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“The insurance company Allstate uses a lot of paper – in 2009 it used approximately 3.7 billion sheets, equal to approximately 450,000 trees. So it’s not surprising that the company identified paper reduction as one of its top environmental priorities, setting a goal of reducing overall office paper use by 25 percent by 2010. In their latest CSR report, which was released earlier this week, Allstate is revealing that it actually did much better, reducing its office paper use last year by 41 percent.

“Allstate’s plan focused at first on the company’s employees. Setting 208 as the base year, their plan, which was initiated in April 2009, asked employees to make four changes in the way they used paper:

1. Eliminate separator sheets on shared printers
2. Print double-sided whenever possible
3. Not to print unless necessary
4. Recycle used paper.

“The incentive was more than just saving trees – by reducing overall office paper use by 25 percent the company estimated it will generate approximately $1 million in annual savings. By the end of 2009, Allstate already saw a reduction of 21 percent in its office paper use. Another step forward was taken in July 2009, when the Allstate Print Communication Center (APCC) received FSC and SFI certifications, so that when employees do print high-quality documents they do it using a certified paper.

“Encouraged by its in-house effort and success, Allstate turned to examine how it can reduce paper used in the communication with its customers. The company estimated it sends approximately 121 million billing-related documents through the mail annually and it set an ambitious goal of reducing customer paper 20% by 2013 using 2009 as a baseline.

“Allstate approached it by offering customers paperless options such as eBill, an electronic version of a paper bill, and automatic patment plans such as the Allstate EZPay. These electronic options combined with eliminating unnecessary customer bill documents cut customer-focused paper use by 11.8 percent in 2010, compared with their 2009 baseline. Overall, Allstate saved approximately 14 million pieces of paper and listen to this – $7.8 million dollars in print and postage costs! So Allstate is well ahead of its 20 percent reduction target, not to mention the impressive savings it generates, which is all great. On the other hand, you can see why the U.S. Postal Office is heading towards bankruptcy.”

Singapore is home to several financial institutions (including insurance companies), which isn’t a surprise given that the country is basically one giant financial institution in itself. With the money and trade that goes through Singapore (physically through our ports and virtually), financial institutions are necessary to facilitate all the activities going on locally.

A few things stood out to me:

1. They started in-house. Like we’ve always said, changes need to start from within; the ground-up if you will. Often times when we speak with organisations, we highlight the importance of educating their employees. We recommend empowering your employees with ways to make their lives at home more environmentally friendly. This will then translate into a workplace built upon sustainability.
2. This was as much a cost cutting exercise as a CSR move. While some paper – documentation of policies, etc. – is no doubt necessary, I’ve always felt that the industry is wasting way too much paper. I’ve had experience with a few financial consultants in my day, and every experience has left me cringing at the amount of paper they use – explaining the policy, doing the math, the comparisons, showing the current policies held.

While insurance companies housed in our friendly financial hub won’t be able to save the same amount of money that Allstate has achieved, you will be able to save the same percentages easily. Do your own calculations (you are financial consultants right?) and you can estimate how much savings you can expect from starting such an exercise.

Besides, there are already services that can help you with your endeavor to go paperless. I’m not even talking about your iPads and other such expensive devices, I’m talking about services that have been established in aiding companies moving away from the paper.

Take for example GreenPost! From their website (because who better to describe what they do):

“GreenPost has come up with a unique technical solution to go paperless in the most efficient way possible. With its patent pending aggregation framework, it assists billers in going paperless through complete delivery from their online portals or directly from the billing platforms.”

Again, call me. Help me, help you.

The National Climate Change Secretariat in Singapore has launched a portal to gather public feedback on climate change. According to the website:

The NCCS-2012 will build upon our approach to environmental issues as outlined in previous publications such as the Singapore Green Plan (2006) , the National Climate Change Strategy (2008), the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (2009) and National Communications on Climate Change (2010).

