Most of the planet has been engaged in discussions on how to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG). The 1992 UN Rio conference, also known as “Earth Summit” focused on GHG, which ultimately led to the Kyoto Protocol. Twenty years later, the 2012 UN Rio conference was held again (June 20-22, 2012). In addition to determining where… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Sustainable Business
Subscribe to Sustainable Business RSS FeedWhat Does Data Show About the Economics of Regional Cap-and-Trade?
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Climate Change, Entrepreneurs, Legislation, Natural Resources and Environment, Renewable Energy, Sustainable BusinessBack before the recession, there was a major push in Washington State to adopt a state carbon cap-and-trade program as part of Washington’s membership in the Western Climate Initiative (WCI). The argument was heated, and like most things these days tended to split on party lines with a gulf between the two. Democrats generally argued… Continue Reading
Social Purpose Organizations: A New Way to Foster Environmental Change?
Posted in Legislation, Sustainable BusinessTraditional corporations are formed with the purpose of maximizing shareholder value. Even if it is a corporation that aims to provide technology that will save the world, investors would not invest if they didn’t expect a healthy return on their investment. I have seen entrepreneurs, investors, and VC funds champion and support great ideas aimed… Continue Reading
GridMobility Is Swinging for the Fences
Posted in Entrepreneurs, Events, Sustainable BusinessIn a prior post, Washington Start-ups Should “Swing for the Fences” in the Efficient Energy Sector, I sought to highlight the opportunities (including financing and acquisitions) in the efficient energy sector. For example, according to one sustainable industry analysis, cleantech M&A activity in Q2 2011 rotated away from the capital-intensive biomaterials/biofuels and solar sectors and… Continue Reading
The “Greenest Building in the World” is Being Built Right Here in Seattle!
Posted in Green Building, Renewable Energy, Sustainable BusinessThe Bullitt Foundation broke ground on its new home/office building in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle yesterday. It is touted as the “Greenest Building in the World”—quite a claim. But people should take note of the attempt to be energy neutral, carbon neutral, harvest/reuse rain water in 50,000 gallon cisterns—that may be even used… Continue Reading
Green Power Becomes Fashionable
Posted in Capital and Funding, Energy Conservation, Legislation, Renewable Energy, Sustainable BusinessSeveral weeks ago, a headline caught my eye: “Flagship Lord & Taylor to be 100% Wind-Powered.” I read the short article that followed and learned that Lord & Taylor’s flagship store on New York’s Fifth Avenue and another store will be powered by renewable energy after the company signed a two-year contract with Green Mountain… Continue Reading
Oberlin, Ohio Joins the Ground Game of Carbon Neutrality
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Green Building, Renewable Energy, Sustainable BusinessI was asked last week to refer someone to a consultant who could help them evaluate a business selling carbon credits and renewable energy credits. While I could suggest a consultant to do that, I had to note that selling carbon credits just isn’t the same business as it would have been if the United… Continue Reading
The 12th Annual Clean Air Excellence Awards Program – A Chance to Honor the Builders of a Clean Future!
Posted in Clean Energy, Events, Sustainable BusinessBy Denny Wong and Jonathan Smith* The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now accepting applications for the 12th Annual Clean Air Excellence Awards Program. The program was established at the recommendation of the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee (CAAAC) and helps recognize some of the most innovative and successful programs, projects, technologies, and individuals that… Continue Reading
WUTC Provides Paths to Determine “Eligible Renewable Resources” Under the Energy Independence Act
Posted in Legislation, Renewable Energy, Sustainable BusinessLast week, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (“WUTC”) issued a policy statement designed to provide guidance to Investor Owned Utilities (“IOUs”) and energy entrepreneurs on how to qualify new resources that haven’t been expressly identified in the Washington Energy Independence Act (“EIA”), RCW ch. 19.285. The EIA, passed in 2006, requires Washington’s electric utilities… Continue Reading
Green Businesses: Should You Buy and Use Internet Keywords that Contain Your Competitor’s Brands?
Posted in Intellectual Property, Legislation, Sustainable BusinessGreen businesses are buying up competitors’ brands as Internet search terms or keywords (think Google “Ad Words” program) to get prominent search engine placement. We see this all the time where a consumer keys a branded search term into a search engine and get a list of competitors under “sponsored links.” Brand owners do not… Continue Reading
Financing Your Greentech Startup: Tips for Raising Capital in the “Seed” Round
Posted in Capital and Funding, Entrepreneurs, Sustainable BusinessAfter you’ve formed a company and poured your meager life savings into your new Greentech startup, you probably will have a need to raise capital. Oftentimes, the first place startups look for initial capital outside of their own piggy banks is from their friends and family. This “friends and family” round of financing is often… Continue Reading
Don’t Forget the Subsidies for Nuclear Energy
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Climate Change, Legislation, Natural Resources and Environment, Sustainable BusinessThe crisis unfolding at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility in Japan is a stark reminder of how difficult it is to plan against the forces of nature. The crisis has occurred despite Japan having at its disposal all of the knowledge, technology and other resources available to a country as advanced and rich as that… Continue Reading
Washington State: How Green are We?
