Green Purchasing, Eco-Products,
Sustainable Procurement &
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Divided We Fail To Deliver
I cannot stop myself from delivering a little lecture - more an alert - to none other than the United Nations. How much more could be achieved if our only truly international body - for the good of all people and the planet - showed more signs of a willingness to work with the private sector, with the many  worthy not-for-profit organisations and engage with business and the media to more effectively communicate what it's up to? I have referred before to the "Sustainable Energy for All Campaign" which, in my view, fails to deliver because it doesn't effectively engage with relevant businesses, NGOs or media. Is the latest - the Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) Programme - heading in the same direction? Read More
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Towards a More Resource Efficient World
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 A roadmap for sustainable consumption and production in the Asia Pacific was launched in Jakarta late April. It follows hot on the heels of the new global programme, launched in New York on 1 April 2014 to harness the power of the trillions of dollars that governments spend on public procurement each year towards a shift to a more resource-efficient world. It's the Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) Programme. Read More
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Asia & Europe Leadership by Interface
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Interface becomes the first global manufacturer to offer
customers  carpet tile recycling in Asia. The fully localised ReEntry programme is yet another key milestone in Interface's journey towards its Mission Zero goal - a commitment to eliminate any negative impact it may have on the environment by the year 2020. And in Europe, Interface manufacturing has achieved a 90% impact cut, with greenhouse gas emissions around 10% of what they were when Ray Anderson, Interface's founder, issued this challenge in 1996. Read More
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Oceans to Treasure and Not to Trash!
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 That's the theme of two big events coming up. One in Japan and one in America. On 24 June, the Plasticity Forum will be coming to New York City to share the wealth of knowledge from the leading edge of those who are facilitating a world where plastic is used, but without the footprint. Ocean Recovery's Doug Woodring provides us with a preview. Meanwhile, in the city of Munakata, on the island of Kyushu, the Eco-100
 International forum on 30 May to 2 June explores "Oceans of the Future",co-hosted by UBrainTV. Read More |
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Your choice: Green Wash or Green Wise?
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On the important topic of "Green Procurement and  Leadership", Ken Hickson says there are signs that things are happening around the world "and we can, through effective communication, advocacy and sheer hard work, change mind sets and behaviours". The branding industry can help by seeing that this is the responsible and ethical way to go. To lead clients beyond green wash to green wise. Read More
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Procure Astutely: Make Everyday Products Sustainable
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 Positive Impact, operating in Australia and Singapore, teams up with Asia's leading sustainable manufacturer with over 15 years research and development experience to bring scalable eco-solutions, going beyond supplying eco-products to do more to inspire industry to nurture talent, procure astutely and develop best practices for a sustainable and healthy business. Meanwhile, The Guardian bring us convertible designs, which can make products more durable, reducing consumption and waste. Here are 12 of the most intriguing, interlocking consumer products on the market or coming soon, including Energy Floors, pictured. Read More
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Singapore Gives Urban Sustainability Prize to China's Suzhou
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 China's Suzhou city, which has managed to avoid the worst impacts of urbanisation - pollution and traffic congestion - wins the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2014 which recognises liveable, vibrant and sustainable urban communities around the world. Singapore is once again taking the  lead to encourage governments and industry to come together to share and co-create solutions with an integrated approach to urban sustainability at the World Cities Summit, along with the Singapore International Water Week and CleanEnviro Summit from 1 to 5 June 2014. Read More
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Putting Food Waste in the Picture Here, There & Everywhere
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 Food waste is in the spotlight. A Sri Lanka student Kandage Kiyara Chenuli Perera (aged 8) was the Asia Pacific winner of the UNEP annual International Children's Painting Competition, which attracted 63,700 entrants, based on the theme, "Food Waste - Save the Planet - Save Food, Wasting Food is Wasting the Planet". This weekend just past (3-4 May), there was a Future of Food Hackathon, which followed Friday's Forum on Food, in Washington DC, part of the National Geographic Society's eight-month series on food in collaboration with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). "Food: A Forum" considered "Sustainable Sustenance," covering the concept of sustainability and its implications for food. SASA is determined to make a study of food waste in Singapore and South East Asia as part of a global search for solutions. Read More
