Business and Economics

Do The Right Thing: This social network gets users to collectively rate the performance of large corporations, with the goal of getting companies and their executives talking to consumers about sustainability issues. This is one of the first sites to use a Digg like rating system on corporate social and environmental performance.Zerofootprint.net: This is a nonprofit social network with a sustainable business model. This Toronto-based company creates branded carbon calculators and community sites for cities and large organizations.BeGreenNow: This site was created by Austin, Texas-based clean-electricity provider Green Mountain Energy. It is a great example of how companies are using...

As we reviewed in a preceding post, social media can be used as a weapon against unsustainable businesses, but it can also be a powerful tool to help companies to engage in conversations with an environmental theme.Social media sites have changed the way we communicate, not only by connecting people, but by providing valuable promotion opportunities. With research showing that Americans now expect companies to have a social media presence, companies cannot afford to avoid this marketing channel.Most leading companies employ social media, however, small and mid-sized companies are actually better candidates for social media because they are more agile...

1. The Green Market Oracle Sustainable Industries is intended as a business source for leaders of the New Economy. This group provides news analysis and information for top-level professionals with an interest in green building, renewable energy, cleantech, energy efficiency, organic food, green marketing, finance, investment and more. Their products include Sustainable Industries Magazine, Sustainable Industries Economic Forums, Webinars, Quarterly Supplements: Green Real Estate Guide, Top 10 Green Building Products Awards, Green Office Guide, Clean Energy Handbook for Business, Sustainable Industries industry-specific monthly e-newsletters. The Green Market Oracle is one of the top sustainability blogs, its original content covers the...

Twitter is one of the leading social media platforms, it is also a great way to follow a wide array of green feeds. Here are some of the best Twitter feeds for sustainable business and green news. GreenMarketBlog: A comprehensive sustainable business resource containing a wide range of articles and information. GreenBizTimes: This Twitter feed includes environmental information and resources for companies and business professionals to go green and reduce their impact on the environment. GreenBizWorld: A feed that explores green business, sustainability, low carbon and energy business industry news updates. sustainablebizz: This sustainable business feed contains green business news,...

Volkswagen may be receiving awards for their greener cars, but other automotive brands belonging to the company have large environmental footprints.Volkswagen owns three of the world's most exotic brands, Porsche, Lamborghini and Bentley, yet even these gas guzzling car companies are striving to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.The Porsche 918 Spyder, was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010. With its three electric motors, Porsche claims that in the "Eco" mode (one of the car's four settings), the Spyder gets an astounding 94.1 mpg and emits just 70g carbon dioxide (CO2) per kilometer. However in this...

Supply chain sustainability reporting is a key feature of Puma’s overall sustainability strategy. At the GRI Global Conference in Amsterdam, sporting goods manufacturer Puma, in cooperation with the Global Reporting Initiative, announced its intention to expand environmental considerations and improve working conditions throughout their strategic supplier network.Those responsible for more than two-thirds of all Puma products will receive GRI certified training on transparent measurement and reporting on their sustainability performance using the GRI G3 Guidelines – the world’s most widely-used framework for sustainability reporting. These twenty Puma suppliers are based in China, Vietnam, Cambodia and other countries. The first sustainability...

Earlier this year Sustainable Life Media (SLM) announced the top 11 finalists for Sustainable Brands Innovation Open (SB’IO). On Monday June 7, 2010, these brands will began presenting their products and services in a bid to impress the SB’IO judges. There are many well known companies associated with SB’IO, here is a review of the 11 new innovative sustainable brand finalists for 2010: BioLite is an affordable, ultra low emission, wood burning cook stove for the 3 billion people that cook on wood. The BioLite stove features patent-pending technology to harness the fire’s own waste heat to drive the stove’s efficient process. The...

When it comes to sustainability the right vision and effective execution can help companies compete and emerge as winners. Inadequate sustainability efforts can profoundly undermine a company’s ability to survive. Some once great companies have watched their iconic brands crumble due to their failure to proactively adapt to emerging megatrends. GM and Kodak are but two examples. Many companies around the world now have a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) including AT&T (U.S.), SAP (Germany), and LoyaltyOne (Canada). Forward looking companies are already benefiting from their sustainable positioning. By focusing on outperforming competitors on regulatory compliance 3M’s Pollution Prevention Pays reduced...

The first Earth Day was in 1970, it was a grass roots movement by people seeking to protect our environment. Now many leading environmental advocacy organizations accept sponsorships from corporations and these partnerships are helping to change social behavior. On Earth Day, businesses large and small play varying roles supporting the transition to more sustainable commerce. Many companies are using Earth Day day as a premier marketing platform for selling a variety of goods and services. Businesses are using Earth day as an opportunity to inform their customers about their environmentally friendly initiatives but the business community is also increasingly...

Climate Counts is a non-profit group that was launched over three years ago to help business leaders combat the climate crisis. Despite an abundance of irresponsible enterprises, some businesses are distinguishing themselves through laudable efforts to engage the serious problem of climate change. Climate Counts brings consumers and companies together in the fight against global climate change. The Climate Counts Company has developed a scorecard with criteria chosen for their effectiveness at solving the global climate crisis. Since 2007, Climate Counts researchers have used these criteria to rate the climate actions of nearly 150 companies, representing approximately 3,000 brands, in...