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In its 2010 Global Citizenship Report, FedEx outlined substantial progress on goals of improving vehicle fuel economy 20 percent and reducing aircraft carbon dioxide emissions 20 percent by 2020pared to levels of 2005.

FedEx sprinted ahead last year in efforts to reduce its carbon footprint while delivering 8.5 million packages a day, thepany said Monday.

The FedEx 2010 Global Citizenship Report outlined substantial progress on goals of improving vehicle fuel economy 20 percent and reducing aircraft carbon dioxide emissions 20 percent by 2020,pared to benchmark year 2005.

Fuel economy, bolstered by a more efficient fleet, route optimization technology and driver training initiatives, is up 15.1 percent. FedEx said carbon dioxide emissions by the FedEx Express fleet are down 13.5 percent.

FedEx said its overall enterprise, which generated $39.3 billion in revenues in the fiscal year ending May 31, was directly or indirectly responsible for nearly 15.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2010, a 7 percent drop from 2009.

Do the latest figures suggest it’s time to set higher goals?

“We continue to evaluate our goals on an ongoing basis, and are very encouraged by our progress,” said Mitch Jackson, FedEx Corp.

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Just last week, consumers got some good news. From now on, if youre denied credit or given a higher interest rate due to your credit score, you can see the credit score used in the decision for free.

The Fed reported that creditors will be required to disclose credit score information to consumers when a credit score is used in setting or adjusting credit terms, when a consumer applies for credit. This is a huge win for consumers and one step closer to greater, free access to the financial information used by lenders. Lets go over three things to know about the new, free credit scores.

1. You get to find out what credit score is used.

Finding out which particular credit score your lender is using is significant because you wouldnt be able to access that information anywhere else. Not only does each credit bureau report a different credit score model, but even within the same bureau several different credit score models exist.

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Nike’s famous slogan “Just Do It” is really bad advice when it comes to conducting a marketing campaign for your small business. But this is what passes for a marketing plan for a lot of small businesses. They place an ad here and an ad there, put up a website or a Facebook page, and call their marketing campaign done. Unfortunately, this sort of “doing-this-and-that” marketing approach is like fishing on dry land; you can cast as much as you like, but you’re not going to catch anything because you’re nowhere near the pond.

How do you get your line to where the fish are? Follow the nine steps below to run a successful marketing campaign.

1) Know how your marketing campaign fits into your marketing plan.

Ideally, before you plan a marketing campaign, you have a marketing plan for your business. (If you don’t, Writing the Marketing Plan will lead you through the process.)

The marketing plan is your master plan for marketing your small business. It provides the full picture of your marketing objectives and strategies for interesting your target market in your products and/or services.

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WASHINGTON – HOME prices in major US cities rose for the second straight month in May, propped up by a flurry of spring buyers. But after adjusting for such seasonal factors, prices fell in a majority of markets.

The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller home-price index released on Tuesday showed that prices rose in 16 of the 20 cities tracked.

Boston posted the biggest monthly increase, followed closely by Minneapolis and Washington. Prices in three metro areas hit the hardest by the housing crisis – Detroit, Las Vegas and Tampa (Florida) – fell to their lowest points since the recession began. Prices in Phoenix were unchanged.

The 20-city rose one per cent in May from April. The index measures prices compared with those in January 2000. It then provides a three-month average. The May data is the latest available.

The positive data came with a caveat: The figures weren’t adjusted for the buying that normally picks up in spring.

David M.

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NEW DELHI – A TOP Indian government panel has approved a plan to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country’s vast retail market in what would be one of the country’s biggest economic reforms.

But it said investors would have to put in at least US$100 million (S$121 million) to set up multibrand retail stores and would only be allowed to operate in cities with at least one million people, the Press Trust of India said late Friday.

The proposal to more fully open up the Indian retail market, whose annual sales are estimated at around US$450 billion, now must go to the federal cabinet for approval and then overcome widespread political opposition.

The move would mark one of the biggest reforms by India’s Congress-led government. But analysts say it could be difficult for the embattled government to push through the major changes as it fends off a slew of corruption charges.

Multi-brand foreign groups such as US-based Walmart currently operate as wholesalers but cannot sell directly to the public, amid fears that big international retail chains could swamp small family-run stores.

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Smith & Nephew Inc. willbine thepany’s Memphis-based Orthopaedic Reconstruction division and its Andover, Mass.-based Endoscopy unit, though no job cuts or other major changes are expected soon.

However, Joseph M. DeVivo, president of Orthopaedic Reconstruction, will leave that post Aug. 5. Mike Frazzette, president of the Endoscopy unit, will lead thebined organization, which will be called the Advanced Surgical Devices division.

Smith & Nephew spokesman Andrew Burns said Memphis jobs will not be immediately affected.

“(The two divisions) serve the same customer and the same patients in many cases, and we’ll continue to do so,” Burns said. “We have no plans for this to have impact beyond more customer focus.”

DeVivo was named chairman of the Greater Memphis Chamber in November 2010 to fill the chairmanship vacated by former FedEx executive Tom Schmitt.

Chamber president and CEO John Moore said its executivemittee will meet soon to discuss the matter, though it wasn’t immediately clear whether DeVivo will retain the chairman’s post.

In his time as chairman, DeVivo has given colorful speeches to business and civic groups around Memphis, urging them to stop looking to the city’s past and begin looking forward.

“I want you to take your rearview mirror off, throw it away, look ahead and drive toward the future,” DeVivo said in his keynote speech at the chamber’s “A Focus on Economic Growth” event in June.

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