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
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
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
My Predictions for 2012 Marketing and Publicity Trends
(Dan Janal’s actually – he’s my marketing guru. And I’ll hold you to these, Dan)
I’ve been correctly predicting Internet marketing trends since 1994 when I wrote one of the first books on Internet Marketing. I’ve been right before so there’s no reason to think I won’t be right again. You can bet the farm on most of these trends and get even money on the others.
1. Mobile marketing will take off in ways you never imagined.
2. People will be saying, “Visit my app,” in addition to – or instead of - “Visit my website.” The app will be the brochure, website and starting point of interactivity.
3. Small businesses on Main Street will have apps that provide basic info and coupons – even if they don’t have a website.
4. Doctors, dentists and other appointment-based businesses will rely on text messages and other mobile communications to confirm appointments so they don’t lose money on no shows.
5. Your prospects will think all types of written or spoken intellectual property –ezines, books, articles, webinars, teleseminars – ought to be free.
6. You will think that all information ought to be free – except your information, of course.
7. It will be harder and harder to convince people to pay for intellectual pr operty that is available online. They will pay for customized services specifically for them. Start planning your services menu accordingly.
8. Entrepreneurs will finally heed Michael Gerber’s mantra to work on the business, not in the business. But they will take action by HIRING outside professionals who can do the work for them instead of waiting to do the work themselves. Productivity and profits will increase while procrastination will decrease.
9. This phrase will be on everyone’s lips and t-shirts: “If you get something for free, then you aren’t the customer. You are the product.” I didn’t make this up. I wish I did. Think about it. We aren’t Google’s customer, or Facebook’s customer. We are the products they are selling to advertisers. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like being considered an “eyeballs.”
10. Spam will i nvade social media sites in overt and covert ways, making visits to those sites less enjoyable.
11. There will be more people showing you how to sell speaking services than there will be companies who can hire speakers. Okay, that one was low. <g>
What are your predictions?
Dan Janal helps small businesses get publicity so they can sell more products. My clients get terrific results from my coaching, consulting, done-for-you services and do-it-yourself tools. For info, go to www.prleadsplus.com or call me at 952-380-1554 .
Companies lack informed decision-making, study shows
If you want a glowing picture of how your company is making use of its data don’t ask the data community.
EMC Corporation recently conducted a study of Data Scientists, polling nearly 500 data analysts, data specialists, BI analysts, information analysts and data engineers.
The EMC Data Science Study spans the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, India and China, and reveals a rampant global scarcity of Big Data and data analytics skills necessary for companies to capitalise on their data. Read more
SAP On Track to Meet its Sustainability Targets
Business Intelligence global giant SAP AG recently released its quarterly sustainability update for the third quarter 2011. Areas monitored break down into corporate environmental, social, and economic performance metrics.
The company believes reductions in greenhouse gas emissions is the area where it can make the most impact. SAP’s goal is to reduce its emissions to their 2000 level by the year 2020 in ways that best support profitability. It managed to reduce its carbon footprint from 528.1 kilotons in 2008 to 423 kilotons in 2010, despite double-figure growth in revenue in this period. However, the third quarter figure is up 2% on the same period last year, although emissions per employee is down 2%. This per-employee reduction was achieved through targeted energy efficiency programs and a decrease in air travel.
For example, a nine percent reduction in electricity usage was achieved by
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Corporate Cars: 1% reduction
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Business Flights: 33% increase
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Employee Commuting: 14% reduction
SAP reduced its overall footprint by 11% by increasing its purchase of renewable energy to 48% in 2010.
Data centre energy consumption was down in 2010 from 147 GWh to 134 GWh despite an increase in headcount, reducing energy consumption per employee by nine percent, from 3038 KWh to 2763 Kwh
Innovative investments in cooling and energy efficiency in 2010 included:
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“Aisle Containment” strategies which focus cooling energy directly to the rows of server racks rather than the whole computer room were applied in Bangalore, Shanghai, Regensdorf and Brussels.
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An investment in passive cooling in Shanghai reducing heat from direct sunlight
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Computer room thermal imaging and electrical use software
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Thermal panels
SAP recently ranked 20th in the Newsweek 2011, ranking fourth globally in the “Information Technology & Services” category.