The Waste Hydrogen Utilization Project (IWHUP) in BC

Treatment of waste hydrogen is being recylced for use in vehicular and stationary power applications in British Columbia, Canada. Captured waste hydrogen gas from places like sodium chlorate plants is being recycled into compressed hydrogen. It is known as the Waste Hydrogen Utilization Project (IWHUP). In the IWHUP project waste hydrogen that is normally burned off is being captured and recycled so that it can be used as fuel. The project in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada where they are building the world’s first small scale liquid hydrogen plant.

This contribution agreement aims to showcase an integrated use of hydrogen in a real-world setting. During the first stage, waste hydrogen from a sodium chlorate manufacturing plant is captured and processed for use as a source of clean power. It is then distributed for use among many applications: passenger buses; cargo trucks; utility vehicles (pick-up trucks) and; stationary power for a car wash facility.

This project represents a comprehensive consortium approach to demonstrating innovative technology through several funding partners and project participants. Together with Sustainable Development Technology Canada, and Natural Resources Canada (through the Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance), this project's total costs exceed $18 million. This project allows several stakeholders to contribute to developing solutions for clean energy, while many end-users receive an opportunity to learn new technology applications in their key responsibility areas.

It is expected that new knowledge, solutions, and practices in the use of various hydrogen technologies will be acquired through the operations of the IWHUP project. In addition to the anticipated reduction in harmful emissions, this project's integrated approach will also allow for an examination of the real-world functionality of the Hydrogen Highway. Eventually, this project's approach may lead to a significant number of vehicles in the Greater Vancouver Area running on clean power.

This is the type of collaborative project that makes sense both as a model of public-private cooperation and as a practical means of reducing our footprint.

The UWHUP project employs several of the basic building blocks of environmentally sustainable businesses. Its use of recycling, efficiency and alternative energy is be a model that others can follow.

These types of innovative approaches not only demonstrate entirely new strategies, they also show how we can work with existing industrial processes to make them more efficient and better for the environment.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

The BC Hydrogen Highway

The Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) built a hydrogen highway system for the 2010 Olympics. The BC hydrogen highway runs between the cities of Vancouver and Whistler. It was designed to showcase zero-emissions hydrogen technology.

There are hydrogen refueling stations near Victoria and on the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver. In Surrey, hydrogen refueling station was opened in March 2002. As of late 2006, hydrogen fueling stations were built in Victoria, Vancouver and Surrey.

The province of British Columbia and BC Transit have also built hydrogen powered buses which were used as transport along the hydrogen highway during the Olympics.

Companies like Ford test drove its Focus FCV cars along the hydrogen corridor gathering information about operating hydrogen cars in cold weather conditions.

In addition to the British Columbia Hydrogen Highway Initiative, Canada also has invested in three other hydrogen initiatives as well. The Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Project, Hydrogen-Powered Delivery Van Project and the Hydrogen High-Pressure Valve Development Project.

These three programs are part of the Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance's goal of moving Canada towards expanded use of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

World's First Small-Scale Hydrogen Liquefaction Plant to be Built in BC

British Columbia announced $870,000 in provincial funding for the development of the world's first small-scale hydrogen liquefaction plant. The plant will be built in North Vancouver and it will supply clean hydrogen throughout the Pacific Northwest. It will produce 1200 kg/day of liquid hydrogen which is enough to fuel a fleet of over 1,500 passenger fuel cell vehicles or 50 transit busses.

“Innovation like this by B.C. companies shows why the province is and will remain a world-centre for hydrogen and fuel cell technology,” said Premier Christy Clark. “We will continue to champion made-in-B.C. hydrogen, electricity, and natural gas as clean, green fuels of the future for B.C. families.”

B.C.-based Hydrogen Technology & Energy Corporation (HTEC), and Sacré-Davey Engineering, along with international partner Air Liquide, are building this innovative, high-tech plant.

“HTEC is excited to lead this innovative project that is enabled by progressive government support, leading-edge hydrogen technologies and the availability of clean hydro power. It demonstrates that solid opportunities are beginning to emerge for businesses and investors in hydrogen energy,” said Colin Armstrong, HTEC Vice President.

