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Accelerate Green Innovation

Small incremental changes will not be enough to meet the challenges posed by rising global temperatures and dwindling water, food and oil resources. Huge amounts of capital are needed to drive innovation and advance solutions at an accelerated pace. y leveraging our extensive network, Ceres will push the world's largest companies, their suppliers and investors to capture the enormous opportunities from energy efficiency, renewable energy, low-carbon products and sustainable supply chains.

Green Innovation Small incremental changes will not be enough to meet the challenges posed by rising global temperatures and dwindling water, food and oil resources. Huge amounts of capital are needed to drive innovation and advance solutions at an accelerated pace.

By leveraging our extensive network, Ceres will push the world's largest companies, their suppliers and investors to capture the enormous opportunities from energy efficiency, renewable energy, low-carbon products and sustainable supply chains.

How We Will Get There:

Secure commitments from investors, including:

Deploy trillions of dollars of capital in clean technologies, projects and infrastructure which will help reduce emissions and create new jobs.
Curb investments in risky carbon-intensive projects such as coal-fired power plants without carbon capture, oil sands and oil shale projects.
Exponentially grow new investment product offerings that support sustainable solutions.

Secure commitments from companies, including:

Require sustainability performance and disclosure by all suppliers.
Generate at least 20% of electricity for operations and supply chains from renewable energy sources by 2020.
Reach at least a 25 percent reduction in GHG emissions in operations, products and supply chains below 1990 levels by 2020.
Achieve a 15 percent reduction in electricity demand below projected levels by 2020.

Resources:

