Social Business at Blue Planet Life

Blue Planet Life is a dedicated social business meeting the social goal of lifting life standards of the poor by education and by addressing the world community with issues of humanity and nature to bind people of all directions for one issue: to secure life on planet earth for the future.

The rules of Blue Planet Life's social business are as follows:

• Blue Planet Life is driven by a social cause.


• Blue Planet Life offers social business participation certificates for investors.


• Blue Planet Life pays no dividends.


• Investors can get back the amount invested in the company.


• The structures and instruments are the same as in a PMB.


• Blue Planet Life sells services and becomes self sustaining.


• Blue Planet Life recovers full costs.


• Any profit (surplus) made stays in the business to finance the development and the


• social business to do more good for humanity and nature.


• they do it with joy!

Blue Planet Life recognizes the multi- dimensional nature of human beings. We need to recognize the real human being and his or her multi- faceted desires. In order to do that, Blue Planet Life is totally dedicated to solving social and environmental problems. Like other businesses, our employees create goods or services, and provide these to customers for a price consistent with its objective. But its underlying objective—and the criterion by which it should be evaluated—is to create social benefits for those whose lives it touches.

Blue Planet Life is not a charity, nor a NGO, NPO or a CSR concept. It is a business in every sense. It has to recover its full costs while achieving its social objective. Blue Planet Life pursues this goal by charging a price or fee for the products or services it creates. Such a project is self-sustaining and enjoys the potential for almost unlimited growth and expansion. And as the social business grows, so do the benefits it provides to society.

Like any business, Blue Planet Life cannot incur losses indefinitely. Profitability is important to a social business. But any profit it earns does not go to those who invest in it. Rather than being passed on to investors, the surplus generated by the social business is reinvested in the business. Ultimately, it is passed on to the target group of beneficiaries in such forms as lower prices, better service, and greater accessibility.

The business one creates with social business is self-sustaining. There is no need to pump in money every year. It is self-propelling, self-perpetuating, and self-expanding. Once it is set up, it continues to grow on its own. You get more social benefits for your money.

Investors in a social business get their money back. They can reinvest in the same or a different social business or any other business. This way, the same money can bring more benefits.

Blue Planet Life is social business. It has the power and ability to raise living standards and bring about a sustainable change in the behavior of the individual for the benefit of nature and humanity.

It is the nature of a social business not only to address such a social cause but to achieve the goals with the possibilities of a PMB, pay back investments and do it with joy and happiness.

Click here for more information. Click here to contact Blue Planet Life.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Social Network for Sustainable Development

The number of social networks is rapidly growing and for the sustainably minded networker, there is enviMotion. Some members compare enviMotion to a mix between Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Groupon. This social network is designed to bring together all those interested in sustainable development. The network welcomes businesses and NGOs involved in sustainability, industry experts, and others committed to sustainable development.

enviMotion allows everyone to be a part of information sharing and discussions on sustainable development related topics, news and special offers.

Members can share their sustainable development commitment and get the latest news on environmental policies and processes. The platform is well suited to creating partnerships. Specialists (companies whose activity is directly linked with sustainable development), can communicate on their activity, projects, and sustainable development policy. Specialists can also add jobs and internship listings.

More than 460 companies, associations and communities from 20 countries have already joined this social network.

To find out more or to join click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Global 100's Most Sustainability Corporations in North America for 2011

The Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World is an annual project initiated by Corporate Knights, the magazine for clean capitalism. In 2010, Corporate Knights collaborated with three strategic partners to identify the Corporate Knights Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World.

The Corporate Knights Global 100 team included Inflection Point Capital Management—a sustainability-focused asset management venture founded by Dr. Matthew Kiernan, Legg Mason's Global Currents Investment Management, and Phoenix Global Advisors LLC (a consulting and technology platform focused on sustainability). As with past editions of the Global 100, the aim was to highlight the global corporations which have been most proactive in managing environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Launched in 2005, the annual Global 100 is announced each year during the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Here is the Global 100 list (in alphebetical order) of the leading sustainable corporations in North America for 2011:

• Agilent Technologies
• Baxter International Inc.
• BCE Inc.
• Coca-Cola Enterprises
• Enbirdge Inc.
• Encana Corp
• General Electric Co.
• Hewlett-Packard Co
• Intel Corp.
• Johnson & Johnson
• Johnson Controls Inc.
• Kraft Foods Inc.
• Nexen Inc.
• P.G. & E Corp.
• Procter & Gamble Co.
• Prologis
• Royal Bank of Canada
• Sun Life
• Financial Inc.
• Suncor Energy Inc.
• Toronto Dominion Bank
• Weyerhaeuser

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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The Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes

The Dow Jones industrial average is the world's best known index and as of 1999 it has been home to the world's first sustainability indexes.

