Long-Term Sustainability Depends On The Green

May 24, 2008

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

Companies realize that environmental initiatives can create great PR, but they’re also realizing that those initiatives must be profitable in order for them to be sustainable over the long term –especially with the economy threatening CSR budgets.

“Innovation software” companies like Invention Machine and Imaginatik help manufacturing companies develop clever ways to make their products more environmentally friendly without killing their cost structure, CNET reports.

Imaginatik CEO Mark Turrell says his company helped Wal-Mart unlock energy saving ideas from its own employees and wound up implementing $38 million in cost savings.

Over the past two years, Pitney Bowes’ energy task force has been responsible for projects that have eliminated more than 380 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from its operations. Those efforts reduced costs too.

“If you can’t be profitable, sustainability doesn’t make sense,” says Steve Di Biase, senior vice president and chief scientific officer for JohnsonDiversey, a cleaning products company.

Environmental Defense Fund recently released “Innovations Review 2008: Making Green the New Business as Usual,” a report highlighting the latest trends and best practices that show how environmental sustainability efforts are creating new markets, providing competitive advantages and saving companies millions of dollars.

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

Advertisers

Make sustainability part of your strategy.

Get equipped at the SAP Sustainability Resource Center. >>

Unclear about the EPA's new GHG Rule?

Learn how it could affect your business. >>

EPA mandatory emissions reporting starts Jan 1st

CSA Standards can help your organization get ready for compliance. Find out how. >>

Best Practices: Product Environmental Compliance

How to achieve compliance at a significantly lower cost. Download the full report. >>

Join the Discussion

Reader Comments

Right on.

Bruce Walling | May 27th, 2008

Recent Daily News [ see all ]

11/20/2009
11/19/2009
11/18/2009

Charts [ see all ]

European Paper Industry Cuts CO2 Emissions by 42% since 1990

S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks

Nike Tops Annual Climate Action Scores

Oceans May Trap more Carbon than Forests

Jobs

View All Jobs >> Post a Job >>

Comments and Discussions

Trade Association on Trade Group on EPA Chemical Regs: ‘If Everything is a Priority, Then Nothing is a Priority’
"Seriously… that..."

Gary Markowitz on Supermarkets Tackle Emissions Reductions, Fuel Efficiency
"Supermarkets waste over 10 percent of their energy through improper..."

peter in ireland on Ontario May Follow California’s Lead on TV Energy Efficiency
"Governor Schwarzenegger is shooting himself in the foot! 1...."

Environmental Leader on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"The survey respondents (the PDF report mentions 4,000 respondents in 38..."

Jake on UPS Trying New Hydraulic Hybrid Trucks
"A point of clarification: the Reuters press release referenced herein reports that 20 UPS will purchase..."

Custom Organic Shirts on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"90% of North Americans believe it is urgent to get a global climate..."

peter dublin on California City’s Green Building Ordinance Applies to Commercial Buildings
"Why energy efficiebnt regulation on buildings –..."

Environmental Leader