twitter @TeensTurnGreen, #FG15. Visit our Pinterest Boards and join us on Instagram for more fun, creative and informative tips and resources on how to green your life.

The Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Group (ZDHC Group) today released version two of the Joint Roadmap. The Roadmap defines the critical path for achieving a new standard of environmental performance for the global apparel and footwear industry. This initiative, the impact of which will reverberate well beyond the apparel and footwear industry, is led by members of the ZDHC Group – the adidas Group, C&A, Esprit, G‑Star Raw, H&M, Inditex, Jack Wolfskin, Levi Strauss & Co., Li Ning, M&S, New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc., NIKE, Inc, PUMA SE – and a diverse group of stakeholders.

The Joint Roadmap, Version 2, presents the ZDHC Group's long term vision, interim 2015 milestones and 2020 goals. It builds on the previous Joint Roadmap document and sets out a new plan, incorporating and reflecting comments received from a wide range of stakeholders, including textile industry suppliers and associations, government agencies in Asia, Europe and the United States, non-governmental organisations, international development organisations and the chemical industry.

“To achieve the goal of systemic change and commercialisation of new, preferred alternative chemistries, we will need to transform the industry’s manufacturing inputs and processes. This requires full collaboration amongst thousands of organisations,” said Jessica Wollmuth, ZDHC Programme Manager. She added that “good progress has been achieved thus far, and the Joint Roadmap, Version 2, lays a firm foundation for creating an apparel and footwear industry that delivers high quality products using safe chemistries.”

ZDHC Group achievements in the past year include having:

• Completed chemical use and management surveys, and wastewater testing for approximately 150 analytes at 20 facilities in Bangladesh, China, India, Taiwan and Vietnam
• Completed a chemical inventory that is the most complete, publicly available compilation of information on chemicals used in the textile industry
• Developed training materials in English and Chinese
• Developed and delivered training to suppliers
• Engaged with more than 350 potential stakeholders
• Completed system mapping, critical to the understanding of the interconnected issues, leverage points and stakeholders involved.
• Agreed to timelines for the phase out of C8 chemistry by no later than January 1, 2015
• Worked with suppliers to address the most pressing chemicals of concern, starting with APEOS, and will continue to do so in 2013
• Worked to identify safer chemistries and mechanisms to incentivise chemical suppliers to invest in these alternatives

“Building on the knowledge gained during the first full year of implementation, the Joint Roadmap, Version 2 provides an overview of the guiding principles and long-term vision of the ZDHC group, and defines key activities that will catalyse industry change,” said Wollmuth. By implementing tasks in seven workstreams defined in the Roadmap, specifically Chemical Hazard Assessment, Prioritisation and Action, Training, Right to Know, Assessment and Auditing, Management Systems Approach, Structure and Documentation, Stakeholder Partnering and Chemicals Management Best Practices Pilot. The ZDHC Group will develop and promote industry best practices to deliver a safer and cleaner environment. “Our goal is ambitious, and the ZDHC Group and partners are fully committed to working together to achieve it,” said Wollmuth.

Notes to Editor
In 2011, the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Programme formed to catalyse positive change in the discharge of hazardous chemicals across the product life cycle. Our coalition now includes brand members adidas Group, C&A, Esprit, G-Star Raw, H&M, Inditex, Jack Wolfskin, Levi Strauss & Co., Li Ning, M&S, New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc., NIKE, Inc., and PUMA SE, a growing number of associate members, and a diverse group of stakeholders we engage with regularly. Given the challenge of driving industry change, we will only succeed in achieving the vision and goals of the ZDHC Joint Roadmap if we work together. This is the true purpose of the ZDHC collaboration.

The ZDHC Group will be publishing the results of the Benchmarking Project in June 2013.

For more information on the ZDHC programme, please visit: www.roadmaptozero.com.

