77% Of Decision Makers See Need For Chief Energy Officer

May 9, 2007

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Seventy-seven percent of business decision makers believe there is a need to expand the C-Suite to include a Chief Energy Officer to manage, implement and measure a company’s return on investment in environmental technology, the so-called Return on Environment, according to a new global survey (PDF) released by Hill & Knowlton.

And while 82 percent of senior technology leaders from around the globe closely monitor the issue of global warming, 65 percent of those surveyed do not have a defined energy strategy to deal with it, according to a new global survey (PDF) released by Hill & Knowlton.

“While the overwhelming majority looks to the CEO to own the issue, nearly two-thirds of those polled said no one within
their organizations is tasked with defining the company’s energy strategy,” said Joe Paluska, head of Hill & Knowlton’s
Worldwide Technology Practice. ”We expect reputation, risk and return to suffer until companies really stand up and take charge and industry as a whole sets the standard for measuring return on environment.”

When asked how best to measure Return on Environment, 52 percent of the survey respondents identified improved corporate reputation as the most important return on investment for environmental programs.

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Reader Comments

I am not surprized that nearly 2/3 of those polled are not aware that there is a Facility Management organization within their company tasked with managing the energy usage for the company. Facility Managers have always had the task of negotiating energy costs with the providers as well as working with occupants to control waste. A professional Facility Management group will be constrantly aware of where and how resources are consumed and will have a defined strategic plan for monitoring and controlling these usages. The FM will also have the responsibility for the environmental impact of the company through controlling recycling, materials purchasing, and other functions where wastes are generated.
If corporate leaders are really interested in measuring their return on the environment, they need to call their Facility Manager to find out how these measures have been accomplished in the past.

J Larry Ware | December 23rd, 2008