Dow Jones is the leading full-service index provider that develops, maintains and licenses indexes for use as benchmarks and as the basis of investment products. Dow Jones Indexes offers more than 130,000 equity indexes as well as fixed-income and alternative indexes.

In 1999, Dow Jones launched its Sustainability Indexes (DJSI). They are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. Based on the cooperation of Dow Jones Indexes and SAM (Sustainability Asset Management) they provide asset managers with reliable and objective benchmarks to manage sustainability portfolios.

Currently more than 70 DJSI licenses are held by asset managers in 19 countries to manage a variety of financial products including active and passive funds, certificates and segregated accounts. In total, these licensees presently manage over 8 billion USD based on the DJSI.

The DJSI measures companies’ sustainability initiatives. This family of indexes evaluates the performance of the world’s sustainability leaders. The DJSI focuses on how a company recognizes the risks and opportunities arising from sustainability issues in its business strategy. The DJSI Indexes are the longest-running global sustainability benchmarks worldwide and have become the key reference point in Sustainability Investing for investors and companies alike.

To be incorporated in the DJSI, companies are assessed and selected based on their long term economic, social and environmental asset management plans. Selection criteria evolve each year and companies must continue to make improvements to their long term SAM plans in order to remain on the Index.

Indexes are updated yearly and companies are monitored throughout the year. DJSI conducts a yearly review of the DJSI family and is based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, branding, climate change mitigation, supply chain standards and labor practices. It accounts for general as well as industry specific sustainability criteria for each of the 57 sectors defined according to the Industry Classification Benchmark.

Here is a partial list of some of the companies included in the DJSI:

Dow Jones Sustainability World Index
Adidas- United States
Hewlett Packard Co. – United States
BMW AG- Germany
Coca-Cola Co – United States
Christian Dior S.A.- France
Halliburton Co. – United States
Hyundai Engineering & construction Co. Ltd. – South Korea
Intel Corp. – United States
Mitsubishi Corp. – Japan
Nokia Corp. - Finland
Panasonic Corp. – Japan
Rolls- Royce Group PLC – United Kingdom
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd – South Korea
Siemens AG- Germany
Starbucks Corp. – United States
Toshiba Corp. – Japan
Unilever- United Kingdom
Volvo AB Series B- Sweden

Dow Jones Sustainability North American Index
3M Co. – United States
Allstate Corp. – United States
Bank of Montreal – Canada
Campbell Soup Co. – United States
Dell Inc. – United States
Ford Motor Co. – United States
Gap Inc. – United States
H & R Block Inc. – United States
Kinross Gold Corp. – Canada
Macy’s Inc. – United States
Microsoft Corp. – United States
National Bank of Canada – Canada
Proctor & Gamble Co. – United States

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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What Businesses are Doing to Combat Climate Change

Some members of the business community are already playing a leading role in the war against climate change. These companies are making better use of resources, increasing energy efficiency measures, creating more energy-efficient products, and investing in new energy technologies. Many of these businesses are implementing technologies that reduce CO2 emissions and increasing their use of renewable energy while decreasing their use of energy derived from fossil fuels.

Companies like Xerox, PUMA, HP, Walmart and even smaller companies like Zotos are successfully incorporating sustainability initiatives and reducing their environmental footprint.

Assessment and reporting is an important part of these efforts and we are seeing more and more measurement tools, best practices, benchmarks and verification.

Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the US, it has specific environmental goals to reduce energy use in its stores and pressure its 60,000 suppliers in its worldwide supply chain to follow its lead. On energy efficiency, Wal-Mart wants to increase the fuel efficiency of its truck fleet by 25% over the next three years and double it within ten years. By 2020, it is expected to save the company $494 million a year. The company also plans to build stores that are at least 25% more energy efficient.

By addressing the environmental issues inherent in their business models, companies not only improve their practices, but also ensure the sustainability of their core business and help to make entire markets more sustainable.

