GreenSpaces

Archive for December, 2008

FE Panel Discussion on How Green is Your Business?

Thursday, December 18th, 2008

Date: December 19, 2008
Time: 12 noon – 2 pm, followed by lunch
Venue: The Amphitheatre, TERI Campus, Vasant Kunj Institutional Area, New Delhi

Thank you to The Financial Express for including us on the panel!

fe_howgreenisyourbusiness

Report: Indians ready to pay more for environment friendly goods

Thursday, December 18th, 2008

theeconomictimes
Indians ready to pay more for environment friendly goods
Published 15 Dec 2008

NEW DELHI: Indians don’t mind paying more for environment friendly goods, compared to the Chinese or the Japanese, even though they are not unduly worried that the environment is in a crisis.

Thus, 88 per cent of Indian consumers are prepared to pay more for goods that are environment friendly against 82 per cent in China and 68 per cent in Japan, according to a study of consumers in India, China and Japan.

Findings are part of a 10-market global study by international communication firm Edelman.

Unlike their peers in other countries, respondents in India believe there is too much fuss about the environment (79 per cent) and they do not believe the world is experiencing global warming (56 per cent). Still, 92 per cent feel it is their duty to contribute to a better society and environment.

The study sought to understand consumer attitudes and preferences on the emerging issue of social purpose. Its findings show that despite the economic downturn, a strong majority think it is important to purchase products and brands they perceive to be socially responsible India (90 per cent), China (90 per cent) and Japan (64 per cent).

“What we find particularly interesting in this study is that economic concerns are taking a distant place behind consumers’ demands that quality brands be produced by socially conscious companies,” says Alan VanderMolen, Edelman’s Asia-Pacific President.

“The current economic crisis has made little or no difference to the financial or voluntary support given to good causes by Indians. We found that 23 per cent of Indian respondents have actually paid more for a brand because it supports a good cause.

About Edelman’s Good Purpose Consumer Study

StrategyOne conducted 6,048 interviews in 10 countries between August and October 2008. The study was an online survey of consumers, nationally representative of each of the country populations. For India and China survey was conducted as face to face and CATI respectively. Sample sizes per country are: US = 1006, China = 1000, UK = 522, Germany = 506, Brazil =500, Italy = 500, Japan = 502, India = 503, Canada = 502. France=507. The margin of error is +/- 5% for the Chinese, Indian and Japanese samples.

Read full Edelman press release here

Mid-Day: An office at Nehru Place has fresher air than Darjeeling

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

midday

An office at Nehru Place has fresher air than Darjeeling
By Soumya Mukerji, 2008-12-15

THE city’s buzzing, filthy electronics hub Nehru Place houses the purest air among the Capital’s commercial buildings.

The Paharpur Business Centre (PBC) here has better air than any other workplace in the city, according to a new study by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Kolkata’s Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute. Darjeeling (at 350 µg/m3) has nearly four times the suspended particulate matter than the Paharpur office (92 µg/m3).

The 340-page study was released in September. As part of it, 1,438 people were clinically examined and 6,005 surveyed through questionnaires.

“If this can be achieved at Nehru Place, it can be accomplished anywhere,” said Kamal Meattle, CEO of PBC, who conceptualised this project when his lung capacity had dropped to 70 per cent, like most urban professionals. “It’s back to 100 per cent now, but the important question is: why wasn’t Paryavaran Bhawan or the Prime Minister’s house the first to lead by example?”

For workers at PBC, clean air has meant 24 per cent less headaches, 52 per cent less eye irritation, 20 less chances of hypertension and 12 per cent more lung power.

Read the rest of the feature here