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Art & Sustainability Together in Events like i Light Marina Bay
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Singapore's energy-saving 'Switch Off, Turn Up' campaign which ran in tandem with the festival in March achieved energy savings of 268,890kWh, a marked 25% increase on 2012, with a record 52 buildings participating.  Sufficient to power the festival more than 45 times over. In the associated sustainability workshop German sociologist Sacha Kagan drew attention to the importance of sustainability and art: "One promising way for cities to develop these qualities of resilience is through art." SASA was involved as the sustainability consultant for i Light Marina Bay in 2012 and 2014 and is exploring further ways to bring together "artists for sustainability". Read More
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Coming Clean: Inventively Energised Solar for Good
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Perhaps it is in spite of, and not because of, the current Government's mixed feelings on anything  that looks like clean energy to upset the "fossil-fuel-eyed" status quo, Australia's inventiveness and entrepreneurial spirit reigns supreme, as we see with the Pollinate Energy artistic approach to energising solar for the good of mankind to RayGen Resources winning a big China contract for its solar technology. Thanks to Australia CleanTech's John O'Brien for alerting us to these and other advances down under. Read More
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Managing Forest Production To Avoid Deforestation & Pollution
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The Forests Asia Summit, which gets underway in Jakarta Monday 5 May, will see ministers from
 across Southeast Asia join CEOs, civil society leaders, development experts and the world's top scientists to share knowledge on how to accelerate the shift toward a green economy by better managing its forests and landscapes. The production and export of pulp and paper, palm oil and a host of timber related products have contributed to the devastating deforestation, out of control burning and serious air pollution, particularly in Indonesia. We also see why some companies are so supportive of the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP). Read More
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Responsible Retailing Highlighted by Climate Confidential
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Climate Confidential's theme of "Unconventional Wisdom" is the fourth and final story from this  group of writers who fund their work by Crowdsourcing through Beacon Reader in the United States. This article explores the ways that retailers and resellers of apparel are extending the life and value of their products, as everyone from conscious consumers to fast-fashion fiends get hip to recycled clothes. It's good for business, but what about for the Earth? Read More
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Transformational Change as Palm Oil Firms Hit Tipping Point
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 The Business Times in Singapore had a front page story last week that made many - palm oil companies as well - sit up and take notice. The palm oil industry has reached a tipping point. Two palm oil giants who together trade about half the global supply - Wilmar International and Golden Agri Resources - have declared that their sustainability policies would apply not just to their own plantations, but also to those of their suppliers. And one of the biggest palm oil users in the world - Unilever - who have instituted some of the strictest policies and practices, is continuing with its overarching Sustainable Living plan, but boss Paul Polman really wants to see transformational change in the way all businesses operate. Read More
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Last Word:
Always remember a wonderful BBC TV series - probably before your time, dear reader - when James Burke explored inventions and conventions of the scientific and technological kind (circa 1978, with sequels in 1994 and 1997), showing how everything's connected.
Same feeling experienced when I went about my work over the last six weeks or so - attending conferences, speaking engagements, writing articles, getting chapters written for the next book, networking, communicating, meeting creatures and people great and small - that everything's connected. And everyone for that matter.
I was thinking about all this when I met with various people - friends, colleagues, new contacts - who are all doing good in related fields, wearing different hats, but remarkably connected. Working in unison for the sake of the planet and us all. In different ways. Sometimes not even known to each other. Read More
 You can purchase on-line your very own printed copy of Ken Hickson's book by going to Amazon.com, Abe Books and Booktopia and through book stores:
Race for Sustainability
For more information and to buy, go to:
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Ken Hickson
Founder Chairman/CEO,Sustain Ability Showcase Consultancy Asia Pte Ltd
Author, "Race for Sustainability", "Forty: Building a Future in Singapore", "Flight 901 to Erebus", "The Future South" & "The ABC of Carbon"
Chairman, Green Purchasing Network Singapore
Regional Director Asia, be sustainable
Managing Director, H2PC Asia
Editor,abc carbon express
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