Sustainability. The hot buzz word has swept across through the crusts and ends of our planet, raising a tidal wave of “Go Green” efforts to build positive branding and hopefully, bring in some green dollars along for the ride. It’s hard to find a single company multinational corporation whose advertising, branding, and promotions related to sustainability have become the standard, if not generalized stamp of integrity and respect for the universe.
Not only that, the word affects all of our lives, how we do business, who we do business with. Sustainability has changed the rules of the game, adding green wildcards to our monopoly board which can make or break the game for corporations, institutions, the government, and any other organization where brand perception is linked heavily to the bottom line.
The “get green by being green” philosophy has become top of the to-do list for companies to cross off- in fact, companies who have not labeled at least half of their products with some sort of green logo is running far behind the pack of first-movers who have pasted green on anything and everything– their products, production and manufacturing processes, packaging, transportation and logistics, and even their suppliers- many companies have begun refusing to do business with any organization that doesn’t share the same commitment to being BFF with the earth and its inhabitants.
So enough about those who are leading the pack. How can WE, as an industrial diversified company, become more sustainable while ensuring progress in the value we bring customers? What does our commitment to “Progress is Greener” truly mean to us? What are some examples you can share where you’ve seen us truly “walk the talk,” and where we could use a green wildcard?
Companies like IR can “past green” on whatever they like- that doesn’t make them “green”. Just another form of corporate pandering. Do you really believe, just because you say it, we believe it? Spin it any way you like but it is all still about green as in cash.
Great point Ken. I agree that big companies can sometimes have a hard time “walking the talk” about their commitments to being green. But then again, you have to remember that we are a very large company and changes happen very slowly. But if our leaders show by example and are willing to “walk the talk,” then it is my belief that the rest of the pack will follow. It’s an evolutionary process though.
Don’t you believe companies can catch both birds with one stone? I definitely think there are ways to improve our sustainability and profitability with the same effort.
First I don’t understand how green stickers mean that your slow moving”leaders walk the talk”. And no, I don’t think that you can catch both birds with one stone- especially if your one stone is a lie! If an auto company puts a green sticker on a gas guzzling V8 does it all of a sudden become environmentally friendly? No, but the lie still might make you money. When you think about it, you are probably being environmentally unfriendly by producing the stickers. You are just producing hundreds of thousands of “green” stickers- nice advertising but in reality, wasteful.
With large industrial companies, they have to start small in order to actually “walk the talk”. These are enormous corporations that need a bunch of approvals before they can change anything, let alone investing in an entire green movement. It takes time.
So while it may seem they aren’t making huge changes across the board, they are taking the initiative to start small and slowly grow from there. For example, a properly designed system can provide a safer work environment. Plant air is kept clean, machinery operates more efficiently and production space is enhanced when dust and waste are continuously collected and stored.