world resources institute corporate...

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Corporate Engagement

W O R L D

R E S O U R C E S

I N S T I T U T E

R E S O U R C E G U I D E

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Climate & Energy 4

EMBARQ 16

Governance 18

Market & Enterprise 22

People & Ecosystems 29

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This guide provides an overview of WRI projects that

are relevant to the private sector and some specific

opportunities for becoming involved. It will be

annually updated to reflect our current activities,

which evolve with the agendas that we influence.

WRI will engage companies of all sizes, globally and

in every sector, as part of our mission driven strategy.

We are proud of our partnerships with corporate

supporters, and the substantive and philanthropic

value they provide. Types of corporate partnerships

available are:

Strategic Relationships consist of multi-year plans to

work together on a number of shared issues.These

partnerships include a minimum financial

commitment of $300,000 per year.

Corporate Consultative Group Members benefit from

efficient and tailored two-way engagement between

company staff globally and WRI experts.

Program / Project Partners participate in and provide

funding support for specific WRI projects and

programs (e.g. Green Power Market Development

Group, GHG Protocol Initiative, Business &

Ecosystems Leadership Group).

Supporters invest in WRI in other ways, such as

through WRI’s Global Impact Fund, in-kind

contributions, or cause-related marketing.

If you would like to learn more about how you can

become a WRI corporate partner, please contact

Chris Perceval, Corporate Relations Manager, at

202.729.7874 or [email protected]

Corporate Engagement Resource Guide

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S t r a t e g i c R e l a t i o n s h i p sCaterpillar FoundationShell FoundationBP and BP FoundationAlcoa FoundationCitigroup FoundationGoldman SachsSC Johnson

P r o g r a m / P r o j e c t P a r t n e r sUnited Technologies CorporationRabobankPricewaterhouseCoopersKimberly-Clark Corporation Interface, Inc.Johnson & JohnsonMichelin North AmericaEKO Asset Management PartnersGoogle.orgThe Dow Chemical CompanyTetra Pak InternationalNike, IncAlcoaDuPont CompanyGeneral MotorsGeorgia-PacificStaples, Inc. Starbucks Coffee CompanyUnilever Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)AlticorBristol Myers Squibb Company BT Americas, Inc. eBay Hewlett-Packard CompanyIntel Corporation IntuitLevi-Strauss & CompanyNews America Inc. News CorporationPactiv CorporationUnited Parcel Service (UPS)Volvo Group North AmericaWal-Mart Stores, Inc.Novartis CorporationSan Juan Ventures

WRI’s Corporate SupportersListed partners provided funding to WRI during fiscal year 2008

3Corporate Engagement Resource Guide

Newry Corportation Environmental Management and Law Association

S u p p o r t e r sAngeleno Group General Electric CompanyUniversal StudiosCapital Group CompaniesSempra EnergyPanasonic Corporation of North AmericaEdison InternationalHydrogen Energy InternationalFirsthand Capital ManagementWellington Management CompanyArete CorporationBambu

This list does not include supporters of WRI’s 2007 ‘Courage To Lead’ dinner

C o r p o r a t e C o n s u l t a t i v e G r o u pF o u n d i n g M e m b e r s

Akzo NobelAlcoaBPCaterpillarCitigroupConstellation Energy GroupDuPont CompanyEastman Kodak CompanyFedExGoldman Sachs Johnson & JohnsonJPMorgan Chase & CompanyKimberly-Clark CorporationMonsanto CompanyNews CorporationNewPage CorporationPfizer Inc. SC Johnson Shell InternationalWal-Mart StoresWeyerhaeuser CompanyWheels, Inc.

4

Climate & Energy

The goal of the Climate and Energy

Program is to protect the global climate

system from further harm due to

emissions of greenhouse gases and help

humanity and the natural world adapt to

unavoidable climate change. To achieve this goal,

WRI provides policymakers, NGOs, and

businesses with information, analysis, and tools

to support the development of strong, effective

climate policy. Drawing on WRI’s analytical

expertise in policy and science, the Climate and

Energy Program will help shape U.S. and

international policies, related to reducing

emissions from deforestation, clean energy

technologies, adaptation, and development

strategies. EMBARQ, WRI’s Center for Sustainable

Transport, works with cities in the developing

world to implement solutions to problems of

urban mobility.

5Climate & Energy

How to Get InvolvedCompanies can play a critical role in climate protection.Positive actions include: supporting workable andeffective government policies, investing in low carbontechnologies, and anticipating how to adapt to theinevitable consequences of climate change. Weencourage every company to establish a climate changepolicy, targets, and strategies.

