An exploration of the Environmental Commitment section of the Corporate Responsibility web pages at the www.gm.com website would lead the casual investigator to conclude that the General Motors Corporation is duly concerned with preserving the environment. GM has outlined six different environmental principles they follow towards their being a responsible corporate citizen including commitments to: restore and preserve the environment, reduce waste, education the public on conservation, develop less polluting technologies, work with the government to develop environmental laws, and to also continually assess and improve the environmental impact of their processes and products, (GM Environmental Principles, n.d.). GM maintains on their web site a commitment to producing environmentally friendlier vehicles by increasing the fuel economy of vehicles and developing vehicles that use alternative fuel sources, utilizing recycled materials in the manufacture of vehicles, and decreasing emissions from manufacturing facilities.
Although GM introduced the catalytic converter in 1975 that is used on most automobiles, which allows them to fun cleaner on less fuel, since this development the company had been relatively resistant to government imposed emission standards. This changed in 2007 when GM became the first automobile manufacturer to join the U.S Climate Action Partnership, an advocacy group that is seeking legislation to cap total emissions from burning fuel in vehicles, additionally they voluntarily agreed to an increase in fuel economy of 40% by 2020, (an action that was expected thwart a more stringent requirement mandated by Congress), (Stoffer, 2008).
In March of 2010 General Motors was ranked 22nd by the Political Economy Research Institute, PERI, on their list of the top 100 air polluters in the United States with 6.9 million pounds of toxic air releases, (PERI, 2010). When PERI first published their list in 2004, using 2002 data, General Motors was ranked 20th with 12.77 million pounds , in their 2008 report based upon 2005 data they were ranked at 18th with 8.37 million pounds, so over the past decade GM has decreased their manufacturing emissions by one half. Despite this, their ranking on the list remains relatively unchanged, so we are in essence witnessing the same response from other corporations. Additionally it is noteworthy to consider in this argument that GM was fined $568,116.00 in March of 2006 for inappropriate disposal of chemicals into landfills, (ALJ rules, 2007). Subsequent to this and other rulings GM introduced landfill-free manufacturing facilities where 96% of waste is reused or recycled and 3% of waste is converted to energy, (Johnson, 2008). Through these and other leveraged commitments GM should truly be able to reduce their environmental impact.
Producing environmentally conscious products is ethically responsible and something that consumers and governments are beginning to demand. Corporations are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of environmental issues to consumers, additionally they have become aware of the importance of environmental issues to their shareholders as disregarding these issues may expose the company to risk. In a recent survey of the Global Fortune 250 executives, KPMG notes that over two-thirds of corporations now report on environmental considerations to their shareholders, and that this trend is expected to continue, (2008). The KPMG survey notes that the most important driver for corporate reporting responsibility are environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, issues, termed “ethical considerations” at 69%, while in their 2005 survey the most important driver for corporate reporting responsibility were economic considerations at 74%, (KPMG, p. 18). Strategically, in order to protect shareholder value, GM must become a more socially responsible company to maintain sales by appealing to consumers who require increased environmental consciousness from corporations; additionally they must protect the corporation from increased accountability levied upon them by governments.
References:
ALJ rules automotive paint purge solvents are RCRA solid waste. (2007). Hazardous Waste Consultant, 25(1), p. 3.1-3.4. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Business Source Complete.
GM Environmental Principles. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.gm.com/corporate/responsibility/environment/principles/index.jsp
Johnson, J. (2008, September 15). GM aims for landfill-free status. Waste News, 14(10), p. 1,25. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Business Source Complete.
KPMG Global Sustainability Services. (2008, October). KPMG international survey of corporate responsibility reporting 2008. [Survey Report]. Amsterdam, the Netherlands: KPMG International. Retrieved from http://www.kpmg.com/CN/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/Corporate-responsibility-survey-200810-o.pdf
PERI, Political Economy Research Institute. (2010, March). The Toxic 100: top corporate air polluters in the United States. [Survey Report]. Amherst, MA: the University of Massachusetts. Retrieved from http://www.peri.umass.edu/toxic_index/
Stoffer, H. (2008, September 15). GM fought safety, emissions rules - but then invented ways to comply. Automotive News, 83(6325A), 208. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Business Source Complete.
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David Hector Thibodeau
1045 Wylie Street SE • Atlanta, GA 30316
• davidhectorthibodeau@gmail.com
Professional Experience:
Georgia College & State University - Milledgeville, GA 31061 2008 - Present
www.gcsu.edu
Serials/Acquisitions Coordinator
• Establish policies and procedures for the efficient operation of the Serials and Acquisitions Department, oversees database maintenance and quality, and processing of materials.
• Supervise full-time faculty, staff, and student positions.
• Manage electronic serials collection using electronic management software systems.
