Taking Care of Business
If you've been following the steady parade of progress we report on week in and week out, it's easy to conclude that business is on the march to environmental improvement. Every week brings another announcement of a corporate commitment to reducing energy or emissions, reducing packaging, or introducing some innovative product or service with a lower environmental impact.
So, all good, yes?
Hardly, as
Kevin Fletcher points out this week, one huge business constituency is all but MIA -- smaller companies, those with 500 or fewer employees, which represent nearly 98 percent of all companies in the U.S. and most other countries. These firms lack the time, money, and other resources to commit to environmental practices, despite the fact that they stand to gain mightily from doing so.
But how to get them to change? It won't be through command-and-control regulation -- that doesn't even work for bigger firms. And incentives help, to a point, but don't necessarily provide harried small business owners more time and personnel needed to do the job.
As Fletcher points out, solutions are lacking. One underutilized resource is business-to-business mentoring, programs in which small companies share ideas and knowledge, or in which big companies tutor their smaller brethren. (I wrote a handbook on this topic a few years ago,
downloadable here.) But despite some good mentoring success stories, it hasn't yet become widespread.
So, what will it be? What's worked to bring smaller companies into the green business fold? Send your stories, tips, and ideas to us at
editor@greenbiz.com.
-- Joel Makower, Executive Editor
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Headlines
The Latest News on Business and the Environment
Weather Channel Latest Network Going Green with LEED HD Studio
As part of its green initiatives, The Weather Channel's new high definition studio is expected to earn LEED certification. The move is part of a larger trend of TV networks adopting green practices.
Sony Develops Bio-Battery Powered by Glucose
Sony's new bio-battery that uses the sugar in carbohydrates to generate electricity -- as an example, the company demonstrated using a sports drink to power a small fan or a Walkman.
Arcadian Networks and Horizon Energy Group Partner to Deploy Smart Grids
The two companies are joining forces to help spread smart grid applications to boost efficiency, security and reliability of next-generation electric grids.
Six U.S. States and Two Provinces Join to Set GHG Goal
British Columbia, Manitoba and six western U.S. states that have established a regional goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, a target that will lay the foundation for a common cap and trade system.
U.C. Davis Publishes Guides to Foster Industry Research Projects
The University of California at Davis launched a pair of Web guides to aid the formation of relationships between campus researchers and industry.
GM Could Reportedly Produce 60,000 Plug-in Hybrids in 2010
General Motors Corp. could reportedly produce up to 60,000 Volt electric cars in 2010, its first anticipated year on the market.
Inter-American Development Bank to Invest $20M in Renewables
The Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Fund announced this month by the bank will direct $20 million to finance renewable energy, energy efficiency and other climate-related projects in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Interest in Sustainable Furniture on the Rise
by Glenn Hasek, Green Lodging News
The launch of organizations like the Sustainable Furniture Council, as well as increased awareness of indoor air quality and deforestation, have led to a boom in sustainably produced and ecologically sensitive furniture products on the market.
Chevron's Energy Efficiency Project in Colo. to Save $20M
A series of upgrades to 20 state buildings completed yesterday by Chevron Energy Solutions has reduced energy use by up to 30 percent at the facilities, and are expected to save taxpayers $924,000 in energy costs per year.
Co-operative Bank to Sponsor Green Building Program
by Sam Bonds, Edie News
The Co-operative Bank has announced a plan to lend its financial muscle to a company which offers affordable, environmentally sound housing.
Pepperidge Farms, Fujitsu to Install Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Pepperidge Farm Inc. announced plans Monday to install a second hydrogen fuel cell at its Bloomfield bakery a week after Fujitsu unveiled plans to use a hydrogen fuel power plant to cool its Sunnyvale, Calif., data center.
REI Launches Eco-Sensitive Product Line
Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) unveiled an eco-sensitive label last week that will designate products with a lower environmental impact.
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Featured Resource
A Wealth of Hands-On Help
The Business Case for Corporate Use of Renewable Energy in Europe
What is the business case for companies to use renewable resources to meet their energy needs? The World Resources Institute's experience working with a number of leading corporations indicates that firms are switching to renewable energy to obtain business benefits, such as stabilized energy costs and reduced emissions.
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Columns and Features
Insight and Inspiration from the Experts
From Socially Responsible Investing to Sustainable Investing
by Joe Keefe, GreenMoney Journal
If the SRI world is to reach its full potential, it is critically important to make the shift to sustainable investing, which has the potential to be a transformative investment strategy that revolutionizes the very nature of investing.
Small Business, Big Results
by Kevin A. Fletcher
For more than 40 years, efforts to help businesses go green have focused primarily on the corporate giants, but there are exponentially greater benefits to transforming the millions of traditional small businesses on Main Streets around the country.
Florida: the Dark Horse in the Alternative Energy Race?
by Benoit Wirz
By almost any gross measure, Florida is the largest untapped market for alternative energy in the U.S.
Wanna write for GreenBiz? GreenBiz is looking for guest and regular columnists and feature writers. We're seeking contributions from business leaders as well as the journalists who write about them. If you're interested, send a brief query to managing editor Matthew Wheeland, at editor@greenbiz.com | Read our editorial guidelines
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