Videos: Interface's Sustainability Challenges are Being Met with Innovation, Partnerships and Collaboration

Interface has successfully overcome many challenges through innovative thinking, partnerships and collaboration with their stakeholders. There is a great deal we can learn from Interface's journey. In the process of making their company sustainable, Interface has also doubled profits. Interface's sustainable journey is known as "Mission Zero" to realise this mission the company had to overcome many common challenges including things like technology barriers and costs.

Video: Ray Anderson on Sustainable Business

Ray Anderson, was the founder and CEO of Interface inc. At the helm of this company he has increased sales and doubled profits while transforming Interface into a global sustainable leader. In this video Ray, who passed away on August 8 of this year, shares a powerful vision for sustainable commerce.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Businesses are Combating Climate Change and Turning a Profit

All around the world, there are many sustainable success stories from companies that are seeing tremendous profit from green.

At HP, carbon reductions are now 33 percent better than in 2005, fossil fuel use has been cut by 62 percent and the water savings have increased to 89 percent. Companies like the UK's British Sky Broadcasting having reduced customers' carbon emissions by around 124,000 tonnes. Some corporations, like PUMA are committed to carbon neutrality.

Du Pont has set a goal to increase annual revenue by at least $2 billion USD by 2015 from products that reduce carbon emissions, which were already generating $731 million USD as of 2009.

According to a 2010 global survey, seventy percent of firms with revenue of $1 billion or more say they plan to increase spending on climate change initiatives in the next two years.

Nearly half of the 300 corporate executives who responded to a survey conducted for the accounting and consulting giant Ernst & Young said their climate change investments will range from 0.5 percent to more than 5 percent of revenues by 2012.

Whether to enhance brand loyalty or to reduce costs, businesses are seeing the merit of going green. More than four out of five respondents, or 82 percent, said they plan to invest in energy efficiency in the next 12 months, with 92 percent saying that energy costs will be an important driver.

Despite the challenges, the Ernst & Young Survey indicates that corporate executives are increasingly committed to taking action on climate change. The fact that 70 percent of executives said they planned to spend more on climate change programs is clear evidence of this trend.

Even in the absence of government regulations on climate change, businesses see the value of investing in sustainable programs because they see the opportunities to grow through new services and products, as well as save money through enhanced efficiency and limit risk. This is more than just public relations, it is a reflection of the market driven movement.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Video: EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson's Address at the Good Jobs Green Jobs Conference

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's opening keynote address at the Good Jobs Green Jobs Conference on February 8, 2011. Jackson explains how facing environmental issues provides economic benefits and good green jobs. Jackson goes on to illustrate how Environmental health and economic growth go hand in hand. Environmental protection has created 1.7 million jobs as of 2008 and between 2000 and 2008 the environmental protection industry has netted 300 billion in revenues. These facts are important as special interests try to gut America's safeguards like the clean air act, while trying to find loopholes so that big polluters can skirt common sense protections.

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Green Investing Part 1: Objective Research and Analysis

Despite wild fluctuations in the stock market, Green is becoming a major economic power. However to be a successful investor in this area you must remain objective. Emotions are often harmful to the value of an investor's portfolio, this is particularly true in Green investing. For many investing in Green businesses, decisions are based on their hopes rather than on objective research and analysis. A successful (Green) approach to investing implies more than the ability to recognize a good concept or anticipate a trend, to be a bottom line investor you must also research and analyze a company's finances and business practices. Examine the management, the uniqueness and positioning of the product, the industry, and the competition. Consider also the future growth prospects for the company and the industry. Above all, effective analysis must review the plan for integrating green technologies or concepts into sustainable profitability.

Investors may also want to consider Green Chips, (exchange traded funds or "baskets" of green energy companies). Although sustainable energy gets a lot of attention, there are many smaller opportunities that offer favorable rates of return. Assess risk by anticipating obstacles, and the individual set of pros and cons that come with each investment. To help minimize your risk, diversify your portfolio.

When eco-convictions hold sway over analysis, invest only what you can afford to lose. When analyzing a Green investment, research the details and remain objective.

Next: Green Investing Part 2: The Green Wave