Posted in Capital and Funding, Entrepreneurs, Regulatory, Sustainable BusinessWashington State is a great place for startups, particularly in the greentech space. We are the Evergreen State. We have more Prius’ per capita in Seattle than, well, anywhere else I’ve ever been. But more importantly, we have a great history of innovation, where true success stories of angel and venture-back companies abound, Amazon, aQuantive,… Continue Reading
Starting a Greentech Business? Top Legal Issues Faced by Startups
Posted in Capital and Funding, Entrepreneurs, Sustainable BusinessIn prior posts (Seattle Investors Want Low Tech Too, Calling All Green Entrepreneurs, Build, Buy, License, Strategic Partner), we’ve discussed potential strategies and sources of financing in the greentech space. Whether or not the particular business model of your greentech startup is capital intensive or not, your new business is likely going to be cash-strapped…. Continue Reading
Food Fight! Greenhouse Gas Regulation in 2011
Posted in Legislation, Regulatory, Renewable Energy, Sustainable BusinessFor most of the last two years it has been easy to write about climate change legislation. Two years ago, Washington State seemed poised to adopt its own version of a cap-and-trade program as part of the Western Climate Initiative. But that legislation faltered, because it was not well developed and state legislators were bombarded… Continue Reading
Seattle Investors Want “Low-Tech” Too
Posted in Capital and Funding, Sustainable Business, TechnologyBy Rebecca Anderson Maybe it’s because we are Seattleites that the term “low-tech” initially seems like something negative, but “low-tech” deals are in demand by the local angel investing community. This is a good reminder that Seattle is an epicenter for innovation – of all types. Yes, we have some of the very best innovative… Continue Reading
Build, Buy, License, Strategic Partner – And The Legal Strategies That Go With Them
Posted in Capital and Funding, Sustainable Business, Tax and Tax Stimulus, TechnologyThere is a straightforward way to think about and plan the growth strategy – and corresponding legal strategy – for your green tech company: • Build • Buy • License • Strategic Partner “Build” is Invented Here – development and commercialization of green tech products and services – When the growth strategy is Build, the… Continue Reading
Will 2011 Be a Greener Year?
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Capital and Funding, Climate Change, Entrepreneurs, Green Building, Intellectual Property, Legislation, Regulatory, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Business, TechnologyWill 2011 be a greener year? I think so. Here are my predictions for the coming year: 1. EV era has begun: While a single Nissan Leaf delivery to Seattle a week ago doesn’t signal the onslaught of an era, the first delivery and sprouting of EV charging stations around the Puget Sound area is… Continue Reading
One Year Extension Provided For All Clean Energy Tax Breaks
Posted in Renewable Energy, Sustainable Business, Tax and Tax StimulusTax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. In addition, the new law changes the estate and gift tax rules, extends unemployment benefits and reduces the Social Security tax that workers pay. However, the part of the new law that addresses clean energy issues has received far less publicity. Before the new… Continue Reading
Congressional Outlook for Green Tech in 2011
Posted in Capital and Funding, Legislation, Sustainable BusinessBy Rebecca Anderson I think that most are able to agree there are two key components necessary to the realization of green tech’s full potential, predictable financing, both from public and private sources, and clear regulation. Although there have been some bright spots in both funding and regulation, many feel that green tech is not… Continue Reading
Let Your Fingers Do the Walking: New Washington State Energy Marketplace Directory
Posted in Renewable Energy, Sustainable BusinessA fabulous new resource for Washingtonians in search of a LEED – certified architect or a biofuel retailer (among many other things) is the Washington State Energy Marketplace Directory released last month by the State of Washington Department of Commerce State Energy Office. It contains over 170 pages of listings for companies involved in renewable… Continue Reading
The VC Model: Square Peg for Round Hole When It Comes to Cleantech?
Posted in Capital and Funding, Entrepreneurs, Events, Sustainable BusinessBy Rebecca Anderson Although all things green seem to have a lot of hype in the business world, we must ask, is all this hype because there is a real opportunity for high rates of return on investments in cleantech or is it just hype? In an interesting article, a Harvard student discusses the case… Continue Reading
The Simple Things
Posted in Green Building, Sustainable BusinessWe in America tend to focus our climate change policies on significant projects, such as wind/solar/biomass energy production and revamping the grid to bring the clean energy to the masses. We spend a lot of time debating stimulus tax incentives and cap and trade plans. But we seem to miss the little things that really… Continue Reading
Controls Proposed By FTC To Minimize Consumer Product “Green Washing”
Posted in Regulatory, Sustainable BusinessBy Rebecca Anderson The Federal Trade Commission proposed revisions to its Green Guides that would include strict regulations on the environmental claims made by companies on consumer products. The FTC’s Green Guides were first issued in 1992 and haven’t been updated since 1998. Here is a summary of the proposed changes (.pdf). The changes not… Continue Reading