In The News2022-05-29T19:42:09-04:00

Find and see the best corporate environmental sustainability news, posts and stories here, at Edenark Group’s “IN THE NEWS.” Let us know if you have environmental sustainability news you would like us to add.

Litigation over Sustainability Claims Shows No Signs of Abating

As we have continually stressed:

  • If you are self-certified, or self-audited, or aligned with a non-global sustainability standard, or aligned with no standard, or do not have 3rd party validation, odds are, your sustainability/environmental/eco/green claims will be questioned and possibly attacked
  • This could lead to litigation

This article talks about litigation and delisting and includes discussions on

  • The EU Taxonomy for endorsing planes and ships that use weak standards
  • Starbucks
  • Major food and drink companies that are making misleading claims about recycling
  • London Metal Exchange delisting 10% of its members

Bottom line, if you are going to make claims, get certified under a globally-respected program that includes 3rd party auditing as part of the certification process.

This post explains what you should look for and this master class explains why.

Contact us with questions.

February 12th, 2024|

That’s Expensive Poo!

There are 14 subgroups including Blue Whales, Gray Whales, Right Whales and Humpback Whales that are part of the Baleen Whale group.

We’ve lost 95% of them over the past few hundred years, but there are 800,000 – 1,000,000 of them left.

Per this video and this article, the value to us of a Baleen Whale’s poo is approximately $2,000,000 per whale, or $2T in total; as it feeds phytoplankton, which, besides feeding small fish, absorbs CO2 and creates 50% of the oxygen we breathe.

Oxygen is sort of important. 

Keeping whales happily pooping should be on all our to-do lists.  Not just in our words, but in how we act and run our businesses.     

February 8th, 2024|

We are up to 4% of SMEs measuring carbon emissions!

Per this article

  • Nearly 4% of SMEs measure carbon emissions
  • Almost 5% of SMEs measure their renewable energy use
  • 27% have sustainability leadership positions
  • And, almost 33% have social / environmental committees

Are these numbers lower than we want?  Of course.

But are these numbers much larger than they were a few years ago?  Absolutely!

When you think about the fact that there are millions of SMEs around the world; and a few years ago, all four of these would have been under 1%; we are definitely moving in the right direction.

Edenark Group serves as the sustainability department for a number of companies, we chair/advise social/environmental committees, and we help organizations measure their carbon emissions and renewable energy use.  We speak from experience when we say that SMEs are becoming aware of how important their role is and how much the market is expecting them to lead.

If you would like to talk with us about your company starting a sustainability program, contact us here.

February 8th, 2024|

Unlimited Auto Wash at Frenchman’s in Palm Beach Gardens has become an Environmentally Certified Sustainable Business

Unlimited Auto Wash located at Frenchman’s, in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, is part of the seven-location Unlimited Auto Wash Club that serves South Florida.  Unlimited Auto Wash is a 100% Full Service Hand Car Wash with over 170 employees.  It cares deeply about the environment and the community it serves, and has pursued and attained the Edenark Group ISO 14001 environmental sustainability certification for 2024.

The Edenark Group ISO 14001 is the world’s premier environmental sustainability certification program and allows SMEs (small to mid-sized enterprises) the ability to attain the world’s most popular environmental certification standard via a program designed and priced specifically for them.  This allows an organization to validate, via 3rd party audit against the world’s top standard, its environmental / sustainability / green / eco-friendly actions.

The program, which allows companies to progressively improve at a pace that works for their needs, helps the organization define how it interacts internally, externally, and with the environment.  It incorporates energy/waste/water, employee health and performance enhancement, community involvement, procurement and suppliers, compliance and regulations, emergency/security, and stakeholder engagement.  Benefits include creating a culture of continual improvement, stakeholder engagement, lower costs, higher revenues and profits, improved employee performance, and…… doing the right thing for the environment for current and future generations.                                                                                                

“Consumers have been unaware how much Greenwashing there is in the car wash industry.  Many organizations, looking to cash in on consumer demand, claim to be environmentally friendly, but most practice greenwashing by self-auditing or self-certifying or using non-globally-recognized programs.  We wanted to be the first certified sustainable car wash in the region as we are a leader in our industry,” says Kevin Dalton, CEO of Unlimited Auto Wash.  “We decided we were going to pursue environmental sustainability the way we run our business – the right way.  The Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification program provides us that opportunity.  This will be wonderful for all our stakeholders; our customers, our employees, our company and our community.” 

