Category: Press Release

Washington, DC – 13 July 2012 – A new global analysis released today by the National Geographic Society finds that U.S. consumers rank last of 17 countries surveyed in sustainable behavior, with a score of 44.7 on the 2012 Greendex. U.S. consumers are among the least likely to feel “guilty about the impact” they have on the environment (21%), yet they are near the top in believing their individual choices could make a difference (47%). The National Geographic Society’s complete 2012 … “Worldwide, Consumers Who Feel Most Guilty About Their Environmental Impact Are Least to Blame”

What companies do people see as socially and environmentally responsible? Why do some make the cut, and others don’t? For whatever reason, efforts of businesses around the world to project a responsible message are failing to connect with the global public. Sam Mountford, Director of Global Insights at GlobeScan, writes in our latest Proof Points blog for GreenBiz.com about recent Radar Research Program findings that show there are certain factors that the public recognizes more than others – and that the … “Tell Me A Story: The Power of Narrative in Corporate Leadership”

GlobeScan President, Chris Coulter writes in Triple Pundit to provide his impressions on how Rio+20 stacked up to expectations. While the formal governmental declaration issued last Friday is as at least as disappointing as predicted, Coulter argues Rio featured enough examples of commitments and leadership from business and civil society to enable us to visualize how a transition to sustainability can happen even if governments refuse to lead the way.   Read the full article on Triple Pundit.

GlobeScan Sustainability Director, Eric Whan writes in The Huffington Post to explore the challenges and disappointments some delegates at Rio+20 have experienced so far. Eric explains: “some 3,000 people are spending most of their time away from the Rio Centro in the Windsor Barra hotel talking about the role of the private sector in the transformation to global sustainability. Such high levels of interest bode well. The problem is, these same people do the same thing at conferences every year. This gathering … “Rio+20 Dispatch: Rio Re-Do”

One hundred years since the sinking of the Titanic, it is still debated why that fabled and fated ship hit an iceberg and went under. But surely the root cause was the widespread belief that she was unsinkable. Twenty years since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro — which did so much to elevate environment and development on the global policy agenda — GlobeScan President, Chris Coulter, Dan Hendrix, President and CEO of Interface, and Mark Lee, Executive Director of SustainAbility fear a … “Will There Be Icebergs Near Rio?”

GlobeScan President, Chris Coulter writes in The Huffington Post to explore the discussions at Rio+20 that have been focused on the poor performance of, and low expectations for, governments when it comes to making progress on sustainable development. The level of criticism of governments across stakeholders is remarkable: in recent polls by GlobeScan and SustainAbility on the performance of institutions in the transition to sustainable development, both experts and the global public give governments the lowest ratings.   Read the full article … “Rio+20 Dispatch: Government Is Dead. Long Live Government.”

From Financial Bottom-line Advantages to Job Creation and Sustainable Growth: Businesses Cannot Afford to Ignore the Benefits of a Green Economy, Report Says Download the Press Release (PDF) Rio de Janiero, 16 June 2012 – Businesses making the transition towards the green economy are already reaping rewards worth hundreds of millions of dollars in savings and high return on investment, while benefiting consumers, communities and the environment, says a new report entitled The Business Case for the Green Economy: Sustainable Return … “Businesses Cannot Afford to Ignore the Benefits of a Green Economy”