EcoLocalizer

We’ve all heard about the greening efforts of some pretty big companies, including GE and WalMart. But what’s behind the press releases and green logos? Though some corporate efforts may be greenwashing, many companies, both large and small, are making solid verifiable moves toward sustainability.

A panel held at UCLA this month, dedicated to sustainability in business, put this issue in the spotlight and revealed some useful information for companies looking to reduce their footprints. A few key points:

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Everyone does it differently: Companies looking to go green do so in many different ways, according to their business needs, structure, and culture. At toy giant Mattel, for example, sustainability is engrained in the company culture, so it’s something everyone thinks about. Initiatives to reduce resources used in shipping, packaging and catalogs have helped the company to lower their energy usage, carbon emissions, and water usage.

Use your company’s common language to “sell” sustainability: If you’re looking to convince others of the benefits of going green, stay away from buzzwords (like “sustainability”!) and instead focus on the language already used in your company, perhaps terms like conservation and efficiency. Back up your ideas with analysis, and don’t forget to use your people skills!

Keep an eye on trends: Smart companies, like Roll International (owner of the Fiji water brand) are working on carbon footprinting to establish a baseline of their greenhouse gas emissions. Measurable improvemets can then be reported both internally and externally, which points to another key trend - transparent reporting. By communicating openly with stakeholders about all of their successes and challenges, companies not only protect themselves from accusations of greenwashing, but also share their lessons learned with other companies. A boon for those of you following in their footsteps.

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