Increasingly, companies are being judged by their performance in terms of Environmental Social Governance (ESG). But exactly what does it mean, and what should be done about it? While much ambiguity exists, it is no longer sufficient to negotiate the environmental assessment process successfully. ESG is an ongoing process that spans the entire life cycle of a company and its operations.This book is aimed at business leaders – senior executives and company directors – and particular...

Two leading economists present a new model for sustainable capitalism based on the economics of mutuality.For decades, leaders in the business world have believed that their sole responsibility is to maximize profit for shareholders. But this obsessive focus was a major cause of the abuses that nearly sunk the global economy in 2008. While books like Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century have exposed the shortcomings of financial capitalism, ...

A Good Disruption describes how disruptive technology can be used to combat the economic challenges of our age and sets out an inspirational vision of a more effective and sustainable growth model.Disruptive technology is one of the defining economic trends of our age, transforming one major industry after another. But what is the true impact of such disruption on the world's economies, and does it really have the potential to solve global problems such as...

Janis Birkeland presents the innovative new paradigm of 'Positive Development' in which the built environment provides greater life quality, health, amenity and safety for all without sacrificing resources or money. With a different form of design, development itself can become a 'sustainability solution'. A cornerstone of this new paradigm is the eco-retrofitting of the vast urban fabric we already inhabit. The author presents a revolutionary new tool called SmartMode to achieve this end....

This book makes the case that many climate related scientists have provided data that confirm that burning fossil fuels has increased greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, which has had a major impact on climate change. Each of the six chapters provides many references and questions for review.The first chapter emphasizes worldwide awareness of the relationship between climate change and disasters in the Asia Pacific region. The following chapters cover such topics as climate change...

We only have one planet.Individually and corporately, we are all stewards of the natural environment, but we have not protected, nurtured, or renewed it as well as we should have.In ESG Matters*,* authors Dr. Debra L. Brown and David A. H. Brown challenge the thinking that businesses operate in a vacuum, separate from the environment. Maintaining a focus on environment, social, and governance (ESG) places an organization a step abo...

This timely book provides a wealth of information to help city managers, policy analysts, and government administrators identify relevant urban environmental problems and an array of potential solutions, analyze policy solutions and outcomes, and communicate with the public regarding urban environmental problems and policies.

This book unveils how the world in the twenty-first century will need to manage our most fundamental resource need, water. It outlines how stakeholders can improve water use in their homes, their businesses, and the world.In particular, it focuses on the role of stakeholders in crafting a twenty-first century paradigm for water. Investors not only drive innovation through direct investment in new technologies but also by highlighting risk and driving reporting and disclosure within...

Business and environmental sustainability are not natural bedfellows. Business is about making money; sustainability is about protecting the planet. Business is measured in months and quarters; sustainability often requires significant short term costs to secure a sometimes uncertain long-term benefit. To some activists, all executives are exploitative, selfish “1 percenters”. To some executives, all activists are irresponsible, unyielding extremists.And yet engaging with the issue...

You're overseeing a large-scale project, but you're not an engineering or construction specialist, and so you need an overview of the related sustainability concerns and processes. To introduce you to the main issues, experts from the fields of engineering, planning, public health, environmental design, architecture, and landscape architecture review current sustainable large-scale projects, the roles team members hold, and design approaches, including alternative development and financing...

Sustainability is a key issue and its impact on the construction industry, as one of the major users of the Earth's resources, is starting to take hold. This book deals with sustainability as it affects the construction industry, looking at the techniques and issues which designers, engineers, planners and construction managers will have to deal with in their day-to-day activities. It covers methods of analysis such as environmental impact assessment and cost-benefit analysis as well as to...

Climate change is a global problem, but the problem begins locally. Cities consume 75% of the world's energy and emit 80% of the world's greenhouse gases. Changing the way we build and operate our cities can have major effects on greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, communities across the U.S. are responding to the climate change problem by making plans that assess their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and specify actions they will take to reduce these emissions.This is ...