Shifting Ground: Why State Regulators Need to Adapt to America's Changing Energy Landscape May 22, 2012: As electric utility companies face new challenges -- outdated energy infrastructure, rising fossil fuel prices, incorporating renewable energy sources -- state utility regulators have a unique and important role to play in shaping the future of energy generation in the U.S. To help understand our country's emerging energy crisis and sketch out a transition plan for the next generation of electric utilities, we spoke with Ron Binz, former chairman of the Colorado Public Utility Commission and principle of Public Policy Consulting.
The Road to 2020: Corporate Progress on the Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability Apr 25, 2012: The Road to 2020: Corporate Progress on The Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability (www.ceres.org/roadto2020) assesses how U.S. businesses are progressing on sustainability and uses as a framework, The 21st Century Corporation: The Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability—a guide for integrating sustainability across a company’s entire enterprise. Specifically, it evaluates where 600 large publicly traded companies1 stand on sustainability issues in terms of governance, stakeholder engagement, disclosure and performance.
Practicing Risk-Aware Electricity Regulation: What Every State Regulator Needs to Know Apr 19, 2012: This report is primarily addressed to state regulatory utility commissioners, who will preside over some of the most important investments in the history of the U.S. electric power sector during perhaps its most challenging and tumultuous period. This report seeks to provide regulators with a thorough discussion of risk, and to suggest an approach—“risk-aware regulation”—whereby regulators can explicitly and proactively seek to identify, understand and minimize the risks associated with electric utility resource investment. It is hoped that this approach will result in the effcient deployment of capital, the continued financial health of utilities, and the confidence and satisfaction of the customers on whose behalf utilities invest.
2012 Investor Summit on Climate Risk & Energy Solutions - Final Report Apr 05, 2012: The fifth Investor Summit on Climate Risk & Energy Solutions was held on January 12th, 2012, at United Nations headquarters. Co-hosted by the United Nations Foundation, the United Nations Office for Partnerships and Ceres, the Summit brought together more than 450 institutional investor, financial and corporate leaders from around the globe. The Summit showcased a wide range of investment opportunities in climate and energy solutions – in energy efficiency, water efficiency, renewable energy and more – that are positioned to achieve significant growth and scale while replacing outmoded technologies and business models.
New Jobs - Cleaner Air (Part II): An investment in American Businesses and American Jobs Nov 17, 2011: In February 2011, Ceres issued a study demonstrating how new air pollution rules proposed for the electric power sector by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will provide long-term economic benefits across much of the United States. This report supplements this economic study by highlighting specific case examples of the companies involved in building a modern generating fleet. It breaks the supply chain into its component pieces and shows the vital role that American workers play in installing and maintaining sophisticated emission control systems.
Montana's Energy Future (Part Three): Differing Perspectives on the Energy Economy of the Rocky Mountain West Oct 26, 2011: In the third and final episode of our Montana Energy Series, we speak with Tom Darin, Western Regional Representative for the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Despite Montana's wind generating potential, project developers are wary of building large wind farms where there isn't enough infrastructure and power lines to properly distribute and export clean energy. Darin is working with everyone from policymakers to local farmers to help create a viable wind market that would bring jobs and investments to Montana's economy.
Economic Analysis of the Clean Fuel Standard Oct 12, 2011: This webinar provides a briefing on the Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) currently under development in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, as well as the positive regional economic benefits that would stem from these standards. The CFS, which would require fuel providers to gradually reduce the carbon intensity of the fuel they sell, would reduce the region's dependence on oil, promote a clean fuels industry and reduce transportation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, it is facing fierce opposition from the oil industry.
Montana's Energy Future (Part Two): Differing Perspectives on the Energy Economy of the Rocky Mountain West Sep 14, 2011: In the second episode of this three part series, we speak with Gloria Flora, former U.S. Forest Supervisor and Director of Sustainable Obtainable Solutions. Gloria recently co-authored a report on how Montana can become energy self-reliant through renewables, energy efficiency and conservation and is championing 'biochar' as a possible carbon-negative energy source.
Montana's Energy Future (Part One): Differing Perspectives on the Energy Economy of the Rocky Mountain West Aug 23, 2011: In the first episode of our three-part series on Montana's energy economy we speak with Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer. Schweitzer spent a number of years developing agricultural systems in Libya and Saudi Arabia, which strongly shaped one of his ongoing policy priorities: securing American energy independence. And with huge coal and oil reserves, as well as wind potential, he explains how Montana fits snugly into this plan.
More Jobs Per Gallon: How Strong Fuel Economy/GHG Standards Will Fuel American Jobs Jul 29, 2011: This Ceres report focuses on the economic impacts of strengthening fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for passenger vehicles sold in the United States. The analysis finds that stronger standards—more miles and fewer emissions per gallon—would lead to greater economic and job growth, both within the auto industry and in the broader economy as a whole.
Sustainability: Ending the ‘Tyranny of Short-Termism’ Apr 14, 2011: The business case for acting on sustainability is compelling. A recent MIT Sloan/Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study divides surveyed companies into “embracers,” those actively integrating sustainability into their core business strategies, and “cautious adopters” who see sustainability as “essential to remaining competitive” but lag on core integration.
California Dreaming: Making Carbon Reduction Legislation a Political Reality Jan 25, 2011: In this episode, we’re joined by Kevin Kennedy, executive officer of California’s Air Resources Board’s climate division and main architect of the bill’s cap-and-trade rules. Kennedy describes the process and progress on climate policy in California and what it might mean for carbon management in the rest of the country.
The 21st Century Electric Utility: Positioning for a Low-Carbon Future Jul 27, 2010: July 2010 - This report identifies five key elements of a 21st century electric utility business model and makes specific recommendations to utilities as they transition to a low-carbon future. It is by no means the final word on this complex and constantly evolving subject. Rather it is a starting point for utilities, policymakers, regulators, investors, analysts, and advocates to consider the utility decisions and behaviors best suited to helping us realize the energy future we all want – a future that, as the report says, “minimizes cost, risk and environmental impact, and maximizes opportunity, options and societal benefit.”
The 21st Century Corporation: The Ceres Roadmap to Sustainability Mar 10, 2010: March 2010 - The Ceres Roadmap serves as a vision and practical guide for integrating sustainability into the DNA of business — from the boardroom to the copy room. It analyzes the drivers, risks and opportunities involved in making the shift to sustainability, and details strategies and results from companies who are taking on these challenges. The Roadmap is designed to provide a comprehensive platform for sustainable business strategy and for accelerating best practices and performance.
2010 Investor Summit on Climate Risk Final Report Feb 10, 2010: To highlight the enormous opportunities of this transition and to assess the need for climate change policy, Ceres, the United Nations Office for Partnerships, and the United Nations Foundation co-hosted the fourth Investor Summit on Climate Risk at the United Nations on January 14, 2010. The Summit brought together more than 520 financial, corporate, and investor leaders with more than $22 trillion in combined assets. Speakers from the investment community, business, labor, and government highlighted the fact that private investment in climate change solutions is crucial for addressing the climate crisis and will not happen at the necessary scale without strong climate and energy policies that limit emissions and put a price on carbon.
Energy Efficiency and Real Estate: Opportunities for Investors Dec 10, 2009: December 2009 - This report outlines the business case that investing in energy efficiency enhanced value in real estate portfolios. The report concludes that, whether investors have direct control over the properties in their portfolio or not, taking steps to reduce energy use makes financial sense. The report lays out the steps investors can take to improve energy efficiency, and presents best practices for different types of investments.
A Brave Green World: Revitalizing American Labor for a New Energy Economy Nov 18, 2009: This episode, we are joined by Jeff Rickert, Director of the AFL-CIO Center for Green Jobs who talks about how the new energy economy is our best hope to revitalize American labor so we don’t get left behind in the global clean tech markets of the future.
CAFE and the U.S. Auto Industry Revisited: A Growing Auto Investor Issue (2011 - 2016) Oct 08, 2009: October 2009 - This report evaluates the impact that changes to the U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program may have on the industry in 2016. We have issued this report as a follow-up to Citi’s October 22, 2007 report “CAFE and the U.S. Auto Industry – A Growing Auto Investor Issue, 2012-2020” in which we examined the impact of proposed fuel economy regulation on the U.S. auto industry.
Glass Half Full: The Role of Technology in Reducing Water Scarcity Sep 18, 2008: This week, we talk with Jeff Connelly, VP of General Electric’s Global Supply Chain and Water and Process Technologies Division, about the technological solutions being implemented in order to conserve and recycle the earth’s most valuable resource - water.
Video: UN Investor Summit on Climate Risk May 08, 2008: On February 14, 2008, investors representing over $22 trillion joined Ceres and the United Nations Foundation at the UN Headquarters in New York City to discuss the physical and financial risks of climate change and the opportunities and solutions to mitigate that risk. Presenters included Harvard University's John Holdren, Khosla Ventures' Vinod Khosla, Ceres president Mindy Lubber, United Nations Foundation president Timothy Wirth.

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