This Common-Sense Change Makes Good Business Strategy

Great article, with some interesting stats, on The Motley Fool site today.  Here's the link: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2011/05/04/this-common-sense-change-makes-good-business-strat.aspx.

Here's part of the report: 

"Going green" is a popular strategic destination these days. However, it's one thing to rejoice that you've decided to start that journey, and another to actually get there.
While more business leaders and investors now embrace the general idea of environmentally friendly initiatives, the reality of their actions might still fall short of their ambitions. To keep businesses on the right track, savvy shareholders may need to give them a push.

What's your damage?
Last year, environmental research firm Trucost calculated that human activity caused $6.6 trillion in environmental damage in 2008. The top 3,000 global corporations alone caused $2.15 trillion of that projected harm. If this course continues, annual environmental costs could reach $28.6 trillion by 2050. But even as they try to veer off this expensive, unhealthy path, some companies may struggle to change the ways they think about doing business.

Environmental Leader recently reported on a study conducted by U.K.'s Warwick Business School and University of Bath School of Management. After examining 25 years' worth of academic and industry research, the authors concluded that most companies' efforts to create "sustainable supply chains" have focused more on managing risk and avoiding public relations crises than establishing any true environmental benefit.

The authors called out Mattel (Nasdaq: MAT  ) and Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL  ) as examples. Toxic lead paint cropped up in Mattel's children's toys a few years back, while Apple, despite pledges of eco-friendliness, still faces accusations of sweatshop policies, worker suicides at its contracted Chinese manufacturers' plants, and lax environmental standards."

Roll that number around in your head a few times:  6.6 trillion dollars of environmental damage in 08.  Shocking.  From the business side of green, what a disastrous financial hole to dig out of.

So, let's stop the loss and stop the talk and do the right things.  Let's change the way we do business.  Start watching Renewable Now on May 11 and learn how to truely go green.  Together, we will "get there".