On the eve of the inaugural Global Investor Forum on Climate Change on June 13-14 in Hong Kong, a total of 22 American investment firms with approximately $240 billion in assets under management, led by the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) and the Oregon State Treasurer’s office, have signed the Climate Declaration, calling on U.S. policymakers to seize the American economic opportunity of addressing climate change.

These financial leaders join more than 150 other American businesses, including industry icons General Motors Co., Intel and Nike and more than 100 ski areas, in asserting, “Tackling climate change is one of America’s greatest economic opportunities of the 21st century … There must be a coordinated effort to combat climate change—with America taking the lead here at home.”

“As the global economy moves toward a low-carbon future, governments that act aggressively to enact strong, long-term climate and energy policies will reap the biggest rewards,” said Jack Ehnes, chief executive officer of CalSTRS, the world’s largest educator-only pension fund serving 862,000 beneficiaries with a portfolio valued at $167 billion. “In order to tackle the global climate crisis, we must realize the strength of our combined efforts. That is why CalSTRS signed the Climate Declaration. U.S. policy leaders need to step up on this issue and embrace climate change policies as an economic opportunity.”

Investors have been an important force in supporting policy changes related to clean energy and efficiency. Last year, investors managing $800 billion in assets called on Congress to renew the Production Tax Credit for renewable energy, which was ultimately extended for another year. Investors have also been outspoken proponents of state Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPSs) that more than two-dozen states have enacted to boost sourcing of wind, solar and other renewable energy. RPSs have catalyzed billions of dollars of investment, thousands of new projects and hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, including 30,000 new jobs in 2012 alone.

“Being smarter when it comes to climate change is the right thing to do for all of our families, and it also will translate into economic and investment opportunities,” said Oregon State Treasurer Ted Wheeler, who has previously called for better disclosure of climate-related opportunities and risks. “I am proud to stand with Oregon’s largest employers and premier ski destinations to recognize that a cleaner future will also be a more profitable one.”

Today’s announcement comes on the eve of the first Global Investor Forum on Climate Change, sponsored by Ceres’ Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR) along with the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change, the EU-based Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change and the Investor Group on Climate Change, which represents Australian and New Zealand investors.

The two-day event will bring together investors and financial institutions from both developed and emerging markets for the first time to discuss the challenges presented by a changing climate, as well as the imperative to scale up investment in low-carbon infrastructure and business. Al Gore, co-founder and chairman of Generation Investment Management, and Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, will address the assembly via video.

“Without the participation of the financial community, we won’t get low-carbon solutions to the scale needed to address climate change, nor will the U.S. capture the full economic benefits of building a global clean energy economy,” said Anne L. Kelly, director of Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP), a Ceres-led business network that helped launch the Climate Declaration in April. “We are pleased to see strong support from the investor community on climate change policy, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. We urge the investors meeting at this week’s event to take the challenge of tackling climate change seriously.”

In addition to CalSTRS and the Oregon Office of the State Treasurer, Climate Declaration investor signatories include: Boardwalk Capital Management; Boston Common Asset Management, LLC; Calvert Asset Management Company, Inc.; Chrysalix; Domini Social Investments LLC; ESG Integrated Solutions; First Affirmative Financial Network, LLC; Friends Fiduciary Corporation; Green Century Capital Management; Leadership Council of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; Mercy Investment Services, Inc.; Pax World Management Corp.; Portfolio 21 Investments; Sisters of St. Dominic (Caldwell, NJ); The Christopher Reynolds Foundation; The Sustainability Group at Loring, Wolcott and Coolidge; Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment; Trillium Asset Management; Walden Asset Management; and Zevin Asset Management.

Over the course of an ongoing campaign organized by Ceres and BICEP, other leading businesses and investors, as well as individuals, are encouraged to sign the Declaration and join the call to action. For more information about the Climate Declaration, please visit www.climatedeclaration.us.

More information on the Global Investor Forum on Climate Change is available at investorforumonclimate.com.

About Ceres
Ceres is a nonprofit organization mobilizing business leadership on climate change and other sustainability challenges. Ceres also directs the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), a network of 100 institutional investors with collective assets totaling more than $11 trillion. For more information, visit www.ceres.org.

