Newsletter // GreenBuzz Sept. 28, 2009 :: A Zero-Impact Lifecycle Challenge, Inside Walmart's Sustainability Index, and More...

As we demonstrate each year at our Greener By Design conferences, the greening of product development is a live and kicking. That's evident this week in a number of stories. Jonathan Bardelline writes about the Zero Impact Challenge, which asked manufacturers to design and manufacture high-performance backpacking boots with low greenhouse gas emissions. Five companies have stepped up to the challenge, and the article looks at how previous such challenges have succeeded..

Canon last week unveiled the first set of products developed with the company's own lifecycle assessment design system, which looked at the lifecycle emissions and environmental impacts of the products and their materials. And a new scorecard rates plastics based on their lifecycle impacts in an effort to advance sustainable raw material choices, greener chemistry and closed loop systems.

Of course, there's also Walmart, our guest for a 90-minute webinar last week with an overwhelming turnout -- hundreds of the company's suppliers, plus hundreds of other interested parties. Our thanks to Rand Waddoups, Walmart's senior director for sustainability, for subjecting himself so gracefully to my persistent questions, and those of callers. (You can read a summary of the call here, or register to hear the entire webinar here.) Later this week, on October 1, the first group of Walmart suppliers will encounter the deadline for submitting information to Walmart as part of the retailer's Sustainabilty Index. (Read Tim Mohin's take on why hewing to the Index shouldn't be just for Walmart suppliers.)

Meanwhile, there's lots going on this week. GreenBiz.com is hosting three events worth noting:

• On September 30, we're hosting the second in our "By the Numbers" webinar series with IBM. This free event, titled "By the Numbers: The Greening of the CIO," focuses on the role of the chief information officer in helping companies think strategically about information technology to help a company innovate, grow markets, streamline operations, cut costs, and improve competitiveness. Advance registration is required.
• On October 2, GreenBiz.com is honored to present "an evening event with Rocky Mountain Institute, part of RMI's RMIQ2009 conference in San Francisco. The star-studded panel, titled "Reinventing Fire," features RMI co-founder Amory Lovins, Google climate director Dan Reicher, cleantech venture capitalists Paul Holland and Bill Joy, climate policy strategy guru Aimée Christensen, and Cathy Zoi, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at US DOE. Registration for the Friday evening event is just $35, and seats are going fast!
• On October 1, in between those two events, we'll be hosting our semi-annual meeting of the GreenBiz Executive Network, in Chicago, convening a select group of senior sustainability execs from large companies for a peer-to-peer learning forum.

A busy and stimulating week. Just the way we like it.

EDF details results of its survey of the 300 largest corporate fleets in the U.S. and members of the Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association in an effort to help firms benchmark their fleet emissions.
 

This study from IBM looks at the impact of growing city populations on transportation infrastructure, and explores ways that technology can help make for smarter city transit.

Join GreenBiz.com executive editor Joel Makower in a 50-minute conversation with IBM Vice President Steve Sams as they explore best practices and real-world case studies showing the "greening of the CIO."