greenbizbob's story links

In a move playing out largely behind the scenes, law firms are using simple and inexpensive tools to evolve from notorious resource hogs (think a half-ton of paper per lawyer, per year) to models of eco-stewardship.

The Rockefeller family has made an historic challenge to Exxon Mobil Corp. in the form of a shareholder resolution to require an independent chairman of Exxon's board of directors, so that the company can better maximize long-term shareholder value in a rapidly changing energy environment.

Despite a steady transformation of business attitudes on climate change, businesses have been relatively slow to address adaptation to the physical impacts of climate change.

Denise Hamler, director of Co-Op America's green business programs, explains how the world of green business has grown.

Seth Goldman, the founder of Honest Tea, says his deal with Coke is not just part of being true to his mission, but the only way for socially responsible companies to have a real impact on society.

Experts of all stripes are predicting that green innovations are the last best hope for us to solve our environmental crises. In order to make the innovations a reality, we will have to train our business leaders to think sustainably and act strategically, and business schools are rising to this challenge.

Companies can make an enormous difference in the global environment and forest communities by adopting strict paper purchasing policies.

The most energy-efficient businesses in the U.S. can consume a third less energy than a more conventional company. By arming themselves with knowledge about the financial benefits of sustainability upgrades, facility managers can make these efficiency programs an easy sell.

By gaining control over water use, companies help protect a precious resource, reduce runoff pollution and comply with new conservation legislation. Saving water also reduces the amount of energy needed to transport it.

Cost is the perennial barrier to green corporate investments in energy efficiency, but a new approach from economist Jerry Jackson, the author of "Energy Budgets at Risk," can help companies evaluate these expenditures using tools created by the financial industry.

There are plenty of measures firms can take to limit the environmental impact of business conferences, even in the least-green of locations -- although ultimately holding fewer events may be most sustainable answer.

Now that a certified company has fallen out of compliance with Renewable Energy Certificates rules, REC certifier Green-e is in the position of having to play hardball to maintain the market's credibility.

More businesses are finding it beneficial to lease solar power installations, due in part to state rebate programs and the increasing cost of electrical energy.

When companies recycle e-waste, they need to ensure that every stage of the recycling process is set up appropriately, from where the waste is sent to how it's processed. But the effort is worth it. Aside from helping the environment, proper e-waste disposal can be a revenue stream and protect a company's work.

Because the Clinton Climate Initiative is taking a very practical approach to addressing climate change through building energy efficiency, it presents an opportunity for companies to learn vital lessons about implementing energy efficiency programs in their own facilities.