London Leads the way

Allan Jones, CEO of the London Climate Change agency spoke in Sydney on revolutionising energy generation. He is well qualified to do this as he was the key person who enabled Woking, UK, to reduce its CO2 emissions by 77% in 14 years and to produce 80% of its own power by 2004. He did this by installing gas trigeneration systems supplemented by using fuel cells and solar PV panels. He spoke to a packed audience in Sydney about the initiatives now being undertaken in London and the vision of a more distributed energy grid.

Much can be learned by linking in to what has been already achieved - not just about the technological challenges, but also about the power of a focussed political and business vision for a region. Businesses, both small and large, can benefit themselves and the future by becoming involved and by collaboratively working on new energy systems to power greener cities, and isn't that where most of us live!

picture (just because I liked it!) called computer light 1 from Yanglong7 ex Flickr

Our common future

Yesterday I attended a talk in Sydney by Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, and author of Common Wealth, Economics for a crowded planet. Prof. Sachs spoke passionately about what needs to be done and about caring mindfully about the planet, poverty, and our collective future. We no longer have the luxury of nations thinking independently, and for their own gain - thinking in the next few decades must be global. By increasing our common understanding and by sharing technology and knowledge, the challenges can be met, and he emphasised the importance of Australia, despite its size, as a role model for other nations such as the USA.

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about why we as a nation should act in areas such as Emissions Trading - what's in it for us as a small nation in terms of population? Google the work of Jeffrey Sachs - his work clearly shows that one person, one community and certainly one nation can make a difference, and that may be just the difference this planet needs!

Growing Your Green Business

If you are located in Sydney (Australia) and would like to join a group sharing business ideas about green and renewable businesses, then join us at our new GreenBizCafe group, Monday 14th July at 6pm, at The Fair Trade Cafe 33 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe. Our guest panel for the first meeting will be Alistair Duncan (Eco Living Centre) and Don Pyke (EcoLimo Australia Pty Ltd) and myself. Our topic is "How to start up a Green Business" and not just one that claims to be green!!

As long as we all buy a coffee/tea or hot chocolate, entry is free, so join us there to build and promote your green idea. See Sydney Talks

Inaction or Bravery in Action?

Australia is changing direction, and a leader in that change is Professor Garnaut who has outlined that direction, and he warned about "taking small actions that create an appearance of action, but which do not solve the problem." It reminded me of the second World War - if those who opposed Hitler had not painted the "worst case" scenario, of a future Europe being ruled by a cruel dictator, then who would have bothered to rise to the challenge.

We too, in Australia, and across the world, also need to rise to our challenge and we need to know that there are many possible futures ahead. Our actions today will create those futures. We need to move out of our comfort zones, care for those who will be the most affected, and move with defiant steps to create a future of much lower emissions - and if this means a whole new set of values and way of life, then so be it! The world of 1945 was not the same as that pre-war, and our world too will change. The pain of the challenge will be our badge of honour - let's rise and follow the lead of men like Garnaut.

Picture Garnaut at ANU-1 by davesag ex Flickr

Green Tipping Point

Promotion of your green business is a challenge – how to convey your green credentials, without appearing to be “green washing” your business just to tap into the mood of the modern consumer? And how do you avoid using more paper, more resources in getting your green message across?

I think we all need to take a good look at our current advertising methods. I have for some years run workshops on Marketing and Sales, and over that time, have adapted these to include extensive use of the internet, of blogs, of providing information and of inviting comment. But is that enough? What is the tipping point, and how to bring clients to your product or service with minimal impact on the planet?

Now this is where we need to reject all the ideas about marketing that large companies throw at you – and also reject the notion that it takes a lot of money and paper products to run a good campaign. I think it comes back to a very simple strategy, - always improve the product or service, design a great image around that product or service, look for key people to use what you offer, make alliances with key partners in promotion, engage discussion about your product or service, and use blogs, online forums, websites, and information evenings. Sounds more like a social event –and that’s what it is, developing and using social networks (offline and online) to make using your product or service an enjoyable experience, and one to share with others.

For one of our online information experiences, see GreenBiz cafe and for more tips on social networking, check out the great site of Matt Freedman click here

Picture Advertising by jamesmellor ex Flickr

Symptoms of Success

Affluenza – it’s something we can catch anytime of year, and it’s easy to see someone who has the disease. Symptoms are an oversized or overpowered car, a home that could you could get lost in, a waistline that displays too many dinners out, clothes and accessories worn only to impress, a mindboggling entertainment schedule, and constant chatter about the latest travel destinations. The other main sign is stress, and a booking in the local Happiness Seminar, as if happiness were something to be added to the list of purchases.

Affluenza is a direct result of our value system, of what we as a society promote as “success” - success being one or all of the above symptoms. I am not by any way rejecting a well thought out moderately comfortable lifestyle, but we all need to think about our values, individually and as a society. How can we aspire to living well and not to excess, how can we each meet our needs and then contribute in a meaningful way?

For everyone, the mix is different, but as a society, we are beginning to hold up new values – those of community, of sharing resources, of moderate consumption, and of entertainment that is based around connection with others. And the major spin off of this mind-shift is happiness, not a few hours of temporary joy, followed by a crashing emptiness, a happiness that is an inner comfort, a feeling good with the world.

Business is about achieving through transactions to supply what others need. If you are thinking about going into business, think about the new values that are emerging in our society. Think about a business that connects people, and helps them re-connect with the world of the future. We stand at the door of a new energy era, one where affluenza will no longer be the driving force in our economy, and small business owners that understand this will position themselves for real success in the next few decade.

Location Location

Real Estate agents have always spruiked the mantra of "location location" when advising you where to buy premises or where to locate your business.  And one of the benefits of a particular location over another used to be the number of available parking places.  But as petrol prices make driving a much more expensive activity, location is going to be important for a different reason and that's access to good public transport.  Check out this video Australia Pumping Empty by ddrinkal