

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Despite being a centerpiece of celebrations the world over, fireworks displays often release toxic chemicals into the environment; researchers are developing a new generation of fireworks that shine as bright but leave less of an impact.

ELMSFORD, N.Y. -- Coca Cola signed a 10-year contract with UTC Power that will bring two fuel cells to a southern New York bottling plant, where they will produce enough heat and energy to satisfy nearly a third of the facility's needs. The state of New York also provided $2 million for the project.

GENEVA, -- Efforts by the world's leading cement companies knocked down carbon dioxide emissions from the industry’s manufacturing process by 35 percent even while production climbed by 53 percent, according to a new report by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Cement Sustainability Initiative.
"Live Green or Die” is how a recent BusinessWeek cover story describes General Motors Corp.’s current challenge.1 The automaker is hardly alone in confronting the need to integrate sustainability into its products and culture: A Chief Responsibility Officer magazine survey indicated that 25 percent of Fortune 500 companies expected to appoint Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) as of January 1, 2008.2 And that figure is quickly rising.
Who are these leaders? Where do they come from? What skills do they possess? And what are their most formidable challenges? This paper examines these questions and identifies:
Common “trigger points” that launch formal sustainability programs; Where the capability resides in the organization, how its performance is managed and measured; and What types of leaders are selected to lead these initiatives. The reporting and analyses in this paper are based on interviews with the leaders of formal sustainability programs, CEOs and other executives involved with these efforts among a dozen leading companies in North America and Europe.