What Does ‘Greening’ a Business Have to do with Profitability?

Blog by Julie Urlaub, Founder and Managing Partner at Taiga Company
Aug 31, 2011 11:45 AM ET

Blog by Julie Urlaub, Founder and Managing Partner at Taiga Company

Consider sustainability as a profit center: crazy talk or real possibility?   According to an Aberdeen Group study, The ROI of Sustainability: Making the Business Case, top performing organizations view sustainability as a "must have" strategy for long term business viability and success.  The top drivers for business sustainability implementation identified in the study include:   •    Desire for Social and Environmental Stewardship – 56% •    Increase or Maintain Brand Reputation – 48% •    Need for a Competitive Advantage – 46% •    Stakeholder Pressure – 29% •    Rising Energy Costs – 22% •    Present or Expected Regulatory Compliance Mandates – 22%   While these drivers are appealing, business sustainability is best appreciated when viewed through the lens of your business.  However, business sustainability is often reduced to environmental or social action.  While certainly two very important areas of focus, business sustainability is really about taking action to maintain the on-going health and profitability of the company as a business strategy.  This includes the importance of monetary circulation.   Sometimes viewed in terms of risk, sustainable business actions are activities which have a positive impact on either the inbound or outbound flow of money.  How can greening a business and monetary circulation impact profitability?  Click here to discover what greening a business has to do with profitability.   

Home to one third of the earth's trees, the Taiga is the largest land-based biosphere and encircles the globe. Its immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the planet. It is this continuous renewal that has shaped Taiga Company's vision to drive similar change in the business world. Taiga Company seeks to be the "oxygen for your business".