The plant plans to use proprietary technology and processes developed by HTEC for purification and Air Liquide’s Advanced Technical Group from France for liquefaction. In addition to making cleaner fuel the plant will also provide about 18 local high tech jobs.

To learn more about B.C.’s hydrogen and fuel cell innovation click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Hydrogen Powered Vehicles and Infrastructure in the Province of BC

British Columbia (BC) has announced incentives to increase their support for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and infrastructure. These programs will help create Canada's first publicly accessible hydrogen refueling station. The initiatives were announced by the Government of BC as a part of its clean energy strategy.

A hydrogen fuel cell does not need to be recharged as it converts the chemical energy of fuel (hydrogen, natural gas, methanol, gasoline, etc.) and an oxidant (air or oxygen) into electricity. It produces almost no emissions.

BC already has the largest number of hydrogen fueling stations in Canada. More than $6 million in provincial funding has been earmarked for new charging stations and upgrades to hydrogen fueling stations at existing facilities.

The news was welcomed by the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association(CHFCA). The announcements from the province led Eric Denhoff, President and CEO of the CHFCA to say:

"These two initiatives are further evidence of the strong commitment the Government of BC has made to supporting British Columbia's world-leading hydrogen infrastructure, and the organizations involved in the province's hydrogen and fuel cell sector."

British Columbia is a world leader in hydrogen fuel cell transportation solutions. An estimated 75 per cent of Canadian fuel cell and hydrogen-based research and development expenditures have been invested in British Columbia.

The government of BC's investments in hydrogen are also creating green energy jobs in the province. The province is home to 35 hydrogen and fuel cell technology companies that employ 1,200 people. These companies include Ballard Power Systems, Angstrom Power, the Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation, Powertech Labs, HTEC and Sacre-Davey Engineering.

The Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation in Burnaby is a company that employs more than 200 people. The province also attracted Mercedes-Benz to build a fuel cell manufacturing facility in Burnaby. In March 2011, Mercedes-Benz Canada announced plans to build the new facility.

By 2016, global sales for the hydrogen and fuel cell sector are estimated to be $8.5 billion, creating an estimated 14,000 jobs in Canada. BC Transit already has fleet of 20 hydrogen-powered fuel cell buses in Whistler which is the largest deployment of its kind in the world.

"These announcements by the Government of BC create tremendous momentum for the hydrogen and fuel cell industry," said Mr. Denhoff. "We have world-class research and development at the NRC Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation and UBC's Clean Energy centre; world-leading manufacturing at Ballard and the Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation; and a host of innovative small and medium enterprises supporting the research and development efforts in the province."

For more information about BC's hydrogen initiatives including which vehicles qualify under the new program click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

The B.C. Government's Greener Transportation Incentives

The Canadian province of British Columbia's SCRAP-IT® program provides financial remuneration for vehicles with poor fuel efficiency and incentives for greener forms of transportation. Reducing (inefficient) vehicular traffic improves air quality and reduces emissions.

The BC SCRAP-IT Society fund is already in operation and with new funding it will expand the program and remove even more high-polluting vehicles from B.C. roads. The SCRAP-IT Society has already removed over 30,000 vehicles from B.C. roads, resulting in a reduction of over 200,000 tonnes of GHGs. The program has a $2.5-million budget.

The success of the program has prompted Dennis Rogoza, CEO of the BC Scrap-It Society to say:

"We're excited about moving more power polluters off of B.C. roads. It's clear with programs like these, British Columbia is committed to providing greener options for a cleaner future. These older vehicles scrapped by our program represent emissions that are up to 60 times greater than that of newer vehicles"

The government of B.C. offers a total of seven programs that provide incentives to encourage greener transportation.

HERE ARE SEVEN INCENTIVE PROGRAMS:

Option #1
Replacement Vehicle - $300, $600 or $1,000*
(*based on CO2 emission reduction), PLUS a $250 discount at the point of sale

$300 for a reduction of up to 5 tonnes.

$600 for a reduction of 5.1 to 10 tonnes.

$1,000 for a reduction of 10.1 tonnes, or more.

