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Earth Day Meets Pay Day Yes, money makes the world go 'round. Money can also help make it go green.
That's the striking core message of this 2006 business tome, which spotlights the cause of environmentalism with a decidedly capitalist slant. At the core of capitalism's success, they say, is innovation. That same innovation, when applied responsibly by businesses of many types, has resulted in big gains against pollution, resource depletion, and other sustainability issues, often helping those businesses add to their bottom line.
Authors Daniel C. Esty and Andrew S. Winston back up this central point with numerous examples of industries reaping the rewards of a green strategy, dating back to Toyota's milestone launch of the Prius hybrid in 1993. Not every earth-friendly idea is so rewarding, but even the hardest-cost items can be useful in demonstrating a corporation as a good citizen, something critical in the face of growing regulatory pressure and activist advocacy.
"No company can afford to ignore green issues," the authors write. "Those who manage them with skill will build stronger, more profitable, longer-lasting businesses - and a healthier, more livable planet."
Two groups of people are likely to find this book not to their liking. One are the group that believe climate change - presented as a simple case of fact in this book - is the product of phony science. However, as I write this on an 85-degree day in April, many of these people would likely agree with me that in the world of stock markets particularly, perception is reality and there's little value now in digging one's heels in the ground and calling Al Gore names.
The other group, interestingly, is hard-core environmentalists. "Green To Gold" is an eco-positive book, but its message will likely anger those who believe capitalism itself is the world's greatest environmental threat. Esty and Winston even go so far as to point out examples of where a green-first philosophy won't work for most businesses. Patagonia, for example, can charge more for its earth-friendly products because its a privately held company. For other businesses, as a Shell executive notes, the environment can be most effective as a "third button", not a reason for making a purchase in itself, but as a kind of feel-good value add.
There is a good deal of repetition, PowerPoint graphics, and acronymic dross in "Green To Gold", which at least establishes that it is indeed a business book. It's a little too rah-rah at times, like about cap-and-trade, which is pure taxation and only helpful in the way it can hurt your competitor more than you. At one point, the authors suggest businesses should embrace even stricter regulations, after preparing themselves to meet those regs, in order to gain competitive advantage against their scrambling peers. There's a green strategy Gordon Gekko would have liked!
I liked "Green To Gold" less for its message (no treehugger me!) than for the solid way it is presented. There's also useful information about how companies can foster an eco-friendly culture that will affect change within the organization, thus priming it for the tough regulatory stretch ahead. The fact is the world is taking green issues more seriously, and smart businesses need to stay ahead of this development. "Green To Gold" offers the kind of guidance that speaks to the comptroller as well as the dreamer.
GREAT The item is wonderful!I'm reading !
I hope that Amazon could arrange more serials of products afford to international dilivery! ....Like chocholate,mobile phone.....
not what you think If you want to read this book for ways HOW to transform your company to become green, then I don't think this is the book you should get. Most of the book is about WHY we should go green. And we already know that going green is the way of the future, so I don't need a book to tell me that. Most of the illustrations are about the benefits companies obtained by going green. It does not show how they started or went about getting there, and that was the reason I bought the book, to see if I can find ways for my own company.
Eco-Advantage as a competitive differentiator Sometimes the cares of life, pursuit of wealth and desire for other things can inadvertently divert our attention from the critically important issue of global sustainability. You don't have to hug trees or protect the needs of spotted owls to recognize the finite nature of this planet and our place on it. More and more forward-looking leaders are realizing these realities and taking necessary steps to address them. The authors of Green to Gold showcase such visionary, corporate leaders who are integrating environmental thinking into their business strategies to develop an "Eco-advantage." Soundview likes this book because it not only features strategies that work, but it also provides useful perspective as to reasons why environmental initiatives sometimes fail despite appropriate effort and support. Additionally, the writers draw a thought-provoking picture of the world regarding stakeholder pressure to drive sustainability, increasing regulatory restrictions and constrained resources. These realities make this book a must read for any leader that sees the growing congruency between organizational profitability and global survivability.
Food for Your Executive Mindset I LOVE Green to Gold. Not because I'm a crunchy-granola type baby boomer (and, yes, I am). Not because I admit to having a personal passion for sustainability, the environmental movement and all things green. Not because I believe in climate change and the threat to our planet. I love Green to Gold because so many of the examples that Daniel Esty and Andrew Winston provide are a study in business strategy. And because they break very complex initiatives into core concepts. And because they graphically illustrate how businesses can do well by doing good.
They are truly gifted at being able to both integrate BIG concepts (like how environmental issues are driving market forces) and break down business strategy into manageable steps (e.g. their 14 approaches that build an eco-advantage culture). As they talk about what companies as diverse as 3M, Starbucks, Xerox and Unilever are doing to turn green to gold, they help the reader hone strategic and business acumen. Every executive, and anyone cultivating an executive mindset, would benefit from reading this book and asking her or himself how it applies to her or his business. It's a dense read, but invaluable. What else would you expect from a book that explains "how smart companies use environmental strategy to innovate, create value and build competitive advantage"?
Susan Colantuono, CEO
www.LeadingWomen.biz
http://twitter.com/leadingwomen
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