Gem of the day

Anyone who rotates around green business circles these days finds themselves amidst a chaotic frenzy of commitments, marketing campaigns, greenwashing, strategies, evidence-based-evidence and the like. But if one thing's for sure, it's this: there's simply not enough awards programmes out there.

Wait what? Well, I'm assuming that's the perspective taken by the Carbon War Room, the strange hybrid business-policy initiative based out of D.C. and run in part by Richard Branson, as the organisation prepares to launch...drumroll please...the Gigaton Awards.

Unintentionally humorous name aside--and yes, they are indeed part of a larger programme called the 'Gigaton Throwdown Initiative'--the awards seek to "honor businesses for outstanding performances as defined by measurable carbon reductions and quantifiable steps toward sustainability."

So who made the exclusive nominee list? There's some of the usual suspects in there, like 3M--right--and Vodafone, Nike and Toyota. But like literally all other sustainability awards programmes out there, there's some inexplicable choices that could be called, at best, 'random', and more critically, 'greenwash': Coca Cola, anyone? Right. General Mills? I don't think so. How about--Boeing? Really? I mean, really?

Gigaton's creators say they are supposed to be like the Oscars. Here's why: you make it into the top five based on verifiable emissions reductions--oh wait, not really though, since as they rightfully acknowledge in conveniently small print "Carbon War Room fully recognizes that the data available to date regarding emissions reductions is in large part unverified."

Anyway, moving on, the decision on who actually wins is "made by an independent Academy and based on demonstrated leadership, not solely on quantitative measures." Because if there's one thing we need, it's more anointed sustainability leaders based on subjective ideas of what makes...a leader.

My favorite gem here, though, is the initiative's temporarily opaque advisory board. We'll put a TBD on that one, then.