Sustainability: Make the small things count

Back in the 1990s, it was trendy to market a product as green. Now, it’s not cool for a product to be anything but green. In fact, green isn’t just about the product anymore, it’s about every link in the supply chain.

According to the recent 2010 United Nations Global Compact and Accenture report titled “A New Era of Sustainability,” a survey of more than 750 CEOs from companies around the world, 93% of respondents said they believe that environmental issues will be critical to the future success of their businesses. And, some companies, including National Grid, are even tying executive pay to environmental performance. In this case, compensation is calculated against performance in reaching company carbon emissions reduction targets.

In an effort to both increase the bottom line and work to a greater, greener good, businesses are looking for more ways to be environmentally savvy. “Many companies are taking a strong position on green initiatives and looking for suppliers that are taking the same initiatives and providing green solutions,” says Keith Allmandinger, senior manager of marketing for Komatsu Forklift. “This is driven by corporate responsibility and responsibility to our environment.”

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