These policies relating to climate change will have an impact on many of us. The Government is therefore embarking on a series of public consultations to seek feedback and ideas on climate change-related issues. We aim to reach out to different segments of the population through an online consultation exercise, focus group sessions and community forums.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean kicked off the process, and “feedback from the exercise will go towards developing the national climate change strategy 2012″, which “will be an important foundation to the long term strategy and actions needed to tackle climate change beyond 2020″. (He has some quotable quotes on CNA, which you might want to check out)

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Check out the website, and have your views heard

Dear Chinatown Business Association,

I am writing to you today with a proposal in “greening” the area of Chinatown.

In response to an immediate question that likely pops up in everyone’s minds: Why?

1. Social
   As a business association representing one of Singapore’s great tourist destinations, CBA is one of the key images visitors have of Singapore. As such, there is a certain level of responsibility that the CBA has in portraying the best image possible.
   While the area is definitely a marvel in terms of culture, and its significance in Singapore’s history is unquestionable,  the CBA can also be a beacon of sustainability in our country. While there are no by-laws or membership rules, there are several other ways that the association can reach out to significant stakeholders in Chinatown, some of which are examined below.
2. Business
   Business in Chinatown is competitive, and this can be witnessed by the recent engagement of social media specialists to help raise the profile of Chinatown as well as to revamp the image of the area. A lack of direction when it comes to sustainability can only hurt the bottom line for all vendors in Chinatown.
   In several studies done by independent and private companies, there arose one clear indication – besides price, the sustainability of a product or service is the next most important consideration to consumers as compared to any other consideration. This involves areas such as health, environmental responsibility, as well as social awareness.  This situation has been true for Europe and America for several years now, and we can see Asia advancing speedily along the same path.
   While social media engagement could aid in raising the online presence of Chinatown,  studies have shown that social media does not have a direct correlation to the improvement in business activity for brick and mortar businesses. Clearly, more needs to be done in boosting Chinatown’s image.

How? Admittedly, this will be an uphill battle. There is often resistance to change. However, there are several ideas I have that can help ease stakeholders into the flow.

1. Plastic Bag Free Day (or pay for a bag day)
   Similar to the Half Price Tuesdays promotion currently being held in Chinatown, we can implement a “Plastic Bag Free Day” campaign. Student volunteers from organisations such as ECO Singapore and the Singapore Environment Council can visit every company and vendor in Chinatown to explain the programme. As a show of commitment, artistically designed banners can be printed and erected all over Chinatown and hung for at least a year, so that visitors to the area understand the purpose of such a movement. While we will still promote reusable bags as an alternative for plastic bags, it is often education that effectively changes customer habits over the long term.
   To prevent the banners from becoming a waste of resources by the end of the campaign, they could be sent to certain organisations such as the Mother and Child Project to be turned into attractive tote bags that last for many more years to come. These could then be sold at the heritage centre, or even given as gifts to dignitaries visiting Chinatown.
2. Bicycle parking
   A metered bicycle parking area could be a huge boost to cycling traffic in Chinatown, as well as a great opportunity to manage illegal bicycle parking in the area. The bicycle parking facilities will be secure, monitored, and metered.
   As many of the current cyclists in Chinatown are retirees who might not have the economic ability to pay for such a service, these metered bicycle parking lots can each have a scanner that reads either EZ-Link cards or Identification Cards to identify these individuals, who will then receive complimentary parking. All other users will pay a nominal sum for the facilities’ infrastructure and maintenance.
3. Recycling collection
   When we first started Olive Ventures in Chinatown, we were appalled by the dire lack of recycling collection in the area.  A few calls later, I was informed that in order to have collection services for my business, I would have to pay an additional fee on top of our current garbage disposal fee. Not knowing what else to do with our recyclables, we started giving all our (washed and dried) cans as well as cardboard waste to the ladies and gentlemen in the area scouring for such items. They are often immensely appreciative, and we  should collectively formalise their importance and role in society.
   I propose that recycling collection points be set up in several areas of Chinatown.  These points can be manned by the aforementioned ‘Uncles and Aunties’, who will sort out the recyclables collected and liaise with businesses dealing with scrap metals and cardboard. The proceeds of the operation will not only benefit them, but the whole of Chinatown as well.
4. Stakeholder education:
   This will be the pièce de résistance  of the entire campaign. We have in mind a large scale, systematic, committed, long-term education series for all stakeholders in Chinatown, who number in the thousands. From property owners, business owners, employees to visitors of Chinatown, everyone who affects and is affected by Chinatown will go through a series of educational talks, workshops, and fun activities in order to raise awareness of the campaign as well as the general green quotient of these individuals. All this will lead to a more vibrant community, resulting in a more attractive environment for tourists and visitors.
   As a business association, there is an opportunity for reaching out to everyone in Chinatown in a manner that is relevant. While talks and workshops may work for some, activities and events might be better in reaching out to others. A holistic series of programmes can be planned and implemented throughout the year-long campaign, hence raising the sustainability profile of Chinatown and its stakeholders.