“When an organization pursues, and attains, the Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification, they are not just doing it to see their costs go down and revenues and profits go up.  They are setting a higher bar for their organization and sending a message to all those around them that may be claiming to be environmentally-supportive, but are in truth greenwashing by not validating their actions under a global 3rd party certification,” says David Goodman, CEO of Edenark Group.  “Companies who are agreeing to adhere to the world’s Gold standard for sustainability certification are allowing their actions to be reviewed; are choosing to be a leader and part of the solution, not the problem; and are joining an elite fraternity of over 400,000 organizations, in over 150 countries, that have committed to continually improving in every way.”

Unlimited Auto Wash can be reached at +1 561-WASH-ME-2

Edenark Group can be reached at +1 561.512.2257   

February 7th, 2024|

Have you considered being a referral partner?

Due to studies, the #1 issue on the minds of people around the world is the environment (ie, we are using our resources faster than Mother Earth can replenish and we are accelerating our carbon-emissions-driven global warming).  The world we are passing to our children will be far hotter and angrier than the world we were given.  This is a bigger concern to the people of the planet than war, economy, politics, et cetera.

Turning this sentiment to the market place, consumers are more interested in a company’s ability to prove its sustainability commitment than they are in its brand names.  7 out of 10 of them will change brands if they find a certified sustainable company that offers a similar product.  They will even spend more for a certified sustainable product.

Driven by the above demand, certified sustainable companies are growing up to 20x faster than their non-certified peers – the market is rewarding companies that are able to prove they are sustainable (via certification/validation).

The Edenark Group ISO 14001 environmental sustainability certification program is the premier program of its kind in the world – You get to help the planet and differentiate and grow faster than your peers.

We have a 100% client renewal rate – every client we have ever certified has renewed, every year.

We get most of our new clients from referrals from existing clients.

However, we also get a good number of clients from referral partners who like what we do and introduce us to organizations they feel would benefit from our services.

This defines what we believe a sustainability program should contain. 

This master class explains why a company would want to do this.

We are looking for organizations that 1) care about the environment; 2) want to be part of the solution; and 3) want to be an example that other organizations can follow.

If you agree with our mission and our definition of what a sustainability program should be; and if you know some organizations that meet the above requirements; you might want to consider becoming a referral partner.

Send us a note and we can discuss.  

February 5th, 2024|

10 Things that should be Top of Mind in 2024

Per this article in the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, these are the 10 things that should be top of mind in 2024.  Many of these are consistent with other lists we have recently shown.

 

  1. As more mandatory ESG requirements come into effect, associated potential liabilities are likely to correspondingly increase, with companies facing additional pressure to more effectively integrate ESG into their practices and financial statements.
  2. Additional regulatory developments, including regulation that applies to private companies, will likely result in increased enforcement and litigation, including company-versus-company claims.
  3. In the midst of an unprecedented election year and rising global tensions, companies will increasingly need to use discretion and sophistication to inform their ESG strategies. 
  4. Corporate ESG goals and board oversight of ESG will likely come under increased pressure and become subject to enhanced stakeholder scrutiny. 
  5. Artificial Intelligence will be more central in organizations’ ESG considerations and regulators’ priorities.
  6. While many ESG legal developments to date have been in Europe and North America, developments worldwide will require businesses to focus on ESG more than ever, including in their value chains.
  7. Cross-border considerations will add pressure on companies to have greater visibility and produce greater transparency with respect to their value chains. 
  8. The business of ESG will become busier, and increasingly the focus of regulation and trade policy. 
  9. Greenwashing scrutiny, regulation, and litigation will continue, while some will question where the line is with respect to permissible marketing efforts. 
  10. The “green beyond climate” space, including the focus on natural capital, seems poised to continue to grow and attract both capital and regulation.

 

Climate change is the #1 issue in the world today (per studies).  Consumer (both B2C and B2B) demand that your company prove it is part of the solution, is only going to grow.

Proving you are a sustainable company is key to your organization’s branding, sales and success.

These are the things you want in a sustainability program and this is why you want to be certified.

Contact us with questions.

February 5th, 2024|

Is your self-certified sustainability program ready to be 3rd party audited?

As we have been saying for over a year, and as this article states, 3rd party auditing is coming to the world of sustainability reporting….and sustainability claims.

In 11 months (1/1/25), companies impacted by the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will not only need to disclose (on 2024 data) their risks and opportunities arising from social and environmental issues, and the impact of their activities on people and the environment; but they will also need to have this information assured by an independent 3rd party.

Further, as we posted a few days ago, individuals within companies can be penalized for lack of reporting.

These policies are consistent with those being adopted by other countries.

This brings us to the following points:

  • In-house sustainability programs, with no ties to global standards, are obviously at risk
  • Certifications via programs that did not include a 3rd party audit are also at risk
  • Self-auditing, which was always a path for greenwashers, is a risk
  • Sustainability / Eco / Green claims not supported by 3rd party certification/validation are at risk

For those organizations that have spent money on home-grown programs, the coming regulations are sobering.  Alignment with respected global standards that include 3rd party auditing will need to occur sooner or later.

