I was going to post this on the New Florence innovation blogwhen I got advance notice of the new SAP sustainability initiative.
Now, I am bit ambivalent.
First of all, kudos to SAP for:
- plans for a 51-percent reduction of its total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its year-2007 published baseline levels of 513,000t CO2 by year 2020. This will return SAP to its approximate year-2000 emissions level of 250,000t CO2.
- naming a visible exec in Peter Graf as its Chief Sustainability Officer. Peter, with his previous marketing pedigree, should be an effective coordinator and communicator of SAP's efforts in this area.
Now to SAP's new announced solution set around Environment Health and Safety. It is a compliance product. Like its previous Governance, Risk and Compliance initiative, the vision is big and sweeping. Clearly needed from a corporate measurement perspective, but at SAP and its partner pricing, I am afraid it will crowd out innovation and other green dollars. I want to see if it can be implemented for 1 to 2% of a company's Sustainability initiative before I give it too much praise.
Also, while we all seek a greener world, given the economic times the timing of the announcement is a bit interesting. I would have loved to have heard SAP announce efficiency and partner management and other cost savings initiatives.
If proof was needed, CeBIT, where the announcement was made, is reporting 26% fewer vendors than last year.
