• People - Planet - Profit

Recent Articles

Doing More With Less Is Success

I’ve just finished reading Dr. Bruce Piasecki’s optimistic book Doing More With Less and recommend it to business people who want to compete effectively during the 21st century amidst the unique challenges of our time.  Piasecki compares our “inherited beliefs about superabundance, entitlement, and destiny on Earth” against evidence of the 21st century challenges:  increasing [...]

NICOR Gas Has Rebates For Businesses That Improve Energy Efficiency

There are funding mechanisms in Illinois law which require large privately held gas and electric utility companies, like NICOR Gas (and ComEd and other large utilities), to provide consumers with information, rebates and incentives to help that them reduce energy consumption. NICOR Gas, which serves northern Illinois customers, has one of the most robust programs. Energy efficiency [...]

Two Stories of Naperville Businesses Deepening Their Commitment to Sustainable Operations

Over the past few months, the Green Leadership Council (GLC) of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce has worked to connect Naperville businesses with community resources that are able to help them address energy usage and recycling issues. First, the GLC introduced the City of Naperville to a community organization known as SCARCE (School and [...]

Grappling with Materiality Issues, GRI Sustainability Guidelines, and CSR Reports

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is an international non-profit that promotes economic, environmental and social sustainability among organizations of all types.  The third edition of GRI sustainability reporting and performance metrics is currently widely used by organizations around the world, especially among global companies.  The GRI is moving towards a fourth edition (GRI4) of standards and [...]

Summary of Energy Efficiency Programs for Illinois Building Owners

Did you know that American homes use about 25% of all energy consumed in the United States? Did you know that commercial buildings use about 19% of all energy consumed in the United States? These statistics are provided by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a nationally recognized organization that promotes energy [...]

Overview of Naperville Smart Grid Project For Naperville Business Owners

Please feel free to contact either Kate Schrank (kate@sustainabilitypartnersinc.org) or John Krummen (Jkrummen06@comcast.net) who co-wrote this article and are members of the Naperville Chamber of Commerce and are Ambassadors for the NSGI project. This article provides an overview to the Naperville business community and members of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce about the City [...]

Large Commercial Building Continues To Reduce Energy After LEED Certification

This blog has been updated from my original posting that can be found on the Illinois Environmental Council’s website.   Be sure to watch the YouTube video below to hear how the Merchandise Mart in Chicago has made significant energy usage reductions.  In 2005, the Merchandise Mart – one of the world’s largest commercial buildings – [...]

Have global insurance companies concluded that climate change is real?

I’m not an expert on insurance. I have the basic coverage many people have – life, property, health and car insurance. Like most people, I have insurance for real life scenarios that could happen and, if they did so, could cause significant hardship – scenarious such as car accidents, health issues, flood and storm protection. [...]

Americans Seriously Misunderstand Home Life Energy Usage

We need more surveys like this one sponsored by Columbia University’s Earth Institute, which will help educators, communicators, environmental groups and policy makers understand where individuals are lacking information to make informed choices about reducing home life energy usage. http://www.earth.columbia.edu/articles/view/2717 Adults in 34 states were quizzed about home energy reduction behaviors. The survey showed that [...]