• Update bibliographic holdings for serials collection using standard library utilities.
• Direct all major projects and daily activities involving the management of the serials collection.
• Oversee participation in National Library of Medicine’s DOCLINE ILL program.
• Meet with department faculty to review their acquisitions needs and serve as a library liaison with academic departments.
• Provides assistance and advice to the Dean/University Librarian in the overall administration of the library, including strategic planning and the establishment of overall goals and objectives.
• Assist library administration in monitoring the budget and expenditures, recommends equipment, supplies, personnel, and other needs. Perform fiscal period close in Voyager integrated library system.
• Serve as primary liaison to vendors and as the technical contact for electronic databases, including setting up trials, negotiating licensing agreements, managing SLAs, and authoring RFQs and other correspondence.
• Participate in collection development to support the curriculum by recommending acquisitions and participating in the evaluation of current collections.
• Develop and prepare statistical and narrative reports.
• Provide reference services as assigned.
KPMG LLP - Atlanta, GA 10/2003 - 10/2007
http://www.kpmg.com/
Southeast Area Library Associate
• Relocated from Miami to Atlanta by KPMG due to assuming additional offices in 2006.
• Reference, research, and collection management for fifteen Southeast area libraries.
• Developed on-line training sessions for proprietary accounting research platform.
• Set up, developed, and administered SharePoint internal collaboration web site.
• Liaison to National Operations teams on SharePoint development.
• Redeveloped external acquisitions web site to be high functioning and suitable for firm-wide use.
• Collaborated with marketing department to improve collateral for delivery to clients and targets.
• Account contact and administrator for firm-wide on-line subscription.
• Coordinated development of the Latin American Tax Handbook between the European Tax Centre, the Latin American Tax Center, and the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation.
• Led a team to develop an electronic tool to survey library users.
• Appointed Work Environment Initiative Local Action Committee Representative in South Florida.
• Promoted from Area Library Coordinator to Area Library Associate and relocated from Boston to Miami in 2003; originally responsible for library collections, acquisitions, vendor relations, and accounts in 13 Northeast area offices.
KPMG LLP - Boston, MA 03/200- - 10/2003
http://www.kpmg.com/
Northeast Area Library Coordinator
• Implemented integrated library system software in area libraries.
• Assisted in creating a collection development database on MS Access to track expenditures.
• Substantially decreased print purchases through resource sharing and eliminating duplicative materials.
• Developed electronic process for Partners to select and order professional literature annually that resulted in $60K savings in the Northeast in the first year, (project adopted firm wide).
• Piloted on-line access to tax literature platform in Northeast Area that resulted in over $25K cost savings in Northeast area and a wider distribution of resources, (project adopted firm wide).
• Coordinated and developed training programs for Lexis/Nexis, Westlaw, and other information platforms for professionals and support staff, (project adopted firm wide).
Education:
American Intercontinental University
• 2010 – Present, MBA – Project Management Concentration
Simmons College--Boston, MA
• Summer 2000; audited - Knowledge Management
• Summer 1999; audited- Management of Information Technology
• 1996-1998 MLIS, Graduate School of Library and Information Science
Boston College--Newton, MA
• 1984-1988 BA, College of Arts and Sciences: Double Major: English and Psychology
Hebrew University--Jerusalem, Israel
• Summer 1988 & summer 1990, Assistant Archaeological Field Supervisor and associated graduate level classes.
Leadership:
Georgia Leadership Institute – State Personnel Administration
• 2009 – The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Florida Library Leadership Program -- Tallahassee, FL
• 2005-2006 - Year-long comprehensive series of learning sessions that focuses on developing an understanding of leadership, within a conceptual framework and practical applications.
Certifications:
Emory University - Center for Lifelong Learning – Atlanta, GA
• 2008 - Emory University: Management Certification.
• Courses included: Essentials of Personnel Management, Win-Win Negotiations, Essentials of Supervision, Essentials of Motivation, and Essentials of Coaching for Managers.
New Horizons--Boston, MA
• 2002 - Certified Internet Webmaster – Foundation Fundamentals
• Courses included: Networking, Internet, and Web-Page Authoring Fundamentals.
Professional Memberships:
SLA Georgia Chapter Board Member 2009 - Present
Tennis Club II Condominium Association President, Fort Lauderdale, FL 2005-2006
Member: ALA, NASIG, CIP
Skills / Strengths:
• Lexis/Nexis, Westlaw, Factiva, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, & other information databases.
• Conversational French, some Spanish
• MS office: Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, SharePoint, Visio, and Project.
1045 Wylie Street SE • Atlanta, GA 30316
• davidhectorthibodeau@gmail.com
Professional Experience:
Georgia College & State University - Milledgeville, GA 31061 2008 - Present
www.gcsu.edu
Serials/Acquisitions Coordinator
• Establish policies and procedures for the efficient operation of the Serials and Acquisitions Department, oversees database maintenance and quality, and processing of materials.
