Earth Day 2009: Companies Going Green

Article posted April 22, 2009 in Speaking Engagements

Every year, the Environmental Defense Fund produces a report highlighting businesses that have implemented new, environmentally innovative technologies, policies and practices.

The environmental issues reviewed by the EDF include those related to e-waste, data centers, chemicals & green chemistry, green building, packaging, renewable energy, supply chain management and water.

Nearly 200 candidates were assessed against the following four criteria:

Environmental Benefits: To what extent does the innovation generate one or more of the following environmental benefits?

  • Greenhouse gas emissions reduced (e.g., carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide)
  • Energy use reduced or efficiency increased
  • Hazardous pollutant releases to air, water or land reduced
  • Environmental health risks reduced
  • Solid waste reductions, materials use reduced or efficiency increased
  • Supplier behavior influenced, resulting in environmental benefits
  • Natural resources (land, water or wildlife) protected or restored
  • Employee or consumer behavior influenced, resulting in environmental benefits

Business Benefits: To what extent does the innovation present a solid business case and generate one or more of the following business benefits?

  • Cost savings
  • Increased revenues or earnings
  • Reduced liability or risk
  • Return on investment/payback period
  • Market creation
  • Investment attractiveness
  • Employee retention or recruitment
  • Benefits for customers
  • Brand/reputation enhancement

Replicability: Is the innovation ripe for wider replication? Factors include:

  • Applicability to more than one business sector or in wide-reaching business areas, like retail, manufacturing or office environments
  • Commercial availability
  • Stage of development (at least tested at the pilot stage and ready to be taken to scale)

Innovativeness:

  • Is the innovation original or does it provide a new twist on an existing practice?
  • Is it not yet in widespread use?
  • Has it yet to be widely discussed and documented?

One of the businesses in the report this year is Google, recognized for implementing technologies to make their data centers consume a lot less energy. Details on the greening of Google’s data centers can be found here: Google Efficient Computing.

Big, bulky PC’s and laptops are being replaced with lower-cost, lower energy, thin models. These lean machines require fewer materials, and offer a longer life. Wyse, a Thin Technology leader, was featured in the report.

Also showcased in the IT category is power management software created by 1E. Power management software allows company’s to reduce operating costs and lower their carbon footprint by closing open documents and powering down computers at night (to whatever state desired).

The company has posted an online calculator that determines how much money can be saved annually by powering down computers: 1E’s Online Energy Savings Calculator. Here is a pretty startling fact from their studies:

“If all the world’s 1 billion PC’s were powered down for just one night – it would save enough energy to light up New York City’s Empire State Building – inside and out – for more than 30 years.”

In the hotel industry, the Marriott and the Westin were recognized for installing key-card enabled energy management systems for their guest rooms. More commonly found in Europe and Asia, hotel rooms powered by key-cards save energy by ensuring that guest rooms are not lit, cooled or heated when unoccupied.

The full copy of the EDF report can be read online: EDF Innovations Review 2009.

Of course, going green is not just for businesses. Doing something as simple as eating vegetarian one day a week can lower the greenhouse gas emissions that arise each year from meat production. Some really good tips for families can be found here: Family Guide to Going Green 2009.

Although the concept of going green was introduced in 1987 (with the Bruntland Commission Report), and Earth Day originated way back in 1970, it’s just in recent years that the ideas of sustainability are becoming mainstream. Companies that have taken the time and made the effort and financial investment to go green benefit tremendously from reduced operating costs and an improved public image. Plus, they have gained a competitive edge over companies who have not made any innovations. So, Green companies win, the Earth wins, we all win.