The State of Green Business Report
by Joel Makower, Chairman & Executive Editor, GreenBiz Group
The State of Green Business Report, seventh annual assessment of corporate sustainability trends and metrics, was released earlier this year. It paints a picture that is both optimistic and highly problematic – a perfect metaphor for the sector.
First, the good news. The state of the art of corporate sustainability continues toevolve. What’s business as usual today was not that long ago innovative, even breakthrough: bio-based products, accounting systems that place a realistic value on water and carbon, smart supply chains that optimize transportation and energy, renewable energy that isn’t just for show, and more.
In the annual report, we identify 10 key trends that point the way toward future advancements and progress in the year ahead.
Now, the bad news. For all of the advancements and achievements – some of which are chronicled in the more than 1,200 articles that we run each year on GreenBiz.com – we’re not making much progress. When you actually measure year-on-year progress companies are making, it’s a disappointing state of affairs.
That’s what we do each year in the report, along with our partners at Trucost plc, which helps companies, investors, governments and others “understand the economic consequences of natural capital dependency.” Trucost researches and standardizes the environmental performance disclosures of more than 4,600 companies worldwide, representing 93 percent of global markets by market capitalization.
To create the metrics for State of Green Business, Trucost looked at two subsets: the 500 U.S. companies that make up the Standard & Poor’s Index, and the MSCI World Index, covering more than 1,600 companies in 24 developed markets. For most metrics we present, we compare the 500 U.S. companies alongside the larger, 1,600-plus global universe over a five-year period.
Read more from the Report
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