About BICEP
BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy), a project of Ceres, is an advocacy coalition of businesses committed to working with policy makers to pass meaningful energy and climate legislation enabling a rapid transition to a low-carbon, 21st century economy – an economy that will create new jobs and stimulate economic growth while stabilizing our planet’s fragile climate. BICEP is a project of Ceres. For more information and a list of member companies visit: www.ceres.org/bicep.

About CalSTRS
The California State Teachers’ Retirement System, with a portfolio valued at $167.2 billion as of April 30, 2013, is the largest educator-only pension fund in the world. CalSTRS administers a hybrid retirement system, consisting of traditional defined benefit, cash balance and voluntary defined contribution plans. CalSTRS also provides disability and survivor benefits. For 100 years, CalSTRS has served California's public school educators and their families, who today number 862,000 from the state’s 1,600 school districts, county offices of education and community college districts.

About the Oregon State Treasurer
The Oregon State Treasury protects public assets and manages a portfolio valued at $82.4 billion as of April 30, 2013. State investment policies are overseen by the Oregon Investment Council, of which the Treasurer is a member. The Treasurer also promotes public outreach and education to help Oregonians learn strategies to save money, invest for college and make smart financial choices.

69 second graders at Gompers Elementary School gathered in the school’s all purpose room this morning to accept the unexpected generosity of their new friends from Bob Evans Restaurant. First Bob Evans volunteers began the unusual day by serving the students a complimentary healthy breakfast. Following their multigrain pancakes and fruit, the second graders were told they would each be the recipients of free books from First Book also courtesy of Bob Evans’ and their EducationAd advertising through CBS EcoMedia.

Thus kicked off the reading party held with the Gompers students as special guests representing students across the Detroit public school system who will be receiving the free 2,500 books being distributed thanks to Bob Evans financial support. The reading party was hosted by Aaron Heddy, General Manager, Bob Evans Restaurant #87, and Principal Bobbie Posey Milner, Gompers Elementary School who were joined by Teresa Pipia of First Book and Paul Polizzotto, President and Founder, CBS EcoMedia Inc. Special guests also attending included Gompers’ Assistant principal, Robert Walker, Gompers Elementary School administration officials, community members and local elected/school board officials.

Following brief remarks a reading of “The Stories Julian Tells,” “Frog and Toad All Year,” “Days With Frog and Toad,” “Arthur's Camp Out,” “Oh, the Things you can Do that are Good for You?,” “The Berestain Bears Go To Camp” and “The Berenstain Bears and the Bully,” by volunteer readers from Bob Evans Restaurants, WWJ CBS Detroit and CBS EcoMedia were performed for the second grade audience.

“Being able to put new books into kid’s hands in time for summer break is critical, and we’re grateful to Bob Evans for making it possible,” said Teresa Pipia, Vice-President of Strategic Alliances for First Book. “The loss of reading skill over the summer hits kids from low-income families especially hard; these books will make a real difference.”

In addition to the books distributed at the reading party $1,000 in additional Bob Evans EducationAd funding is also going to Gompers for the school’s purchase of more books from First Book in support of its summer reading programs.

Bob Evans Restaurants contributed more than $500,000 in local donations last year and is planning on doing even more in the next 12 months. Brian Carney, Regional Coach for Bob Evans, explains that “Bob Evans has a long history of being involved in our local communities and the Detroit area is no exception. Through the First Book partnership, we plan on feeding the minds of hungry children. This goes hand in hand with what we do every day which is feeding their bodies and keeping kids strong and happy. We’re excited to work alongside our heroes, who are the teachers at Gompers Elementary School. And we can’t wait to read to the kids and give them their First Books!”

