http://www.volans.com The Business of Social Innovation Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:08:06 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en In the two weeks since the launch of the Volans survey on 'Social Entrepreneurship in a Downturn', we had already received about 70 responses by year's end, plus many notes of thanks from leading social entrepreneurs for this initiative - which they see as very timely. The survey is still ... http://www.volans.com/2009/01/the-upside-of-a-downturn/ COP 14 was half-way on the timeline between COP 13 in Bali and COP 15 in Copenhagen. But has real progress been made? And are we on track to deliver a new treaty to take us into the post 2012 period? Perhaps answering the key questions posed in my ... http://www.volans.com/2008/12/cop-14-on-track-for-copenhagen-or-still-beached-at-bali-refelctions-from-geoff-lye/ Nine social enterprises make it it to Fast Company's Honor Roll of 2009 Social Enterprises of the the Year.  They are: Do Something; Mercy Corps; the Academy for Urban School Leadership; DataDyne; Civic Ventures, the Institute for OneWorld Health; the Acumen Fund; and Husk Power Systems.  Our congratulations to them ... http://www.volans.com/2008/12/fast-companys-social-entrepreneur-of-the-year/ For some reason, I forgot to cover this session in my last blog. One of the webcasts from the High Level sessions was billed as an ‘informal roundtable’ of ministers. In fact, it was neither informal nor at a round table. Instead, the session was in the traditional format of ... http://www.volans.com/2008/12/un-re-defines-%e2%80%98informal-roundtable%e2%80%99-at-poznan-cop-14-talks/ Day 10 of COP 14 – 10th December 2008 Having been back in the UK a few days, I’m suffering withdrawal symptoms. I signed up to a range of network lists in Poznan, and am now receiving a continuous stream of alerts and invitations to COP 14 events – many of ... http://www.volans.com/2008/12/coping-with-not-coping-thoughts-on-poznan-talks-from-geoff-lye/ Day 7 of COP 14: 7th December 2008 I returned to the UK yesterday as COP 14 reached the half way stage. I will continue to blog through this week, relying in part on webcasts but mainly on reports from colleagues who are there for the second week. Oxford’s term has ... http://www.volans.com/2008/12/poznan%e2%80%99s-glass-half-full-or-half-empty/ Day 6 of COP 14: 6th December 2008 Given my conclusion (see 'Heading for the third degree' blog entry below on meeting with Bill Kyte last week) that we are far more likely to hit three degrees of warming than two, I was reminded of a meeting I had in Oxford ... http://www.volans.com/2008/12/planning-for-the-third-degree-day-6-at-poznan/ Day 5 of COP 14: 5th December 2008 Heading for the third degree I met Bill Kyte for a coffee; Bill is a veteran of the climate debate both in terms of business and policy. He is currently Advisor on Sustainable Development at E.ON, Chairman of the UK Emissions Trading Group and ... http://www.volans.com/2008/12/heading-for-the-third-degree-word-from-cop-14-poznan/ COP 14, Day 4: 4th December 2008 Before I report on an interesting day’s events, I must report that the International Trades Union groups here have been very vocal. Their acronym is TUNGO, but would today have been more appropriately TONGUE-GO. They see the economic crisis as a rare opportunity to ... http://www.volans.com/2008/12/from-bingo-to-ringo-day-4-at-cop-14-poznan/ COP 14 Day 3 - 3rd December 2008 The difference between GEF and Geoff I generally avoid the main plenary sessions which are simply a stream of timed speeches by the country representatives. But I also feel an obligation to sit in and get a sense of where the mood of the ... http://www.volans.com/2008/12/gefgeoff-at-cop-14-poznanand-more/