Could the 2014 World Cup, the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics and Brazil’s climate leadership add up to transformative moments that launch us on our pathway to a sustainable future?

Four powerful sustainability trends will start converging in and around Brazil as we head into this century’s second decade:

1. Brazil’s climate leadership. With the tone of diminished expectations already set for the climate negotiations next month in Copenhagen, one bright spot appears to be the aggressive— if not audacious — commitments by Brazil to stop Amazon deforestation and curb carbon emissions 35% by 2020, (See article in Nature.)

2. Major sports advertising. The companies who spend tens to hundreds of millions of dollars to be sponsors of the World Cup and the Olympic’s will be touting their sustainability leadership to consumers and investors. (See IBM’s Smarter Planet)
3. The closing of the “critical decade”. Starting in 2005, the world’s leading scientists warned that our civilization had about ten years to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions enough to stave of the most catastrophic impacts of global temperature rise.
4. The eyes of the world. Up to 70% of the world’s population may be tuning in on radio, TV, online or their smartphones. Not since Babel have we had a chance to engage in a global conversation about shared responsibilities and opportunities.

Short of an alien craft landing on the White House lawn, Brazil’s command of the world’s sports stage may be humankind’s best chance to get in sync on how to create a flourishing future for our species and the planet.

For that to happen, there is some business to de-usualize.

First and foremost, Brazil has to turn talk into measured action. In just a few weeks time, before Brazil’s delegation heads off to Copenhagen, governors or their representatives from 18 states, the mayor of Rio, Brazil’s energy minister and auto, petro and airline executives will begin to construct an integrated strategy for sustainable jobs, food, fuel and rainforests. Catalyzed by Sustainable BioBrazil (a Brazilian NGO with whom we work), the policy roundtable is the first of three planned meetings in Sao Luis, Maranhao between now and April, 2010. During this time, participants will wrestle with intertwined challenges of creating new economic opportunities to lure people away from Amazon-destroying livelihoods, finding the right formula and market for avoided deforestation credits, experimenting with intercropping of food and fuel together on Brazil’s extensive but underutilized agricultural lands, and trying to sharpen the thinking about indirect land-use and carbon life cycle calculations that will determine how open world markets will be to Brazilian biofuels and food exports — upon which the majority of jobs for displaced Amazon ranchers, loggers and charcoal makers will depend.

And if the Brazil Convergence is going to fire a global transformation, the media and cultural power of both the World Cup and Rio’s Olympiad are going to have to be more explicitly devoted to telling the stories of progress and possibility. Brazil’s own stories, of course, but also stories of challenges and solutions from the hundreds of nations represented at these events. Organizers have an opportunity to shift their thinking about what makes their event “green”. Merely reducing the environmental impact of the operations (aka event sustainability) is necessary but not sufficient. They should unleash their iconic power to inspire all the people they reach to take action. During the month-long World Cup and Olympic fortnight, advertisers and their brilliant agency storytellers can craft compelling meta-narratives about the technologies and decisions that are moving our civilization forward. This way, 2014 and 2016 can provide global audiences with mileposts of progress that surely must come.

Finally, there is the distinct possibility that by 2014, nearly every aspect of the process of getting to or watching the games will have a carbon number or sustainability index attached to it. Fuel at the pump will have a carbon-rating, and the backstory of how new technologies and efficiencies lowered that number. TVs will show how much energy they are using, from what sources, with what kind of impact. Labels on official beers will feature certifications for energy and water used in their making and boast about their recycling prowess. Airlines flying to Rio and World Cup host cities will use seatback videos to talk about the percentage of sustainable biofuel in their plane’s tanks and the millions of hectares of Amazon they, their industry partners and the flying public are protecting as carbon sinks and bioresources for the planet.

While we watch for progress on these fronts at the Vancouver, London, Sochi Olympics and next summer’s South African World Cup, indications are its going to be up to you, Brazil, Brazil.

Could the 2014 World Cup, the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics and Brazil’s climate leadership add up to transformative moments that launch us on our pathway to a sustainable future?

