A few weeks ago, during our presentation at the EABIS Colloquium, I recounted some daunting numbers delivered by Simon Zadek, Chief Executive of AccountAbility-  precluding positive outcomes for global climate change – the greatest emerging humanitarian challenge of our time.

This week, I offer another number:  350. And a date: October 24. 

That’s 350 parts per million - the number scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 

And Saturday October 24 is International Climate Action Day – a global event that is shaping up to be the largest grassroots environmental action since Earth Day. 

It’s like a universal potluck– only, instead of food - you bring hope, ideas and strength in numbers.  This is a tipping point, you see – a big buildup to Copenhagen in December, when World leaders decide to either take real, decisive action to save our planet, economy, people – or continue business and politics as usual.

With a tangible goal (get below 350 ppm) and 4,000 actions in 169 countries on Saturday – the  signs for change are physical, metaphorical – and, well, global.

So, on Saturday – I’ll bike into our City Center with my family and stand with a few thousand other people working toward a profound and lasting shift in behavior, policy and business. 

See you there?

I believe in the intelligent edge. This is the point where the tension between boundaries and new frontiers is the strongest and the balance between advancement and retreat is the most profound.

In fact, much of innovation plays with this sense of equilibrium, sometimes at widely fluctuating rates. Ideas evolve faster than a marketplace can absorb; renewable energy solutions outpace investment dollars and infrastructure renewal; climate change overtakes market reform.

But when the balance is in perfect harmony between the concept and the demand, the intelligent edge begins to shine with vigor. Take economic innovation, for example. For years people like Hernando de Soto, Paul Romer, Noreena Hertz and the recent Nobel Prize for Economic winners Elinor Ostrom and Oliver Williamson, have developed and championed unique economic approaches that sit at the boundaries of law, physics, anthropology and political science. When investments were at an all time high, prosperity rang a bell every 15 minutes and warnings of a dire future didn't exist, their theories received little practice within the stable marketplace.

However, after the economic meltdown of last year, suddenly these theories are finding their intelligent edge: the poetic balance between new thinking and opportunities of fulfillment. For instance, the financial industry has been quick to court new approaches through radical forms of social investment models that yield investment returns with social or environmental benefit.

The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) combines a membership pool of big banks, philanthropic institutions and investment management firms. This mixing of mainstream financial interests with socially motivated organizations moves charitable activity into the sphere of profitable business. This ties deep, social benefits to investment return, and places profit into the human, social and climate context.

But where GIIN has the advantage of a rising Phoenix, corporations are wrestling with how to embrace new thinking in a sea of legacy leadership set against the obvious opportunity of change. IBM has created a unique program that not only embraces an intelligent edge in its application, but is the beginnings of an adaptive business model that blends the best practices of NGOs, business, public/private partnerships, ethics and social impact with emerging leadership.

Dubbed the Corporate Service Corp, IBM sends its top executive teams into emerging markets like Africa, Asia and Latin America to provide business consulting skills for NGOs, local businesses and organizations. For one month IBM employees have the opportunity to intersect on challenges in the developing world, honing their leadership and transferring skills into developing economies; conversely, IBM employees bring a well-developed socially responsible mindset back into the corporate environment. These emerging leaders -over time- transform the corporate culture, decision framework and business behavior to one that embraces the social, human and climate context of globalization –where the tension between profit and responsibility begins to find a new harmonic and meaningful balance.

Our institutions, ideas, economies, markets and human presence hang on this fulcrum of advancement or retreat. Where the line between reshaping our future and returning to business as usual will clearly define the next generation of our emotional, intellectual and social evolution. Embracing this intelligent edge will be the necessary attunement to a new organizational hybrid that places social and climate implications at the center of all our motivations.

I applaud the City of Portland and Multnomah County on the recent and aggressive update of the 2009 Climate Action Plan.  An audacious goal of 80% carbon reduction (below 1990 levels) by 2050 frames a series of near-term and long-term actions required to get us there.  O.K., that’s good – green jobs, clean energy, walkable/bikable cities: check.  Land and transport, green building, energy efficiency, waste reduction: got it.

Moreover, the report says, “the broad-scale coordination and planning required to achieve the 80-percent carbon reduction goal will demand that governments, businesses, civic organizations and residents collaborate extensively and take the lead in their own activities.”  

But, here’s the thing – look closely at the makeup of the steering committee, and you’ll notice a near complete lack of business representation.  WHY? 

If you believe that the winds have shifted and there is renewed engagement in Climate Change on a national level – or ‘seismic change,’ according to today’s NY Times, then lack of interest isn't the problem.  