The short plan illustrated above can be implemented easily, paving the way for greater (and more drastic) improvements to Chinatown without compromising its underlying historical culture. With cooperation from the numerous non-profits and non-governmental organisations promoting environmentalism and sustainability, this will definitely raise the appeal of Chinatown to Singaporeans as well as tourists visiting Singapore. Further, it will make Chinatown a desirable location for new businesses – organic supermarkets, cafés, offices, creative studios – which can only benefit the commercial landscape of the locale. Surely that is a worthy goal to strive towards.

The author is James Low, Managing Director of Olive Ventures, which resides in the heart of Chinatown. Olive Ventures seeks to promote sustainability in Singapore’s private sector as well as to consumers through their retail/wholesale shop along Sago Street, as well as through their sustainability consultancy specialising in carbon management, events organisations, as well as education. He has worked in Chinatown for over 2 years.

(Click on the pic for big)

In a bid to boost transparency and stay ahead, the Singapore Exchange (SGX) has launched a sustainability guide for its listed companies.

This guide outlines best practices for companies with regard to sustainability reporting.

In 1992, there were only 26 sustainability reports world wide, compared to the more than 5,000 today.

While sustainability reporting within Asia is at a very early stage, in Malaysia, there is already mandatory requirements for companies to produce some form of sustainability reports.

The move by Singapore to launch a guide for sustainability reporting is seen as a necessary stepping stone.

At the launch of the guide on Monday, SGX CEO Magnus Bocker highlighted the importance of sustainability reporting to stay ahead.

“Hong Kong has said, and intends to do a consult on its reporting guide. I assume it will be later this year,” Mr Bocker said.

“Our neighbour Bursa Malaysia instituted four years ago for their CSR as part of listed companies reporting.

“We will never be leaders as a global exchange, unless our companies are global leaders in the way they report, in the way they do business.”

SGX said it is the company’s board that should guide such initiatives.

But it added it will take time for such a move to become mandatory.

SGX has however added that it is open to suggestions on how to improve the guide.

Analysts say that education is key.

KPMG Singapore head of climate change & sustainability services Sharad Somani said: “Rather than changing the guidelines, I would say they have to do more market education exercise.

“You have to teach the market what they need to do.

“If you ask the industries, I think majority of them are convinced about it, but… don’t know what to do.”

SGX said the Policy Statement and Sustainability Reporting Guide are applicable to Mainboard and Catalist companies listed on SGX.

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Guide+to+Sustainability+Reporting+for+Listed+Companies

1. Not just marketing, not just nice to have

The first thing to appreciate is that sustainable business is not a bonus or a marketing exercise. Successful businesses of the future will be ones that have managed to adapt to the new landscape and place sustainability at their core. It is no good hoping that a company will be able to adapt immediately in the future, by fine tuning and re-gearing to challenges like resource shortages or more stringent regulations. These things must be factored in early.

2. Not just turning off the lights

One of the issues with sustainable business is that it is often associated primarily with “being green”. Green issues are undeniably important, and businesses’ behaviour can have a large impact. Businesses tend to be resource-heavy in terms of energy use, transport and even elements like stationary.