For those organizations that have yet to become sustainable, knowing that these new rules support what consumers, investors, lenders and governments are demanding, an opportunity presents itself for you to do it the right way the first time. 

This post presents the things you should look for in a sustainability program and this master class dives deeper into the topic.

Contact us with questions.

February 2nd, 2024|

Are you part of the Majority or are you a Laggard?

The Innovation Bell Curve starts with Innovators, then Early Adaptors, then Early Majority, then Late Majority, and finally, Laggards.

 

Per this article:

  • 52% of organizations say they will increase sustainability investment this year (+57% from last year)
  • 63% say the business case for sustainability is clear (+300% from last year)
  • 48% feel climate change will negatively impact operations
  • 61% feel the lack of sustainability practices pose a long-term risk to their organization

Summarizing, the majority of business leaders believe in sustainability and are increasing their spending on same….because to not do so will have a negative impact on their company.

Are the above views consistent with the views and actions of your company……or is your company a Laggard? 

February 1st, 2024|

Unlimited Auto Wash of Jupiter has become an Environmentally Certified Sustainable Business

Unlimited Auto Wash of Jupiter, FL, is part of the seven-location Unlimited Auto Wash Club that serves South Florida.  Unlimited Auto Wash is a 100% Full Service Hand Car Wash with over 170 employees.  It cares deeply about the environment and the community it serves, and has pursued and attained the Edenark Group ISO 14001 environmental sustainability certification for 2024.

The Edenark Group ISO 14001 is the world’s premier environmental sustainability certification program and allows SMEs (small to mid-sized enterprises) the ability to attain the world’s most popular environmental certification standard via a program designed and priced specifically for them.  This allows an organization to validate, via 3rd party audit against the world’s top standard, its environmental / sustainability / green / eco-friendly actions.

The program, which allows companies to progressively improve at a pace that works for their needs, helps the organization define how it interacts internally, externally, and with the environment.  It incorporates energy/waste/water, employee health and performance enhancement, community involvement, procurement and suppliers, compliance and regulations, emergency/security, and stakeholder engagement.  Benefits include creating a culture of continual improvement, stakeholder engagement, lower costs, higher revenues and profits, improved employee performance, and…… doing the right thing for the environment for current and future generations.   

                                                                                                  

“Greenwashing is rampant in the car wash industry.  Many organizations, looking to cash in on consumer demand, claim to be environmentally friendly, but most practice greenwashing by self-auditing or self-certifying or using non-globally-recognized programs.  We wanted to be the first certified sustainable car wash in the region as we are a leader in our industry,” says Kevin Dalton, CEO of Unlimited Auto Wash.  “We decided we were going to pursue environmental sustainability the way we run our business – the right way.  The Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification program provides us that opportunity.  This will be wonderful for all our stakeholders; our customers, our employees, our company and our community.” 

“When an organization pursues, and attains, the Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification, they are not just doing it to see their costs go down and revenues and profits go up.  They are setting a higher bar for their organization and sending a message to all those around them that may be claiming to be environmentally-supportive, but are in truth greenwashing by not validating their actions under a global 3rd party certification,” says David Goodman, CEO of Edenark Group.  “Companies who are agreeing to adhere to the world’s Gold standard for sustainability certification are allowing their actions to be reviewed; are choosing to be a leader and part of the solution, not the problem; and are joining an elite fraternity of over 400,000 organizations, in over 150 countries, that have committed to continually improving in every way.”

Unlimited Auto Wash can be reached at +1 561-WASH-ME-2

Edenark Group can be reached at +1 561.512.2257     

 

release

January 31st, 2024|

7 Sustainability Trends to Watch in 2024

Our friend, Andrew Winston, published this article and listed these seven trends to watch this year:

 

  • Climate change will get worse

 

  • Elections will dramatically influence the future of sustainability and climate action

 

  • Sustainability reporting will garner more attention and investment within companies

 

  • Clean tech will continue to expand

 

  • Distractions and strawman arguments will proliferate

 

  • Partnerships to tackle sustainability issues at scale will grow

 

  • The threat of the anti-ESG movement will wane

 

For every company that is not environmentally certified sustainable, each new day of non-action begs the question – If you can make more money AND do good for the planet, what are you afraid of?

 

If you are starting to warm (pardon the pun) to the idea of being part of the solution, this post gives you a list of things you want in your sustainability program and also offers a master class you should watch.

 

If you have questions, contact us.

January 30th, 2024|

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