And yet, the 2009 Oregon legislature has yet to pass a single piece of significant carbon legislation - overshadowed as they are by the $4 billion budget gap – forcing policies like cap & trade, the BETC and other energy efficiency incentives to take a back seat while Salem tries to figure out how to wrestle with a 12% unemployment rate. 

This, despite the excellent grassroots work of Climate Solutions in rallying business support in support of said legislation.

But, I digress.  The point is, if you’re going to set up a framework for true collaboration – which the City assures me is the intent of the Climate Action Plan – then you need to secure involvement from start-to-finish.  The City and County are looking at all ways large and small that they can impact our collective carbon footprint and ensure a vibrant, prosperous region.  But, their efforts will only get us so far.  Business leaders must be involved to inform, participate and, well – LEAD. 

We’re all feeling the impact of the economic downturn – but now is not the time to shun innovation and investment.  Now is the time to think about the long-term horizon and plan for success.

Which is why I’m encouraging business colleagues to join me at the June 15 Town Hall for the City/County Climate Action Plan.  They want feedback and input – let’s give it to them – loudly and soundly.

Upon receiving an invitation to be a part of the “Think Tank,” I told all my friends (and anyone within earshot) that I’d gotten an internship.  Most of those who heard my news gave polite smiles and congratulations.  My closer friends gave me an earful of grief.  

“A THINKTANK?!?!  What’re you gonna do, plan a war?”  Or, my personal favorite, “I hope it doesn’t hurt when they use the industrial vacuum to siphon out the grey matter.”

I had no clue if I was going to be way out of my league, surrounded by ridiculously brilliant and experienced individuals.  At one point, I convinced myself that it would be a good idea to peruse intellectual journals for relevant information so that I could veil my imagined short-comings.  In the end, I threw caution to the wind and reassured myself that the worst that could happen would be a few minutes of uncomfortable ridicule.  

So now, here I am, a little over a week into the so-called “Think Tank” process.  I was delighted to not be surrounded by snooty intellectuals but by three other smart and down-to-earth dudes.  We’ve spent our time so far discussing a few magazine articles that got us all on the same page in regards to the urgency of sustainability, theories of belief and using technology to reach wide audiences.  One of these articles that I latched onto was from the New York Times and titled, “Sex, Drugs and Updating Your Blog” by Clive Thompson.  

In this piece, an independent musician named Jonathan Coulton has used the Internet to build his fan base and make a living.  This ex-computer programmer’s songs were being downloaded as many as 500,000 times with no traditional marketing effort!  We discussed at length how we could draw from the Coulton’s experiences and apply them to our own blog.  The notion we latched onto was one that we coined as “fans as your promotion department”.  

In the article, Coulton attracted fans to his blog by writing and posting a song every day of the week.  Eventually, he had people doing artwork for his singles and building him websites, totally free of charge.  We asked ourselves, “Why would someone go to such great lengths for a stranger?”  First, people might simply just want to try and get in on their “piece” of the fame.  The second solution was the thought that people enjoy seeing things they like succeed, especially if they are perceived as an underdog (which any independent musician could be). The emotional component – the Serotonin rush elicited when your favorite song comes on – can make even the most stoic individual crack a smile and tap their feet.  The power music has on people is unparalleled.  When one feels close to something that they love, acts of generosity come naturally.  When translated over into the marketing world, this “generosity” equates to high exposure at low cost.  

Knowing this, we in the think tank hope to use these concepts and figure out ways to unite and galvanize people with the emotional component of sustainable brands.  These brands are in the minority and thus perceived as “underdogs”.  By marrying these concepts, marketers can turn consumers into fans who can increase the reach of any company, free of charge, more effectively than any traditional campaign.

Another important concept to note is that all people seek out groups to join.  A sense of belonging is central to the human experience.  In the article, people created groups around Coulton.  They were not only connected on a closer level to the musician that they admired, they also networked with each other.  The success of Coulton suggests that his promotional approach could be applied to markets outside of music.  A group’s collective emotion and power trumps that of an individual.  You’ve never seen a one-man riot garner much attention, have you?

Which leads us to the blog you’re reading right now.  We intend to use our blog entries to attract and then interact with like-minded people and create a platform for the exchange of ideas. We want to create a community.  Now that you’ve arrived here, welcome to the group.  Feels kinda good, doesn’t it?

-This post written by: the MarketShift Think Tank

By press release, the Clinton Climate Iniative:

President Bill Clinton today announced several new partnerships to improve the energy efficiency of hundreds of millions of square feet of public and private real estate throughout the United States.

