3 EnvironmentallyFriendly Companies

Donald Liss

OverviewWhile there are many organizations that focuson protecting the environment, it’s alsoimportant that more businesses focus onenvironmentally-friendly practices. Fortunately, a number of companies do careabout sustainability and attempt to be as greenas possible. This presentation looks at three companiesthat should be commended for their attemptsto become more sustainable.

IKEAIKEA sells more furniture than any othercompany on the planet. Fortunately, the company understands howimportant sustainability is to their continuedsuccess. On the People & Planet section of their website,the company states that it is “working towards100% renewable energy – producing as muchas we consume in our operations – andsourcing all of our wood from more sustainablesources by 2020” (People & Planet). Additionally, the company sources all of itscotton from suppliers that follow Better Cottonstandards, and many of its stores utilize solarpanels.

UnileverUnilever is a consumer goods company thatsells its products all over the globe. In 2010 the company adopted a SustainableLiving Plan. Unilever says that the Sustainable Living Planis “our blueprint for achieving our vision togrow our business, whilst decoupling ourenvironmental footprint from our growth andincreasing our positive social impact”(Sustainable Living). Since first adopting the plan the company hasseen success with reducing waste. In fact, CEO Paul Polman was awarded the2015 Champion of the Earth Award by theUnited Nations.

PatagoniaPatagonia is a popular clothing retailerheadquartered in California. The company is very concerned about theenvironment and consumer’s habits. In the past, it has released ads that actuallyurge people to refrain from buying things theydon’t need, and this includes Patagoniaproducts. Patagonia also instituted a repair program sothat customers can get extended use out oftheir products instead of buying additionalitems. The company is B Corp certified which meansthat an outside organization (B Lab) assess itsperformance to ensure it meets a certain levelof environmental performance.