Worldchanging: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century – Alex Steffen
December 17, 2009 by Bookman
Filed under Business and Economics, Cities and Buildings, Design and Technology, Energy and Climate, Government and Politics, Lifestyle and Wellness, People and Education, Recommended Books, Resources and Waste, Science and Nature
This book compiles the bright green solutions that are found in the Worldchanging website.
From Amazon
Worldchanging is packed with information, resources, reviews, and ideas that give readers access to the tools they need to build a better future. Written by a diverse collaborative of innovators, Worldchanging demonstrates that the means for making a difference lie all around us.
This team of top-notch writers, brought together by Worldchanging.com founder Alex Steffen, includes Cameron Sinclair, founder of Architecture for Humanity, Geekcore founder Ethan Zuckerman, and sustainable food expert Anne Lappé, among many others.
Each chapter offers practical answers to important questions, such as: Why does buying locally produced food make sense? What steps can we take to influence our workplace toward sustainability? How can we travel, live, work, and learn in world-changing ways? How, in short, can we participate in building a better future locally and globally?
Worldchanging proves that a life that is sustainably prosperous, thoughtful and democratic, dynamic and peaceful, is not just possible, it’s here.
Related Info
Visit Worldchanging.com for more bright green solutions. Or watch this TED Talk by Alex Steffen on Inspired Ideas for a Sustainable Future:
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Green to Gold – Daniel Esty and Andrew Winston
December 17, 2009 by Bookman
Filed under Business and Economics, New Books, Recommended Books
Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage is a must-read for every CEO and business leader who wishes to include environmental thinking into the company’s strategy and achieve competitive advantage.
The authors first give a concise summary of the Green Wave that is sweeping the business community, the environmental problems and challenges companies faced, and the stakeholders involved in shaping environmental strategies.
Next, to help companies integrate the environment into business strategy, the authors introduce a toolkit including the Eco-Advantage Mindset, Eco-Tracking, Redesign and Culture.
Companies that have an Eco-Advantage Mindset usually:
- Look at the forest, not the trees
- Start at the top
- Adopt the Apollo 13 Principle
- Recognize that feelings are facts
- Do the right thing
The toolkit includes Eco-Tracking elements such as the AUDIO analysis to help companies understand their environmental impacts by looking at various categories: Aspects, Upstream, Downstream, Issues and Opportunities.
Companies should also Redesign their products and processes by adopting Design for the Environment (DfE) and closed-loop systems, and support the building of an eco Culture that promotes green thinking and innovation.
Besides the toolkit, the book helps companies to achieve Eco-Advantage by mapping out eight Green-to-Gold Plays, which are business strategies that reduce cost and risk, and increase revenue and intangible value:
Costs
1. Eco-efficiency – Improve resource productivity
2. Eco-expense reduction – Cut environmental costs and regulatory burden
3. Value chain eco-efficiency – Lower costs upstream and downstream
Risks
4. Eco-risk control – Manage environmentally driven business risk
Revenues
5. Eco-design – Meet customer environmental needs
6. Eco-sales and marketing – Build product position and customer loyalty on green attributes
7. Eco-defined new market space – Promote value innovation and develop breakthrough products
Intangibles
8. Intangible value – Build corporate reputation and trusted brands
It’s time for businesses to go green and Green to Gold is a valuable guide to help business leaders make profits while benefiting people and the environment. The book addresses both strategic thinking and practical actions that companies can adopt immediately to build an Eco-Advantage.
Related Info
Check out the Green to Gold website for more resources on using environmental strategies for your business.
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The Green Marketing Manifesto – John Grant
December 17, 2009 by Bookman
Filed under Business and Economics, New Books, Recommended Books
John Grant is the co-founder of the St Luke ad agency and has worked with clients such as IKEA, LEGO, Body Shop and innocent on green marketing and sustainability. His experience and thoughts can be summarised in The Green Marketing Manifesto, which articulates a green marketing strategy grid with 9 different approaches to green marketing.
The green marketing strategy grid is made up of three marketing objectives:
A. Green: Setting new standards in responsible products, policies and processes
B. Greener: Sharing responsibility with customers
C. Greenest: Supporting innovation – new habits, services, business models
And three levels at which marketing can operate:
1. Personal: Product/benefits/individual
2. Social: Brand meanings/herd instincts/tribes/communities
3. Public: Company as credible source, as cultural leader or partner
This 3 x 3 grid results in nine strategies that companies can adopt for their green marketing:
A1: Set an Example (Framing vs Pointing)
A2: Credible Partners (Eco-label vs Cause-related)
A3: Market a Benefit (Less vs More)
B1: Develop the Market (Educate vs Evangelise)
B2: Tribal Brands (Exclusive vs Inclusive)
B3: Change Usage (Switch vs Cut)
C1: New Business Concepts (Social Production vs Property)
C2: Trojan Horse Ideas (Tradition vs New Cool)
C3: Challenging Consuming (Treasuring vs Sharing)
Besides the green marketing approaches, John explains that companies need to go beyond image marketing to create sustainable brands. Companies should not make normal products seem green (greenwashing), instead they should make green products seem normal and acceptable. His vision is:
Green (and sustainable) products are not just responsible. They are better: more durable, cheaper, nicer, healthier, more thoughtful, offering extensions into social communities, belonging to something. The green products, services and businesses of the future are creative, in a sparky, thrilling way.
The Green Marketing Manifesto is an essential guide on green marketing for companies with green products and services, marketing executives and CSR professionals.
Related Info
Check out John Grant’s blog at http://greenormal.blogspot.com/.
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