The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) will partner with the City of Chicago to enable a green overhaul of privately-owned housing around the city, as well as two major landmarks, the Sears Tower and the Merchandise Mart— the country’s tallest and largest buildings, respectively. CCI will also partner with GE Real Estate to identify and implement building retrofit projects across GE Real Estate’s global portfolio. In addition, along with the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), CCI will create a Green Schools Program to retrofit schools and universities across America.

“The tools we need to dramatically reduce our carbon emissions exist today,” said President Clinton. “When it comes to climate change, the hurdles we face aren’t technological, they’re organizational, which is why my foundation is partnering with cities, businesses, nonprofits and schools alike to design systems and programs that reduce energy consumption. I’m grateful to them all for working to show the world that the solution to the climate crisis isn’t far off in the future— it’s in the buildings we inhabit, our civic infrastructure and the way we organize our lives.”

Partnership with the City of Chicago

President Clinton and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley today announced three joint projects between the City of Chicago and CCI’s Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program, an effort launched in May 2007 that enables cities to implement cost-effective, green retrofits of existing buildings.

"Chicago has always led by example when it comes to protecting the environment,” said Mayor Daley. “The Clinton Climate Initiative will play a major role in helping us reach our goal of making Chicago the most environmentally-friendly city in the country.”

CCI and the City of Chicago will work with the Merchandise Mart, the world’s largest commercial building and largest wholesale design center, and the Sears Tower, the tallest building in America, to complete audits and subsequent overhauls to increase their energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprints. In addition, CCI is developing a targeted program for energy retrofits of privately-owned, multi-tenant housing in Chicago. Under the auspices of the City’s Department of Housing, building owners will jointly contract for energy performance contracts and use future energy savings to finance the project implementation.

Partnership with GE Real Estate

GE Real Estate is one of the world’s most significant commercial real estate companies, with more than $72 billion and more than 385 million square feet in assets in 31 countries throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia/New Zealand. CCI is partnering with GE Real Estate to identify and implement building retrofit projects across their global portfolio. Work will begin in CCI’s partner cities where GE Real Estate owns significant property.

“The Clinton Climate Initiative and GE Real Estate share the view that improving the environmental performance of existing properties is essential toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing property efficiencies, positively impacting the health of tenants and thereby improving the value of our properties,” said Ron Pressman, President & CEO, GE Real Estate. “As one of the world's largest owners of commercial properties with thousands of buildings in our portfolio, and more added each year, we believe we can make a significant, positive impact on the environment while benefiting our business. This is another great example of GE's ‘green is green’ strategy.”

Green Schools Program

CCI and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) will work with K-12 schools throughout the nation to establish a Green Schools Program to reduce the energy consumption of school buildings.

“We are honored to have partnered with the President’s Climate Initiative to convene this historic effort to green our nation’s schools,” said Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC’s President, CEO & Founding Chair. “Green schools are a powerful demonstration of our commitment to our children's future, and it’s a powerful way to show the next generation how we can all make a difference in this world.”

CCI and the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) will also work together to retrofit hundreds of colleges and universities across the US, helping them to meet their commitment to attain climate neutrality while lowering their energy bills.

Additional partners in the Green Schools Program include: Allegheny College, American Federation of Teachers, Arizona State University, Association of Sustainability in Higher Education, Chicago Public Schools, College of the Atlantic, Council of Educational Facilities Planners International, Dakota County Technical College, EcoAmerica, Earth Day Network, Illinois Association of School Board Members, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, LA Community College District, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Middlebury College, National Association of School Boards, National Education Association, Ohio School Facilities Commission, Rio Rancho Public Schools, Second Nature, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Idaho, University of Illinois at Chicago and Washington, DC Public Schools.

About the Clinton Climate Initiative

Building on his long-term commitment to preserving the environment, President Clinton launched the Clinton Foundation’s Climate Initiative in August 2006 with the mission of applying the Foundation’s business-oriented approach to the fight against climate change in practical, measurable and significant ways. In its first phase, CCI is working with cities around the world to accelerate efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In May 2007, President Clinton announced the creation of a global Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program, a project of the Clinton Climate Initiative. This program brings together eight of the world’s largest energy service companies, five of the world’s largest banks, and seventeen of the world’s largest cities in a landmark program designed to reduce energy consumption in existing buildings. The program provides both cities and their private building owners with access to the necessary funds to retrofit existing buildings with more energy efficient products, typically leading to energy savings between 20 to 50 percent.