Chris Miller, Inspirator within the Corporate Consciousness Department, on Seventh Generation’s climate change initiatives:

Greenhouse gas emissions continue to soar both globally and within the US, an issue of deep concern to us. We believe that a planet at risk puts our business at risk, and that the purpose of business should not separate from the project of humanity.

We are taking action to reduce our company’s carbon footprint by setting a companywide reduction target and working with our community of employees to increase the efficiency of their homes and cars. We’re also engaged throughout our supply chain to reduce the climate impacts of our business. But we know that ours is a small piece of the global problem, and that modeling a positive approach within our company is not enough. There’s a huge gap between what even the most progressive companies are doing and where we need to go. Our advocacy of science-based federal legislation helps bridge the gap between our company efforts and the need for more dramatic, societal change. Indeed, we believe that strong federal action is the only way we can effectively address this problem.

That’s why we joined the visionary companies of BICEP in early 2009. Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP) (www.ceres.org/bicep), a Ceres project, brings key allies in the business community together with relevant members of Congress to pass meaningful energy and climate change legislation. The group has been tremendously active and will prove to be a key player in the congressional debate on this topic.

Some of Seventh Generation’s Climate Change Initiatives:

• A goal of 80% GHG reduction by 2050, achieved through a 2% reduction per year in emissions;
• Incentives for employees to invest in energy efficiency at home;
• Incentives to move employees to more fuel-efficient vehicles, including hybrids;
• Working throughout our supply chain to reduce the impact of our products;
• Taking a leadership role on the issue of sustainable palm oil production and its impact on climate change; and
• Strongly supporting the work of BICEP.