WRI develops practical solutions, turning ideas intoaction. In partnership with companies, we have createdtools like the GHG Protocol to measure and manageemissions and stimulated market demand for renewablesources of energy by convening the Green Power MarketDevelopment Group. We have promoted progressivestate, federal, and international climate policies. We havecollaborated with companies in a range of sectors toidentify smart policy and business strategies for acarbon-constrained economy. Listening to the privatesector has helped us in our research and analysis of thepotential to deploy technology solutions at scale.

There are many opportunities for companies to becomeinvolved with WRI’s Climate & Energy Program. Keyopportunities exist for funding and engaging with a newinternational GHG Protocol Initiative Supply Chainstandard; supporting expanded work on internationalCarbon Capture and Sequestration guidelinesdevelopment; and building market demand forrenewable energy in China. ■

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T H E G R E E N H O U S E G A S P R O T O C O LI N I T I AT I V E

Convened by WRI and the World Business Council forSustainable Development, the Greenhouse Gas (GHG)Protocol Initiative is a partnership of businesses, NGOs,governments, and academic institutions. The GHGProtocol Corporate Standard has emerged as the pre-eminent international standard for preparing acorporate-wide GHG inventory. Utilized by hundreds ofcompanies worldwide and a majority of corporateclimate programs in the U.S. and abroad, the GHGProtocol has gained international recognition andlegitimacy. ■

www.ghgprotocol.org

P u b l i c a t i o n s

The GreenhouseGas Protocol: The GHG Protocolfor Project Accounting (2005)

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (2004)

Measuring to Manage: A Guideto Designing GHG Accountingand Reporting Programs (2007)

7Climate & Energy

G R E E N P O W E R M A R K E TD E V E L O P M E N T G R O U P

The Green Power Market Development Group (GPMDG)is a unique commercial and industrial partnership oflarge energy consumers dedicated to buildingcommercial and industrial markets for renewable energy.Group members explore opportunities to installrenewable energy generation systems such as solar,wind, and biomass at their corporate facilities and topurchase green electricity from their utilities. TheGPMDG has a presence in both the U.S. and Europe,and in 2007 established a California Affiliates project.Currently, the GPMDG is evaluating the possibility ofengaging corporations and governments to deployrenewable energy in China. ■

www.thegreenpowergroup.org


National RenewableElectricity StandardDesign Features (2007)

The Business Case for CorporateUse of Renewable Energy InEurope (2007)

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Charting the Midwest:An Inventory and Analysis ofGreenhouse Gas Emissions inAmerica’s Heartland (2007)

U . S . C L I M AT E B U S I N E S S G R O U P

WRI’s U.S. Climate Business Group helps companiesbuild strategies to thrive in a carbon-constrainedeconomy. Partners develop greenhouse gas (GHG)management systems, share energy managementpractices, and invest in clean energy. By implementingcorporate GHG strategies, companies manage risks,improve responses to climate change, serve as rolemodels for the broader business community, anddemonstrate that emissions reductions are feasible andeconomically sound. There are three regional groupsthat provide participants with an opportunity to developstrategies that are tailored to specific regionalchallenges. ■

Northeast: www.climatenortheast.org Midwest: www.climatemidwest.org Southeast: www.climate-southeast.org


9Climate & Energy

U . S . C L I M AT E P O L I C Y D E S I G N

WRI is a founding member of the U.S. Climate ActionPartnership (USCAP), a group of 27 leading businessesand six national environmental organizations that havecome together to call on the federal government toquickly enact strong mandatory U.S. legislation that willreduce U.S. GHG emissions 60-80% by 2050. USCAPsupports cap and trade as the most environmentallyeffective and economically efficient domestic climatepolicy option. ■

www.us-cap.org


Weighing U.S. EnergyOptions: The WRIBubble Chart (2007)

Hot Climate, Cool Commerce: A Service Sector Guide to Greenhouse Gas Management(2006)

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E M I S S I O N S C A P A N D T R A D E

Emissions trading is an essential component of aneffective global climate protection regime. Implementedat a global level, emissions trading could cut the costsfor reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a factor of tenor more. To achieve these economies, however, local andregional trading systems must be designed in aconsistent manner that ultimately allows for theirinterconnection. WRI supports the development of localemissions trading systems and linkages between thesesystems to promote a coordinated, cost-effectiveinstitutional mechanism for reducing global GHGemissions.

