S.C. Johnson & Son, maker of household products such as Windex, Pledge and Ziploc, is viewed as one of the more environmentally responsible companies in the U.S. So it was surprising to some when the Racine, Wisc.-based company faced multiple lawsuits for its patented Greenlist label and methodology. How did a company that was lauded as visionary years ago for voluntarily removing chlorofluorocarbons from aerosol cans wind up being accused of greenwashing? Andrew Hoffman, an SNRE and Ross School of Business professor, wrote in the case study, "SC Johnson and the Greenlist Backlash," that the company's experience underscores the wider problem of communicating green credentials to consumers.
President Obama unveils his national plan to combat climate change this afternoon. U-M has several experts who will be available immediately after to comment.
Sustainability, once thought to be the province of scientists and environmentalists, is now a mainstream business strategy. But for people like Andrew Hoffman, professor at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, it's not cause for victory. He fought the early battles to get environmental responsibility into the C-suites, and the initiatives he's observed don't align with sustainability's original intentions.
Andy Hoffman, an SNRE professor in its Sustainable Systems field of study, was interviewed by the Irish Times newspaper as part of its ongoing coverage of a recent climate summit in Ireland.
In an interview with The Financial Times, SNRE Professor Andy Hoffman discusses the role that waste conservation is playing within companies as they pursue broader sustainability agendas.
“In an age of plentiful and cheap resources you can afford to throw them out,” Hoffman is quoted in the story. “But as the price and the scarcity starts to go up, capturing them and bringing them back will be critical.”
The article, by Sarah Murray, is titled "The sustainable path to profit: don’t throw out the rubbish."
SNRE Professor Andy Hoffman has been chosen as of the World’s 50 Best Business School Professors by Poets & Quants. Hoffman has a joint appointment with SNRE and the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. He also serves as director of the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise. He came to the University of Michigan in September 2004. The rankings were announced this week. This is how Poets&Quants describes the survey and its results:
Today's students need to understand how companies evaluate and apply sustainability data to make decisions that affect the planet. ӬӬWith that in mind, the University of Michigan's Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, together with the World Environment Center, announces a partnership for graduate MBA/MS students to get involved in planning and implementing sustainable development initiatives along with leading global companies. Ӭ
Forbes contributor John McQuaid in an Aug. 21 post revisits an article by SNRE Professor Andrew Hoffman on culture wars and climate, which first appeared in the fall issue of the Stanford Social Innovation Review.
What can the social sciences contribute to the public debate about climate change? To answer that question, the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise and the Union of Concerned Scientists gathered 90 leading scholars, business leaders, policy makers, advocates, religious leaders and journalists to explore how better to communicate climate science to a skeptical public and mobilize progress. The summary report of that workshop distills the collective wisdom of that landmark two-day event.
SNRE Professor Andy Hoffman talks about reframing the climate change debate during an interview on WEMU-FM (89.1). The interview was aired during the public radio station's "November First Friday Focus on the Environment" show. The hosts are WEMU's David Fair and Lisa Wozniak, executive director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters.