Dole has partnered with PE INTERNATIONAL

Dole Food Company, Inc. will rely on PE´s SoFi software to consolidate the Company’s sustainability data into one software system. The software will assist Dole to calculate key performance indicators and will enhance Dole’s ability to establish, manage and meet program objectives at locations worldwide.

“SoFi will not only contribute to improving our sustainability reporting,” said Roberto Vega, Director of Sustainability at Dole Food Company, Inc. “It will also increase the efficiency of managing the Company’s information related to sustainability and allow us to set and achieve global objectives, instead of focusing on each operation separately.”

PE INTERNATIONAL is working with Dole on the implementation of SoFi, a central sustainability platform that transforms data from corporate activities into meaningful performance information. Dole is in the process of refining its key sustainability indicators, including the company’s carbon footprint, which will then be consolidated into SoFi and reported on a regular basis.

“Dole’s sustainability program is well established,” said Michael Betz, CEO at PE INTERNATIONAL. “With PE’s experience in the food and beverage industry we will assist Dole in bringing all the elements together to integrate sustainability as a key component of their day-to-day business - from enhancing processes and products through to reporting. We look forward to working together to achieve Dole’s sustainability objectives including lowering energy consumption and carbon emissions, benchmarking operations, and mitigating risks.”

For more information please contact Jeff Slye

InSinkErator – How to dispose 34 mio tons of food waste?

Food waste is a large component of our solid waste problem. And the question of what to do with it is a challenge for communities worldwide. Most of the food waste ends up in landfill, contributing to greenhouse gases.

PE INTERNATIONAL Inc. conducted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to help InSinkErator, a North American producer of disposers, to better understand the environmental impact of different food waste disposal systems.

The study examines various methods of transferring and disposing of organic food waste while measuring the global warming potential and primary energy demand of each process.

Read the summary of the study

For more information please contact Laura Mar

Truck Freight vs. Rail Freight – the next round

Environmental studies usually came to the conclusion that rail is generally the better and preferable environmental transport solution. In our recent study we demonstrated that a general statement, i.e. that rail is more environmentally friendly than road, cannot be made.

In the upcoming update focusing on Germany, we took into account most recent data available from rail companies. The results of the update confirm the findings of our previous study. A new case study, investigating the shift from road to rail of long-distance freight transport over distances beyond 300 kilometres, as proposed in the EU White Paper, revealed that CO2 emissions of rail and truck are in the same magnitude.

Depending on specific case parameter such as load factor, empty trips, precarriage and oncarriage either truck or rail performs better. This is a fact underlining our claim that a case-to-case investigation is required. 

Read the summary of the study 

For more information please contact Michael Spielmann

Australian Dairy study to establish industry´s carbon-cred

The Australian subsidiary of PE  is conducting a Life Cycle Assessment to establish the Australian dairy industry´s carbon footprint. The study aims to quantitatively evaluate the carbon footprint from a systems analysis point of view, i.e. farm-to-distributor´s warehouse or export harbour and focuses on the major dairy products produced for export and retail. Once completed in 2012, the assessment will identify the life-cycle phases with the highest environmental impact and highlight areas of potential improvement along the supply chain.

In the magazine Food & Drink Business, Neil van Buuren, the project leader, states “The study will generate a reliable basis for carbon footprinting, environmental product reporting and product labelling, for example environmental product declarations and carbon-reduction labels. It will enable benchmarking at both the farm and the corporate level to help drive best practice.”

More widely, it will support strategic decision-making to promote a more competitive Australian dairy industry and build the basis for sustainable leadership.

Australia is being told that it needs to increase its food supply by 50% by 2050 without increasing the amount of resources it uses. “All food production comes at an environmental cost and CO2 emissions arise at all points of supply chain,” van Buuren says.” This study is part of the dairy industry´s response to that challenge.”

For more information please contact Barbara Nebel

First Light house

Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand’s capital city, has been selected as one of 20 university teams to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 – the only entry, ever, from the southern hemisphere.

