Taking Care of Business By Joel Makower, Chairman & Executive Editor
Today is the deadline for submitting nominations to VERGE Accelerate, our pitch competition for start-ups and early-stage entrepreneurs working at the convergence of technology and sustainability. Up to 20 selected companies will present on stage next month at VERGE SF before 800 or so attendees and thousands more watching the livestream (as well as our panel of investors). Both online and in-person groups will vote for the winners. Submit your nominations here — but please hurry!
Strike Up the Brand: Things are shaping up nicely for this Wednesday’s webcast, on The Impact of Sustainability on Your College or University Brand. It features two leading schools — Arizona State University and Notre Dame — who’ll be duking it out on the football field early next month. This week, they’ll be more collaborative, sharing their expertise and insights into how sustainability is becoming a competitive advantage for them. The webcast is free; register here.
We have two other great webcasts coming up this month. See listings on the right-hand column.
Also This Week: We offer a terrific package of stories from World Water Week, which took place last week in Stockholm. Leading it off is a firsthand report from Deloitte’s Will Sarni, one of the leading thinkers on corporate water strategy, who offers some nuggets on what he saw and heard … I highly recommendMicrosoftsustainability leader Rob Bernard’s post on how the software giant is working with academics toward the goal of determining how to conserve the greatest number of plant species possible by protecting small landmasses. Pretty interesting stuff. … and I preview an exciting new project we’re undertaking with Trucost, our partner for the annual State of Green Business report. For the 2014 edition, we’ll be launching a Natural Capital Leaders Index, naming the companies that are doing the best to decouple environmental impact from growth. Stay tuned.
Here’s how to bridge the gap between economic development agencies and sustainability innovators.…Read More
Complimentary GreenBiz Webcast
Sustain Your Campus. Sustain Your Brand: The Impact of Sustainability on Your College or University Brand
Sponsored by Waste Management
Much like the private sector, colleges and universities are viewing sustainability as a competitive differentiation in a crowded marketplace. Universities are establishing sustainable initiatives such as energy and water conservation, materials management and recycling and green procurement practices. Join us for a free, one-hour webcast exploring these universities’ experiences and insights. Register Here.
If you had access to 1 percent of Walmart’s dividends, how would you protect labor and human rights?…Read More
Complimentary GreenBiz Webcast
Are You Ready for the EH&S Challenges of 2014?
Sponsored by Enviance
Join us for a candid conversation focusing on compelling case studies from in-house EH&S professionals who are driving changes within their organizations. Get an inside perspective on how to ensure that EH&S decision making is made on best-available data to support future resource allocation; better relationships with regulators, suppliers, consumers, employees; and better environmental outcomes. Register Here.
In many parts of the world, people have had no idea how much water is being withdrawn from aquifers — until now.…Read More
Complimentary GreenBiz Webcast
Building Analytics: Getting the Most from Your Data
Sponsored by Johnson Controls
Dashboards can tell us what’s happening right now, or what already has happened. The next-generation technology will go beyond that to predict the future. Tools like fault detection and diagnostics, continuous commissioning and predictive maintenance will enable us to gain a deeper view of energy use, and create more opportunities for optimizations. Join us for a lively discussion on advanced building efficiency applications. Register Here.
Microsoft’s director of facilities, Darrell Smith, explains how the company leveraged Big Data to transform energy usage at its Puget Sound campus.…Read More
