Taking Care of Business
There's no stopping the greening of business. Two thousand eight seems to be off to a roaring start. Today, for examples, bring three significant announcements from six major companies (two of which, GM and IBM, are GreenBiz.com sponsors). The three demonstrate a range of sectors, partnerships, and approaches to the new green economy. To wit:
- General Motors this weekend announced an investment in a start-up company, Coskata, to commercialize the process of turning biomass, municipal trash, waste tires, wood chips, and other low-grade waste into ethanol -- at a price of under $1 per gallon. The plan is to build facilities that could produce 100 million gallons a year each by 2010.
- IBM, Nokia, Pitney-Bowes, and Sony today are releasing 31 patents into the public domain, aimed at addressing a range of environmental challenges. The companies hope this Eco-Patent Commons will spur innovation and create new business opportunities.
- Clorox is announcing a partnership today with the Sierra Club, as part of its launch of a new line of environmentally friendly cleaning products, the company's first new brand in 20 years. Sierra Club will help promote the cleaners, which are 99 percent derived from coconuts and lemon oil.
All three of these announcements, while different in form and substance, demonstrate the power of partnerships and innovation in the green business arena -- a topic underscored by Worldwatch Institute in the latest edition of its annual tome, State of the World. This year's edition is dedicated to highlighting new economic opportunities and actions by governments and businesses to better the world.
Not bad, for a single week in the greening of business. Two thousand eight: So far, so good.
FEATURED BOOK
True Green at Work: 100 Ways You Can Make the Environment Your Business
by Kim Mckay and Jenny Bonnin
True Green at Work is a definitive DIY manual for the working world, covering businesses, workers and day-to-day life at the office. Its variety of tips tell everyone who holds a job, from top executives on down the ladder, how to help minimize their company's carbon footprint. Each page contains a single tip for reducing waste, making it easy for anyone in any job to take small steps toward a healthier planet.
FEATURED EVENT
Host: Plum Communications Date: April 7 - 9, 2008
Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada
IT360- Conference & Expo 2008 is an interactive experience for IT professionals and business executives. Faced with the challenge of shrinking budgets and limited time to test or evaluate, IT360- provides a conference of 80+ educational sessions and an informative exposition where professionals can compare applications and solutions while learning first-hand from leading companies and their experts in this immersive arena.
New on GreenBiz Radio:
The Presidential Climate Action Project aims to give the next resident of the White House a running start on addressing the climate crisis. Longtime corporate sustainability leader Ray Anderson talks to GreenBiz Radio about what the president -- and U.S. businesses -- can accomplish.
You can listen to GreenBiz Radio online, download programs to your desktop, or subscribe to the GreenBiz Radio RSS feed.
Headlines
The Latest News on Business and the Environment
IBM Leads Program to Share Clean Technologies
IBM, Nokia, Pitney-Bowes and Sony are the first companies to join the newly launched Eco-Patents Commons, a coalition spearheaded by IBM to offer environmental technologies, processes and ideas to spur innovation around the globe.
Clorox and Sierra Club Announce Branding Partnership
The Clorox Company has formed a partnership with the Sierra Club as part of the company's launch of Green Works, a new line of natural cleaning products made from plant-based ingredients.
GM Launches Partnership with Start-up to Commercialize Biofuels
At the Detroit Motor Show, General Motors announced a partnership with Coskata to commercialize its process for creating low-cost ethanol from a wide range of feedstocks, including biomass, municipal solid waste, wood chips, even used car tires.
Banks Take Steps Addressing Climate Change but Long Road Ahead: Report
HSBC and ABN led the pack of 40 banks and financial institutions examined by Ceres on the steps undertaken to address climate change.
Scholastic Embraces FSC-Certified Paper
Children's publisher Scholastic made a commitment to boost the amount of recycled paper it uses and help educate kids about the environment through a new website.
Report: Green Investments Creating First Sustainable Economy
Worldwide Institute's latest report looks at the growth of investments in sustainable efforts while encouraging further efforts for the betterment of the world.
F.T.C. Kicks Off Green Marketing Hearings
The Federal Trade Commission is updating its green advertising guidelines a year before schedule because of the growing wave of environmental marketing claims. Its first target: carbon offsets.
GM, Ford Introducing Greener Cars, Engines
GM and Ford are using two premiere events this month to unveil their latest energy- and fuel-efficient auto technologies and concepts.
Aurora Organic Dairy Takes Aim at its Emissions
The milk and butter producer will join forces with the University of Michigan to measure and reduce its carbon footprint across the lifecycle of its product line.
Plan Aimed at Spurring E.U. Eco-Innovation
The European Commission plans to promote innovative, environmentally-focused markets with a new initiative targeting eHealth, sustainable construction, technical textiles, bio-based products, recycling and renewable energy.
China Bans Plastic Bags, Sets Tougher Fuel Standards
China banned the production of thin plastic bags Tuesday and outlawed their use in supermarkets and shops beginning June 1. Worries about pollution has also sparked the introduction of tougher fuel standards to improve air quality before the Olympics.
Archer Daniels Midland to Bury Carbon From Ethanol Plant
One million tons of carbon will be buried and monitored from 2009-2012 to test effectiveness of carbon sequestration.
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Featured Resource
A Wealth of Hands-On Help
The Eco-Patent Commons
This project, launched by IBM with the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, is a first-of-its-kind effort to make patents relating to environmental processes and technologies open to innovators around the globe.
The Master ROI Table for Office and Building Products
This comprehensive chart lists the added costs, annual savings, 10 year savings, payback time and total return on investment for dozens of office and building products.
Columns and Features
Insight and Inspiration from the Experts
Pioneering a Sustainable Paper Industry
By Frank Marquardt
By adopting cutting-edge technologies and seeking to eliminate waste and increasing efficiency, Grays Harbor Paper has created a path to not only revive a struggling paper town, but one that also points the way forward for an industry that has only just begun to address its environmental impact.
Asia and The Age of Sustainability: Where The East Has an Edge
By Rick Seireeni
The Western world is in the throes of a green revolution that is slowly spreading around the globe. When the powerhouse Asian economies pick up speed, expect them to grow ever more powerful, and dramatically speed up the process of innovation to boot.
Renewable Energy Firms Strike Gold with Green Employee Benefits
By Dawn E. Dzurilla, RenewableEnergyAccess.com
Leaders of companies across industries -- but most noticeably in the clean energy field -- are providing eco-perks as a way of developing an environmentally sustainable company culture, and makes employees happier, healthier and more productive.
GreenBiz Blogs
Joel Makower's Two Steps Forward:
News Flash: 110% of Consumers Shop Green!
> More from Joel Makower
Marc Gunther on Corporate America:
Michael Jordan's "green" Sneaker
> More from Marc Gunther
David Wigder's Green Marketing Strategies:
Investing in Green Innovation
> More from David Wigder
Andy Savitz's Triple Bottom Line Blog:
The Sins of Greenwashing -- A Good Idea Pushed Too Far
> More from Andy Savitz
Wanna write for GreenBiz? GreenBiz is looking for guest and regular columnists and feature writers. We're seeking contributions from business leaders as well as the journalists who write about them. If you're interested, send a brief query to managing editor Matthew Wheeland, at editor@greenbiz.com | Read our editorial guidelines
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