Water, water everywhere — yet less and less to drink. That's why more brands are paying specific attention to water conservation in their sustainability platforms, even if water isn't specifically or strongly related to their business.

Take Toyota: The company just announced a continuation of its partnership with the Wyland Foundation to promote preservation of oceans and waterways. Toyota and Wyland will hold what they are calling National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation throughout April — which is Earth Month — asking U.S. residents to sign an online pledge to conserve water and resources.

Prizes for winning residents in cities that have the highest percentage of committers include a Toyota Prius C and water-saving fixtures. Lowe's, Rain Bird and other brands also are involved. Toyota's renewed commitment also includes assistance for a mobile, interactive Wyland exhibit on water resources that will travel across the U.S. beginning in March.Continue reading...

Limited Brands, owner of Victoria’s Secret and La Senza, has committed to eliminate hazardous chemicals from its global supply chain in response to Greenpeace's Detox campaign. An investigation in 2012 by the environmental advocacy organization revealed a hormone-disrupting phthalate in underwear sold in Victoria’s Secret stores in the United States.

Phthalates and perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) are man-made chemicals that contain non-stick and water-repellent properties. The chemicals can affect the liver, disrupt hormones and alter growth.

"With Limited Brands being the 14th company to Detox since Greenpeace launched its campaign, the fashion industry is finally waking up to its responsibilities in the cycle of toxic water pollution," John Deans, Greenpeace USA Toxics Campaigner, told brandchannel. "Now it's time for brands like Calvin Klein, G Star Raw and The Gap to take their place alongside these Detox leaders."Continue reading...

Snowboarder Danny Davis is an advocate of a new partnership between Burton Snowboards and Mountain Dew, called Burton's Green Mountain Project.

The focus is on improved sustainability in apparel and outerwear for the 2012 and 2013 product seasons. Sustainable fabrics from recycled plastic bottles are a key ingredient in the Burton line, including a hand-crafted line of t-shirts made from 50% recycled plastic bottles and 50% organic cotton.Continue reading...

Today Interbrand released its Best Global Green Brands study, ranking the top 50 among the leading worldwide brands, in which Japan stands out. Out of the top 10, three wave the Japanese flag, with Toyota claiming number one.

This study showcases a very unique methodology, combining the internal (brand performance) with the external (brand perception by consumers) to measure who has the “greenest” brand — inside and out. Using Interbrand’s experience in brand valuation and Deloitte’s expertise, each brand's green performance data was organized into 82 metrics in six categories: Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, Operations, Supply Chain, Transportation and Logistics, and Products and Services.

If one looks at the country's history and current plight, Japanese brands’ green success should come as no surprise.Continue reading...

Corporate sustainability isn't something consumers necessarily think a lot about when they purchase a branded product, but a new survey suggests it influences a brand's "meaningfulness" in the mind of a consumer.

The more sustainable the brand is perceived to be, the more meaningful it becomes to consumers, according to results of the just-released second annual Brand Sustainable Futures report, published by Havas Media and MPG. The results are based on an online survey of 30,000 consumers in 9 countries.

Survey results indicated that IKEA received the best "Brand Sustainable Futures Quotient," while L'Oreal was one of the brands with the largest improvements from last year. Home Depot is perceived as "the most meaningful and sustainable" brand by U.S. consumers, followed by Kraft and Google.

When it comes to attitudes towards sustainability, it differs significantly by country.Continue reading...

Ikea, which highlights green initiatives at its US stores on its Facebook page, has released its 2009 report on global sustainability initiatives, noting that it reduced its carbon footprint by 5%, with CO2 emissions from transporting goods down by 10%.

In an effort to reduce its carbon output even further, it's developing a new global framework for measuring greenhouse gas emissions. It's also partnering with the World Wildlife Fund and urging suppliers to reduce their energy use by 30% or more by 2011. It's starting to see progress, with two glass suppliers in China already reporting cuts exceeding 40%.

The home retailer just missed its 2009 goal of 75% renewable materials in its products (which came in at 71%), and also failed to reach its 2009 target of 30% of its wood coming from verified responsibly managed forests.

"Ikea is obsessed with making more from less, and we don't like to waste resources of any kind. This will continue to be our compass in years to come, and we will stimulate new thinking and innovation in our sustainability work," stated Ikea president and CEO Mikael Ohlsson on the company's 2009 sustainability goals and progress.

Some highlights from its 2009 sustainability report follow after the jump; click here to check out the full report.Continue reading...