For many companies, looking at more efficient energy use can pay off in the medium to long term. The problem is that shareholders are preoccupied with short term returns, and it may take many years for the costs of climate change to become apparent. However, heavily subsidized carbon-heavy fuels will not be artificially cheap forever and clean technology will be less expensive once it gains critical mass. Many businesses are looking at longer term time horizons and they increasingly understand that companies that ignore the trend will be at a competitive disadvantage.

Businesses are increasingly concerned about factoring environmental risks along-side other factors that impact a company’s performance and value. This trend will continue as carbon intensity starts to show up on balance books through organizations such as the Carbon Disclosure Project.

The involvement of the business community is crucial to global carbon reduction. Around 97 percent of the C02 emitted by western industrialized countries comes from burning coal, oil and gas for energy, much of which is used by business.

Some businesses are offsetting their carbon by paying someone else to plant trees or find other ways to reduce carbon emissions. Businesses that have purchased carbon offsets including HSBC and The Guardian newspaper.

Efficiency initiatives and renewable energy have many advantages for the environment and businesses are increasingly understanding the benefits for their bottom line.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Small Businesses Can Benefit from the Growing Green Market Too

Many owners of small enterprises mistakenly dismiss sustainable initiatives as the prerogative of large corporations, not small business.

Green business is no longer a niche market, it is now a major economic driver.
Small businesses do have to be more frugal, however, being more efficient is part of that frugality. Small businesses can develop green products and services and take advantage of the growing low-carbon market.

Increasingly, there are also new financing options like the UK's Green Investment Bank, a Government-backed fund for green businesses due to launch in 2012.

Although the market for green products and services is growing, many consumers are still concerned about cost. While it may be difficult for a small company to acquire expensive equipment, every company can start with radical efficiency.

The green economy is the opportunity of the century. Green products and services are already estimated to be worth $5.27 trillion worldwide. With this much money at play, small businesses cannot afford to ignore the green market.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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HP's Sustainable Innovation Serves the Planet and Profits

Hewlett-Packard (HP) proves that sustainability efforts can be a win-win proposition that is good for the environment and also good for the bottom line. HP has a long history of ‘doing the right thing’ that dates back to 1957. The company is the largest technology company in the world and it wholly integrates environmental considerations into its business strategy. The company sees sustainability as an integral part of the way business is conducted.

As reported in The Green Economy Post, HP is focused on minimizing environmental impacts and promoting the welfare and safety of employees and customers. For decades HP has worked to manage its environmental impact by adopting environmentally responsible practices in product development, operations and supply chain.

Frances Edmonds, the Director of Environmental Programs for HP Canada outlined how HP’s environmental commitment has led to greater profitability. She said, to be sustainable companies must have "a vision to reduce waste coupled with encouragement for employees to find innovative solutions for the uncertain journey that lies ahead."

Accounting for 2% of the world’s carbon emissions, the ICT sector (information and communication technology) has a very heavy footprint. According to Edmonds the information technology sector can reduce its own footprint and offer solutions to the world’s carbon problem. Edmonds was quick to include the fact that HP is firmly focused on playing a key role in finding and implementing these solutions.

Edmonds reviewed some simple yet innovative sustainable solutions including restricting an employee’s ability to book travel to other offices teleconferencing technology is available. HP has also shown leadership in responsible recycling of old technology and print supplies through its Planet Partners program which is active in over 50 countries.

HP's inkjet recycling program is a good illustration of the company's sustainable initiatives. The program was introduced in 2005, it achieved resource reduction through recycling that saves HP money and builds a stronger relationship with valuable supply chain partners like Staples.

HP's life cycle analysis (LCA) of the recycled inkjet cartridges prove the benefits of the company's recycling efforts. Between 2005 and 2010 recycling reduced the carbon footprint of the inkjet cartridges by 22 percent, cut fossil fuel use in half and reduced water use by 69 percent. Despite these impressive results, HP continues to improve. Carbon reductions are now 33 percent better than in 2005, fossil fuel use has been cut by 62 percent and the water savings have increased to 89 percent.

Edmonds highlighted HP’s management structure which encourages innovation and supports ‘doing the right thing.’ She also mentioned the company's reliance on Integrated principles of Extended Producer Responsibility which imply that HP accepts external responsibility for their products. Finally she stressed the importance of employee engagement programs that both explain issues and support them as they innovate.

HP is committed to sustainability because it knows that this approach results in better products, while increasing profits and decreasing environmental impact. For HP sustainability is a powerful competitive advantage.

