How does the company Patagonia fit in this?
Pick a company to research. Search that company's sustainability efforts and give a short summary or a few highlights answering each of the questions below. Data will be posed in the discussion board with the title as the company name. Once a company has been chosen no other person can choose that company. 1. What framework or certification system is the company using or is it solely internal?| Explanation: Manufacturer should follow a "framework" such as the Global Reporting Initiative or the Natural Step; or one of the emerging certification programs on sustainable manufacturing from Underwriters Laboratories (ULE 880) or Green Seal (CS-01) when formulating a sustainability program. Preference should be given to those manufacturers using a recognized framework or certification system as compared to those following their own internal program. 2. Has the company published a Sustainability or Corporate Responsibility Report? Explanation: Two of the most fundamental themes of sustainability are "transparency" and "reporting". Manufacturers should disclose what they're doing as compared to keeping it secret and expecting customers and others to simply "trust them" . Preference should be given to manufacturers who are disclosing their efforts as compared to those who are not. And some reporting is better than none at all. 3. Has the company set reduction goals? Explanation: Once a manufacturer has started tracking and reporting its impact, the next step is to set reduction goals. Just keep in mind the old saying popularized by Mark Twain, "there are lies, damned lies and statistics." So don't get hung-up on percentages or numbers, but rather think if the manufacturer is really working to improve. And with this in mind, give preference to a manufacturer that has set more challenging reduction goals compared to others who have more modest goals or none at all. 4. What are the company's "green" product trends? Explanation: Sustainable manufacturers should make "green" products. After all, what good is a 'sustainable" manufacturer whose products harm health or the environment? While it may be unreasonable to expect 100% green products, they should be heading in this direction. Thus prefer a manufacturer whose sales of green products are clearly trending upwards as a percentage of overall sales, as compared to others who demonstrate a lesser commitment. 5. How is the company addressing social equity? Explanation: One of the fundamental issues that differentiates "sustainability" from "green" or an environmental program is the inclusion of social equity. This goes far beyond just protecting worker health and safety, training and other legal requirements; but can include philanthropy, volunteerism, community involvement, worker rights, wages, benefits and more. For manufacturers making products in the US, Canada, Western Europe, Japan and other developed countries, this is less of an issue. But for those manufacturing and importing products, subcomponents or like China . prefer manufact is that have
