Today, Guardian Sustainable Business (GSB), a leading platform for corporate leaders that curates the world's most authoritative voices on sustainability, launches a US network as part of the Guardian's growing global expansion.
The new dedicated US site (http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business) will become a core part of the Guardian US, and will engage readers with thought-provoking commentary & blogging, in-depth analysis and cutting-edge interactive storytelling to provide a comprehensive look at how US companies are rising to meet today's unprecendented sustainability challenges. The site will also act as a community hub to the many thousands of professionals who are working to embed sustainability into the heart of their organizations.
Nike, Procter & Gamble and the United Nations Global Compact have signed-on as official launch partners to demonstrate how sustainability can be a driver of innovation and profitability in the US and globally.
Recent hires include Jennifer Kho, who has been brought on as Editor to help oversee GSB's editorial coverage in the US. She was formerly digital strategy editor at GreenBiz.com. Additionally, Marc Gunther, a leading author and commentator on sustainability and business in the US, joins as editor-at-large. Jo Confino, executive editor of The Guardian, and chairman and editorial director of Guardian Sustainable Business, will provide overall direction.
"Sustainable business practices are beginning to move from the periphery to the mainstream in the US, with many businesses recognizing the increasingly systemic pressures that climate change, resource scarcity, biodiversity loss and human rights abuses are exerting on society," says Confino. "The Guardian's global, open and collaborative approach to journalism allows us to broaden and deepen our coverage in the US and help play a role in helping to foster this change," he added.
Contributors over the coming weeks will include noted authors Andrew Winston and Amy Larkin, World Wildlife Fund's Jason Clay, Ceres's Mindy Lubber, BSR's Aron Cramer and leaders from civil society such as the Rainforest Alliance's Tensie Whelan. There will also be interviews with entertainer and innovator will.i.am as well as chief sustainability officers of some of America's largest companies.
The Guardian opened its US office in 2011, along with a US homepage. The US office now has a total of 57 employees, 29 of them editorial staff. Guardian US traffic is up nearly 55% year-on-year, with US traffic now representing a third of the Guardian's total digital audience. Nearly a quarter of GSB's online readers already come from the US, with nearly one million page views from the US alone, reflecting growing demand from US readers for the Guardian's unique style of online journalism and coverage of how American companies are rising to the sustainability challenges of our age. Earlier this week, The Guardian moved to a new global domain -- www.theguardian.com -- as part of its transition from a respected UK newspaper to a leading global digital media brand.
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About Guardian News & Media
Guardian News & Media (GNM) publishes the third largest English-language newspaper website in the world (comScore, June 2013) and was awarded the website of the year prize at the 2012 Online Media awards.
In the UK, GNM publishes the Guardian newspaper six days a week and the world's oldest Sunday newspaper, the Observer. The Guardian was named the UK's most trusted newspaper in 2012 research by Conquest Research & Consultancy.
About Guardian Sustainable Business
The Guardian's vision is to be the leader on sustainability within the media industry and to be environmentally regenerative in our activities. Through our editorial coverage and business activities, we will demonstrate to readers, staff, advertisers, suppliers and our communities that the Guardian is committed to enhancing society's ability to build a sustainable future.
Guardian Sustainable Business (GSB) is part of this vision, a global platform for corporate leaders at the cutting-edge of positive change. We curate the world's most authoritative voices on corporate sustainability to bring you thought-provoking comment, debate and expert insight to push the boundaries of sustainable business.
All editorial content is independent of any sponsorship, unless otherwise clearly stated.
For Further Information, please contact:
Mike Harris, Fishburn Hedges, mike.harris@fishburn-hedges.com
t (212) 459 5738
m (646) 477 7592
Gennady Kolker, Guardian US press office, gennady.kolker@theguardian.com
t (646) 937-5878
b (925) 437-4522