To see Helwett Packard's document Sustainability as a Competitive Advantage, click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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PUMA's Sustainable Packaging Innovation

In 2010 PUMA launched its innovative packaging solution known as the “clever little bag”, conceived in partnership with Yves Béhar. The company says new packaging initiatives will reduce cardboard use by 65 percent. Less packaging materials, means less use of water and energy to produce. This innovative solution reduces carbon emissions by 10,000 tons per year.

The Clever Little Bag has integrated the features of a traditional cardboard shoebox into a re-usable shoe bag. Reducing raw materials and the resources needed to make them.

PUMA will reduce water, energy and diesel consumption on the manufacturing level by more than 60% per year. This translates to saving approximately 8,500 tons of paper, 20 million Megajoules of electricity, 1 million litres less of fuel oil used and 1 million litres of water saved.

The Clever Little Bag also saves emissions and costs in shipping. Because it is smaller and lighter the Clever Little Bag provides reductions in transportation related emissions while reducing diesel fuel requirements by half a million litres.

The replacement of traditional shopping bags with the Clever Little Bag can save up to 275 tons of plastic. PUMA's apparel will be bagged in sustainable biodegradable materials replacing traditional polyethylene bags. This means that 720 tons of polyethylene bags can be avoided per year, which equals a saving of 29 million plastic bags and saves 192 tons of plastic. Replacing paper bags will save 293 tons of paper annually. All of PUMA's packaging materials used will be fully sustainable by 2015.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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PUMA's Comprehensive Sustainable Strategy Now Includes Environmental Accounting

PUMA's efforts to improve social, labor and environmental standards throughout its operations date back to 1999. Since then the company has continuously incorporated environmental standards and practices to reduce its impact on the planet,

According to Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of PUMA, the companies mission is, “ to be the most desirable and sustainable Sportlifestyle company in the world.” To help with this mission the athletic apparel manufacturer identified opportunities to further manage the company's footprint using E-KPIs (Environmental Key Performance Indicators).

In 2010 PUMA launched another phase of the puma.safe initiatives and long-term sustainability program. It includes a set of ambitious targets. The company announced that it is reducing carbon, energy, water, and waste by 25 percent. PUMA also said that it will produce half of its international product collections in footwear, apparel and accessories according to best practice sustainability standards by 2015.

The athletic apparel manufacturer is cutting paper use by 75 percent and offsetting the remaining paper usage through tree planting initiatives. Through more efficient product transport solutions by logistic partners, the company will reduce CO2 by 25 percent. PUMA is also greening its supply chain by collaborating with strategic suppliers and logistic service providers to offset their own footprints.

Additionally, 50 percent of PUMA’s international collections will be manufactured according to the PUMA S-Index standard by 2015. This involves using sustainable materials such as organic cotton, Cotton Made in Africa or recycled polyester as well as applying best practice production processes.

To monitor these objectives the sports and lifestyle brand is also establishing an external Advisory Board of experts in sustainability to consult on the company’s mission and audit their sustainability program.

PUMA joined the UN Climate Neutral Network and has the industry’s first carbon neutral head office — the PUMA Vision Headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

Now Puma is producing the first-ever Environmental Profit and Loss (EP&L) statement. The company's new method of accounting will allow it to produce a new type of integrated reporting. The EP&L statement will attempt to measure the full economic impact of the brand on ecological systems including water and air. Puma commissioned Trucost and PwC to assist in developing the EP&L methodology.

The EP&L project is part of a larger environmental initiative by Puma’s parent company PPR Group, whose other brands include Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Stella McCartney. The group is also launching a “creative sustainability lab” in consultation with Cradle-to-Cradle, which PPR says will foster a new approach to product and business development. In this new approach, products and services will move beyond typical measures of quality--cost, performance and aesthetics--to integrate and apply additional objectives addressing environmental and social concerns.

The group said the overarching program, dubbed PPR Home, will go beyond the traditional Corporate Social Responsibility model and set a new standard in sustainability and business practice in the Luxury, Sport & Lifestyle and Retail sectors.

PBR bought carbon credits from Wildlife Works Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) offsetting project in Kenya. The group has offset 98,729 tons of global CO2 emissions in 2010 for its Luxury group. Further, the Puma brand and PPR’s headquarters are both committed to carbon neutrality.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Xerox's Green Innovation

Sustainable innovation is key to Xerox's strategy. The company is putting green innovation to work for profit and the planet. For Xerox sustainability and profitability are mutually reinforcing goals for themselves and their customers.