Four powerful sustainability trends will start converging in and around Brazil as we head into this century’s second decade:

1. Brazil’s climate leadership. With the tone of diminished expectations already set for the climate negotiations next month in Copenhagen, one bright spot appears to be the aggressive— if not audacious — commitments by Brazil to stop Amazon deforestation and curb carbon emissions 35% by 2020, (See article in Nature.)

2. Major sports advertising. The companies who spend tens to hundreds of millions of dollars to be sponsors of the World Cup and the Olympic’s will be touting their sustainability leadership to consumers and investors. (See IBM’s Smarter Planet)
3. The closing of the “critical decade”. Starting in 2005, the world’s leading scientists warned that our civilization had about ten years to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions enough to stave off the most catastrophic impacts of global temperature rise.
4. The eyes of the world. Up to 70% of the world’s population may be tuning in on radio, TV, online or their smartphones. Not since Babel have we had a chance to engage in a global conversation about shared responsibilities and opportunities.

Short of an alien craft landing on the White House lawn, Brazil’s command of the world’s sports stage may be humankind’s best chance to get in sync on how to create a flourishing future for our species and the planet.

For that to happen, there is some business to de-usualize.

First and foremost, Brazil has to turn talk into measured action. In just a few weeks time, before Brazil’s delegation heads off to Copenhagen, governors or their representatives from 18 states, the mayor of Rio, Brazil’s energy minister and auto, petro and airline executives will begin to construct an integrated strategy for sustainable jobs, food, fuel and rainforests. Catalyzed by Sustainable BioBrazil (a Brazilian NGO with whom we work), the policy roundtable is the first of three planned meetings in Sao Luis, Maranhao between now and April, 2010. During this time, participants will wrestle with intertwined challenges of creating new economic opportunities to lure people away from Amazon-destroying livelihoods, finding the right formula and market for avoided deforestation credits, experimenting with intercropping of food and fuel together on Brazil’s extensive but underutilized agricultural lands, and trying to sharpen the thinking about indirect land-use and carbon life cycle calculations that will determine how open world markets will be to Brazilian biofuels and food exports — upon which the majority of jobs for displaced Amazon ranchers, loggers and charcoal makers will depend.

And if the Brazil Convergence is going to fire a global transformation, the media and cultural power of both the World Cup and Rio’s Olympiad are going to have to be more explicitly devoted to telling the stories of progress and possibility. Brazil’s own stories, of course, but also stories of challenges and solutions from the hundreds of nations represented at these events. Organizers have an opportunity to shift their thinking about what makes their event “green”. Merely reducing the environmental impact of the operations (aka event sustainability) is necessary but not sufficient. They should unleash their iconic power to inspire all the people they reach to take action. During the month-long World Cup and Olympic fortnight, advertisers and their brilliant agency storytellers can craft compelling meta-narratives about the technologies and decisions that are moving our civilization forward. This way, 2014 and 2016 can provide global audiences with mileposts of progress that surely must come.

Finally, there is the distinct possibility that by 2014, nearly every aspect of the process of getting to or watching the games will have a carbon number or sustainability index attached to it. Fuel at the pump will have a carbon-rating, and the backstory of how new technologies and efficiencies lowered that number. TVs will show how much energy they are using, from what sources, with what kind of impact. Labels on official beers will feature certifications for energy and water used in their making and boast about their recycling prowess. Airlines flying to Rio and World Cup host cities will use seatback videos to talk about the percentage of sustainable biofuel in their plane’s tanks and the millions of hectares of Amazon they, their industry partners and the flying public are protecting as carbon sinks and bioresources for the planet.

While we watch for progress on these fronts at the Vancouver, London, Sochi Olympics and next summer’s South African World Cup, indications are its going to be up to you, Brazil, Brazil.

Austin Energy Proposes Raising City Renewable Use to 35%: “Austin Energy’s 2008 carbon reduction plan called for 30 percent of the Texas capitol’s energy to come from renewables through 2020, but the utility has floated a recommendation to increase the target to more than 35 percent.
Under the new plan, Austin Energy also would aim to reduce direct emissions to 20 percent below 2005 levels, [...]“

(Via Environmental Leader.)

