GEMI partnered with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to develop the GEMI-EDF Guide to Successful Corporate/NGO Partnerships.  As social and environmental performance becomes increasingly important to the private sector and external stakeholders alike, some companies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are benefiting from collaborating rather than clashing around "green issues."  The Guide seeks to educate the public and private sectors on the potential for positive environmental and economic success through collaboration between corporations and NGOs. 

In addition, GEMI and EDF host webinars throughout the year for GEMI members on projects that EDF is working on, including those that GEMI members participate in such as the EDF Climate Corps Program.

GEMI is pleased to announce that its partnership with 2degrees (www.2degreesnetwork.com) and the GEMI membership.   

2degrees is a global community of over 18,000 sustainability professionals from over 90 countries. Leveraging the power of this community, 2degrees provides a platform for its members to learn, share resources, find new market opportunities, and collaborate to solve practical problems. The community is built upon subject-specific Working Groups that concentrate the right people and knowledge through a suite of tools including webinars, forums, podcasts, document libraries and virtual roundtables. 2degrees helps connect you to the resources, solutions, partners and clients needed for sustainable business growth. 

GEMI is a partner in the Business Roundtable’s S.E.E. Change initiative, which was launched in 2005. Seeking to leverage the power of business as a force for good, Business Roundtable launched a sustainable growth initiative encouraging leading U.S. companies to embrace business strategies and projects that measurably improve Society, the Environment and the Economy. S.E.E. Change, encourages CEOs of the nation’s leading companies to commit to business strategies that combine traditional corporate goals of higher profit and lower cost with a strong commitment to environmental stewardship and social improvement. Roundtable companies will be asked to set challenging goals that contribute to both the bottom line and improvements to the quality of life – now and for future generations.

• On April 22, 2010, 97 CEOs of leading U.S. companies reported on their businesses’ commitments to lower emissions, increased energy efficiency and more sustainable business practices in Enhancing Our Commitment to a Sustainable Future 2010, Business Roundtable’s annual report on the sustainability initiatives of its member companies.
• On April 22, 2009, 77 Chief Executive Officers from leading U.S. companies reported on their personal and corporate commitments to sustainable business practices in Business Roundtable’s "Enhancing Our Commitment to a Sustainable Future: 2009 Progress Report"
  • The press release announcing the Report
  • Hear first hand video blogs from the CEOs of AEP, Aetna, FPL, ITT and Motorola on their sustainability programs.

• On April 17, 2008, The Business Roundtable launched “SEE”ing Change: 2008 Progress Report.  32 leading U.S. companies reported on their ongoing sustainability efforts the Roundtable's S.E.E. Change initiative. Member companies, representing virtually every sector of the economy, outlined their efforts to achieve real environmental and social changes through their commitments to sustainable business practices.  
  • A three-minute video clip about the Report may be found at: http://seechange.businessroundtable.org/VidPlayer.aspx?fid=9&tid=1

GEMI partnered with the National Council for Science and the Environment’s (NCSE) Council of Environmental Dean’s and Directors (CEDD) to conduct workshops to provide CEDD members with an understanding of GEMI and its tools for inclusion in course curriculum.  Thirty-five schools attended the workshops. 

Three CEDD members have incorporated GEMI tools in course curriculum:

• Barnard College used the Transparency: A Path to Public Trust in an undergraduate first year seminar.  View a summary presentation of the course
• Colleges of the Fenway, used the Forging New Links in an environmental undergraduate Forum course.  View a summary presentation of the course
• University of South Carolina used the SD Planner^TM in a graduate IMBA course.  View a summary presentation of the course

The Financial Times' Investing in a Sustainable Future conference on March 29, 2012 at The Hudson Theatre in NYC will feature speakers from large listed corporations describing specific ways their companies are moving towards greater sustainability.  The panel discussions and keynotes will share the theme of quantification -- the specific and measurable financial results of sustainability initiatives is what is being examined here.