State of green business 2008

This report reviews progress to date among key businesses and their commitment towards ‘green issues’. It argues that amidst the hype there is progress, but it’s not always obvious or straightforward. And the progress itself can be illusory. The state of green business is improving, slowly but surely, as companies both large and small learn the value of integrating environmental thinking into their operations in ways that align with core business strategy and bottom-line goals. Green business has shifted from a movement to a market. But there is much, much more to do.

Some of the key points highlighted include

• Many companies made public commitments to address climate change and implemented concrete measures. But there’s a long road ahead. Nearly a third of companies currently have no way of monitoring their own direct carbon emissions, let alone the indirect emissions of their supply chains, and have no plan to begin doing so
• After years of inaction, the automobile industry moved to introduce many eco-friendly models
• The greening of public and cargo transport sector gathered speed
• The green marketplace became very dynamic, as products making environmental claims became more prevalent, including some from bigger companies
• A succession of stories about toxic products from China brought new urgency to reduce or eliminate the components of everything from toys to automobiles that are hazardous to people and the planet
• Amid growing concerns about the energy use and waste–disposal problems associated with information technology, companies took an increasinglyproactive stance
• Banks have been addressing environmental issues for the past few years. Nearly all big banks have signed the Equator Principles. Over the past year, banks increased their efforts by launching an impressive array of initiatives to support clean energy, climate mitigation, green building, and other initiatives