Plus a $250 discount, before taxes, at the point of sale. Note: You must purchase or lease a 2004* or newer vehicle from a Participating Dealership in order to receive the discount.

Option #2
TransLink 3 Zone MultiPass - Lower Mainland
A 9 month 3 zone MultiPass

BC Transit ECOPASS - Victoria
A 1 year ECOPASS valid on the Victoria Regional Transit System.

Option #3
New Bike
Up to $500 off the purchase of a new bike. A 10% discount, up to $100 at the point of sale and the remainder, 40%, up to $400 directly from SCRAP-IT when you purchase your new bike from a Participating Bicycle Retailer.

Option #4
West Coast Express Passes
One of the following West Coast Express options:

MISSION AREA (Three 28 day passes)
MAPLE RIDGE AREA (Four 28 day passes)
TRI-CITIES AREA (Five 28 day passes)
INTER-SUBURBAN AREA (Seven 28 day passes)
or, if you are not a regular rider, a GO2 Card

Option #5
Car Sharing Credit
A $750 credit with one of the 3 following organizations:

• Modo The Car Co-op
• Zipcar
• The Victoria Car Share Co-Op

Option #6
Ride Sharing Credit
A $750 credit with RideShare, The Jack Bell Foundation

Option #7
$200 "Cash"

Approved applicants will receive an email approval letter with more details about each incentive offered.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

BC's Electric Vehicle Incentive Program

British Columbia’s provincial incentives for electric vehicles and home charging systems begin to take effect On December 1, 2011. B.C.'s new clean vehicle incentive program hopes to grow the sales of clean tech vehicles in the province with point of purchase incentives and supplementary incentive offerings to help build the required charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs).

Environment Minister Terry Lake and Energy and Energy and Mines Minister Rich Coleman announced the 'Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan.' The government is supporting EVs and the green-tech sector with a fund valued at $17 million for that province.

Purchases of EVs can get rebates up to $5000 depending on battery size. Compressed natural gas vehicles will also qualify for a rebate. These financial incentives will help with early adopter uptake in the short-term and ensure a quicker payback period on the price premium for plug-in electric vehicles. These incentives are designed to help build the critical mass and production capacity required by OEMs to bring the costs of these vehicles down in the longer-term.

In other provinces full-functioning electrics qualify for slightly higher rebates than the hybrid options but in B.C. purchasing the fully electric Nissan LEAF qualifies for the same rebate as the Chevrolet Volt.

These investments have prompted Blair Qualey, CEO, New Car Dealers Association of B.C. to say:

"The point-of-sale rebate program is key to attracting new clean energy vehicles to the B.C. market. Manufacturers are eager to launch their new electric, plug-in hybrid electric and fuel cell cars in markets that demonstrate both high demand and with infrastructure in place - B.C. is now one of those markets."

According to Environment Canada, the British Columbia electrical grid is the third cleanest in the country with an electricity intensity of only 20 grams of CO2 equivalent emitted for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) produced.

Homeowners in B.C. that install a dedicated EV charging station in their homes will also qualify for an additional $500 rebate. Battery-powered electric vehicles should cost as little as $300 per year in electricity bills compared to upwards of $1,500 per year to fuel a gas-powered car.

For more information on B.C.'s cleaner vehicle programs click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Canadian Electric Vehicle Incentive Programs

Three Canadian provinces offer incentives for the purchase of an electric vehicle (EV). Ontario was the first province to offer EV incentives followed by B.C. and Quebec.

A battery electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that is powered by electricity and contains a battery to store energy. There are two main types of EVs: conventional hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and grid-connected vehicles that include plug-in hybrid battery electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs)Unlike HEVs, PHEVs and BEVs have larger capacity batteries that can be recharged by plugging in to the electricity grid. Only new PHEVs and BEVs are eligible for the incentive program.

Although the incentives for EVs differ from province to province, the maximum goes as high as $8,500.

Ontario's program commenced in July 2010, B.C.'s program went into effect in December 2011 and Quebec's program will come online in January 2012.

Canada is a large country with vast expanses of uninhabited land. For EVs to make significant inroads they will have to be more practical (ie: get better mileage on a single charge).

