As a general rule, however, any particular company’s “greenness” can be examined from two points of view: Corporate Practices and Product Offerings. The list below highlights, in broad terms, how Confluence evaluates a company’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

Corporate Practices
Any company of any size can apply green corporate practices. Similarly, the number of green practices can be equally wide and implemented in varying degrees. In general, these practices include:

• Investment in energy-efficient equipment (servers, computers, etc.)
• Conservation (reduction in paper usage, renting hybrid vehicles for company travel, outfitting buildings to be more energy-efficient, etc.)
• Recycling (ink cartridges, paper, plastic, aluminum cans, etc.)
• Responsible product lifecycle management (disposal of computers, IT equipment, ink cartridges, company cell phones, etc.)
• Increased usage of telecommuting and teleconferences to reduce auto and air travel
• Purchasing Renewable Energy Credits (RECs): vouchers that are used to purchase energy certified to have been produced via renewable sources

From a competitive differentiation standpoint, however, most of these practices equate roughly to just another form of social responsibility, such as community involvement and philanthropy, which all companies – especially public entities – are expected to practice. As such, while obviously effective in promoting environmental sustainability, it is unlikely that implementing green corporate practices will result in an ongoing competitive advantage for any company – though clearly most companies expect some accretion of goodwill for these efforts.

Product Offerings
While green corporate practices might be undertaken largely for altruistic purposes, making product offerings more environmentally conscious can have a more meaningful impact on a company’s competitive position. To date, most of the green product initiatives being touted by telecom equipment vendors and service providers can fall into four broad categories:

• Reducing power consumption, heat generation, and/or equipment footprint, which can lower energy costs related to cooling systems in telecom equipment and end user devices
• Use of renewable materials to manufacture products and use of recycled materials for packaging
• Supply chain management to ensure that suppliers operate in an environmentally responsible manner, and/or the environmental cost of procuring inputs and distributing finished goods is minimized.
• Conformance to government regulations and recommendations by renewable energy advocacy groups such as the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT).

In the coming weeks, months, years(?), we’ll be taking a much closer look at what companies in our verticals (Sports and Information Communications Technology) are doing to position themselves as environmentally responsible entities. Check back soon, or subscribe to our RSS feed to be updated whenever a new blog entry is posted.

Thanks for now,
Jason

WiFi at the ballpark… Shaq Tweeting at halftime… these are just two anecdotal but powerful examples of how pervasive Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has become in our lives as stakeholders in the sports industry. ICT infrastructure has long been a business essential for every professional sports organization, and most fans. So, as ballclubs have come to rely on ICT, news that the largest standards body which governs the ICT industry is taking steps to make carbon footprint calculations consistent can directly impact a team’s ability to forge its own Green identity.

First, let’s consider IT systems. All ballclubs have computer systems, most maintain servers, and some even have networks that connect disparate locations via LAN and WAN network infrastructures. Every piece of this puzzle has a carbon footprint. What’s more, with most ICT equipment vendors and service providers moving aggressively to become enablers of a new Green economy, ballclubs – and indeed all enterprises – are in position to realize OpEx benefits through new equipment replacement/adoption, as well as by way of the marketing opportunity that comes along with taking steps to reduce carbon emissions.

Against this backdrop is where the ITU’s recent actions become important. Right now, carbon footprint calculations are anyone’s guess. For example, a recent academic study (no reference here, Google it, you’ll find it) pointed out that the variance among the 10 “best” personal footprint calculators available on the web is greater than +/- 100%. If this doesn’t make the argument that standards are needed, nothing will.

So, while carbon footprint reporting standards in the ICT industry will not completely solve the problem, if embraced, it will help organizations make informed comparisons regarding the ICT equipment they choose, and help them to more accurately quantify some measures that they are taking to reduce their own carbon footprint(s).

Sound confusing? Perhaps. But, that’s why we exist. We will be keeping an eye on this, and all Green developments that can positively impact the sports industry… and we can help your team turn that Green into marketing Gold.