IGPN - International Green Purchasing Network

October 26, 2011

United Nations Releases Sustainable Procurement Guideline

UNEP, United Nations Environmental Programme has released their new sustainable procurement guidelines. Take a look.

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category : Topics

October 19, 2011

Ethical money: 10 ways to greener spending

Every time we put our hands in our pockets we're making a choice. Guardian Money looks at how to be environment-savvy without it costing you the earth.

National Ethical Investment Week, which kicks off tomorrow, aims to ensure everyone knows their options when it comes to their financial decisions. To celebrate its launch, Guardian Money has looked at the steps you can take – some very simple – to "ethicalise" your money and your spending decisions.

Read the Guardian UK article.

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category : Topics

October 19, 2011

Coffee chains urged to improve takeaway cup recycling

Caffe Nero and Starbucks takeaway cups. An estimated 2.5bn takeaway cups are thrown away each year in the UK.

Coffee shops are failing to make it easy for customers to recycle the estimated 2.5bn takeaway cups thrown away each year in the UK, a consumer group warned on Tuesday.

The investigation by Which? found that consumers were confused by retailers' use of "mixed materials", which make recycling a headache, and urged providers to take more environmental responsibility.

Read Guardian UK article.

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category : Topics

October 12, 2011

Seeing the wood for the trees – how materiality helps companies focus on their key issues

Many companies are still not clear about sustainability processes, let alone reporting. Could the 'material' approach help?

It can be difficult for companies to focus on the important aspects with sustainability reporting as previously stakeholders have wanted long lists of issues included.

Some phrases slip off the pen of annual report writers without a second thought. "Our people are our greatest asset", is certainly one.

Another is "sustainability is integral to our business". Many CEOs like to think this. In fact many even say it. In the 2010 UN Global Compact CEO survey an amazing 81% of the 766 CEOs interviewed agreed with the statement "[sustainability is] fully embedded into the strategy and operations of my company".

Read the Guardian article.

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category : Topics

October 5, 2011

Maryland Team Wins Solar House Contest

Intended for a working couple who can use the house as home and office, the winning entry has a split butterfly roofline directing stormwater runoff into an axis at the core of the house. A green roof slows rainwater runoff to the landscape while improving the house’s energy efficiency.

Read The New York Times article.

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category : Topics