The First Light house is designed not only to operate as a sustainable, energy efficient and high performance building that minimises the environmental burdens and conserves resources but also focuses on recreation, socialisation, and outdoor living. However, the students realised that the operational environmental impact is only one part of the picture.

Although a Life Cycle Assessment is not one of the competition categories, the students were keen to use a LCA as part of their story around their house. PE INTERNATIONAL supported the students by undertaking a comprehensive analysis to quantify the environmental performance of the First Light house for construction, operation, maintenance and disposal. In addition to this we trained Victoria University students in the GaBi software and provided LCA seminars.

PE INTERNATIONAL wishes the First Light Team all the best for the completion of the project.

About the competition:
The US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon challenges 20 university teams, through a series of 10 contests, to demonstrate inventive clean-energy solutions by building solar-powered houses that feature cost-effective, energy-efficient construction and incorporate energy-saving appliances and renewable energy systems.

This year the Solar Decathlon will take place on the National Mall’s West Potomac Park, which is nestled amongst national landmarks and memorials, and is just a stone’s throw from the White House. The competition runs from September 23th to October 2nd.



more information: www.firstlighthouse.ac.nz

Carbon Footprint Standard ISO 14067

Carbon Footprint Standard ISO 14067 is to be published in the next two years. This Standard will influence New Zealand’s marketing of export products and will ensure that reliable information is provided on the carbon footprint of products.

Barbara Nebel, PE INTERNATIONAL (Australasia) is New Zealand’s representative on the ISO committee developing this standard and co-chairs the Standards New Zealand International Review Group on Life Cycle Assessment (IRG LCA).


‘My role as Co-Chair of the IRG LCA is to represent New Zealand’s best interests in carbon footprinting,’ says Barbara. ‘I think it’s critical to get an internationally agreed Standard to provide a level playing field for all players. ISO 14067 will do that by providing a standardised approach to calculate and communicate carbon footprint.’

read the full interview with Barbara Nebel

Massey University offers PhD Scholarships

The New Zealand Life Cycle Management Centre is offering two exciting opportunities to outstanding candidates with research interests in Life Cycle Management.

You will study for a PhD at Massey University in association with a Crown Research Institute (AgResearch or Scion). The PhD is funded through a Massey University scholarship for three years of study; this includes all academic fees and a tax-exempt stipend of $25,000 per annum.

Applications close on the 30th September, and more information can be found on the NZCLM website.

The NZ Life Cycle Management Centre is a collaboration between Massey University and three research institutes to build capability in Life Cycle Management (LCM) in New Zealand.

Turkey – Sustainability report

Akçansa Çimento, Turkey’s largest cement producer has sought to get a better understanding of sustainability within the whole organisation. Together with PE INTERNATIONAL, Akçansa Çimento developed industry specific key performance indicators and set sustainability targets which allow for monitoring and improving the sustainability performance of the enterprise.

With the support of expert consultants a sustainability report and a communication plan were developed. The report achieved a B-level verification from the GRI.

The Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) is about to introduce a sustainability rating, for which Akçansa Çimento, publicly listed on the ISE, is now extremely well placed.

For more information please contact Matthias Reimers

GaBi 5 & Databases ’11 - the new generation of product sustainability

GaBi 5 & Databases ’11 are the next generation of LCA technology providing LCA experts and LCA debutantes with confidence for making good business decisions and for issuing accurate and reliable external communications. All Life Cycle Assessment practitioners will experience more efficiency in modelling for faster LCA studies and easier communication of actionable Life Cycle Assessment results.

GaBi 5 and the Databases ’11 establish Life Cycle Assessment as an essential tool for the whole organisation to develop more sustainable products and processes while increasing resource efficiency and reducing cost.


Contact us now for a demo and offer.

More information on GaBi 5 and Databases ’11 here.

Symposium 2011 - Early Bird

Once again, PE INTERNATIONAL is hosting its annual symposium: a high-profile knowledge-sharing event where sustainability professionals and experts meet to share perspectives, current trends and market opportunities.


This year’s symposium, “Sustainability Across the Value Chain: The Successful Implementation of Strategies” links theory with practice.


