Lack of Executive Sponsorship, Accountability Hurt Green Programs

November 11, 2008

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Nearly 77 percent of respondents to a recent HydroPoint Data Systems Green Leaders survey believe that environmental issues pose an economic threat to their businesses. As a result, more than two thirds of companies are moving forward to implement a range of conservation practices that they believe will lead to significant financial and environmental gains.

The reasons why green programs fail are a lack of executive buy-in, accountability, and measurable results. This could indicate that survey takers don’t look to green programs to lower costs, but 35% of the respondents expect ROI within 24 months.

According to the survey:

•    87 percent of respondents currently implement green practices, and 76 percent already deploy green products
•    The survey suggests that the government sector is leading the sustainability charge
o    100 percent of respondents working in government report that their organizations have personnel dedicated to environmental responsibility and currently deploy green products

Best Practices for Green Success
The survey culled insights from respondents into why some green programs are more successful than others:
•    Green programs should achieve returns comparable to those attainable through any other business-critical initiative
•    Participants agreed on implementing results-oriented programs
•    Green programs should align to operations and IT organizations
•    Participants reported that receiving feedback about consumption inspires greater levels of conservation
•    Programs with executive sponsorship are more likely to garner necessary financial and personnel resources

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