Join us tomorrow, Thurs 30th September, when we give a public talk on Singapore's Energy Future - Challenges and New Opportunities.  Green Drinks is hosted by Olivia Choong of Sustainable PR, and runs from 7-9 p.m. at Artery Bar, at the Red Dot Design Museum Building.  For more information, check out the Green Drinks Singapore website. 

Economy got you down?  Apparently there's a growing movement of "eco-psychology" gaining momentum.  It's long been known that getting outdoors can be good for you, but  one particularly promising project in the UK is demonstrating marked improvements for patients suffering from depression as they interact with outdoor conservation activities.  The results are highly encouraging.  Read the article, then go outside.

Also on the subject of psychology, Prof. David Uzzell of University of Surrey gives some pointers on how to approach (or not approach) the subject of climate change with people.  He recommends:

"...psychologists now need to work with other disciplines, such as engineering, sociology etc. We need to have a much better understanding of the conditions which lead to unsustainable behaviour. It's no good the government saying to us that for journeys less than a mile you should walk or use public transport because when you are trying to juggle demands, such as your job and children within limited time, you are probably going to take your car. We need to change the conditions rather than attack individual behaviours."

Indeed.  The rest is equally insightful.

Now of course, climate change is but one global issue that really needs to be dealt with.  Energy is another, and Sarah van Gelder shares with us some tactics for building piece of mind and resiliency in an every changing world.  Good recommendations for building personal capacity, community, and the ability to deal with challenging circumstances. 

On a totally unrelated note, if you are having a slump of a day and want a reason to celebrate, last year solar cell production jumped to an all time record.  Accordinging to J. Matthew Roney of Earth Policy Institute:

"Solar photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturers produced a record 10,700 megawatts of PV cells globally in 2009—an impressive 51-percent increase from the year before. While growth in 2009 slowed from the remarkable 89-percent expansion in 2008, it continued the rapid rise of an industry that first reached 1,000 megawatts of production in 2004. By the end of 2009, nearly 23,000 megawatts of PV had been installed worldwide, enough to power 4.6 million U.S. homes. Solar PV, the world’s fastest-growing power technology, now generates electricity in more than 100 countries."

Some very interesting things have come across this week:

• William McDunough (of Cradle to Cradle fame) shares his thoughts on the top 10 things he's learned from leaders in sustainability. Our favourite quotes: 
  "I have learned that design is the first signal of humanintention and that our urgent design brief is to design for ninebillion people on a thriving planet." 
  
  "Many enterprises we work with have hit the wall and nowrealise that being less bad is not being more good."
  "I have discovered, to my delight, that executives are hungryfor a clear vision of the future other than the reduce-our-badnessvision."
  Pretty positive stuff and the article is worth a read. 
• Visionary and academic Lester Brown gives his two-cents on the limits and potential of plant based energy (e.g. biofuels)... and a very informed two-cents indeed!
•  McKinsey & Co. thinks that institutional investors that manage trillions of dollars worldwide should step up their stewardship efforts when investing, and take a more active and long-term stance (hear hear!) to help avoid future financial meltdowns.
• Have to fly and feel guilty?  Websites now available can help you plan the least carbon-intensive route for travel. 
• And finally, the best for last: Worldometers has a blistering array of statistics that are tracked *live* on the site-- from mortality rates to newspapers circulated to water used-- it is a must see.

Check out our complete coverage of the event appearing on Eco-business.com, courtesy of CDL:

Interview with Jane Henley, CEO, World Green Building Council

Interview with Maria Atkinson, Global Head of Sustainability, Lend Lease and Chair UNEP-SCBI

Treehouse: A Plantinum Green Mark Case Study

Green Buildings as a Way to Stimulate Growth, Create Jobs in South Africa

Zero Energy Buildings to Boost Efficiency, Curb Emissions

BEX Asia Draws Crowds with Innovative Green Building Products

World Events can Jumpstart Sustainable Building Solutions

Join us TOMORROW, Friday 17 September for a Public Roundtable Forum on climate change, a discussion on 350 and why it is important, as well as 10:10:10 initiatives going on around Singapore.  We'll be helping introduce the panel discussion to be moderated by Straits Times Correspondent Jessica Cheam.  For more details, check out the event website. 

(post-script... check out the video below)

We're pleased to announce our collaboration with Smart Light Singapore (SLS) to handle sustainability for the "iLight Marina Bay Festival" event, from 15 Oct-7 Nov. 2010.  The event will feature a wide range of art pieces from international and local artists, all themed around light and urban environs. 

Forward will be working with the organisers (SLS) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority, as well as numerous stakeholders to manage and mitigate the environmental effects of the event.  This years festival comes hot on the heels of a similar event being held in Sydney.  Stay tuned for more details on the festival as their site goes live. 

Had an interesting meeting recently with a company that is way ahead on the game with CSR and sustainability (15 years experience!!!).  While they have management buy-in, there is still a lot of justifying that needs to take place for any new initiatives.  The big barriers they're encountering, both internally and externally look something like this:

1) What are/were the key turning points for consumer markets on sustainability issues, especially ones in APAC?  What did the culture look like and how did it transform?  What were the events that changed how things operate?  What might we learn and capitalise on here in conservative, slow-moving Singapore context?

2) How can CSR/Sustainability be harnessed to--

a) create quantifiable brand value (e.g. case studies, how was this measured/calculated), e.g. in such a way that it justifies expense of new initiatives signed off at the board level?  How can marketing be brought on side when consumers aren't specifically targeting green criteria?

b) realistically affect consumer preference and buying habits, especially in a market suffering from apathy/lack of education and awareness?

3) How have cities like Sydney and others in APAC progressed with sustainability, and what did the evolution look like?  What can we learn from them and their government leadership (or lackthereof)?

4) How can we better quantify the ROI and justify further investment in CSR/Sustainability initiatives?  How can we make the intangible tangible?

5) How can we help speed a change people's perceptions and priorities?

These are probably what numerous business around the world are facing, even well-established leaders, so I thought I'd put the challenge out there publicly for discussion and sharing.  We'd welcome your comments here

or join the discussion on our Linkedin Group.  What are your thoughts and experiences?  

We're pleased to announce the next Forward Thinking Thursday will be held on Thursday 16 September 2010 at Fou De Fa Fa from 7-9 p.m.  The venue boasts a wide range of healthy food and drinks (wine too!) and is just steps off the Tanjong Pagar MRT.  Please join us for an evening of making connections, progressing ideas, and being inspired. 

This month we are also pleased to announce that we have a special guest joining us for the event. International CSR expert, and Director of Lifeworth Consulting, Associate Professor Jem Bendell is an advisor, educator, researcher and writer with fifteen years at the forefront of innovations in business responses to sustainable development.  With a PhD in international policy, over 100 publications (including four books and four United Nations reports), Dr Bendell is an award-winning international authority on business-society relations, lecturing in fifteen countries, and quoted in media such as The Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, El Pais, Tatler and on CNBC.  Dr. Bendell will be happy to mix and mingle and talk shop with any interested parties.  He's a sharp guy with a good sense of humour. 

We try to keep the crowd small and meaningful, so please RSVP if you'd be so kind.

See you there!

Venue details are as follows:

Fou De Fa Fa - 168 Robinson Road - Phone 6327 9418

Restaurant reviews can be found here, in case you're wondering.

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