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With COP15 in full swing, climate change discussions are heating up – and environmentally conscious companies are joining the conversation. Several big players, including Timberland (Cone’s client) and Coke have launched consumer-focused campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of COP15, which aims to secure a new global climate change treaty to replace the Kyoto protocol.

Image via www.donttellusitcantbedone.com

Because Timberland’s business is the environment, the company has a vested interest in proving companies can make a profit and save the planet – without passing the cost to the consumer. Through its global “Don’t Tell Us It Can’t Be Done” campaign, Timberland hopes to bring the importance of climate change, and the need for binding legislation, to the forefront by giving the public a forum to let their voices be heard. Consumers are invited to get involved by signing an online petition at www.donttellusitcantbedone.com and staying up-to-date on conference happenings with an on-the-ground reporting team, comprised of environmental journalist Olivia Zaleski and Found Objects Films founder Gabriel London, who will post daily recaps and exclusive interviews at www.earthkeeper.com/ActionCenter.

In addition to the “Don’t Tell Us It Can’t Be Done” online campaign, Timberland is connecting with consumers on climate change through global advertising, in-store displays and social networks like Twitter and Facebook. And the campaign doesn’t end after the COP15 conference. No matter the result of the conference, Timberland will continue to call for commitment to the long-term outcome. The company has already achieved a 27 percent reduction in emissions since 2006, committed to building all new U.S. stores to LEED standards and implemented the Green Index, which measures and reports on products’ environmental impact, to help inform the design process.

What’s more, Timberland’s sincere attempts to drive social justice through commerce are paying off. President and CEO Jeff Swartz has appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek, Fast Company and The Sunday Times, and on Fox Business Network’s America’s Nightly Scoreboard and several major UK stations to discuss the company’s environmental commitments. And Timberland’s Earthkeeper collection, comprised of eco-friendly gear, now accounts for about 5 percent of total sales—proof that companies don’t have to choose between making a profit and doing good.

- Erin Zwaska, Account Executive

The media was abuzz with industry-changing news from retail giant Walmart this week. The company has begun the tricky process of establishing a worldwide “sustainable product index” for its suppliers, with the goal of eventually displaying this on all products it carries. The concept is not new – other companies such as Timberland and Nike have already created their own product evaluation systems – but the goal is to develop the first comprehensive source of data for evaluating sustainability across all products. In the final phase of the process, the company intends to equip consumers with a simple rating system that will disclose product sustainability, allowing consumers to make more informed purchase decisions. As Walmart CEO Mike Duke stated, the company wants to “create a new retail standard for the 21st century.”

Although the consumer-facing label will take a few years to develop, the company will begin the process by first surveying its more than 100,000 suppliers on current practices using a 15 question survey focused on energy and climate, material efficiency, natural resources and people and community. Walmart chief merchandising officer John Fleming explained, “The questions aren’t complicated but we’ve never before systematically asked for this kind of information. The survey is a key first step toward establishing real transparency in our supply chain.” Following this, Walmart will collaborate with several universities, governments, suppliers and other retailers to develop a global sustainability index.

Suppliers whose products are currently on Walmart shelves will no doubt be scrambling to shine light on their sustainability initiatives. This will be an exciting opportunity for those companies already working to reduce their impacts to display their environmental stewardship. Those not already operating with the environment and society in mind, and/or those not measuring such data, will have a lot of work to do in the coming months. And yet, the generality of Walmart’s questionnaire, which doesn’t delve into product-specific or even industry-specific nuances, just skims the sustainability surface. It leaves lots of room for interpretation, and it is not clear how – or if – Walmart will verify the data.

That said, Walmart’s vision is a worthy one and establishing a shared baseline for the industry is a monumental step indeed. The retailing giant, already credited with helping set the standard for items like concentrated laundry detergent, likely has the wherewithal to bring something this complex to life. If the rest of the retail industry joins this effort, it could be gamechanging.