Location: Maritim Hotel, Stuttgart, Germany

Date: October 25-27

Highlights:

• Pioneers of sustainable management share strategies, management programs, approaches and solutions
• Best practices from sustainability leaders regarding the whole value chain in different industries
• Enhance your network and exchange ideas with experts from all over the world

Check the Agenda and register now. Participants that register before October 1st receive a 30% early bird discount.

EAC selects leading Sustainability Reporting System from PE INTERNATIONAL

EAC has chosen leading sustainability expert PE INTERNATIONAL to provide a sustainability reporting system featuring its class leading SoFi software. This will be used by 70 data collectors to enable EAC to document sustainability in a project that will be a cornerstone in bringing its UN Global Compact commitment forward.

EPD 2.0 – Pathway to product innovation

Building products manufacturers increasingly use LCA based information for their environmental communication. This is because ISO 14025 based Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) provide an ideal format and verification structure to deliver objective, transparent information. The EPDs themselves are used both in marketing and communication and in building assessment schemes (e.g. DGBN, LEED, BREEAM).

But LCA based EPDs go even further. In the “EPD 2.0 concept”, a new way of integrating life cycle management is introduced providing a starting point for process and product optimization, product related environmental management and sustainability communication. Based on a 3-step-approach, EPD 2.0 helps you to understand the current situation and the possible alternatives, assess new approaches, drive product innovation through eco-design and ensure market success for the long term by implementing life cycle thinking into the organization and the product design process.

For more information:
UK & Nordic Countries: Jane Anderson
North America: Steve Bear
Germany & other countries: Anna Braune

First Turkish EPD according to IBU programme

Ytong is the first Turkish manufacturer to document the environmental performance of its product according to the IBU programme. The Environmental Product Declaration (EPDs), prepared in association with
PE INTERNATIONAL covers Autoclaved Aerated Concrete. PE has compiled 140 EPDs according to the IBU programme, ten European ECO –EPDs and ten French FDES-Declarations.

EPDs make the environmental performance of building products and building materials transparent. More and more architects and building designers are requiring these declarations so that they can achieve optimum sustainability even at the product selection phase. The EPDs for the construction elements comply with ISO standard 14025.


For more information please contact Matthias Reimers

Innovia Films

Innovia Films have established sound environmental credentials for their products and processes by using  Life Cycle Assessment and Scenario Modelling-tools in the GaBi Software. Andrew Sweetman, Business Development and Sustainability Manager at Innovia Films describes the benefits thus “When we are looking towards possible process changes, our department is now being consulted to see if there might be any impacts, positive or negative, associated with these changes. So it´s helping to lead our investment programme and make sure that, if we do plan to change anything, we understand the impacts and make an informed choice between different options, before we commit the capital investment.”

Ground-breaking product eco-labelling trial

The French government has launched an eco-labelling program to guide consumers on the environmental impacts of their everyday purchases. With the passing of the Grenelle 2 law in 2010, France set the framework for this project.

A 12-month trial will start in July 2011 with 168 companies volunteering 1000 products. Companies will calculate simplified Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) of their products that will serve as the basis for the eco-label. The diversity of products and companies will help identify possible challenges in data collection and other aspects of undertaking credible LCAs.

Several working groups in various sectors have been collaborating to define the methodologies of the eco-labelling framework including outlining the goal and scope of the simplified LCA for the different product categories. PE INTERNATIONAL is an active member in the setting up of this eco-labelling program and is supporting companies during the trial phase. GaBi software and databases enable premium quality results and extremely high flexibility in addressing this simplified LCA.

At the end of this trial, the government will submit an evaluation report to the French Parliament to inform future discussions on an extension of the regulation. The aim of the trial is therefore to provide sound information to strengthen the nationwide roll-out of the eco-labelling law.

For more information please contact Laura Guillon

About Grenelle 1 and 2
Following the passing of the law entitled Grenelle 1 (Law 2009_967 of August 3rd 2009), the French environmental institute (ADEME) and the institute in charge of releasing the standards in France (AFNOR) have led the project on environmental labelling of consumer goods. With the passing of Grenelle 2 in 2010, France will now set the framework for this environmental labelling project.

