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With @Remote Green Reports, users can track month-to-month trends in energy and paper consumption of their Managed Ricoh @Remote Compatible document output devices, allowing them to monitor fleet performance and the possible environmental impact device usage operations have on such areas as CO2 emissions* or conservation of forests**. This tool collects data from Ricoh networked multifunctional products (MFPs) and securely transmits the information to a Ricoh data center. The data is then processed into green reports that are made available to users via a secure, password-protected Web site.

TCO = Purchase Cost + Overhead + Environmental Costs + Social Consequences

A Few Powerful Buyers Could Create a Sea Change in Production

"Back to supply chains (although if you are a builder of commercial space then Interface is probably in your supply chain). A recent Environmental Leader article discussed a survey of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) regarding their attitudes towards suppliers (supply chain) that do not manage their carbon. These are real companies in the survey (like PepsiCo, Dell, Google, IBM, Kellogg, HP and Unilever.) The results are enlightening. Over 1000 suppliers to these companies were surveyed. Survey reported that 38% of the supply chain respondents have some type of carbon reduction targets in place. Of these respondents, almost two thirds report Scope 1 and Scope 2 emission. Scope 3 emissions are reported by 8%. Strikingly, 56% of the CDP members (remember the big companies listed above?) say that they may eliminate suppliers who don't manage carbon."

Even corporations with clear environmental aims fail to go the distance when it comes to their supply chains. But lessons from a small group of Fortune 500 companies can give them the direction they need.

Assessing GHG emissions through the entire value chain is not about measuring for the sake of measuring- it's about measuring GHG emissions in order to manage and reduce them. A full assessment of a company's value chain is an essential first step in reducing emissions, as it identifies the areas with highest emissions and enables a company to target efforts where there is the most opportunity for reductions. Companies that develop the most effective methods to engage with their suppliers can benefit from improved supply chain efficiency; reduced risk from suppliers passing on higher energy or emissions-related costs; reduced risk of supply chain business interruption; improved relationships with suppliers; and identification of new revenue streams.

Moving forward, as consumers and shareholders both demand transparency and ask for more accountable businesses, sustainability within the supply chain will evolve from just "greenwashing" to become the foundation of great business. "Today, sustainability has replaced cost, value and speed as the dominant topic of discussion among purchasing and supply professionals," asserts the authors of one Oracle white paper. In 2007, Mattel spent $110 million on product recalls and saw its share price drop 5. 8 percent in just two months after its Tier 2 Suppliers used unsafe levels of lead paint in Mattel toys. "Even though Mattel has excellent supply chain management, one slip-up cost them in terms of reputation loss," says Diane Osgood, Ph. D. and founder of Osgood Sustainability Consulting. "Better transparency could have saved them.