It is no coincidence that the three provinces offering EV incentives are also the wealthiest non-oil producing provinces with the greatest population densities.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Video: Sustainability and Innovation

While sustainable innovation opportunities are numerous, none are more important in the coming years than those addressing carbon footprints, water, and waste. in this video Will Sarni highlights examples of how companies and communities in a variety of sectors are tackling these three issues head on through initiatives and long term projects designed to measure and achieve real results.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Bruce J. Katz is a vice president at the Brookings Institution and founding Director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program which aims to provide decision makers in the public, corporate and civic sectors with policy ideas for improving the health and prosperity of cities and metropolitans areas. Katz regularly advises federal, state, regional and municipal leaders on policy reforms that advance the competitiveness of metropolitan areas.

Katz says the move to a greener economy is a global competition. The US must wisely and expeditiously develop both policies and practices that encourage more innovation and growth in this critical area. Growth through Innovation.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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The Greening of China's Cities, Counties, Towns and Industry

According to China's deputy director of the National Energy Administration, Qian Zhimin, Chinese cities, counties and towns will be increasingly green in the next few years. As reported in China Daily, Qian estimated that by 2015, the country could see as many as 100 cities, 200 counties and 10,000 towns relying on alternative sources of energy like renewables.

“Against the backdrop of combating climate change and pursuing development in a way that saves energy and avoids harming the environment, the notion of a low-carbon town is becoming prevalent, and promising exploration have been conducted by a multitude of…cities,” Qian said. “Priorities should be placed on the development of public and rail transit and the construction of smart grids. We should also make cities more energy efficient”

China's first model town, Tianjin Yujiapu financial district was nominated as the first low-carbon model town project in the Asia-Pacific region at a forum that discussed low carbon model towns. The initial planning for the city was conducted by international design teams from Manhattan, Chicago, London, and Japan.

“In recent years, test projects have begun for regions that will emit relatively little carbon and have been preliminarily tried out in five provinces and eight cities, including Tianjin,” Qian said.

Li Bo, the president of the Tianjin Innovative Finance Investment Ltd., noted that the buildings in the city are being constructed in accordance to green standards. “Last year, we signed cooperative agreements with more than 60 low-carbon enterprises from home and abroad,” Li said. At present, 260 enterprises have invested in the Yujiapu financial district, with a total capital registered for the project at around 60 billion yuan, or $9.27 billion.

Xinhua reports that China’s minister of industry and information technology, Miao Xu, said that the government has plans to green the country’s industrialization strategy. The minister indicated that China will promote energy efficiency and emissions reductions. These measures are significant given the fact that as of 2011, Chinese energy consumption in industrial production accounts for 70 percent of the nation’s total energy consumption.

These efforts are consistent with China’s five-year plan which mandates movement away from fossil fuels, and lowering energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 16 percent.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Factors Determining Adoption Rate of EVs

There are three key factors that will influence demand for EVs. Price, the cost of gas and range will determine the rate at which EVs are adopted. EVs with price points that are comparable to combustion engine vehicles will sell better than at current price points for EVs (in some cases they are more than twice as expensive). If gas hits $5 a gallon EVs will sell faster than if it gas were to drop below $3 a gallon. Vehicles that have a range greater than 300 miles will sell better than those with a range of 100 miles or less.

Excluding the $7,500 federal tax credit, the Volt and the Leaf, currently cost $41,000 and $32,780, respectively (both vehicles lease for $349 a month). A 2010 Deloitte report, found that more than half of the US consumers surveyed said they would not be willing to pay more for an electric vehicle than for a conventional vehicle.

The sales of EVs and hybrids have grown alongside rising gas prices. One year ago gas was $2.75 a gallon, now gas is hovering around $3.79 a gallon.

The Deloitte report found that consumers have range anxiety, (the concern that EVs have insufficient range). Almost 75 percent of those surveyed said they would need an electric vehicle to travel 300 miles on a single charge before they would consider purchasing it. However, 78 percent of those surveyed said they would buy an electric vehicle if gas hit $5 a gallon.

