Sustainability reporting key goal of Rio summit (and other news)
The United Nations has put global sustainability reporting by companies among its proposed key outcomes for the Rio+ 20 environmental summit in June.
See the Guardian newspaper report:
A samba school dancer at Rio Carnival 2012. Image by Leandro Neumann Ciuffo, via Flickr
The key to sustainability is data
I found this interesting blog on World Water Day, which was March 22, by Amy Sample Ward: Key to sustainability article
UK to press for green accounting at Rio
Britain will be calling on governments to adopt “green accounting” at the forthcoming world conference on sustainable development, to be held in Brazil in June.
Caroline Spelman, the Environment Secretary, will announce an initiative to get all countries to produce accounts based on “GDP-plus”, an enhancement of the traditional gross domestic prduct (GDP) including assessments of “natural capital” such as rivers, forests and other natural resources. Read more
Gartner Business Intelligence & Information Management Summit 2012
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
Feb 21 – 22, 2012
More info: http://www.gartner.com/ap/bi
Study finds corporate responsibility data “appalling”
Environmental claims by UK companies are often based on “incorrect and irrelevant” data, according to a Leeds University study.
The researchers from the University of Leeds and Euromed Management School (France) found unsubstantiated claims, gaps in data and inaccurate figures when they analysed more than 4,000 corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports, rankings and surveys published by companies worldwide, going back ten years. 
Read more
Tableau Software’s 2012 BI Predictions
There’s something about punters that seems to appeal. Here’s a summary of Tableau’s predictions: Read more
Event: TDWI Solution Summit for MDM, DQ, DG
March 4 – 6 2012
The TDWI Solution Summit in Savannah, Georgia is a two-day event focusing on Master Data Management (MDM), Data Quality (DQ), or Data Governance (DG) solutions
The summit promises expert guidance for senior business and technology leaders planning a project in the next 12 months. Read more
Today’s MBAs – the “sustainable generation”
Good news – tomorrow’s business leaders are a lot “greener” than today’s. According to a new study commissioned by Sky MBA students are likely to see themselves as part of the first “sustainability generation”. They are more knowledgeable about sustainability and see business opportunities in it which today’s leaders are not generally taking advantage of.
Ice packs can leak!
When I put my back out two weeks ago I did not realise there would be some lessons in it for me. Here’s what I learned:
- It’s not that easy to just “carry on” when you’re hobbling around like a 250-year-old on a bad day
- I get frustrated when I can’t leap around on all my various dubious missions all day. I didn’t cope 10% as well as I thought I would when everything was fine
- Mobility is a valuable thing we take for granted until we lose it. There’s a lot of people out there who don’t have it. Now I know just a little how they must feel
- Everyone has a different opinion on back care – osteopaths are good, osteos are bad, accupuncture is the only way – you decide!
- Ice packs can leak, and when they do it’s a cold, wet, trickly goo sliding down your legs. But I love it really!
ZDnet lists BI in top Five for 2012
ZDnet blogger Heather Clancy ranks Business Intelligence second in an entry entitled “Five Essential Technologies for Small Businesses”.
Heather reckons “big data” will be adopted in a major way by small companies in 2012, citing an SMB Technology Group study which indicates 16 percent of small and 29 percent of medium sized businesses have bought a BI solution in the past two years. A similar proportion plan to make BI investments over the next twelve months.
Read more
Launch – sustainability reporting guidance for event organisers
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) launches its Event Organisers Sector Supplement on 24 January 2012 at the London 2012 offices in Canary Wharf, London.
The launch will be of interest to event organisers wishing to report on sustainability issues such as impacts on communities, natural environments and local and global economies. The range of events is diverse, for example business meetings, conferences, sports events and cultural festivals. Each has a different environmental impact.
Date: Tuesday 24 January 2012
Time: 5.00-7:30pm (GMT)
Location: London 2012 offices
One Churchill Place
Canary Wharf
London E14 5LN
United Kingdom
RSVP by 15 January 2012 to: http://conta.cc/siMDh3
There is also a webinar on 25 January at 4pm CET. Register: http://bit.ly/tVQuK7