Sectors

Competitive advantage: Ahold and WWF: partnering to grow strawberries sustainably

In Spain, Ahold and WWF are working in a project that links strawberry production with protecting wetlands. Since February 2007, strawberries are sold with a small booklet explaining that their purchase is helping to protect an important water source, the Coto Doñana wetland nature reserve, in the south of Spain. The partnership is also currently reviewing other potential supply chains for similar projects.

Governance: Managing sustainable sourcing in the retail sector (M&S

Marks & Spencer’s (M&S) Plan A (a 5 year corporate responsibility programme) is unique in its design amongst all sectors reviewed by the NVI. In developing it, M&S evaluatedits activities in respect to customer concern, scale of the issue and ability to influence it. This resulted in Plan A, a clearly documented plan of action fully integratedinto M&S’ key business objectives.

Atlantic Canada Best Atlantic Canada Best Management Practices Program

Syngenta is a global agribusiness company with more than 24,000 employees in over 90 countries. The company is a leader in crop protection and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Syngenta Canada operates two research facilities that go beyond products and services to support commodity-based innovation in areas including bio-fuels and health benefits. Globally, Syngenta invests over $1 billion per year in research. The Canadian head office is in Guelph, Ontario, with about 250 employees spread throughout Canada.

CCA Environmental Stewardship Award CCA Environmental Stewardship Award

The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) was established in 1932 and acts as the national “voice” of Canada’s 86,000 beef producers. The CCA is a non-profit federation of eight provincial member associations. The CCA board of directors consists of 27 producers representing eight provinces. It carries out day-to-day business in support of the industry and provides the leadership and unity necessary to for the beef industry to speak as one voice. The beef industry is the largest source of farm cash receipts in Canada. In 2008, the sale of cattle and calves totalled $6.59 billion or just over 14% of total cash receipts (including crops). Canada’s beef industry contributes approximately $25 billion to the Canadian economy annually.

Biodiversity conservation through quarry rehabilitation

Holcim, headquartered in Switzerland, is one of the world’s leading suppliers of cement and construction materials. The Holcim Group has a market presence in over 70 countries on all continents. In Canada, Holcim operates 2 cement plants with the annual capacity to produce 2.7 million tonnes of Portland Cement and 500,000 tonnes of GranCem (a cement substitute with lower carbon intensity); 25 quarries and pits that produce more than 18 million tonnes per year of crushed stone, gravel and sand; 50 concrete plants and 2 construction companies specializing in major infrastructure projects. Holcim employs approximately 90,000 people worldwide and about 2,900 people in Canada. The Canadian Head Office is located in Concord, Ontario.

Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research Climate Change Project

http://www.agrobiodiversityplatform.org/climate_ch...

The aims and objectives of the Agrobiodiversity and Climate Change project are:

• To bring together information from rural communities, indigenous peoples, and research workers on how they use agrobiodiversity to cope with climate change
• To stimulate communication between agrobiodiversity researchers, users, and maintainers
• To identify tools and practices relevant to using agrobiodiversity for coping with climate change and making these widely available.

World Gold Council

http://www.gold.org/about_gold/sustainability/

The World Gold Council supports the development of a truly sustainable gold mining industry.  It supports global initiatives aimed at providing clear standards and processes on economic, environmental, and social issues.  Member organisations of the Council regularly publish reports outlining progress towards stated sustainability goals and declare the policies and standards that they have put in place to continually improve their sustainability performance.

The Greening of Industry Network (GIN)

http://www.greeningofindustry.org/

The GIN is an international network of professionals from research, education, business, civil society organizations, and government.  They primarily focus on issues of industrial development, environment, and society, and are dedicated to building a sustainable future. The Network seeks to create new concepts and perspectives that will make it possible to extend our horizons and communicate across disciplines, nations, and sectors.

International Hydropower Association (IHA)

http://www.hydropower.org

The IHA addresses the role of hydropower in meeting the world’s growing water and energy needs as a clean, renewable, and sustainable technology.  It was formed under the auspices of UNESCO in 1995 as a forum to promote and disseminate good practice and further knowledge about hydropower.

UK Green Building Council

http://www.ukgbc.org/site/home

The UK Green Building Council's mission is to improve the sustainability of the built environment in homes and non-domestic buildings by transforming the way it is planned, designed, constructed, maintained and operated. Additionally, they have produced sector specific biodiversity guidance.