July 7, 2008

CEOs Think Green Is Long-Term Trend

Slightly more than half (52%) of Northeastern Wisconsin CEOs surveyed for the latest Nicolet Bank Business Pulse, designed and implemented by IntellectualMarketing, selected economic growth over environmental protection while 35% preferred protection over growth.

One might anticipate CEOs giving greater priority to economic growth over environmental protection, but the level of CEOs in this regional survey selecting the environment over the economy appears to be fairly strong - especially given the economic challenges over the past year.

More than three quarters of the CEOs (78%) believe that green is a here to stay with 22% thinking green is a short term
fad.

In and around Green Bay, CEOs are placing significant importance on implementing business practices that will have a positive impact on the environment. Nearly half (46%) of the CEOs believe it is Very Important for organizations to engage in business practices that improve and protect the environment; 37% say it is Moderately Important, 15% say Somewhat Important. Only 2% say it is Not Important at all.

Fifty-one percent of the CEOs say their efforts to protect and improve the environment have increased over the past two years; 49% indicate their efforts have remained about the same. No one indicated their efforts had declined.

What are CEOs doing to reduce their impact on the environment? Most are taking the low hanging fruit, first. About three fourths of the businesses have increased their recycling efforts (79%); 77% have increased energy efficiencies in their facilities (lighting, heat, etc); 70% have recycled their computer hardware; 56% use recycled materials.

Many of these moves are responses to the growing environmental movement that is seen among general consumers - as well as other businesses. Nearly seven in ten (69%) say that the fact that their customers are demanding it was a Very Important (30%) motivator for them to improve their impact on the environment; 39% indicate that this was Important; 31% say it was Not Important.

Almost three quarters (74%) say using improvement of the environment as part of their marketing strategy was Very Important (22%) or Important (52%) as a factor in their decision to go Green; 26% indicate that it was Not An Important factor.

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