The Deloitte report also indicated that : “At $3 per gallon for gas, internal combustion engines are more economical to operate; the EV will not be comparable until battery costs are $600 or less per kWh, which could occur by 2014, at which time electric vehicle adoption will pick-up (assuming fuel costs remain stable).”

In April 2011, US Energy Secretary Steven Chu talked about the future of electric cars and indicated that he believes that before the end of the decade EVs will be “one-third the cost of today’s batteries but have at least three times the range.” He also said it will be possible for vehicles to travel up to 500 miles on a single charge.

In the absence of government legislation that will force significantly improved fuel efficiency, consumers will embrace EVs to the extent that they have better ranges and cost less. Climbing gas prices will also drive demand for EVs. Despite the urgency of finding alternatives to fossil fuel powered vehicles, market forces will ultimately determine the strength of demand.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Obama's National Goal of One Million EVs by 2015

In his 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama put forward his goal of putting one million EVs on American roads by 2015. This will help in the transition away from fossil fuel powered vehicles which are the second largest source of global warming causing pollutants. Although a far cry from the national green initiative that Obama has compared to the Apollo program, it is an important first step on the road away from fossil fuels.

Unlike the Apollo program, we already possess the technology and one million EVs is a modest goal given that this represents one third of one percent of the quarter of a billion vehicles in the US. One million electric cars represent less than 10 percent of the current annual automotive sales.

One of the challenges associated with goal of one million EVs was exposed in a February 2011 report out of Indiana University, titled “Plug-in Electric Vehicles: A Practical Plan for Progress.” (pdf). The study indicates that automakers currently have no plans to meet the President's 2015 goal.

This contridicts a Department of Energy report that said: "The production capacity of EV models announced to enter the U.S. market through 2015 should be sufficient to achieve the goal of one million EVs by 2015." The report also notes that 1.6 million hybrids have been sold over the past six years.

Obama's goal is of crucial importance because it will help to grow EV production as well as test the technologies and the supporting infrastructures. It will also help EVs benefit from cost and price reductions associated with mass production.

Moving towards EVs is of paramount importance to the environment and America's competitive positioning. Unlike the Apollo program, the government's support of EVs provides tangible benefits like reducing dependence on foreign oil and curbing greenhouse gases. All things considered, one million EVs by 2015 is a modest and attainable goal. Whether or not we have one million EVs on the road in the US by 2015 does not matter as much as the building momentum for an America free of fossil fuel powered vehicles.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Is Capitalism Sustainable?

Business has created the environmental crisis and now the same capitalist system that was behind the industrial revolution, is beginning to play a vital role in solving the problems it created.

Despite the link between environmental practices and profitable, long-term business sustainability, many believe that capitalism itself is unsustainable. The Earth has finite resources, so their argument goes, but capitalism depends on ever expanding consumption. The truth is that dating back to the origins of our species, we have seen our use of resources evolve, from stone, to bronze and then iron. More recently we entered the information age which may prove to be the gateway to a more sustainable use of resources.

Although we should do everything we can to preserve finite resources, human ingenuity is infinite. In this way we are slowly moving away from finite fossil fuels to infinitely renewable fuels such as wind, wave and solar.

Market driven solutions can be incredibly powerful as they have the power to extend, promote and invest in sustainable innovation. Although new market based mechanisms like regulation, incentives and tradable permits are still a few years off, it is inevitable that the true cost of carbon will be made absolutely clear. As a tenant of the free market business should pay for the costs they incur.

Sustainability will continue because it is an unstoppable mega-trend that is destined to keep growing at even faster rates. With the rise of the green consumer, businesses want to cash-in on the steady and growing demand for green goods and services. Various partnerships are emerging to help in the development of sustainable best practices. One such arrangement involves the new partnerships between corporations and environmental organizations.

There are also other factors that make sustainability entirely consistent with capitalism. Renewable energy solutions are seen as a potent symbol of a new modernity. Numerous studies have shown that environment issues have a significant effect on workforce morale. A workforce seeing a forward-looking and responsible company is more likely to feel good about working for such a company and a happier workforce is a more productive workforce.

Increases to employee productivity and benefits to the brand are just two ways in which integrating sustainable practices serve a company's best interest. Avoiding public pressure and attracting customer loyalty are additional factors that add to the capitalist appeal of sustainability.