“Gompers Elementary Middle School is delighted to welcome Bob Evans to our school to kick off our summer reading incentive. We know that reading well is essential to everything we do in life,” said Gompers’ Assistant principal, Robert Walker. “Bob Evans volunteers are here to inspire our students to become better readers, to spark their imaginations through the adventure of reading, and to motivate them to become life-long learners. We thank Bob Evans, along with First Book and CBS EcoMedia, for giving our students new books to encourage them to continue reading during these summer months.”

“We’ve had a fantastic time here at the First Book reading party for the second graders at Gompers Elementary School,” said Paul Polizzotto, President and Founder of CBS EcoMedia Inc. “When you have the privilege as we did today to read to the kids of Detroit and see their faces light up with interest and enthusiasm then you witness the power of books on young impressionable minds. Bob Evans Restaurants made that possible for 69 second graders here at this school and all across Detroit with their EducationAd advertising and the funding it generated. I’m so grateful that they got the chance to be here today to meet the kids and read to them and see for themselves the great difference they’ll be making. And we couldn’t have started the day any better than eating breakfast with the kids courtesy of Bob Evans extra generosity.”

About Bob Evans Farms, Inc.
Bob Evans Farms, Inc. owns and operates full-service restaurants under the Bob Evans Restaurants brand name. At the end of the third fiscal quarter (January 25, 2013), Bob Evans Restaurants owned and operated 565 family restaurants in 19 states, primarily in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the United States. Bob Evans Farms, Inc., through its BEF Foods segment, is also a leading producer and distributor of refrigerated side dishes, pork sausage and a variety of complementary convenience food items under the Bob Evans and Owens brand names. Note that effective on February 16, 2013, Mimi’s Café is no longer owned by Bob Evans Farms, Inc. For more information about Bob Evans Farms, Inc., visit www.bobevans.com.

About First Book
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that distributed more than 100 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada. By making new, high-quality books available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education. For more information, please visit them online or follow their latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

About CBS EcoMedia, Inc.
At EcoMedia, we're propelled by the desire to create positive social change; that's been our mission since we founded the company in 2002. In 2008, after successfully partnering with CBS on a wide range of environmental projects, EcoMedia became the newest addition to the CBS Corporation portfolio, exponentially scaling our reach across television, radio, interactive, publishing and outdoor media.

Through our patent-pending EcoAd, WellnessAd and EducationAd programs, an innovative twist on traditional advertising, advertisers are able to support much-needed local projects which in turn creates jobs, saves taxpayer money and improves the quality of life in communities nationwide. In the process, we’re fundamentally altering the advertising landscape, elevating the ordinary, traditional commercial – and media, in general – into a catalyst for tangible, quantifiable social change. Please visit ecomediacbs.com to learn more.

By participating in EcoMedia’s EcoAd, WellnessAd and EducationAd advertising programs, EcoMedia’s advertisers agree to provide funding for projects we believe will have a beneficial effect upon the environment, health and/or education within local communities. EcoMedia’s advertising programs are not certification programs nor are the EcoAd, WellnessAd or EducationAd logos seals of approval. EcoMedia does not in any way certify, endorse or make any representations about EcoMedia program advertisers, their products or services.

Pharmacy on a Bicycle demonstrates how, even in the most of dire circumstances, entrepreneurs can develop cost-effective, sustainable, innovative solutions that have the potential for replication and scale. Not only are the examples inspiring and instructive, but the IMPACTS framework (Bing and Epstein’s framework) has applications that extend well beyond global health.  —Professor J. Gregory Dees, cofounder, Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship, Duke University

Millions of people are dying from diseases that we can easily and inexpensively prevent, diagnose, and treat. Why? Because even though we know exactly what people need, we just can’t get it to them. They are dying not because we can’t solve a medical problem but because we can’t solve a business logistics problem.

Pharmacy on a Bicycle introduces a unique model for better global health. It saves more lives while saving money by using innovation, entrepreneurship and building on existing infrastructures.  Authors Eric G. Bing and Marc Epstein come at the global health care crisis from two very different backgrounds—Epstein is a business school professor, Bing is a physician with an MBA. Combining Eric’s extensive work in global health with Marc’s work in designing and implementing solutions to challenges faced by business and nonprofit organizations has produced a powerful guide to action grounded in the best academic research and managerial practices.