Xerox Corporation is a $22 billion global enterprise for business process and document management. The 136,000 people of Xerox serve clients in more than 160 countries. Through its broad portfolio of technology and services, Xerox provides leading-edge document technology, services, software and supplies for graphic communication and office printing environments of all sizes. ACS, a company which Xerox acquired in February 2010, offers extensive business process outsourcing and IT outsourcing services.

The photocopying giant has also partnered with The Nature Conservancy to promote sustainable forestry, preserve biodiversity and help minimize forest loss and degradation that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

Xerox has been a leader for decades, as a mature company they now claim that green is part of their DNA. The company has maintained a business strategy focused on sustainable innovation. Xerox pioneered two-sided copying, print-on-demand, recycled paper and toner cartridges. More recently Xerox developed managed print services that enable customers to achieve their goals of reducing paper and energy usage, while boosting productivity.

The company claims that sustainability is a business fundamental, embedded in their operations and technologies, written into supplier specifications and creating economic value for their customers. They approach sustainability from a life cycle perspective because they recognize that the biggest opportunity to make an impact is by addressing all aspects of their actions, products and services.

Xerox’s innovative solid ink technology enables customers to cut costs and reduce their environmental impact. According to company, their ColorQube™ multifunction printer generates 90 percent less supplies waste, uses 9 percent less life cycle energy and produces 10 percent fewer greenhouse gases than comparable laser devices. Compared with conventional systems, it saves water, and is easier to recycle.

Xerox created the industry’s first Sustainability Calculator to help customers develop a fact-based estimate of their print-related environmental footprint. It enables customers to pinpoint opportunities to reduce both their environmental impact and their costs. They also help customers move from paper to digital documents with innovative business process and document management solutions

On April 7, 2011 Xerox Canada celebrated the achievement of reaching 1,500 patents. U.S. Patent 7,875,411 – XRCC’s 1,500th patent is part of the patent portfolio that covers long life photoreceptor technologies, a key area for increasing the sustainability attributes of Xerox’s laser printers and related products. The Xerox Research Centre Canada is responsible for developing the armour technology that almost doubles the life of photoreceptors - multi-layer thin film devices that convert light into electrostatic images.

“This technology has enabled a 30 percent reduction in waste, less down time and disruption to work flow, improved productivity, and fewer service calls,” says Yonn Rasmussen, vice president of the Xerographic Component Systems Group.

Investment in innovation can provide lucrative returns. Xerox discovered that their innovations have ended up either saving their customers and Xerox money or creating new markets and new profits.

See Xerox's environmental initiatives related to Solid ink technology and ColorQube. The company also has a sustainability Kit (PDF).

For more information, visit Xerox, or for investor information, click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Greener Japanese Companies

There is a long list of Japanese companies that are investing in sustainable innovation. Many of the world's best known Japanese brands are seeing the wisdom of green.

Sharp has built a solar-cell factory that raised its output to 1.3GW last year, from 790MW the year before. According to Ernst & Young, we could see a fourfold growth in Japan’s solar panel market by 2020.

Sanyo has re-emerged as the world’s largest maker of rechargeable batteries as well as a producer of solar panels. On April 1, 2011, Sanyo Electric became a wholly owned susbsidury of Panasonic.

Panasonic is expanding its energy businesses, from electric-vehicle batteries to hydrogen fuel-cell generators, and hopes to more than triple revenues from the segment to Y3,000bn ($36.4bn) by 2018. Like many other companies in Japan, Panasonic is also making its manufacturing operations greener, doubling the ratio of recycled materials used in its products and raising the recycling rate for its own industrial waste to virtually 100 per cent.

Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors have begun selling battery-driven electric vehicles, building on a green-car market pioneered by Toyota's top-selling Prius hybrid.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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350.org and Business

Bill McKibben and 350.org have some ambitious plans to get the business community involved with efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. The business community is responsible for a large amount of the CO2 being pumped into the atmosphere, if we are to achieve necessary reductions business people have a critical role to play in shaping a more sustainable economy.