Thinking about how those resources are used and whether they could be used more efficiently – or even, in some cases, dispensed with – can lead to tremendous savings both financially and environmentally. But “sustainable business” is about far more than turning off the taps or reusing paper cups. It means thinking about resources and one’s impact on the business surroundings in a whole new way.

3. Asking tough questions

In order to make business more sustainable we need a market-based system that both rewards and drives business towards sustainability, where the relevant information is accessible to the right parties, helping them make the best decisions. This means that businesses need to consider their wider role and ask themselves some tough questions.

For example: Will people still need the goods or services they sell in the future? How reliant are they on resources that could run out? This means reworking strategies in the light of sustainability rather than maintaining existing business models.

4. What does sustainable business look like?

A good example of this might be a business\’92 approach to its workforce. Hiring the cheapest possible labour might save money in the short term, but it may mean being in constant need of retraining staff. Then as staff develop the necessary skills, they will expect more remuneration and \’96 if not promoted \’96 will be likely to leave.

Whilst offering low wages might look like a good cash-flow approach in the short term, ultimately this is not a sustainable business model. The company is absorbing all the costs of staff training, equipping a workforce with skills that someone else will then pay slightly more for, leaving the company where it started!

A sustainable approach is to view good staff, and their training, as an investment in the future. This is all the more important now that the worst of the global recession is past us and economic growth is starting again. Companies that have worked hard to incentivise and retain good staff are in the best possible position to take advantage of the upturn, with the resources and skills in place.

5. Accounting for sustainability

For any business to meet this agenda it needs to be able to have the right information, whether it is considering human resources, supply chain management, or how to add value to products and services. Getting that information involves being able to measure and monitor performance, and then communicate the results. This is where accountants come in.

Accounting is all about measuring and monitoring performance and then compiling the results in a way that means that they can be used for planning and business strategy decisions. For organisations with the foresight to refocus on sustainable business, accountants have a key role to play whether they work as business advisers or in the finance function of a company.

6. The future of sustainable business

Embedding environmental and social good practice into commercial operations is not just good for the world, it is good business and should be part of the day-to-day life of any organisation that wants to survive and grow. By focusing on sustainable strategy, businesses will improve their ability to respond to new challenges, to manage risk, and to understand their priorities as markets change. As the business environment changes to reflect the growing emphasis on sustainability, organisations that have made it one of their core values will be the best placed to take advantage of new markets and to develop.

Social scientist Juliet Schor has a solution that helps with a few problems in the modern world. It’s called the 80% solution – making a four-day work week standard in order to simultaneously reduce unemployment and our environmental footprint.

From Climatide:

Schorr says her idea isn’t as revolutionary as it might seem. Between 1870 and 1973, work hours in several European countries, plus Japan and the U.S. dropped from more than 60 hours per week to the 40 hours we now call full-time. Over the last three and a half decades, Europe and Japan have continued that trend of decreasing the length of the work week. In the Netherlands, four-day work weeks are now the norm.

But the U.S. has been moving in the opposite direction. The average number of hours worked per person has increased by almost 60% since 1973, and we’re now back where we were three quarters of a century ago. Schorr has written two books about the personal, economic, and environmental repercussions of America’s workaholism – The Overworked American, and The Overspent American. She says Americans work more and buy more, but that doesn’t make us happier or healthier. And it contributes to an unsustainable model of economic growth and environmental exploitation.

The solution? Schorr says widespread reductions in working hours would pay out triple dividends.That is, it’s a win-win-win situation:

1. Lower unemployment – Decreasing individuals’ working hours frees up tasks and wages, creating opportunities for new jobs. Schorr argues that dropping working hours is the only way to maintain a growing work force. And between population growth and the fact that working age is extending beyond the traditional 65 years, we certainly have a growing work force that needs jobs.

2. Improved quality of life – Another way of saying ‘four-day work week’ is ‘long weekend’ … every weekend. Schorr says that translates into more leisure time, reduced stress levels, enhanced family life and stronger communities.

