Episode 6: What's next in green building; Can Walmart be sustainable?
Step behind the sustainable business headlines with the GreenBiz 350 podcast: A Greenbuild dispatch, Walmart's green evolution and Toyota's future vision.
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Quick programming note: GreenBiz 350 will take the holiday week off on Nov. 27, before we're back on Dec. 4 with a pre-COP21 edition focusing on the stakes of the upcoming United Nations climate talks in Paris.
Until then, got a question, suggestion or a comment on the show? Send it to us at [email protected].
This week, Executive Editor Joel Makower reports live from Greenbuild in Washington, D.C., and we'll take a deep dive into sustainability at the world's largest brick-and-mortar retailer.
Follow along with the stories, companies and initiatives mentioned during the show with the guide below:
GreenBiz week in review
A weekly roundup of the news you need to know about.
Google spinoff digs into building material data
Greenbuild may have drawn most of the green building crowd to the nation's capital this week, but that didn't stop GreenBiz Senior Writer Barbara Grady from delving into a new effort out of Silicon Valley to better understand the environmental impacts of building materials.
In a story on Google spinoff Flux, she looks at a new effort to build a database combining the health and sustainability issues linked to materials commonly used in construction.
Meet the new online marketplace for corporate renewable energy
In real estate circles, online platforms like Zillow help connect would-be property owners with appealing listings that meet their criteria. Now, the Rocky Mountain Institute's Business Renewables Center has launched the BRC marketplace to do the same thing for clean energy developers and potential corporate investors.
In the story "Zillow for solar? Tech links renewables developers, corporate buyers," Senior Editor Lauren Hepler delves into how the software aims to match capital-hungry energy developers with companies seeking to navigate the convoluted world of buying wind, solar or other renewable power.
Toyota hits the gas on automotive technology
Fresh off an announcement that Japanese auto giant Toyota plans to invest $1 billion in artificial intelligence research over the next five years, the company decided to throw itself a little party in Silicon Valley. In doing so, Toyota joins the likes of Ford, Mercedes-Benz and virtually every other major automaker in staking a claim to sustainable mobility.
From test drives of micro-sized cars to a look at the company's plans for electric vehicles in fuel cells, it's all in the story, "Robots, fuel cells and a $1 billion bet: Inside Toyota's Silicon Valley strategy."
Featured stories
An in-depth look at two stories changing the game for green business.
The guru of green building prepares to step aside
Amid the frenetic activity at Greenbuild, GreenBiz managed to nab a few minutes with someone who has seen the field of green building go through quite an evolution.
Rick Fedrizzi, co-founder and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council, sat down to talk about the state of the industry and his own perparations to step down from the chief executive role at the end of 2016.
A 10-year check in on Walmart's sustainability agenda
We kicked this week off with an in-depth, two-part series by Makower assessing Walmart sustainability a decade after a major about-face by company leadership in 2005.
Part one explores the roots of the company's shift on sustainability, prompting then-CEO Lee Scott to set three goals for zero waste, 100 percent renewable energy and "to sell products that sustain our resources and environment." Part two stacks up the facts to see where the company is now in its pursuit of those goals.
What's new at GreenBiz?
News, events, webcasts — the list goes on. Keep your finger on the pulse of the latest in sustainability by keeping up with GreenBiz.
Free webcasts
With COP21 now less than two weeks away, climate change — and how businesses are or are not responding to climate risks — are front and center in upcoming events.
On Dec. 1 a free webcast will cover how "Businesses React to Climate Change," including new insights from a GreenBiz survey sponsored by Ingersoll Rand. On Dec. 15, a separate free online event will cover "Why Tackling Climate Change Is Good For Business."
Stay connected
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Have a question or suggestion for a future segment? E-mail us at [email protected].
Technical direction for GreenBiz 350 by Sureya Melkonian.