In addition to laying the groundwork for domesticmarkets, U.S. voluntary and regional efforts offer a pathfor broader engagement by the U.S. in internationalemissions markets. To ensure that lessons are widelyshared and that emissions markets around the worlddevelop consistently, WRI participates in internationalpolicy discussions such as the Kyoto Protocol andEuropean Union Emissions Trading System. ■

C L I M AT E A N A LY S I S A N DI N D I C AT O R S

CAIT is the Climate Analysis Indicators Tool – a free,web-based resource that provides comprehensive andcomparable greenhouse gas emissions inventoriesand other climate-relevant indicators for the U.S. and over185 countries worldwide. CAIT features powerful chartingand graphing functionality to enable the presentation ofclimate data in a way that is accessible and informative topolicymakers and the public. Since its launch in 2003,CAIT has supported thousands of users, includingpolicymakers, environmental ministers, educators, andjournalists. ■

www.cait.wri.org

11Climate & Energy

C A R B O N C A P T U R E A N DS E Q U E S T R AT I O N

There is a growing belief that while energy efficiency andrenewable energy are the preferred solutions to climatechange, they will not in themselves replace fossil fuelelectricity generation in the near term. Carbon Captureand Sequestration is therefore essential technology toreduce emissions from burning coal as we transition to aclean energy infrastructure. Under WRI project oversightand management, a group of industry, government, andacademic stakeholders is developing guidance thatidentifies, analyzes, and advances a framework underwhich this technology can be more widely deployed. ■


Building Public Acceptabilityfor Carbon Capture andSequestration (2007)

Opportunities andChallenges for CarbonCapture andSequestration (2007)

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Leveling the Carbon Playing Field: InternationalCompetition and U.S. ClimatePolicy Design (2008)

Slicing the Pie:Sector-BasedApproaches toInternational ClimateAgreements (2007)

A R C H I T E C T U R E O F C L I M AT EA G R E E M E N T S

WRI works with partners to propose specific architecturesolutions to structure international agreements and tobuild government and non-governmental constituenciesfor policy and action. WRI leverages its research byengaging in key processes, including the United Nations, Group of Eight, and the Asia Pacific Partnership,and by working on the ground in developing countriessuch as China, India, South Africa, Indonesia, and Brazil.WRI will build upon current work to frame a space forpolicy actions for mitigation and adaptation by developingand developed countries. This involves looking at metricsfor climate actions, investigating the potential forinternational sectoral agreements (based on detailedanalysis of trade flows and competitiveness issues), andresearch into technology options. ■


13Climate & Energy

E N E R G Y S E C U R I T Y A N D C L I M AT E C H A N G E

In both electricity and transportation sectors, energyoptions have both security and climate benefits, but otherscarry heavy carbon penalties. In partnership with the Centerfor Strategic and International Studies, WRI works toidentify areas where policy priorities compete and assessoptions to promote solutions that integrate and addressclimate change and energy security concerns. ■


C H I N A A N D T H E C L I M AT E C H A N G EC H A L L E N G E

This project supports WRI’s collaboration with Chinesepartners to accelerate climate change mitigation and, indoing so, will address one barrier to U.S. re-engagement ininternational climate action. Project elements include:

• Reframing China’s energy security challenge asinseparable from the challenge of climate change;

• Building a strong and influential network in China toprovide analysis, information, tools and partnershipsnecessary to effectively address economic developmentand climate change; and

• Engaging and working with bilateral and multilateralcollaborators, particularly in the U.S., to better informways of engaging on climate issues related to China. ■

Managing the Transition toa Secure, Low-CarbonEnergy Future (2008)

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D E V E L O P I N G C O U N T R Y A C T I O N S

The Developing Country Actions initiative helps developingcountries engage positively and directly in internationalclimate change policy, while promoting their owndevelopment. The focus of this project will be currentnegotiations around the Bali Action Plan under theauspices of the U.N. Framework Convention on ClimateChange. WRI’s work aims to create a policy actionframework for mitigation by developing countries,including a registry, a review process, and metrics tocompare efforts. This work is informed by research intointernational financial flows, including private sectorinvestment, to support developing countries. ■


Growing in the Greenhouse:Protecting the Climate byPutting Development First(2005)

15Climate & Energy

V U L N E R A B I L I T Y A N D A D A P TAT I O NT O C L I M AT E C H A N G E

Already there are worrying signs of how climate changewill harm human livelihood and well-being by reducingwater and food availability, increasing water and vector-borne diseases, and raising the frequency and intensityof fires. While in some places climate change will bringnew opportunities, the impacts are projected to be moreadverse than beneficial. Poor people – and poorcountries – are likely to be the worst affected as the earthwarms. WRI, working with in-country partners andinternational donor networks, will help developingcountries integrate climate change impacts andadaptation approaches into national developmentplanning. These efforts will support the design ofadaptation elements for a post-2012 internationalagreement. ■


