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Green Business Trends
February 1 , 2008
2008 Green Marketing Trends
Jacquelyn Ottman, founder of J. Ottman Consulting predicts some “tectonic” shifts for green marketing.
Her 2008 predictions:
- Increased use of credited green labels and a turning away from empty claims that lack verification.
- Electronics companies will begin implementing more environmentally responsible programs by reducing their use of toxic chemicals, and creating methods of end-life product retrieval.
- Increase in the number of green products that will hit the shelves in 2008 as “green” becomes all the more mainstream.
- Green product sales will “soar” and events such as “Green America’s Green Festivals…will introduce more consumers to greener alternatives.”
Here’s to a prosperous and green New Year!
How to Lead and Be Green
Avastone Consulting, an international consulting firm, has released a study on the hurdles facing businesses on the road to sustainability. The findings suggest that changes to technical and business systems are insufficient to make the shift to sustainable practices complete. A fundamental restructuring of organizations including their culture, shared values, and guiding principles are vital for the realization of a sustainable company.
Greenwashing gets Exposed
Enviromedia Social Marketing created a website focusing on green washing campaigns. The site asks consumers to send examples of both good and bad green marketing campaigns, which visitors then rank. “Awareness of green washing is starting to catch on - just like consumer concerns about climate change have in 2007,” says EnviroMedia CEO Valerie Davis. “This web site is the world’s first interactive online forum for educating consumers on the criteria for recognizing green washing. It’s our hope consumers will know green washing when they see it, and that this will compel companies to strive for true green improvements that make their environmental marketing genuine.”
Learn more »
Gap plans for Sweatshop-free Clothing
Gap Inc. has made a pledge to make all their products sweatshop-free. The vow is in response to an undercover investigation which exposed one of the company’s Indian suppliers employing children as young as 10. The company has set out a number of proposals including a re-labeling effort that would allow consumers to directly track exactly where each garment was made. The system would closely parallel the RugMark program which has been instrumental in eradicating child labor in India’s carpet industry.
Bay Area BART riders enjoy Fair-Trade
Every year BART participates in a Thank You Day Program in efforts to give back to the local community. This year’s Day, riders will enjoy free Fair Trade coffee to raise awareness of the importance of fair trade practices. In partnership with TransFair USA and Tully’s Coffee, over 50,000 coupons will be distributed during the morning rush hours.
Muhammad Yunus on “Social Business”
Nobel Peace Prize recipient and author, Muhammad Yunus was recently interviewed by the Seattle Times on the shortcomings of corporate responsibility and the need for social business. He offered insightful recommendations to ensure the realization of social businesses, “Create a social stock market where investors and companies can come together to explain what they're doing. Then [establish] social-rating agencies so somebody will be watching out and telling investors the ratings of companies. [Establish] a regulatory framework so people don't deceive other people. And you need new laws that make it pretty clear what needs to be done to call yourself a social business, and tax laws if you want to give tax incentives.”
Yunus’s new book is Creating a World Without Poverty.