As hundreds of campuses across North America commit to serious GHG reductions, athletic departments haven’t gotten the memo about the role they can play to increase community engagement (or the revenues they can produce by unlocking green sponsor dollars.) That’s the lesson to be drawn from Mark McSherry’s survey of major college athletic programs. Less than 10 percent have developed sustainability plans nor are a majority even measuring their GHG footprints.(Hello? Authentic leadership anyone?)

This while:

• Honda wants us to dream about a healthier future.
• Sprint wants us purchasing green phones from their green stores.
• Coca Cola wants to be known for being at the forefront of global water conservation innovation.
• Mastercard wants kids to help their dads be better men (environmentally speaking)
• GE wants the power grid to have a brain.
• GM wants us to know about their 230 MPG Volt (via NYTIMES)
• Utility companies in 24 US states need their customers to know about the Renewable Portfolio Standards most are mandated to promote.

And with all this jockeying for sustainability leadership among the world’s biggest corporations, front office marketing folks at major US intercollegiate programs aren’t jumping on the sustainability innovations taking place on their own campuses? Shameless self-promoting, but also valuable consulting help at sports4.org

(via Sports City)

Windstärke 11 (Wind Speed 11), a regional consortium for wind energy, has been confirmed as the Main Sponsor of F.C. Hansa Rostock

“Our commitment to F.C. Hansa allows all the companies involved in the consortium to have an active role and demonstrate their strong relationship with the region and the club, its players and the fans,” said Carlo Schmidt, Managing Director Wind-projekt GmbH. “We plan to recruit additional members and this high-profile sponsorship will be helpful in this respect.”

“It is remarkable that innovative companies in the renewable energy sector utilise the F.C. Hansa as effective communication platform. As marketing partner of the club, we will work together to build nationwide awareness for the brand and to position the region as the centre of the German wind energy industry. Together with the marketing team of F.C. Hansa we are already working hard to implement the key aspects of the main sponsorship in time for the home match against TSV 1860 Munich on 14 August”, said Reinhardt Weinberger, Managing Director of Infront Germany.

The New GM May Include a Green Logo: “GM may change the background color of its corporate logo from blue to green in an effort to show consumers that it is leaner and greener, more focused on fuel efficiency and more nimble, according to an AP article.
Though no decision has been made on the logo change, there will be some management and cultural [...]“

(Via Environmental Leader.)

Reinsdorf Makes Play To Buy NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes: ”

PHOENIX — A group led by Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf has offered to buy the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes for $148 million and keep the team in Arizona.

The offer, submitted in bankruptcy court documents on Friday afternoon, is $64.5 million less than the bid by Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, who wants to move the franchise to Southern Ontario.

Reinsdorf’s offer calls for a new Jobing.com Arena lease with the city of Glendale and unspecified new agreements with other creditors, including the NHL, which has been funding the club.

Friday was the deadline set by Judge Redfield T. Baum for potential buyers who would keep the team in Arizona to submit purchase applications to the NHL.

(Via Chicago on HuffingtonPost.com.)

Electricity, Heat, Transportation Cause 60% of Emissions: “Electricity and heat generation results in 32.4 percent of all greenhouse gases emitted in the United States, according to a new climate report from the government.
Transportation accounts for another 27.2 percent of GHG emissions.
Less than 20 percent comes from industry, industrial waste and industrial processes, according to the report, ‘Global Climate Change Impacts in the [...]“

(Via Environmental Leader.)

Stimulus Funds Boost Trane’s Energy-Efficiency Business: “Aimed at lowering the amount of energy needed to power the blowers and distributors of commercial and institutional air conditioning systems, Trane has rolled out its new Performance Climate Changer air handling units at its Lexington, Ky., manufacturing facility,  reports Business Lexington.
Trane’s new line will phase out two of its major project lines at the [...]“

(Via Environmental Leader.)

Nestle, Coke, Bud Target Public Arenas for Recycling: “Increasingly, companies are putting sponsorship dollars toward support of recycling initiatives at sporting stadiums, public areans and other public venues.
Working with Keep America Beautiful, Nestle Waters North America is providing $10,000 ‘Recycle On The Go’ grants to 12 Keep America Beautiful affiliates. The projects will benefit a variety of locations, including soccer and baseball complexes, [...]“

(Via Environmental Leader.)