Weathering the Storm:Options for Framing Adaptationand Development (2007)

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Against thebackdrop of globalchallenges likeclimate change andenergy insecurity,how can citiesattract business andcreate jobs whilealso improvinghealth and mobilityfor their residents?This is the question

at the heart of EMBARQ’s work. By working with citiesaround the world to improve their transportation systems –which affect everything from economic growth to the airthat we breathe – EMBARQ’s objective is to make citiesclean, livable, and prosperous places to live.

By working with EMBARQ – The WRI Center forSustainable Transport, cities can reduce the cost, risk, time,and complexity of diagnosing transport problems anddesigning and implementing sustainable solutions.EMBARQ has also proven that sustainable transport indeveloping countries can translate into economicopportunities for the forward-thinking business.

EMBARQ strives to:

• Reduce fuel use, air pollution, and greenhouse gasemissions;

• Improve quality and cost-effectiveness of urban mobilitysystems;

• Improve public health;

• Enhance accessibility, traffic safety, and public security;

Bus Rapid Transit: EMBARQ’s Metrobus inMexico City has reduced CO2 emissions by57,000 tons.

17EMBARQ

• Enhance the quality of urban public spaces and accessto benefits of the city for all income classes, especially the poor;

• Increase competitiveness of cities by reducing the costof doing business and the cost of getting to work; and

• Increase the opportunities for sustainable mobilitybusinesses.

Since 2002, EMBARQ has established Centers forSustainable Transport in Mexico, Brazil, India, Turkey, andthe Andes. Together, EMBARQ and its centers comprisethe EMBARQ Network. The expertise distributedthroughout this global network is one of EMBARQ’sgreatest assets and allows EMBARQ to apply experiencesand knowledge gained in one region to solve similarproblems in cities around the world.

EMBARQ’s scale-up strategy is to go deeper in thecountries where it is currently present. This includespartnering with new cities in these countries, continuing to achieve our goals in cities with which EMBARQ alreadyhas partnerships, and ensuring that every center in theEMBARQ Network has the expertise and capacity to deliverits mission. ■

www.embarq.org

Finding a Way:EMBARQ’s Center forSustainableTransport in Turkeywas the first tomeasure the totalemissions for all ofthe vehicles inIstanbul and isworking with the cityto evaluate andimplement solutions.

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GovernanceWRI’s Governance Program works to

empower people and strengthen

institutions in order to foster

environmentally-sound and socially

equitable decision-making. We achieve this goal

by promoting the transparency, inclusiveness, and

accountability of institutions entrusted with

environmental protection and natural resource

management.

Through its global network of partners, WRI

encourages governments, businesses and

international organizations to increase investment

in environmental monitoring, data collection, and

information dissemination. The Governance

Program develops and shares tools and

methodologies to assess the openness and

effectiveness of environmental decision-making

and the impacts of these decisions on the health

and prosperity of local communities. In the

process, WRI builds and supports networks of civil

society groups, companies, and government

officials with a shared commitment to high

environmental standards and good governance.

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How to get involvedCompanies can play a key role in fosteringenvironmentally-sound and socially-equitable decision-making. We encourage companies to increase theirtransparency and accountability, as well as to encouragenational governments (and other institutions) to promotethe availability of accurate social and environmental data.

WRI’s International Financial Flows and EnvironmentProject works with banks and interested privatecompanies to develop comprehensive policies forenvironmental sustainability – particularly on issuesrelated to energy, climate change, and ecosystemservices. Building on past analysis that makes thebusiness case for community consent, we are deepeningour engagement with companies and banks that canprovide insights on best practice for establishing andmaintaining a social license to operate. We also serve asa source of expert guidance on the challenges ofmeaningful engagement of communities affected byinvestments in sensitive sectors, providing expertise onexperiences and innovations that can address thechallenges that such efforts often present in practice.

We would like to explore opportunities to develop jointprograms with companies whose strategic focus onaccess to information and transparency would be in linewith the program’s activities. ■

Governance

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I N T E R N AT I O N A L F I N A N C I A L F L O W S

The International Financial Flows and the Environment(IFFE) Project works to align public and private investmentwith environmentally sustainable development and povertyreduction. We focus our efforts on banks that shapeinternational environmental and social policies and normsfor finance, trade, and investment, because these institutionsset the conditions for public and private sector investment.