The authors provide over 100 examples from organizations that are already using innovative business solutions to deliver and scale health care to the poor in more than 35 countries throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Some of these best practices include: 

• Improving access to health services in rural communities by using an army of micro-entrepreneurial health workers based in and trusted by these communities.  The health workers make a small profit to support their families while providing needed health products and services
• Dramatically lowering costs of complex procedures, including open heart surgery and cataract surgery, by using factory-like processes to increase efficiency
• Increasing the use of simple, yet life-saving solutions, such as insecticide treated bed nets, by making them culturally appropriate and acceptable
• Improving the quality of health services through the use of simple checklists to ensure consistency and completion of all tasks

Mark Kramer, Senior Fellow Harvard University, says about the book, “…governments, companies, and NGOs must embrace a new paradigm to convert medical discoveries into real-world solutions. Bing and Epstein’s elegant framework for action provides clear guidance and a multitude of compelling examples to demonstrate that the power to save lives is already in our hands.”

Co-published by the Bush Institute and Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Pharmacy on a Bicycle brings life-saving innovation to health care through the increased use of business and entrepreneurial practices and supports the institute’s global health initiative, which is built on the belief that every life is precious.

About the Authors

Eric G. Bing, MD, PhD, MBA, is a senior fellow and director for global health at the George W. Bush Institute and a professor at Southern Methodist University. He has developed health programs throughout Africa and the Caribbean for more than two decades..

Marc J. Epstein is distinguished research professor of management at Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University. He has been a professor at Stanford, Harvard, and INSEAD. He leads a yearly trip to Africa to train students in poverty work.

Publication date: May 2013, $29.95, hardcover, 240 pages, 6⅛" x 9¼", ISBN 978-1-60994-789-7

More Praise for Pharmacy on a Bicycle

“In this compelling, practical, and very human book, Bing and Epstein offer real-life solutions to ending millions of preventable deaths around the world. By integrating tools from public health, medicine, and business, they have created an approach—IMPACTS—that has potential for saving millions of lives, not only in low- and middle-income countries, but in resource-poor, hard-to-reach settings within wealthier nations.”

—Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPH, President and CEO, CARE USA

“Powerful medicine for a world that is ailing from growing health disparities and a must-read for anyone providing care for—or caring about—the world’s most vulnerable people. Short on abstraction and long on practical solutions, this is an inspiring call to action that awakens the entrepreneur in all of us.”

—Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH, President, Merck Vaccines, and former Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

“This is what needs to be done in order to save lives! The creativity and originality of this book provide the impetus to bridge the final mile in global health. Bing and Epstein exemplify cost-effective and successful innovative solutions—a must-have for all working in global health.”

—Christine Kaseba-Sata, obstetrician and gynecologist and First Lady of the Republic of Zambia

“Pharmacy on a Bicycle demonstrates how, even in the most dire circumstances, entrepreneurs can develop cost-effective, sustainable, innovative solutions that have the potential for replication and scale. Not only are the examples inspiring and instructive, but the IMPACTS framework has applications that extend well beyond global health.”

—Professor J. Gregory Dees, cofounder, Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship, Duke University

“This book provides workable answers for applying tested entrepreneurial techniques to the unique challenges of the very poor. Among the fertile minds of its readers, it will inspire new solutions from many successful examples. This book will save lives!”

—Marc J. Shapiro, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Baylor College of Medicine, and former Vice Chair, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

“By engaging emerging leaders with diverse skills and backgrounds, Bing and Epstein recognize how we can solve the problems we face in global health now. They demonstrate how partnership is fundamental to improving health access for all—an essential read for tomorrow’s leaders in global health!”