Factoring environmental considerations into economic equations makes sense and the profit motive is a powerful incentive. The marketplace is always looking for cleaner, cheaper, faster, more efficient and more effective solutions, and the market is better at identifying opportunities than most government planning. Although short sighted greed makes long term planning difficult, with the right long-term incentives it can be made to work.

The green market is now estimated to be worth $5.27 trillion (£3.2 trillion) worldwide and in the next couple of decades the clean energy market alone is expected to be worth more than$13 trillion. With that much at stake, businesses cannot afford to ignore the green market.

In the business environment of tomorrow, sustainable practices are a strategic priority. The Survey of America's Greenest Brands show that even companies with very poor environmental reputations can redeem themselves and go from environmental pariah to eco-superstar by incorporating sustainable practices.

If we are to make the changes within the time frames we have left we will have to make use of the mechanisms that are available to us today. We do not have time to reinvent our world. As Paul Hawkin once said, "business is the only mechanism on the planet today powerful enough to produce the chances necessary to reverse global environmental and social degradation."

With the appropriate incentives and disincentives we can integrate environmental and social issues into the economic equation. An economy based on fossil fuels can be replaced by a low carbon economy. Capitalism is our last best hope to manage the environmental crisis we are facing.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Creating Climate Wealth Summit North America

Creating Climate Wealth Summit North America, will take place in Washington DC, between May 3-4, 2011. Two other summits are also scheduled for this year including a July Summit in Sydney, Australia and a September summit in London, England. These summits are dedicated to accelerating wealth creation opportunities, economic growth, and good green jobs. Creating climate wealth can also reduce carbon by one billion tons.

The green economy is the 21st century's most lucrative opportunity. In the US alone the green economy is valued at $500 billion and it is poised for growth. There could be between 1.8 million and 2.4 million green jobs in energy conservation, resource conservation and pollution control.

A new UN report has suggested that investing $1.3 trillion each year in green sectors would deliver long-term stability in the global economy. Spending about 2% of global GDP in 10 key areas would kick-start a global low carbon, resource efficient green economy.

Since the oil crises of the 1970s, billions of dollars have been pumped into technology development in the areas of energy efficiency, low carbon energy, efficient transportation, bio-fuels, and other areas. This investment has led to hundreds of breakthroughs that are today cost effective. Yet, full commercial utilization of this innovation and their financial rewards still elude us.

Creating Climate Wealth (CCW) Summit North America aims to fast-track this amazing wealth creation opportunity to create economic growth, entrepreneurial wealth, well paid jobs, and a gigaton of carbon reductions.

The summits are an invitation only event that provide a unique workshop-driven convening of US executives, investors, entrepreneurs, and leaders from the private and public sector. The purpose is to identify specific US pathways to accelerate deployment of green solutions in the face of low expectations and weak mandates.

During the summit, delegates will address ways to bring existing technologies to scale, while meeting employment, economics and sustainability goals. The technologies are spread across seven clean tech tracks: Distributed Generation, Energy Efficiency, Island Nations, Renewable Fuels, Shipping and Freight, Sustainable Agriculture, and Future of Person Transportation.

Each working track begins ahead of the Summit with a Carbon War Room pre-read report on market barriers where delegates use their entrepreneurial expertise to problem-solve and technology expertise to build new approaches to delivering high-profit solutions.

For more information click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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WWF's Long History of Helping Businesses to be More Sustainable

The WWF has been a leader in cooperative partnerships with business for decades. In 1993 the group was instrumental in the development of the Forest Stewardship Council and in 1996 they co-founded the Marine Stewardship Council.

Through its Corporate Partnerships division, WWF works with private business on multiple levels. The WWF is also actively involved in training business executives for sustainability through its Sustainability Training Program.

The WWF has over 5 million members globally and works in over 100 countries. The organization is in the business of protecting nature and has set an ambitious goal: to conserve 19 of the world’s most natural places and change global markets to affect the future of nature, all by 2020.