Many business people know that regulatory standards send clear market signals to investors and entrepreneurs about new opportunities. The current climate of uncertainty does not serve the business community. Numerous product innovations, clean energy investments and new service offerings will flow from a consistent EPA effort to regulate greenhouse emissions. As many states across America have demonstrated, policies that address greenhouse-gas emissions do not impair economic growth. To the contrary, they enhance it by attracting venture and institutional investors and new high technology and manufacturing companies.

In a conference call with Bill McKibben and the 350 team, The Green Market's Richard Matthews asked what 350.org is doing to help support the business community to combat climate change. Bill McKibben answered the question by saying, "it is really important to get businesses and business people involved that is why we are getting chambers of commerce involved." He went on to say, "capitalism is supposed to be innovative flexible and creative,[and] most business people are prepared to consider energy powered by the sun and the wind."

McKibben wants to get businesses to sign up to support efforts to combat climate change through a campaign that targets the US Chamber of Commerce. Rather than represent small businesses, the Chamber is actually a giant lobbying machine, spending more money to influence the political process than anyone else in Washington.

As indicated on the 350.org site, "The Chamber is controlled by big polluters, poisons politics with its dirty money and opposes every single effort to curb climate pollution."

As well known author and New York Times journalist Thomas Friedman said, "All shareholders should be asking CEOs why they still belong to the Chamber."

The Chamber has opposed every piece of legislation designed to slow the onset of global warming—in recent months it has tried to block the EPA from enforcing the Clean Air Act, arguing that global warming would be “on balance beneficial to humans” because fewer people would freeze to death and that in any event “populations can acclimatize to warmer climates via a range of range of behavioral, physiological, and technological adaptations.”

The US chamber of commerce spent 132 million dollars on lobbying in 2010. The Chamber gets more than half of its funding form 16 anonymous corporate donors. Of the companies that donated to the Chamber, $1 million came from the Fox Broadcasting Network. Fox host Glenn Beck urged his viewers to donate to the Chamber—and a US Chamber official called in to his program to thank him for his support.

Of the 32 million dollars the US Chamber of Commerce spent on the 2010 midterm election, 90 percent went to Republican candidates who are climate deniers.

Historically the Chamber has been on the wrong side of some major issues. They supported Joseph McCarthy in perpetuating the red scare, they also fought against American involvement in World War ll, civil rights, disabled rights and now clean air.

Local business chambers are increasingly at odds with the US Chamber. Local chambers of commerce have cut their ties in cities like Seattle, New York, and San Francisco as well as states like Florida, South Carolina, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Washington.

More than a thousand businesses have also abandoned the Chamber, they include a wide range of companies from small businesses to international corporations like Apple, Nike, Microsoft, Levi-Strauss, Best Buy, and General Electric. For a map of businesses who are saying that the US Chamber of Commerce does not speak for them click here.

When Nike relinquished its position on the Chamber's board of directors it said, "We fundamentally disagree with the US Chamber of Commerce on climate change." When Apple resigned their position on the Chamber's board of directors they released the following statement, "Apple supports regulating greenhouse gases, it is frustrating to find that the Chamber at odds with us in that effort." Click here for a complete list of statements from those who disagree with the US Chamber of Commerce.

For more information read Bill McKibben’s Huffington Post piece on the US Chamber “The Gang That Couldn’t Lobby Straight”

Its time to develop a national movement and strong political voice for sustainability-minded companies. Responsible and sustainability minded companies can play a major role in making the argument that emasculated regulatory agencies, corporate oil and gas subsidies and tax cuts for millionaires will neither generate jobs nor foster a competitive economy. Join 350.org in standing with small business owners, local chambers of commerce and people all over the country. Sign up to the 350 campaign to say, "The US Chamber of Commerce Doesn't Speak For Me."

Become part of the American Sustainable Business Council to help build a more vibrant, just and sustainable American economy or join the many other organizations that are working at the national, state and local level.

To find out more about what businesses can do click here. You can also start or join a local team and recruit local businesses to declare, “The US Chamber Doesn’t Speak For Me.”

See the facebook page for The US Chamber of Commerce Doesn't Speak For Me and post the following Tweet on Twitter The US Chamber Doesn't Speak For Me http://t.co/i7jbw0v.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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McKibben Calls Extreme Weather Events Climate Disasters
Environmental Activism and Social Media
Letter of Thanks from Bill McKibben
Message of Thanks from the President of the Maldives
350.org Makes History with Day of Climate Change Action
350.org: International Day of Climate Change Action Events350.org: International Day of Climate Action