OAKLAND, California, February 1, 2011 — In 2010, U.S. corporations continued to enhance their sustainable business efforts by making bigger, bolder, longer-term sustainability commitments. GreenBiz issued its 4th annual State of Green Business report, a free downloadable report that measures the progress of U.S. business and the economy from an environmental perspective, and highlights key trends in corporate culture in regard to the environment.
This year’s report shows a dramatic shift occurring in mainstream business: Companies are thinking bigger and longer-term about sustainability — an analysis of businesses in 2010 shows that even during economically challenging times, many companies invested more in their sustainability activities and made bold new sustainability commitments. For example:
FedEx committed to improve vehicle fuel efficiency by 20% by 2020
Hasbro promised that 75% of its paperboard packaging will come from recycled materials in 2011
Joel Makower, Executive Editor of GreenBiz.com and principal author of the report concluded that, “Companies are thinking bigger and longer-term about sustainability — a sea change from their otherwise notoriously incremental, short-term thinking. And during these tough times, many have doubled down on their sustainability activities and commitments. During 2010, we saw a steady march of progress, with some of the world’s biggest companies and brands putting a stake in the ground in the name of environmental (and, sometimes) social sustainability. “
This steady march toward progress is marked by 10 big trends that Makower identifies in the 2011 State of Green Business Report including:
1. Consumer Giants Awaken to Green — big push by consumer package good companies to make bold sustainability commitments
2. Companies Aim for ‘Zero’ — growth of zero-waste goals and achievements by big companies
3. The Developing World Yanks the Supply-Chain — key issues like “conflict minerals” and sustainable palm oil rattling supply chains4. Greener Transport Gains Speed — new green technologies coming to market — not just electric vehicles and plug-in cars, but also trucks, trains, and planes
5. Sustainable Food Sourcing Becomes Palatable — more commitments by big companies, led by Walmart
6. Metrics and Standards Become the Rule — a surge of interest on sustainability standards and on standardizing metrics for assessing companies
7. Greener Chemistry Comes Out of the Lab — combination of toxics headlines around the world and surge of new products from Big Chemical makes this a mainstream market
8. Companies Learn to Close the Loop — the growth of new products made from recycled materials
9. Water Footprinting Makes a Splash — the growth of methodologies and technologies for understanding the footprint of a product, facility, or company
10. Bioplastics Become Material — a steady flow of new materials emerges, made of corn to coconut to cashews
Click on the links below to view multimedia video content of Joel Makower discussing the 2011 State of Green Business report including:
Companies in the Sustainability Space
Sustainability and the Recession
The Convergence of Technologies
The 2011 report will be the centerpiece at GreenBiz’s State of Green Business Forums. The two-day events are: San Francisco on February 2-3; Chicago on February 9-10; and Washington, D.C., February 16-17. For more information on the Forums, or to download a free copy of “State of Green Business 2011,” visit www.greenbiz.com.
About GreenBiz Group
GreenBiz Group defines and accelerates the business of sustainability. GreenBiz Group is an integrated media company focused on supporting professionals who view sustainable practices as a core part of their businesses. GreenBiz is focused on telling the stories, providing the insights and advancing the sustainability profession through GreenBiz.com, GreenBiz Events, GreenBiz Intelligence, and GreenBiz Connects. For additional information, visit www.greenbiz.com.
