Over recent years, many companies have taken up the mantle of environmental sustainability and are having a positive impact on tackling the wide range of environmental challenges we are facing. One of those companies is McDonalds. McDonalds has often been the enemy of the Green Movement, but now it is changing its ways. The management of the company have been working diligently with PETA to systematically change its treatment of animals. Working with PETA McDonald’s has made significant strides in increasing humane treatment for animals and their habitats. General Electric is another good corporate citizen. Once reviled by environmentalists for causing pollution in the Hudson River, today GE is embraced by many environmental activists for its visionary approach. Not only has GE has almost completed clean-up of the area of the Hudson River they were accused of polluting, they have also sold over $12 billion in green products such as wind turbines and solar energy. Ecomagination is a highly profitable part of this huge multinational, and is a role model for other green corporations who want to increase profits in a sustainable manner.

 Going green pays off across all sectors including banking and financial services. For example,  Bank of Americais making significant strides to make its operations more eco-friendly. They recycle more than 30,000 tons of paper in their in-house recycling program. That’s equivalent to saving 200,000 trees each year. The company has also reduced its paper use by over 30%. To encourage their workers to be eco-conscious, Bank of America gives $3,000. to any employee who buys a hybrid vehicle. Anheuser-Busch is playing a role themselves. They have redesigned their cans to be more eco efficient. Now the company saves over 21 million pounds of metal each year. They have done it without reducing the amount of beer in the can.

Starbucks is another of the green corporations members of the environmental movement applaud. Their mission is “Making the Planet Livable one Paper Cup at a time” .Their insistence on efficiency in their entire supply chain has benefited both the environment and the company. Starbucks’ decision to use recycled paper cup holders has saved almost 80,000 trees in the past 5 years. The company’s work with the most respected groups involved in environmental sustainability confirms its commitment to the green movement. Starbucks has worked with the Earthwatch Institute, Conservation International and many others on projects of global importance. The company also offers employees the opportunity to participate in the green movement. Moreover, millions of consumers interact with Starbucks every year on a regular basis which ensures that their sustainable messaging reaches a huge market and is reinforced regularly. Repetition is the mother of change and we urgently need the brands of green corporations to be as green as possible.

Household products maker S.C. Johnson is also trying hard to be a greener company. The company is following through on a pledge to lower the environmental impact of their products. Already they have eliminated almost 2 million pounds of volatile organic compounds from their most popular product line. S.C. Johnson is also replacing its cold fired plants with methane and natural gas powered ones. They have also changed the formulation of some products and have kept 4 million pounds of harmful chemicals out of the landfills. Many of these improvements were accomplished with the guidance of the Greenlist Process. The Greenlist Process ranks environmental impact based on raw materials used, and this form of accountability is essential to encouraging green corporations to becoming greener.

Hewlett-Packard has a far-reaching global citizenship program. Part of this is a major e-waste program that  has anticipated a serious environmental problem and has been proactive in addressing it. The company has created a network of large facilities for recycling computer parts, which is one of the most widespread and toxic forms of waste. The recycling plants accept any brand computer. Moreover, today, Hewlett Packard will only make computers which are 100% recyclable. The company has also reduced its energy consumption by 20% so it is fighting climate change across all its busines activities.

In retailing there are many examples of  sustainable initiatives. Target stores are also doing their part for the environment. The company created a line of eco-clothing in conjunction with eco-designer Rogan Gregory. The clothing is made from dynamic fabrics. Another of the green corporationsis the British food company Tesco. Tesco has transformed all its stores into a model for environmental sustainability. All Tesco stores are wind powered. The stores also recycle almost one hundred percent of their waste products. Its delivery trucks are powered by biodiesel. The company has even created an incentive program where customers receive discounts if they have reusable bags. Not yet satisfied it has completely transformed itself into an eco-friendly business, Tesco is working to measure the ‘carbon cost’ of every product it sells. Tesco has transformed itself into one of the top green corporations around.In summary, Green corporations have an important role to play in the environmental sustainability movement. They are possibly the most powerful influencer in modern Western society, and can act as a model for people to follow. Consumers love influential brands and the more that companies like Starbucks and Hewlett Packard can do to make green “cool” the better. Their potential is great in our mission to make the planet more healthy. If more corporations transformed themselves into at least partially green corporations it could help to sway government policy, public opinion and make green our top priority.