PE INTERNATIONAL and Five Winds are joining forces

PE INTERNATIONAL and Five Winds International have merged and are now forming one company in North America, PE INTERNATIONAL, Inc.

PE and Five Winds started their long-term partnership more than a decade ago and have been working together as a Joint Venture, PE Americas, since 2006. This natural progression of the partnership enables us to provide our clients value-added services and solutions across the globe and brings together the expertise and competencies of both organizations.

Five Winds will become a branded services offering within PE INTERNATIONAL worldwide allowing us to extend strategic consulting methodologies, practices and experience to an even broader global audience. This next phase of our development is focusing on helping our clients with their sustainability needs with our expanding range of software products and services offerings.

This new era is ushered in via reports about the amazing future both of our industry and our company, as well as testimonials from our customers representing the value of our integrated work.

More information: Press Release/Download

Deka-Bank: A business case for environmental and sustainability management

Many large organizations are facing demands to adopt environmentally responsible and sustainable business practices. Various stakeholder groups including investors and customers are calling for a stronger focus on sustainability. But can a business take ecological and social good into account and be economically successful at the same time?

Read how DekaBank saved half a million Euros in two years by implementing an Environmental Management System and centralizing sustainability management using the SoFi Software solution. To the Case study or contact Markus Michalzik

Free webinar: Business Success through Sustainability

It may seem like hard work integrating sustainability into your company’s strategic plan.  It’s not enough to reduce carbon and gain certifications. Your plan has to add value to the business and goals need to be realistic and achievable. This one-hour webinar will be held by David Metcalfe, Director at sustainability analyst firm Verdantix, and John Heckman, Managing Director of PE INTERNATIONAL, Inc.

Webinar How to build the business case for your sustainability strategy
Join our exclusive webinar for business executives and senior sustainability professionals to learn how to build better business cases for your sustainability initiatives.

All attendees will receive an exclusive copy of our free white paper ‘Ten insider tips for building the business case for sustainability’.

Best Practices and Performance Management now in SoFi

The new SoFi Software 4.3 has been released, the most-widely used enterprise solution for sustainability management,  featuring 100,000 best practices in energy and resource efficiency from over 12,000 companies.

The Best Practice Library provides insights into investment costs versus benefits and enables clients to easily find improvement projects that have been successfully implemented by their peers in the same industry or geographical region.

The new release also features an advanced module for sustainability performance management - Strategic Planning & Forecasting - that is designed to help sustainability professionals identify the most suitable projects for their own operations based on the highest return on investment. The module enables decision-makers to develop the optimal action plan that meets their corporate sustainability targets by employing  advanced analytics such as cost abatement curves, benchmarks and projected performance against targets.
For more information please contact Neil D´Souza.

Real estate investors are fishing for green building portfolios

A big shift in the real estate market is looming on the horizon: the investment in Green Buildings has dramatically increased in recent years. Green Buildings offer tenants energy-efficient, eco-friendly and healthy office or living spaces with lower operating cost. That’s why more and more investors opt for real estate that meets this growing demand so that they can reap the benefits of higher rents and lower risk premiums.

Along with market demand, the importance of voluntary Green Building certification systems has grown rapidly. Additionally, governments around the world are demanding the integration of energy efficiency and sustainability into new building regulations. In order to meet market demand and compliance with legislation, asset managers require sound insights into the sustainability performance of complete building portfolios.

Together with our Partner Drees & Sommer, PE INTERNATIONAL has developed Portfolio Carbon Management (PCM), the solution for sustainable asset management. PCM measures real estate performance holistically, uncovers opportunities and risks, enhances the building attractiveness and elevates the long-term value of the portfolio. PCM is the only solution that has been designed specifically for asset managers to achieve portfolio sustainability targets.

Download: Portfolio Carbon Management.pdf (780kb)

For more information please contact Matthias Münzing