At Globe forum 2010, we got the perspective of Mohamed Nasheed, President of the Maldive Islands. Although climate change will most likely affect the Maldivian people earliest, it is not a problem to be ignored. Acting now in reducing our environmental impact will have wide reaching effects to those who would suffer most.

Kati Ihamäki sets a challenge to find a sustainable solution to jet kerosene & biomass issues currently facing the aviation industry.

Are you interested in solving Finnairs Challenge?

Please come to Globe Forum 2010,  28-29 April Frihamnshallen Stockholm.

To respond to Finnair’s Challenge please register here: http://register.globeforum.com/stockholm2010/ and use the code: FCH10

In the open registration field please state how you are planning on approaching the challenge and what skills you have in the area. This will get you an invitation to Globe Forum 2010 and a chance to pitch your solution to Finnair.

The stars and rising stars of business and sustainability met and networked at The Baltic Philharmonia which took place at the spectacularly renovated waterfront in Gdańsk.  See pictures of the forum sessions, exciting Innovators Contest, the dazzling entertainment and the fabulous Globe Award Gala dinner.

Photos From Gdańsk

If you attended, it was a pleasure to meet you!  We hope you found inspiring new contacts and future business ideas.  If you couldn’t join us, then we look forward to seeing you soon at our next Forum in Stockholm.

Of the recent developments in energy production the harnessing of wind power has been quite a divisive one. There are arguments for and against them in what sometimes seems like equal numbers. Some doubt the true effectiveness of current turbine technology. There are environmental concerns too, such as danger to wildlife and some who simply think they ruin natural landscapes. Unfortunately the sites of many wind farms just so happen to be in areas of beautiful nature. Exposed coastlines and hilltops are regularly prime locations when planning where these should occur.

There are moves to target more offshore locations. However, as construction costs vastly increase away from dry land the scale of these projects is called jeopardised. Firms also face the wrath of the shipping and fishing industries for encroaching on shipping lanes and open waters!

In the UK, for example, there are plans to modernise its electricity supply which would require 15,000 turbines, generating 35 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, on land and at sea. Many experts say it is technically feasible to meet the targets, but there is a growing conviction that the plans were rushed through so quickly by the government that it will now take substantial new money and guarantees to work.

International pressure on governments grows to find cleaner sources of energy for our homes and industries. Are the governments providing enough incentives to technology firms involved? Politicians who ‘talk the talk’ need to ‘walk the walk’. Many are extremely vocal about supporting green energy such as wind power but surely there should be better support far beyond simply advocating their benefits.

In a wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight in the UK, due to be closed, workers are staging a sit-in and are clearly not getting the support they need! The company’s Danish owner claims there is a lack of demand. They also cited a “lack of political initiatives” and an obstructive planning system.

When technology exists for reducing our reliance on coal, gas and other non-renewable sources, we should give it the funding it deserves. Nurturing the cleanest solutions now can only be beneficial in the long run. It is the only way future developments can occur. Who knows, the wind and water power we consider today will be replaced with less controversial options, but time is of the essence.

Recently, a report was published announcing that the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is making great strides towards being a sustainable bank.  One shouldn’t detract from the efforts this organisation is making.  After all, transparent reporting and forward thinking is something a lot of companies could adopt, but just how much difference could this approach make?  Would more straight forward and simple efforts yield as much benefit?

Let’s turn the clock back 100 years…  Huge changes were sweeping across the western world. Mass migration flooded the already overcrowded and chaotic cities at a prodigious rate. Industries sprang up to exploit this rapid influx of people and provide jobs.  In some cases whole towns were centred around these industries.  These urban factories, homes and ancillary buildings were often quickly and simply constructed, albeit very sturdily, but one factor which wasn’t really considered was energy efficiency.  It simply wasn’t an issue when industrialisation took hold.  Recent thermal imaging surveys shamed London’s Houses of Parliament but very little can be done about these grand edifices.  Poorly insulated building are extremely difficult to heat and a lot of these building are still around today.

Do RBS have plans to modernise their banking buildings, many of which are over 100 years old, and insulate these structures? A big problem they would face is that these elegant old banks are historically very important and difficult to modernise while retaining their character. One option to consider is double (and sometimes triple) glazing. The downside is often resorting to uPVC frames which are not only ugly, but the process in producing them is hugely damaging to the environment. Traditionally, the Nordic countries have overcome a lot of these issues already. Cold winters are a stark reminder that being well insulated is important! Has anyone found a successful way of reusing old PVC which inevitably ends up in landfill sites?

Are there any new technologies around to reduce the heat which escapes through old windows without negatively impacting the character of these imposing and historical structures? Maybe it is time for sustainability and forward-thinking to take precedence over sentimentality in this regard.