Last year, my Mission Measurement compatriots blogged about the development of metrics for use on all foods to indicate the carbon footprint for individual products. Environmentalists (and other invested parties) would like to place a “Carbon Label” on all products, similar to the nutritional labels currently required. My colleagues have made unique observations about how and why industries are finally beginning to measure the nutritional value, social impact, and business value of what seems intangible and too complicated to measure. They aptly point out that it’s important to use credible and practical scales to measure. ...

For consumers looking to reduce the size of their carbon footprint, an examination of the food they purchase seems like a logical place to begin. Aside from sleeping and working (for better or worse), what aspect of day-to-day existence owns a more prevalent role than eating?  Environmentalists have numerous suggestions about how to green our diets.  Just as nutritionists refer dieters to the Nutrition Facts label, environmentalists would like to guide food purchases based on a Carbon label placed on each product.  And much like traditional dieting fads, eco-dieting advice has changed dramatically in recent years, as the environmental efficiency of food becomes more accurately measured. ...

In their recent contribution to the Harvard Business Review, Doing Well By Doing Good? Don’t Count on It, Joshua Margolis and Hillary Anger Elfenbein rekindle the venerable debate on the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and financial performance. Since its inception, CSR has struggled to build legitimacy against forces pressing corporate social and environmental strategies to demonstrate a direct, causal relationship with stock performance. ...

According to Grant Thornton’s 15th Survey of U.S. Business Leaders, 77% of executives say that corporate responsibility will have a major impact on their business strategies over the next few years, and 76% agree it can enhance a company’s profitability. Read the survey report, Corporate responsibility: Burden or opportunity?, conducted in partnership with BusinessWeek Research Services, to find out how business leaders are answering such questions as: ...