Sustainability Series - The Lempert Report

The Lempert Report Food News: Marketing, analysis, issues & trends and the impact on food and retail environments, specifically for the B2B food world with reporting and commentary on consumer and retailing trends by Phil Lempert. Phil can predict the future —and then help businesses and consumers understand it. For more than 25 years, Lempert, an expert analyst on consumer behavior, marketing trends, new products and the changing retail landscape, has identified and explained impending trends to consumers and some of the most prestigious companies worldwide. Known as The Supermarket Guru®, http://www.supermarketguru.com , Lempert is a distinguished author and speaker who alerts customers and business leaders to impending corporate and consumer trends, and empowers them to make educated purchasing and marketing decisions. To see more of The Lempert Report visit: http://www.thelempertreport.com The Lempert Report for Thursday January 29, 2009. We anounce our Sustainability Series, a new monthly feature that takes a look behind the scenes at America's leading companies. Today we profile Procter & Gamble. What began as a small, family-operated soap and candle company now consists of 130,000 employees providing products and services in over 180 countries. We talked to Len Sauers, PhD, Vice President for Global Sustainability. P&G defines sustainability as ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come. For P&G, this integrates economic development, environmental protection and social responsibility. From a product standpoint, they look to improve the environmental profile of products through innovations that impact one or more of the following indicators: • Energy • Water • Transportation • Amount of material used in packaging or products By 2012, P&Gs stated goal is to generate at least $20 billion in cumulative sales of products with a meaningful improvement in their environmental profile. Today, over 95% of materials that enter P&G plants leave as finished product. During the last year, P&G operations reduced water consumption by seven percent, energy usage by six percent, CO2 emissions by eight percent and waste disposal by 21 percent (per unit of production). Including last years results, P&G has reduced water consumption by 51 percent, energy usage by 46 percent, CO2 emissions by 52 percent and waste disposal by 50 percent since 2002 (per unit of production). An important part of sustainability for P&G is social responsibility. In the last year, they reached more than 60 million children through Live, Learn and Thrive™ their global cause that focuses on improving the lives of children in need. Their Childrens Safe Drinking Water program has delivered more than 1 billion liters of clean water in more than 30 countries, with the goal of delivering 3.5 billion liters by 2012. Well done. Paging Dr. Gupta, is more meaningful than ever. When Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the neurosurgeon and correspondent for CNN and CBS, and Time magazine columnist, was offered the role of US Surgeon General, one word came to mind: Brilliant. Dr. Gupta is an inspired choice for an important role thats lacked vision for decades. Hes an accomplished physician at Emory University School of Medicine and a media star, someone who helps millions understand key health issues of the time through his broadcasts and writings. Much like our new president - he knows how to listen and how to communicate. He performed brain surgery five times while serving as a journalist with a U.S. Navy unit called Devil Docs during the 2003 Iraq invasion. He presents clear, simple images that connect with people. Critics, take down your scalpels against this potential appointment, and let Dr. Gupta proceed to make his timely health points with the nation. What good is a U.S. Surgeon General as the chief public health officer if that individual only keeps in line with administration policies, shies away from controversy even if it would serve the nation, and fails to communicate in clear, cogent ways to an American public struggling with obesity, dietary plans gone awry, diseases that persist, and runaway health care costs? To reach me directly, please email me at Phil@SupermarketGuru.com For information on New Products, visit our weekly videocast: http://www.ratefoods.com/