—Barbara Bush, CEO and cofounder, Global Health Corps

“So many of the solutions to the world’s most tragic health-care problems are simple and inexpensive—if we can get them to the people who need them most. Bing and Epstein show how that can be done by unleashing the entrepreneurial spirit of the world’s poor.”

—Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, KCMG, founder and Chairperson, BRAC

“Bing and Epstein show how people from around the world are creating successful innovative, ‘outside the box’ solutions to take health services the last mile. Stakeholders across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors will find the lessons shared in this book highly useful.”

—Dr. Agnes Binagwaho, Minister of Health, Republic of Rwanda

“Bing and Epstein tackle the most important problem vexing global development: how do we spread what we know works to places and people who need it? This book offers powerful frameworks and examples that spark practical insights into what it will take to truly solve many of our most challenging problems.”

—Jeff Bradach, cofounder and Managing Partner, The Bridgespan Group

“Drs. Bing and Epstein remind us that many of the deaths and much of the disease among mothers and children can be halted through simple and low-cost solutions. They combine their medical knowledge with cutting-edge business school methodologies to identify and summarize the opportunity for innovative solutions to combat disease and poverty. It’s a must-read for people who care deeply about the world’s poorest people.”

—Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, Dean, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, and President, Sabin Vaccine Institute

“If you ever wondered why easily preventable and curable diseases cripple human potential across the developing world, this book has answers. Bing and Epstein are on a mission to make sure that access to basic health care is never a barrier for anyone to reach his or her full potential. This book will leave you with the hope that seemingly insurmountable development challenges can be transformed into solvable problems when creative partnerships are formed across sectors and mutual accountability is established.”

—Ambassador Sally Cowal, Senior Vice President and Chief Liaison Officer, PSI

“Pharmacy on a Bicycle is about saving lives—simply, effectively, and inexpensively. Through their focus on innovative and entrepreneurial solutions, Bing and Epstein show how to take health care the last mile—to a place that’s accessible, in a way that’s acceptable, and at a cost that’s affordable. Chock full of successful examples of ways this is already happening, it will leave you inspired and filled with hope!”

—Rich Stearns, President, World Vision USA

“While so much of the focus on health is a debate about the science, Pharmacy on a Bicycle is a timely reminder that simple, cost-effective solutions exist and can be scaled to provide access to quality care. A practical guide to successful program delivery—showing how millions of lives can be saved globally.”

—Paul Bernstein, CEO, Pershing Square Foundation

“This is the first book I know of that goes beyond inspiring stories of social entrepreneurs to provide a comprehensive and practical guide to the entrepreneurial process itself. Every policy maker and aspiring social entrepreneur will benefit from the practical steps to successful entrepreneurship articulated in this book.”

—Kirk O. Hanson, University Professor and Executive Director, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University

“We firmly believe that the world can dissociate health care from affluence. Change in policies is all we need to turn this dream into reality. Pharmacy on a Bicycle has many valuable propositions to make it happen.”

—Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Hrudayalaya Group of Hospitals, Bangalore, India

“Bing and Epstein have written an eminently readable and absorbing book that will be essential for any organization interested in empowering underserved populations to improve their health and well-being. Bravo!”

—Stanley S. Litow, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs, IBM, and President, IBM International Foundation

Suggested questions for: Pharmacy on a Bicycle

 By Eric G. Bing and Marc J. Epstein

What is Pharmacy on a Bicycle about?
Pharmacy on a bicycle is about how to save lives by bringing quality care to patients in ways that are acceptable and at prices that are affordable.  If patient can’t reach the pharmacy, then bring the pharmacy to patient.  Put the Pharmacy on a Bicycle. 

Why aren’t people getting the care they need?
Millions of people are dying of diseases we know how to easily prevent, diagnose and treat.  We haven’t solved the challenge of increasing access, quality, and use while simultaneously reducing cost.  This is a not a medical challenge, it’s a business challenge.  In Pharmacy on a Bicycle, we show innovative and entrepreneurial individuals, organizations and governments can be more effective solving these business challenges and outline the steps to solve these challenges.   This will not only help people in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, but right here at home in the US. 

Are you saying this is all about business to solve these problems?
It is important to continue to make advances in medicine to find better treatment and cures for diseases.   But, most people are dying from diseases that we already know how to prevent and easily treat – from malaria and diarrhea to even cervical cancer.  In fact, we can diagnose early stages of cervical cancer with just a few drops of vinegar.  And if they have it, move them on for simple treatment before it progresses to cancer.  Nearly half a million women each year are diagnosed with cervical cancer and nearly all of them are in developing countries.  

Isn’t it impossible to simultaneously increase health care access, quality and use while reducing costs?
Actually it is not. It is quite possible to increase health care access, quality and use while reducing costs per patient.  And there are many great organizations that are already doing it.  They are using innovative approaches to enable entrepreneurs to deliver health products and services that help the entrepreneur make a small profit while saving lives. Most of these entrepreneurs are women so this has the added benefit of improving the lives of those who are often most in need.

Can you give me some examples?
Sure.  There are lots of them.  The Rwandan government partners with communities, NGOs and international agencies to distribute low costs but effective health services in the villages and towns where people live.  They have 45,000 volunteer community health workers that are linked to health facilities.  Maternal and child deaths have both dropped about 60% over the past decades.  Many other countries from Ethiopia to Nepal are seeing similar progress.  

Living Goods, an NGO based in Uganda uses micro-entrepreneurs that go door to door like Avon ladies, selling health care products to prevent or treat the most common infectious disease and provide other supplies that people need for cough and cold, wound care as well as other things that people want and need like phone chargers, water filters, solar lamps and clean burning cooking stoves.  Vision Springs uses a similar model to distribute glasses.

What are the biggest challenges in global health today?
The biggest challenges in global health are not medical, they are business challenges.  For most of the diseases people face, we know how to prevent and treat them.  What we fail to do is to get simple basic care to people, where they need it, in a way that they will use it and at a price that is affordable.  In Pharmacy on a Bicycle, we show innovative and entrepreneurial individuals, organizations and governments can be more effective solving these business challenges and outline the steps to solve these challenges.  

So, how can we solve these challenges in global health?
The solutions requires innovation and entrepreneurship, building upon existing infrastructure, being more efficient and effective, partnering, creating demand and education, tasks shifting, having clear targets and accountability, and scaling what works.  And when it’s done, it works. 

Why are so many children dying in developing nations?
Actually, childhood deaths have decreased by 40% in the world in the past 20 years.   Much of this success is due to more business-like approaches towards preventing child deaths.  However we need to scale up what works and do even more.  

What about AIDS?  Why are so many people still dying of AIDS? 
The approach that has been taken to combat AIDS has very much followed the pattern that we present in the book to increase care quality, access and use while decreasing costs.  This started with PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief a decade ago under George W. Bush and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.  In the past decade there has been a 23-fold increase in the number of people on antiretroviral medications and the costs of these medications have decreased by 96%.  New infections are down 15%.  We are beginning to win at this battle, but to succeed, we must continue to use this process that works, that we describe in Pharmacy on a Bicycle.

In Pharmacy on a Bicycle, you talk about heart surgery that is 95% cheaper, but 100% as effective as what we can get in the US.  How is that possible? 
The hospital, Narayana Hrudayalaya, is in a poor area of Bangalore India.  It  has increased access and use of quality cardiac care, while dramatically reducing costs by following the key elements discussed in Pharmacy on a Bicycle.  In about the past decade it has performed 50,000 cardiac surgeries.  It is able to charge prices that are up to 95% cheaper than in the US and even up to 70% cheaper than other places in India. It supports over 100 other center in India and 50 more in Africa – all for free.  And it makes a profit!  It does this by being innovative and entrepreneurial, efficient and effective, conducting outreach and creating demand for services, stimulating mutually beneficial partnership, shifting tasks to lower skilled and priced providers and settings, creating clear targets and scaling up services.  It’s in the process of building a hospital in the Cayman Islands, just a 50 minute plane ride from Miami.  