Current IFFE strategies target a subset of internationalfinancial institutions, including Multilateral DevelopmentBanks, private “Equator Principle Financial Institutions” thathave agreed to apply environmental and social safeguards,and Export Credit and Guarantee Agencies. IFFE gains abetter understanding of how these policies and principlesplay out on the ground by engaging with client companies,civil society institutions, affected communities, andgovernment agencies in countries where foreign investmentis driving dramatic transformations in their natural resourcesectors. Our most recent focus is on the hydrocarbon sectorin Peru. ■


Correcting the World’s GreatestMarket Failure: ClimateChange and the MultilateralDevelopment Banks (2008)

Development withoutConflict: The BusinessCase for CommunityConsent (2007)

Diverging Paths: What future for export creditagencies in developmentfinance? (2005)

21Governance

E L E C T R I C I T Y G O V E R N A N C EI N I T I AT I V E

The Electricity Governance Initiative (EGI) is a collaborativeundertaking to promote better governance in the electricitysector. Transparent, accountable, and participatory decision-making processes are necessary to facilitate moresustainable outcomes in the electricity sector. EGI works withcivil society and sector actors – including regulators,policymakers, sector officials, and donors – to develop acommon understanding of good governance in thetechnically complex electricity sector.

EGI works to create the enabling conditions for policy andregulatory frameworks that will align investment with social,environmental, and economic objectives. We seek toempower a range of stakeholders, particularly civil society, todemand improved policy and regulation of electricity. We areleading new efforts to explore innovations in regulation of thesector that can incentivize energy efficiency and thedeployment of renewable energy technologies at scale. Since2003, we have been active in India, Indonesia, Thailand, andthe Philippines. We plan to expand our efforts to South Africaand Brazil in 2008. ■

www.electricitygovernance.wri.org


Clean Energy and Regulation:The Importance of Good Governance (Working title)

Sustainable Energy and Climate Change in Latin America:Meeting the Challenge (Working title)

Empowering People: A Governance Analysis ofElectricity (2007)

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Markets & Enterprise

WRI’s Markets & Enterprise Program works

to harness markets and enterprise to

expand economic opportunity and protect

the environment. To achieve this goal,

companies need profitable ways to integrate

sustainability and strategies that deliver

environmental and social benefits. Policies and

regulations need to be in place that factor in

environmental costs of resource consumption and

polluting activities, and place a value on services

provided by ecosystems. Stronger market demand

needs to be created for products that protect Earth’s

climate and ecosystems. Investors need to

demonstrate a preference for companies that have

superior environmental performance and strategies,

and penalize those that do not. Mechanisms need to

be in place that enable the public and governments to

hold companies accountable for their environmental

and social performance.

23Markets & Enterprise

How to get involvedCompanies can play a pivotal role in directing capitaltowards sustainable strategies and promoting profitablesolutions to environmental challenges. We encouragecompanies to review the business case for sustainabledevelopment in their particular circumstances and to investin research and strategies that deliver environmental andsocial benefits.

For our capital markets research, called ENVEST, wecollaborate with financial institutions to improveunderstanding of climate change and water scarcity issuesand how these environmental risks and opportunities willaffect different sectors in regions across the globe.

The ENVEST team is looking to establish partnerships withlocal investment banks (or branches of internationalinvestment banks) in order to publish co-branded researchfor Phase III of our current work in emerging Asian equities.As a key emerging market that impacts environmentaltrends in the region, China will be an increasinglyimportant focus country for this research. We plan toexpand to other emerging markets in the future, includingBrazil. For these future projects we will need local partners.

We are also recruiting appropriate companies to becomeinvolved with developing two analytical tracks that assessthe business case for green supply chain initiatives. Thefirst track involves the development of sustainabilityscenarios; a forecast of trends involving natural resourcesconsumption, policy trends, and green product demand,and how these trends are creating significant risks withrespect to the cost structures of products and businesses.The second analytical track is an examination of therelationship between buyers and suppliers; how buyers caninfluence their suppliers to achieve better environmentalperformance, and why these actions are in their mutualfinancial interests. By proving the business case for greensupply chain initiatives, WRI will use a powerful set ofanalyses that will convince corporate CFOs and otherbusiness leaders to take action. ■

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C A P I TA L M A R K E T S R E S E A R C H