3. Reduced ecological impact – Shortened work hours does mean lower household income, and that means less money being spent on ‘stuff.’ That, in turn, means less ‘stuff’ being made using fewer environmental resources. Schorr says that along with reduced work hours comes a shift in the entire economic system, away from manufacturing and consumer spending, toward investment, services, research, and technology.

According to Schorr, the Dutch have generally been happy to trade a 20% drop in income for a 50% increase in time off. If you were offered the option to voluntarily drop to a four day work week, would you take it?

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I thought about something similar a while back, I had convinced myself that I was onto “The Future of Work”. People were telling me that it made sense, but I (to be honest) didn’t think anyone would be adventurous enough (especially in Singapore) to even consider the idea of allowing a 4 day week. So I put those thoughts back on the shelf.

But now, after reading this…… I feel pretty vindicated that I can back that stuff up with the words of an academic!

It looks like I’ll need to revisit that soon.

From HBR:

In 2010, the United Nations Global Compact conducted a survey [PDF] on sustainability and found that 93% of businesses consider it important to their future success.

But most companies also have investors to please, and — let’s face it — making the business case for sustainability can be difficult. As CEO of an analytics firm, I can say that we are seeing a surge in interest among Fortune 500 companies for analytical models that help determine the impact of going green on their bottom line.

Many companies have already begun measuring the financial impact of their green strategy. For instance, one national chain of convenience stores started tracking green analytics data to optimize transportation routes to and from its distribution centers. By analyzing information such as orders, shipments, routes, and truck capacity they crafted a model that helped re-route delivery trucks, which reduced annual mileage by 300,000 at a single distribution center. With 25 centers across the US, this project has the potential to reduce the company’s overall mileage by millions, translating into huge dollar savings and emissions reductions. When new routes or distribution centers are added, the company now applies this model to maximize fuel efficiency.

In another example, a large US-based specialty retail chain wanted to determine the chief drivers of store energy efficiency in order to reduce usage and greenhouse emissions. They built a green analytics model examining factors such as weather, HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning), store size, and layout to determine why energy consumption differed among stores. The resulting data not only enabled the retailer to reduce overall energy consumption by 8-10%, but was also applied to optimize energy consumption in new-store construction and to set usage targets for future planning cycles. For example, the retailer was able to migrate to automatic HVAC systems for better insulation and adjust store timings to optimize energy usage.

In these cases, going green put more cash in the companies’ pockets. But in other cases, the facts may show that the sustainable route will not save money at all. To get started on analyzing the impact of green on your business:

Take a close look at your supply chain. Collect baseline measurements on energy, material and natural resource usage. Measuring is the first step: If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.

Establish some short-term goals. With this supply-chain information in hand, select an initial project that the use of green analytics might impact rather quickly. For example, determine heating oil consumption in one store, and identify the drivers of wastage. Once this is done, take a deep dive — establish a team or task force to determine innovative ways to control wastage.

Expand the initiative. If your small-scale goal succeeds, expand by rolling it out to additional markets. That’s the approach that the convenience chain above took — they began the initiative with one distribution center, and then leveraged the results in centers across the country.

Communicate your vision. Broadly share the results and impact of these initial projects within your organization. Not only will this gain buy-in and support for future sustainability efforts, but the work will have much greater impact if your vendors, suppliers, and customers have bought into the ideas both philosophically and practically.

Engage the entire supply chain. Once your organization is serious about green’s impact on the ROI, further expand your efforts by applying the green initiative across your supply chain. For example, reduce inefficiencies and remove duplicates across your supply chain. Begin with choosing the right vendors, then incorporate green compliance checks and choose vendors not just on price but also based on quality and environmental factors.

Measuring the concrete impact of green lies at the intersection of sustainability and business. Already, 130 of the Fortune 500 have officers at the level of Vice President or higher that are focused on sustainability — for example, a Chief Sustainability Officer. What is your organization doing to ensure it is addressing sustainability issues, without impairing its ability to thrive on the fiscal front?