The WWF works with companies to transform business practices to reduce overall environmental impact and bring about lasting environmental changes. The environmental expertise of the WWF team translates to sector and industry specific programs that are helping companies to implement more sustainable practices.

Some companies choose to partner with WWF through philanthropic efforts while others become partners in marketing, by leveraging the famous Panda logo to stimulate conservation efforts. No matter the scale or depth of collaboration, WWF keeps its doors open to all that are willing to contribute to the ambitious goals the organization has set for itself, and for the planet.

There are numerous examples of successful WWF corporate partnerships including Coca-Cola which has been working on freshwater conservation for almost five years. The WWF has also helps companies with responsible sourcing of materials like the wood and paper products which are part of its Global Forest and Trade Network.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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WWF-UK's Green Game-Changers Initiative for Business

WWF-UK's Green Game-Changers initiative is a "crowd-sourcing exercise" that asks companies to submit examples of green policies, products and business models that lower environmental impact and biodiversity loss.

WWF's Green Business Partnership programs acknowledge the importance of collaborative action to reverse the environmental crisis we are facing. The WWF is working closely with businesses to communicate best practices that ensure an ecologically and economically balanced future. The Green Game-Changers initiative, establishes WWF-UK as a leader in knowledge sharing for business.

If your organization has an innovative product, service or market approach, submit it here. You can also join the community via the Better Business LinkedIn group.

If the submission meets the green criteria established by WWF, then it will be featured on the NGO’s website and online networks. Examples of companies that got involved early include HP, Cisco and Xeros.

For a more complete summary, view the WWF's Game Changer Bank. See summary by sectors: Construction & materials, Consumer goods & healthcare , Energy, Finance, Partnerships/Networks, Transportation, Telecoms & technology, Water. See summary by benefits: Biodiversity & natural resources, Carbon reduction, Energy efficiency , Energy generation, Reduce, reuse and recycle, Water efficiency,

While the Game-Changers program is largely an effort of the WWF-UK, all organizations are welcomed to contribute submissions.

If you wish to share your green business with the WWF click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Deal Between Carbon Trust and Siemens Good for UK`s Green Economy

A major new deal between Carbon Trust and Siemens will boost green growth and unlock business investment in the low carbon economy in the UK. According to a deal announced in Germany on March, 4, 2011, Carbon Trust and Siemens have agreed to develop a financing program for green technology and equipment.

The new low carbon finance scheme will enable UK businesses to invest in cost effective energy efficiency equipment or other low carbon technologies. The joint venture will be worth up to £550 million over the next three years, but the financing is expected to pay for itself in cost savings.

The news prompted John Sauven, Executive Director of Greenpeace, to say: “This green finance deal is exactly the sort of initiative that we need to see happening more frequently in the future. A green growth strategy can only work if it is backed by green finance. Deals like this, alongside the development of a green infrastructure bank, could be a tipping point that the UK economy needs to get out of the current doldrums.”

Siemens Financial Services Ltd. in the UK (SFS UK) will provide the financial backing and manage the provision of funding and the Carbon Trust will use its expertise in carbon reduction. The Carbon Trust will also assess the carbon, energy and cost savings of the energy efficiency applications.

Tom Delay, chief executive of the Carbon Trust, commented: “Driving green growth in the UK is key to our economic recovery. A missing ingredient at present is access to affordable finance to enable business to make green investments. This new major finance facility will improve business competitiveness, cut carbon and boost green growth.”

James Gearey, CEO from Siemens Financial Services Ltd. UK commented: “We are delighted to be working with the Carbon Trust, their values very much match our own. Siemens has been reporting the performance of its environmental portfolio since 2002, not just the commercial performance, but also the hundreds of millions of tonnes of carbon emission reduction that has been delivered through Siemens technology. Siemens Financial Services has extensive experience of asset financing and lending to UK business and is particularly successful in the SME sector. This background combined with our ready access to funding means we are well placed to support the scheme and deliver the associated benefits to its future customers.”

This venture will increase the number of energy efficiency projects by offering procurement support to businesses wishing to purchase energy efficiency equipment at scale from a network of accredited suppliers.​

For more information see Siemen's press release.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Green Guide for SMEs from the Carbon Trust