Financial markets are seeking appropriate tools to properlydiscount the cash flow implications of future environmentalliabilities, most notably climate change and water issues.Currently, investors possess insufficient information onenvironmental risks and opportunities that can havematerial impacts on a company’s financial risk and return.ENVEST seeks to provide research, methodologies, andtools to financial institutions, investors, and corporations,which can help these groups accurately embedenvironmental risks and opportunities into their investmentdecisions. ■

www.wri.org/project/climate-wedgeswww.capitalmarkets.wri.org

G R E E N S U P P LY C H A I N

The Green Supply Chain Project promotes corporatesupply chain initiatives that are based on sustainabilitycriteria and lead to improved sustainability performanceby large companies and their suppliers. These initiativeshave great potential to drive beneficial environmentalpractices throughout the business community byleveraging the market power of large buyers of productsand materials. In this way, the environmental goals andstandards set by large companies can be the leadingedge of a broader business transformation that extendsto the middle market and small enterprises globally,especially in China. Also, green supply chain initiativescan drive the redesign of products that are moreenvironmentally-friendly. ■

25Markets & Enterprise


Capturing King Coal:Deploying CarbonCapture and StorageSystems in the U.S.at Scale (2008)

Trees in the Greenhouse:Why Climate Change isTransforming the ForestProducts Business (2008)

Watching Water: A Guide to EvaluatingCorporate Risks in aThirsty World (2008)

Scaling Up: Global TechnologyDeployment to Stabilize Emissions(2007)

Plants at the Pump: Biofuels, Climate Change,and Sustainability (2007)

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E M E R G I N G M A R K E T S E Q U I T I E SThrough our Emerging Markets Equities work, WRI isproviding analysis on how environmental and social issuesaffect shareholder value and financial performance of listedequities in select Asian markets. Our current researchfocuses on the potential impact of key environmental trendsin Asia, such as climate change, water scarcity, and foodsecurity, on corporate value of companies in sectors suchas energy, auto, and pulp and paper. Focus countriesinclude Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, India,and Thailand. ■

P u b l i c a t i o n s Valuing Sustainability in Emerging Asia (Working title)

N E W V E N T U R E S

New Ventures promotes sustainable growth in emergingmarkets by accelerating the transfer of capital to businessesthat deliver social and environmental benefits. We promotebusiness solutions that align the need for sound financialreturns with environmental and social goals. We also useour convening power and communication tools to conductworkshops and conferences and to build onlinecommunities of practice for serving base-of-the-pyramid(BoP) communities.

We have chosen small and medium enterprises (SMEs) asour target group, as they are the engines of durable,equitable, economic growth in emerging markets.Accounting for an average of 50% of the GDP andemploying 60% of the labor force, these SMEs are greatsources of innovation and often provide strong linkages topoor communities. They have the capacity to transform theeconomic development paradigm by delivering businessmodels that are pro-poor and pro-environment. Our currentwork is focused in five key emerging economies: Brazil,China, India, Indonesia, and Mexico. ■

www.new-ventures.org

Markets & Enterprise 27

In addition to our headquarters in Washington, DC, wehave offices in each of our five target countries:

Brazil www.new-ventures.org.br

Mexico www.nvm.org.mx

China www.new-ventures.org.cn

Indonesia www.new-ventures.org.id

India www.newventuresindia.org


On the Frontiers of Finance: Investing in Sustainable

Small and Medium Enterprises in Developing Countries

(Working title)

China’s Booming Energy

Efficiency Industry (2008)

New Ventures:

A Better World is Our

Bottom Line (2006)

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B A S E O F T H E P Y R A M I D M A R K E T S

NextBillion.netNextBillion.net, an initiative of New Ventures, is a websiteand blog about how business drives positive social andenvironmental change in low-income communities. Weserve as a discussion forum, networking space, andknowledge base for individuals and organizationsinterested in the “next billion” – the next billion people torise from the base of the economic pyramid (BoP), andthe next billion in profits for businesses that strive to fillmarket gaps by integrating the BoP into healthyeconomies. Our goal is to promote the development andimplementation of business strategies that openopportunities and improve quality of life for the world’sfour billion low-income producers and consumers.

We have recently entered into a partnership agreementwith the Acumen Fund (AF), in which WRI and AF will beco-creators of the site. ■


The Next 4 Billion:Market Size and BusinessStrategy at the Base of thePyramid (2007)

29People & Ecosystems

People & Ecosystems

The goal of WRI’s People & Ecosystems

Program is to reverse rapid degradation

of ecosystems and assure their capacity

to provide people and economies with

needed goods and services. The Program focuses

on two areas:

■ Mainstreaming Ecosystem Services:

WRI is working to reduce ecosystem

degradation by helping governments,

businesses, and development agencies

integrate the value of ecosystem services into

their decision-making.

