User:Sustainable1/draft1

The Definition
The definition of green business and the system for measuring and ranking green business is continuously evolving.

In the early 1990s, being [environmentally responsible or sustainable] as a business meant reaching beyond the minimal requirements with something as simple as recycling office paper or increasing the use of recycled materials in products or packaging. By the end of the 1990s, companies were taking a broader view, using energy, water, and materials more efficiently; preventing pollution through improved management controls; and [taking other measures that reduced waste and saved money.] Bill Wolf, former president of the [Organic Trade Association], watched a similar evolution develop in the organic products industry as the definition changed and shades of organic certification solidified. Says Wolf, “There are many ways to measure the environmental impacts and social responsibility of business. A number of standards and inspection systems are currently being utilized. Some use extensive repeatable metrics such as measuring reductions in CO2 or cradle to cradle evaluations. This is very much like where the definition of organic was several years ago.”

Business Challenges
Many companies are already learning the price of operating in places with severe environmental problems: increased regulation, more expensive natural resources, and greater difficulty in attracting and retaining talent.

Environmental and social issues [are roiling the world of business, causing companies to rethink their products and services, their operations, even their business models]. Amid the changes, adaptive companies of all sizes and sectors are finding opportunities to be more competitive and profitable by aligning sustainability goals with their core business strategies.

Nature’s systems provide a wealth of tangible and intangible services to business—some $33 trillion worth of “free” deliverables a year, say experts in the “[Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Report]” Those services include fertile soil, fresh water, breathable air, pollination, species habitat, soil formation, pest control, a livable climate, and a host of other things we tend to take for granted.

None of these services appear on companies’ balance sheets, but their availability, or lack thereof, can dramatically impact a company’s finances. For example, to prepare for the inevitable regulation of carbon dioxide emissions, [many companies are investing in new, more efficient technologies.] When nature’s services—in this case, the planet’s ability to dissipate industrial emissions and keep surface temperatures at a livable level—are overtaxed, this is the cost to business.

The Bottom-Line
From a purely bottom-line perspective, waste and pollution are inefficiencies: the materials, energy, and other resources that a company purchases but doesn’t use are disposed of, often by costly methods. Thus, more efficient use of materials, energy, water—and reduced emissions— benefits not only the bottom line but also the planet.

Now, the leading edge of green business practices has moved beyond [saving money to making money.] Sustainability is now seen by many leading companies as a means of creating new business value: increasing sales, creating innovative products and services, and expanding markets. Sustainability is also seen as a way to improve product and service quality, reduce risk, attract and retain employees, and enhance brand value and customer loyalty. Both societal and ecological trends suggest that sustainability’s benefits to business will only increase.