Companies who thankfully don’t follow the leader

Often, the work that is done by companies is reactionary. If a competing brand in your industry does something that proves to be profitable, or is caught doing something they shouldn’t have, everyone around them will tend to react. That could be by taking steps to either duplicate what has proven to be effective, or putting plans in place to prevent less beneficial news which could surround them.

This proves true with businesses and sustainability as well. Once companies in various sectors noticed that positive press and increased business came with announcing environmentally friendly plans, everyone made their move to jump on the bandwagon. We don’t have any problem with this at all. It’s important that trends which improve ways of life are adopted by as many companies as possible.

It’s when reactionary implementation becomes proactive planning that signifies that not only is a trend a good business decision, but a necessary one to remain relevant with whatever type of customer base you work with. Businesses of all types, including software, retail, food services and hospitality are all looking towards 2011 with green in their eyes, and that’s not just for money.

Recently, a blog we favor, greenbiz.com asked varying companies how sustainability will change for them in 2011. These were some of our favorites:

–       Jim Hanna, director of environmental impact, Starbucks: “…In 2011, our goal is to further integrate expertise and sustainable practices into individual business units and performance measurements. “

–       Bill Morrissey, vice president of environmental sustainability, The Clorox Company: “We’re looking to accelerate our sustainability efforts now that eco is an explicit part of our corporate strategy.”

–       Hannah Jones, vice president of sustainable business and innovation, Nike: “We don’t see a lot of things changing as much as we want to elevate, scale and amplify the work we are already undertaking”

We’re excited that a fresh year means new ideas and progress towards sustainability. We hope and expect that many other recognizable and powerful companies will continue to be leaders in the sustainability field as more companies will need guidance creating and ensuring their environmental protection plans grow.