America's Greenest Corporations: This List Goes to 11
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02.23.08
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Hot on the heels of Popular Science's ranking of America's 50 greenest cities, Condé Nast Portfolio gets in the act with The Green 11, "some of America's most eco-savvy corporations." Included in the list are some of the usual suspects -- Whole Foods, Organic Valley, Tesla Motors -- and some that have been working on greening their business over the past few years, like Wal-Mart and General Electric.
Each of the companies on the list has made notable improvements in their environmental performance, whether influenced by altruism or the bottom line (or both). But when it comes to what's driving the list (were there any metrics? And who was at number 12, and why didn't they make it?), there isn't a whole lot there.
It's important that we applaud big companies making big changes -- Bank of America's internal recycling program saves the equivalent of more than 200,000 trees a year, and they offer employees who buy hybrid cars a $3,000 cash-back incentive, for example -- but it's difficult to get behind Dupont in this list, whose accolades include reducing emissions of both greenhouse gases and airborne carcinogens, and hiring a former head of Greenpeace as a consultant.
That's not to say that Dupont hasn't done good green things, but when that's all we've got to go on, it doesn't make for a very meaningful list. The list flip-flops back 'n forth in this manner, providing some interesting details and some less meaningful accomplishments, from top to bottom, which makes it sound more like they're rehashing various press releases than actually testing and measuring companies in a way that levels the playing field and creates a useful list.
So, applaud the top 11 (and scold "The Toxin 10," also by Portfolio) but when it comes to a definitive list of who's doing well and why, we'll have to look elsewhere. ::The Green 11 via ::Green Daily
I can't believe Bank of America is on here. Aren't these the same people that finance coal-powered plants when many other banks or putting a moratorium on that kind of behavior? Remember, it's not about a companies tertiary activities (how its employees recycle paper, though that has some importance too), but more about its core activites. In this case: the decisions it makes that affect the financial sector.
I think GE is right up there with Bank of America in financing just about anybody that can make payments. They also make turbines that pollute the sky and land. If cars had the stuff coming out the back end that turbines do they would be off the road.
a lot of this list is total crap. i don't think the study took "greenwashing" into account. GE, Dupont, and Bank of America are some of the biggest polluters. just because they get a public relations campaign to talk about the trees they save doesn't make them environmentally friendly. Starbucks only has a tiny percent of fair trade and organic coffee, and uses rBGH milk.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/starbucks/index.cfm
sometime you go up, sometimes down
Surfcam,
You referring to wind turbines? If so, you are a loon that is not welcome amongst sentient humans. Please leave the planet.
If not, my mistake. Then what turbines are you referring to?
I think it is great that many large corps are making environmental changes and should be acknowledged. However, giving some of them credit for being in the top 11 just doesn't seem appropriate. This list should be about the best, not the "getting better."
Willy Bio:
Don't forget that they also make turbines for other methods of power generation: Steam turbines for coal power plants, gas turbines for natural gas plants, and gas turbines for jet aircraft. If it generates electricity or shaft horsepower, you can bet that GE builds it.
worthless, meaningless list.
The only enitty on that list possibly deserving is the City of Austin Texas.
This is simply bad reporting, listening to green washing , instead of delving into 'the other side of the story'! I'll concede that perhaps each complany has improved its greenness. Yet touting their own horns to glorify the minimal approach to greenness in response to the social/political climate is not significant. Where are the numbers and percentages supporting these claims?
what about Interface? I believe they were one of the first companies to completely restructure their corporation based on principles of sustainability? don't think these guys really did their homework.
I just want to say I hope my firm is changing quick enough. I work as a house wares buyer and I am passionate about making greener choices. I am working hard with vendors to come up with solutions. I have an uphill battle though. The big house wares show in Chicago next month does not even have a green section. I am hoping the size of my firm will help me pioneer a new direction for house wares.