World Trade - December 2008 - (Page 45)

“A big part of what we do is to educate clients ﬁrst,” Rodriguez explains. “We also remind them that they can’t adopt every green initiative that comes along. They need to be discerning; that’s being business-minded.” Another point that clients often miss when it comes to green, is that it ultimately boils down to being a competitive issue. “Competition is what drives business decisions,” she says, “just like when hazardous materials regulations were introduced and everyone had to get rid of lead solder, for example.” Rodriguez also says that many clients lack strategic plans when it comes to green initiatives. “They may start out by saying they want to reduce their waste by 25 percent, but they don’t have a baseline. They don’t really know how much waste they’re generating today. Furthermore, they’re confused as to what sustainability really means. And, what is carbon neutral? Does that mean we just have to buy carbon offsets?” she says. Shan Hoel, Director of Communications for Transgroup Worldwide Logistics (www.transgroup.com), sees similar problems. “Unless you have a qualiﬁed baseline to start from, it’s very difﬁcult to formulate an effective strategy,” he says. “Companies need to look at their entire supply chain and choose one or just a few areas and start there to get their baseline. Once a company knows where they’re at, they can begin to search out green opportunities.” And what’s ahead Like others who are developing an expertise in green logistics, Hoel emphasizes the importance of collaboration, which is a key component for creating a future strategic plan. “One of the ﬁrst things a shipper can do is to identify logistics partners who have already established green initiatives. If the shipper is using an assetbased carrier, for example, ﬁnd out about the carrier’s Green Industry Growing in Sacramento The city of Sacramento is fast becoming a magnet for clean and green technologies due to several factors, including access to state policymakers (the city is the capital of California), strong relationships with researchers at UC Davis, and an ample supply of intellectual capital in the renewables sector, thanks to the expanding number of national and international ﬁrms setting up shop in the region. The work that’s being done in Sacramento and state-wide has ramiﬁcations for all companies who are moving in a green direction, whether it involves new technologies that will make their warehouses, facilities, and supply chains more cost-efﬁcient and environmentally friendly, or help shape future regulations that will impact businesses across the U.S. Clean technology is one of the leading industries in the region, explains Robert Burris, Deputy Director, Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization (www.sactoedc. org). The region is not only attracting clean energy ﬁrms in the solar sector, like Dutchbased Ecostream (www.ecostream.com), Solar Power Inc. (www.solarpowerinc.net), and Bloo Solar (www.bloosolar.com), but also companies like Marquiss Wind Power (www.marquisswindpower.com) and Jadoo Power Systems of American River Ventures (www.arventures. com), during the second annual Clean Energy Showcase at Sacramento State University in September. “A majority of our investments in the last three years have been made with entrepreneurs who are providing a platform to energy efﬁciency and intelligence.” Jack Crawford, General Partner of Velocity Capital in Folsom, echoed the enthusiasm for clean technology. “We are looking to put onethird of our investment fund into clean tech companies in this area,” he said. “We think this is a great opportunity for superior returns for our investors. We are seeing many VC ﬁrms outside the area take a much closer look at what we can achieve here.” As the market for clean energy continues to develop, Sacramento is projected to create 10,000 new jobs and $5 billion per year in direct economic activity in the next ten years. In addition, Sacramento’s impressive growth and potential has attracted both national and global attention. Earlier this year, the city was one of twelve U.S. cities to receive a Solar America Cities grant for $200,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy to support the advancement of solar energy, including the installation of more solar-panel systems. 100 kilowatt solar farm that OptiSolar has installed at the 1 million sq ft facility that it is developing in Sacramento. (www.jadoopower.com), a leader if fuel cell technology. Millions of dollars in venture capital is also pouring into the region. Last year, clean technology in Sacramento attracted more than $50 million in venture capital. “The region’s proximity to the leaders in energy efﬁciency research at UC Davis, and California’s attention to policy and the incentives it offers to clean technology, makes Sacramento a logical choice for this work,” remarked Dr. Barbara Grant, Managing Director David Lena WWW.WORLDTRADEMAG.COM 45 http://www.transgroup.com http://www.arventures.com http://www.arventures.com http://www.jadoopower.com http://www.sactoedc.org http://www.sactoedc.org http://www.ecostream.com http://www.solarpowerinc.net http://www.bloosolar.com http://www.marquisswindpower.com http://www.marquisswindpower.com http://WWW.WORLDTRADEMAG.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of World Trade - December 2008

World Trade - December 2008 Contents The Promise of Peril The Current Reality with IP in China Supply Chain Watch Tradewinds Performance Partners: Awards of Excellence Managing With Mobility What 2009 Bodes for the Supply Chain Small Business Takes to Export Green is Here for Good Fast Fashion

World Trade - December 2008

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