Future 500: Maximizing return to stakeholders at the world's leading companies

Sustainable Energy & Environmental Demand
(SEED)

Petroleum dependence is a risky, unreliable crutch that drives global insecurity, depletion, and pollution.

Please sign the letter below asking corporate CEOs to commit to shift from petroleum to more sustainable alternatives.


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Subject: Sustainable Energy and Environmental Demand

Dear [Corporate CEO]:

We write to ask that you join in an important initiative, to begin to shift your company’s supply chain and buying power away from petroleum-based materials and fuels, and toward proven, cost-effective, bio-based alternatives.

This is the last century of petroleum, and for that we are fortunate. Petroleum dependence is a risky, unreliable crutch that drives global insecurity, depletion, and pollution.

In the past century, petroleum powered a 40-fold leap in productivity in the developed world, and delivered extraordinary prosperity to 600 million of the earth's inhabitants.  But further leaps can't occur by burning more fossil fuels.  As British Petroleum Chairman Sir John Browne says, it is time to move profitably "beyond petroleum."

Fortunately, proven bio-based alternatives to petroleum - bioplastics like polylactic acid (PLA) and biofuels like bioethanol, and biodiesel – are mass-produced and cost-effective today.

To help companies make the shift, we have joined with an initiative called SEED – secure and sustainable energy and environmental demand – to move the world confidently, calmly, and profitably beyond petroleum, and the global insecurity it brings.

You currently use plastics and fuels that can be economically replaced by bio-based alternatives.  Please ask your operations and procurement team to assess options and make the switch wherever proven economical bioplastics and biofuels are available.  Let us know the changes you make, so that we can recognize positive steps.  By beginning the shift to bio-economy products, you will help:

- Free your customers and communities from dependence on petroleum, enabling us to grow our fuels and materials, the way we now grow our food.

- Shift to simple, safe, and abundant raw materials – carbohydrates – to make fibers, polymers, fuels, and chemicals.

- Provide distributed sources of energy and materials, and help reduce reliance on the few countries with petroleum reserves.

- Re-energize local communities, and decentralize the economy, distributing power more broadly.

- Advance a zero-waste economy that harnesses nature's cycles, rather than overpowering them.

Companies resist shifting their sources of materials and fuels, unless they have compelling reasons to do so.  We do.  Now that proven and cost-effective alternatives exist, we believe every socially responsible company must leverage their procurement and supply chains to advance them.  Please take this opportunity to join with concerned citizens, community groups, and NGOs to solidify technologies of the bio-economy.

Corporate reputations have taken a beating in recent years.  But we know business and the market can be forces for positive change.  Let's seize this historical moment to take positive action, and sow the seeds of sustained prosperity for all.

Please let us know that you support the SEED initiative and will take steps to shift from petroleum-based materials and fuels when proven, cost-effective bio-based alternatives are available.

We stand ready to assist and recognize your commitment. We will contact you shortly to follow up.  In the interim, we look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Your name and title
Your Organization
Your street address
City, country

A letter will be sent to each of these [6] individuals:

H. Lee Scott, Jr
CEO, Wal-Mart Stores Inc
Roger K. Deromedi
CEO, Kraft Foods Inc
Frederick W. Smith
CEO, FedEx Corporation
Steven S Reinemund
CEO, PepsiCo
Michael Eskew
CEO, United Parcel Service Inc
John Mackey
CEO, Whole Foods