• Supervise full-time faculty, staff, and student positions.
• Manage electronic serials collection using electronic management software systems.
• Update bibliographic holdings for serials collection using standard library utilities.
• Direct all major projects and daily activities involving the management of the serials collection.
• Oversee participation in National Library of Medicine’s DOCLINE ILL program.
• Meet with department faculty to review their acquisitions needs and serve as a library liaison with academic departments.
• Provides assistance and advice to the Dean/University Librarian in the overall administration of the library, including strategic planning and the establishment of overall goals and objectives.
• Assist library administration in monitoring the budget and expenditures, recommends equipment, supplies, personnel, and other needs. Perform fiscal period close in Voyager integrated library system.
• Serve as primary liaison to vendors and as the technical contact for electronic databases, including setting up trials, negotiating licensing agreements, managing SLAs, and authoring RFQs and other correspondence.
• Participate in collection development to support the curriculum by recommending acquisitions and participating in the evaluation of current collections.
• Develop and prepare statistical and narrative reports.
• Provide reference services as assigned.
KPMG LLP - Atlanta, GA 10/2003 - 10/2007
http://www.kpmg.com/
Southeast Area Library Associate
• Relocated from Miami to Atlanta by KPMG due to assuming additional offices in 2006.
• Reference, research, and collection management for fifteen Southeast area libraries.
• Developed on-line training sessions for proprietary accounting research platform.
• Set up, developed, and administered SharePoint internal collaboration web site.
• Liaison to National Operations teams on SharePoint development.
• Redeveloped external acquisitions web site to be high functioning and suitable for firm-wide use.
• Collaborated with marketing department to improve collateral for delivery to clients and targets.
• Account contact and administrator for firm-wide on-line subscription.
• Coordinated development of the Latin American Tax Handbook between the European Tax Centre, the Latin American Tax Center, and the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation.
• Led a team to develop an electronic tool to survey library users.
• Appointed Work Environment Initiative Local Action Committee Representative in South Florida.
• Promoted from Area Library Coordinator to Area Library Associate and relocated from Boston to Miami in 2003; originally responsible for library collections, acquisitions, vendor relations, and accounts in 13 Northeast area offices.
KPMG LLP - Boston, MA 03/200- - 10/2003
http://www.kpmg.com/
Northeast Area Library Coordinator
• Implemented integrated library system software in area libraries.
• Assisted in creating a collection development database on MS Access to track expenditures.
• Substantially decreased print purchases through resource sharing and eliminating duplicative materials.
• Developed electronic process for Partners to select and order professional literature annually that resulted in $60K savings in the Northeast in the first year, (project adopted firm wide).
• Piloted on-line access to tax literature platform in Northeast Area that resulted in over $25K cost savings in Northeast area and a wider distribution of resources, (project adopted firm wide).
• Coordinated and developed training programs for Lexis/Nexis, Westlaw, and other information platforms for professionals and support staff, (project adopted firm wide).
Education:
American Intercontinental University
• 2010 – Present, MBA – Project Management Concentration
Simmons College--Boston, MA
• Summer 2000; audited - Knowledge Management
• Summer 1999; audited- Management of Information Technology
• 1996-1998 MLIS, Graduate School of Library and Information Science
Boston College--Newton, MA
• 1984-1988 BA, College of Arts and Sciences: Double Major: English and Psychology
Hebrew University--Jerusalem, Israel
• Summer 1988 & summer 1990, Assistant Archaeological Field Supervisor and associated graduate level classes.
Leadership:
Georgia Leadership Institute – State Personnel Administration
• 2009 – The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Florida Library Leadership Program -- Tallahassee, FL
• 2005-2006 - Year-long comprehensive series of learning sessions that focuses on developing an understanding of leadership, within a conceptual framework and practical applications.
Certifications:
Emory University - Center for Lifelong Learning – Atlanta, GA
• 2008 - Emory University: Management Certification.
• Courses included: Essentials of Personnel Management, Win-Win Negotiations, Essentials of Supervision, Essentials of Motivation, and Essentials of Coaching for Managers.
New Horizons--Boston, MA
• 2002 - Certified Internet Webmaster – Foundation Fundamentals
• Courses included: Networking, Internet, and Web-Page Authoring Fundamentals.
Professional Memberships:
SLA Georgia Chapter Board Member 2009 - Present
Tennis Club II Condominium Association President, Fort Lauderdale, FL 2005-2006
Member: ALA, NASIG, CIP
Skills / Strengths:
• Lexis/Nexis, Westlaw, Factiva, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, & other information databases.
• Conversational French, some Spanish
• MS office: Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, SharePoint, Visio, and Project.
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