■ Forest Landscapes: WRI is working to

increase the capacity of governments,

businesses, and civil society to protect

primary forests, manage working forests

more effectively, and restore deforested and

degraded lands.

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How to Get InvolvedCurrent opportunities to get involved with projects in thisprogram include the Business and Ecosystem LeadershipGroup, an innovative partnership between WRI and leadingcompanies dedicated to advancing business strategies,markets, and policies that align corporate performance andecosystem stewardship.

There are opportunities to collaborate and engage in ourbiofuels work, which we would like to expand to exploreinternational forest vulnerability assessments, carbonaccounting protocols for biofuels production thataccommodate land use change, and the role of sustainablecertification programs in voluntary and regulatory policyframeworks. We also work on economic valuation of coralreefs, which aims to catalyze protection and restoration ofthose threatened ecosystems. The project is relevant tocompanies that benefit from the recreational services andshoreline protection coral reefs provide. ■

Restoring Nature’s Capital:An Action Agenda to SustainEcosystem Services (2007)


B U S I N E S S & E C O S Y S T E M S E R V I C E S

Forests, wetlands, and other ecosystems providebusinesses with numerous benefits, or ecosystemservices, such as freshwater, wood, genetic resources,flood mitigation, shoreline protection, and carbonsequestration. However, a recent assessment by nearly 1400 scientists found that 15 of the 24 ecosystemservices evaluated had degraded globally since 1950. This decline jeopardizes economic well-being and willcreate new winners and losers within the businesscommunity. WRI is providing information, managementtools, and collaborative engagement to help companiesprepare for this new landscape and contribute to ecosystemrestoration.

WRI’s Corporate Ecosystem Services Review (ESR) is astructured methodology that helps managers proactivelydevelop strategies to manage business risks andopportunities arising from their company’s dependence andimpact on ecosystems. Business managers can workdirectly with WRI for assistance in conducting a review fortheir company or download the ESR. ■

www.wri.org/ecosystems/esr


The CorporateEcosystem ServicesReview: Guidelinesfor IdentifyingBusiness Risks andOpportunities Arisingfrom EcosystemChange (2008)

Ecosystem Services: A Guide for Decision Makers(2008)

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B U S I N E S S & E C O S Y S T E M SL E A D E R S H I P G R O U P

The Business & Ecosystems Leadership Group (BELGroup) is an innovative partnership between WRI andleading companies dedicated to advancing businessstrategies, markets, and policies that align corporateperformance and ecosystem stewardship. The BEL Groupprovides a platform for companies to engage peers andmanage business risks arising from ecosystemdegradation. Additional objectives include developing new products and services to meet emerging customerneeds, engaging policymakers, and participating in newmarkets for ecosystem services, such as carbon,biodiversity, and water. ■

E C O N O M I C VA L U AT I O N O F C O R A L R E E F S

Coral reefs are a major source of income for the tourism andfishing industries and play a crucial role in protectingcoastlines from erosion, flooding, and storm damage.Despite their importance, many coral reefs are at risk ofdegradation. In the Caribbean, nearly two-thirds of coral reefsare threatened by human activities – including overfishing,dredging, sewage discharge, runoff from agriculturalactivities, and coastal development. WRI is working toinfluence coastal resource management by providing new,consistent, and credible information on the value of thegoods and services associated with coral reefs, as well asbuilding local capacity to use this information. ■


Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean(2004)


P E R F O R M A N C E - B A S E D I N C E N T I V E SF O R I M P R O V I N G W AT E R Q U A L I T Y

Nutrient pollution, or eutrophication, is a growing problem affecting coastal and freshwater regions. WRI is working to improve water quality by developingperformance-based incentives and engaging policymakersto adopt these mechanisms such as nutrient trading,reverse auctions, and performance-based payments.Current work focuses primarily on the Chesapeake Bay. ■

www.nutrientnet.org

B I O F U E L S P R O D U C T I O N & P O L I C Y:I M P L I C AT I O N S F O R C L I M AT EC H A N G E , W AT E R Q U A L I T Y, A N DA G R I C U LT U R E

Biofuels have huge potential for renewable energydevelopment. This project assesses the impact of biofuelproduction on domestic environmental indicators andagricultural structure, and explores how policy influencesfeedstock production, technology change, and theenvironment.