How are mobile phones changing health care?
Almost 90% of the world’s population, even in developing countries, has access to mobile phones.  Mobile phones may help us create leap frog advances in health in developing countries.   We can do simple things like send text message reminders to patients.  You can shift care to lower skilled community providers because more experienced back up support is just a phone call or text message away.   The phones make it easier for data collection to evaluate system improvements in real time. 

What are you doing to change global health care as the Bush Institute’s Director for Global Health?
The Bush Institute believes there is no higher priority than saving lives.  The Bush Institute believes in moving thought into action.  This book, Pharmacy on A Bicycle, outlines the key ways that we can increase access, use and reduce costs of quality care.  We also have an initiative called the Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon, a public private partnership where many of these key elements are now being applied to cervical and breast cancer. 

We are currently dealing with heated health care debates here in the US.   Can the solutions that you cover in the book be applied here at home?
Absolutely.  The key elements presented in Pharmacy on a Bicycle to improve access and use of quality care, while reducing cost can be applied right here at home.  We merely present it in the context of developing countries because many more lives are needlessly lost there and many good examples of its application already exist there. 

Why did you write this book?
Quite simply, we wrote this book to save lives.  We believe that by following the elements in the book we can get good care to those who need it more in ways that they will use it and at a price that they can afford. 

We are one world.  Their health is our health.  That’s global health. 

BASF today joined industry leaders from across Canada at the second annual Sustainable Chemistry Summit in Montreal, Quebec. The summit, organized by GreenCentre Canada, runs for three days and brings together more than 150 attendees from across the chemistry industry.  

Charlene Wall-Warren, Sustainability Leader for BASF in North America, will participate in the panel session titled “Industry Discovery: What companies are looking for,” and will discuss how BASF is using chemistry and innovation to address the current and future demands of the world’s growing population.

“It is estimated that by 2050 more than nine billion people will live on this planet,” said Warren. “With this growth comes enormous global challenges. Combining sustainability and innovation, companies such as BASF are well positioned to deliver solutions to meet these challenges and as a result meet the needs of future generations.”

Using BASF’s battery materials business as a case study, Warren will discuss the company’s investment in lithium ion battery materials as a means of driving progress for sustainable, accessible electro-mobility.

The 2013 Sustainable Chemistry Summit, presented by GreenCentre Canada focuses on finding ways to connect discoveries with the industries that need them. The intensive three-day conference provides a venue for groups to meet, learn and address the global challenges of sustainability and climate change.

BASF - The Chemical Company

BASF Canada, located in Mississauga, Ontario is a subsidiary of BASF SE, and an affiliate of BASF Corporation. BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,600 employees in North America, and had sales of $18.5 billion in 2012. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us. To find out more about BASF’s activities in Canada visit www.basf.ca or follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/basfcanada.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF posted sales of €78.7 billion in 2012 and had more than 113,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

The Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR) is the largest annual conference on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the region. It was launched in 2002 by the AIM-Ramon V. del Rosario, Sr. Center for Corporate Social Responsibility, one of the first research centers in Asia concentrating on corporate responsibility issues.

The AFCSR is composed of about 30 sessions, attended by 300 to 500 delegates, and supported by 50-plus partners and sponsors. The conference features the integration of:

1. plenary sessions addressed by keynote speakers;
2. breakout sessions focusing on specific dynamics, learnings, and best practices of companies;
3. an expo showcasing specific company CSR programs, and
4. optional field visits to innovative CSR program sites in and around the city.

Following 11 successful conference runs in six of Southeast Asia’s major cities—Manila, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore—the AFCSR continues to be at the forefront of CSR development in Asia.

This 2013, Bali in Indonesia will host the 12th AFCSR on September 23 & 24, Monday & Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt - Nusa Dua with the theme, CSR and the Challenge of Inclusive Growth: The Role of Social Innovation in Creating Lasting Impact.