GreenBiz.com® |
ClimateBiz |
GreenerBuildings |
GreenerComputing |
GreenerDesign |
Greener World Media
BiographyRyan Schuchard
As Business for Social Responsibility’s environmental research & development associate, Ryan Schuchard focuses on climate change issues such as energy efficiency, renewable energy and carbon markets. He also helps companies navigate longer-term environmental issues while bringing a finance and strategy paradigm to conservation.
Ryan co-leads the supply chain carbon footprinting initiative "De-Carbonizing the Supply Chain," which, in partnership with the Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC), is developing an engagement protocol and standard reporting tool for the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.
Prior to joining BSR in 2007, Ryan held various roles in global supply chain, marketing and operations related to environmental strategy. He also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kyrgyzstan and has done fieldwork in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Scandinavia. Ryan holds an M.B.A. from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a B.S. in Finance from Oregon State University. Ryan is available by email at rschuchard@bsr.org.
Columns
-
Given the sheer number of items we purchase, use and throw away every year, it's no surprise that consumer products are the ultimate drivers of carbon emissions. In that context, product design is critical for addressing climate change. As the concentration point for a large set of decisions about human and material resource flows, product design can influence emissions throughout the value chain, with the potential to yield significant results: According to the U.K.-based Climate Group, during the next decade, developments to information and communication technology products alone could reduce global GHG emissions by 15 percent, while saving the industry more than $900 billion. Ironically, the shortest path to better products is often found not inside the design team, but throughout the
-
As more companies gain carbon management experience, they are expanding work from their scope of direct operations to a broader sphere of influence. Expansion is happening through two main efforts -- product footprinting and supply chain footprinting, both of which are based on broadening from the organization to the inter-organizational value chain system. Each has interrelated issues and drivers, but they represent two different movements with distinct activities and tradeoffs. As standards emerge, understanding their common denominators is important for guarding against greenwashing and making the right investments. The question for companies taking the lead on carbon footprinting now is: What is the relationship between product footprinting and supply chain footprinting, and what
Climate Sponsor
Integrated Facilities Management Sponsor
Design Sponsor
Document Management Sponsor
Work Environment Sponsor
Environmental Services Sponsor
Charter Sponsor
See GreenBiz.com