400. 1,127. 354.

Those three numbers made news this spring. They point to the frustrations – and failures – of those of us inside and outside of corporate America who would like business to become more sustainable.

400: Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 passed the symbolic threshold of 400 parts per million. Big companies talk a good game on climate change, but global emissions keep rising. Climate remains the defining issue of our time; if business can't find a way to bring down its emissions, and ours, we're all in trouble.

1,127: The death toll in the collapse of the garment factory outside Dhaka, Bangladesh, making it the deadliest disaster in the industry's history. Years of extensive and expensive supply-chain monitoring by the biggest US clothing brands, including Nike, Gap and Walmart, however well-intentioned, have brought only modest improvements to labour standards in the world's poorest countries.

The San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Education Committee recently selected educator, Professor John Stayton as one of the recipients of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Education Awards for 2012-2013. John is an Assistant Professor at Dominican University of California and Co-founder & Director of the Venture Greenhouse in San Rafael with twelve years experience in the education community. His outstanding contributions are Curriculum Improvement and Personal Involvement and Leadership. 

In these tough economic times, many companies are even keener than ever to make sure they are not being seen as wasteful. Whilst giving out promotional items is a great way of getting the name of the company out there and remembered, it is important to make sure that these promotional items are useful and will not end up in the bin when the recipient returns home or back to their office.

As well as reducing outgoings, many companies are also eager to be seen as being environmentally friendly by using sustainable or recycled materials and reducing their carbon footprint wherever possible. Giving out promotional products made from sustainable resources can boost the brand image in two ways; firstly by brand recognition, getting the name and logo known, and secondly by demonstrating that the business has an eco-friendly mentality. Even if the promotional product is something that is only used for a few weeks or months, it is enough to get the company’s name known, and if it is made from sustainable materials, there is no way the company handing them out can be accused of being wasteful of the world’s resources.

Social media is perfect for discovering, creating and maintaining a personal brand. Learn the history of personal branding and how to manage with social media including a personal website/blog, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

As the largest emissions of Greenhouse Gases in Benicia stem from energy production and use, and our biggest potential financial costs or savings relate to energy, the series begins with setting a baseline of the major energy sources: Non Renewables (fossil fuels), Renewables, and Nuclear. From there the symposia drills down more deeply into Renewables, Energy Efficiencies and finally, policy and financing.

The symposia will be held the first Thursdays of February, March, April and May from 6 - 8:30PM at City Hall. Please come and engage with us on this critical topic for our city.