Recent WRI Policy Notes include:

• Beyond the RFS: Explores the economic andenvironmental implications of expanding the RenewableFuel Standard.

• Thirst for Corn: Investigates economic andenvironmental impacts of expanding the 2007 corn cropto satisfy ethanol demand.

• Biofuels, Carbon, and Land-Use Change: Explores theconceptual complexities of integrating indirect land useimpacts into carbon accounting systems for biofuels.

• Breaking the Bank: Assesses environmental impacts ofcorn stover harvest for ethanol production and thepotential for cover crops to mitigate some of thoseimpacts. ■

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F O R E S T M A N A G E M E N T

Forests are a vital source of goods and services butcontinue to be degraded and fragmented at astoundingrates. Forest management can only be improved ifdecision-making is transparent, and decision-makersare held accountable for their choices. WRI works toimprove forest management by ensuring that reliableand accurate information on forest use, conditions andthreats is publicly available and routinely used indecision-making by both the public and private sectors.

Our activities include:

• Monitoring and mapping forests to support nationalefforts to create spatial information;

• Supporting responsible procurement of forestproducts by providing purchasers with reliable,impartial, and easy-to-understand advice on forestproduct procurement policies;

• Assessing the oil and gas industry’s environmentalfootprint and exploring its impact on forest landscapes;

• Investigating the potential of forests to sequestercarbon dioxide and contribute to global climatechange commitments; and

• Examining how revenue from forest exploitation isdistributed among local communities. ■


S U S TA I N A B L E P R O C U R E M E N T O FW O O D A N D PA P E R - B A S E DP R O D U C T S

Decisions regarding the purchase and use of wood andpaper-based products can have far-reaching, long-termimpacts for forests where they are harvested,communities supported by wood-processing industries,and places where those products are purchased andused. WRI, along with the World Business Council forSustainable Development, collaborated to produce aguide and resource kit that is useful when developing aneffective procurement policy for wood and paperproducts. ■


Sustainable Procurementof Wood and Paper-basedProducts (2008)

36

E Q U I T Y, P O V E R T Y A N D T H EE N V I R O N M E N T

Distribution of national revenue from natural resources,such as timber and oil, favor more affluent regions andpeople, enriching powerful political and economic eliteswhile passing disproportionately large social andenvironmental costs on to the poor and disenfranchised.In many countries, current policies determining thedivision of environmentally rooted profits contradictpoverty reduction, environmental management, andother national objectives.

Three projects support WRI’s work on Equity, Poverty andthe Environment:

• Funnel the Money: AllocatingResources to Reduce Poverty providesinformation about the distribution of resources viamaps and scenarios and seeks to ensure thatresources are distributed equitably.

www.funnelthemoney.org

• Market Access and InstitutionalChoice: Distributional Equity underNatural Resource Decentralizationpromotes market access and representative localgovernment as a means of improving environmentaljustice.

• Poverty, Environment andDistributional Equity promotes governmentallocation policies for public revenue derived fromecosystem goods and services in a manner thatincreases benefits to poor people and encouragessound natural resource management andenvironmental justice. ■


EarthTrends

EarthTrends is anonline collection ofinformationregarding theenvironmental,social, andeconomic trendsthat shape ourworld. Much of theenvironmental

information on the internet is fragmented, buried, or onlyavailable at a price. EarthTrends gathers data from theworld’s leading statistical agencies, along with WRI-generated maps and analyses, into a single database forrapid searching and retrieving. To facilitate thecomparison of data from different sources, EarthTrendssupplements its content with detailed metadata thatreports on research methodologies and evaluates theinformation’s reliability. All of these resources are madeavailable to the public at no charge.

EarthTrends’ monthly updates reach more than 40,000registered users.

In the coming year, we are planning to extendEarthTrends’ reach through availability in multiplelanguages, with more localized information maintained bya network of partners in the developing world, startingwith China. In-country partners would create and managelanguage-appropriate, regional portals containing theEarthTrends data library, sub-national and regional datacollected by partner organizations, and regional graphicsand analysis. These new activities will support a coreelement of WRI’s strategy to engage more proactively anddeeply in influential emerging countries. ■

www.earthtrends.org

E N V I R O N M E N T A L I N F O R M A T I O N

F O R B E T T E R D E C I S I O N S

W O R L D

R E S O U R C E S

I N S T I T U T E

10 G Street, NE

Suite 800

Washington, DC 20002

USA

202.729.7600

www.wri.org

Chris Perceval

Corporate Relations Manager

[email protected]

202.729.7874

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