CENTER FOR BUSINESS
AS AN AGENT OF WORLD BENEFIT

PortionPac Chemical Company manufactures and markets highly concentrated, pre-measured cleaning products to large commercial facilities such as schools and correctional facilities. The products are created such that they reduce the resources used throughout the product lifecycle, minimize the adverse effects of chemicals on the environment, and eliminate unsafe and ineffective habits of traditional cleaning procedures.

The US Department of Energy’s goal of obtaining six percent of US electricity from wind by 2020 is not simply a necessary and relevant objective but a huge business opportunity for the organizations in the wind energy industry. Siemens recognized the gap between this aim and the capability available in the market and hence launched its first wind turbine manufacturing plant in Iowa in 2007.

Understanding the need for a match between the brownfields market and large-scale investment capital, Brownfields Capital has discovered an innovative way to link ecological flourishing with profitability. Brownfields Capital is a finance/investment management firm that plays the role of intermediary to bring these two themes together. This is done through their innovative financial instrument called ‘Brownfields Value Contract (BVC)’ which provides owners or prospective owners of environmentally challenged land with a fully financed capital structure and business plan, while simultaneously creating opportunity for investors to put their money in an innovative debt instrument.

Enacting a fair trade model that values the farmers, consumers, and the environment, Equal Exchange is an inspiring example of success based on collaboration and honest intentions to do good. Equal Exchange is a co-operative that accurately calls itself a social change organization. It has been built as a company that is controlled by the employees. By collaborating with worker co-operatives around the globe, the organization is successfully providing high quality food to the customer. Additionally, it is also proactively educating consumers about trade issues affecting the farmers bringing positive social change in the community.

London Cleaners is a dry cleaning company that chose to break the environmentally unfriendly connotations attached to such establishments. By adopting a newer and greener way to clean called the GreenEarth cleaning system; the company has ensured excellent service for its customers, health of its employees, and sustainability for itself.

Novelis Inc. has found the perfect convergence of its business objectives with environmental sustainability in the avatar of ‘recycling’. The organization has given novel hues to this term by creating partnerships to procure used aluminum cans that form a principal raw material for its product. In addition to the huge cost savings for the company this strategy has also contributed to saving the environment by decreasing the carbon dioxide off-gassing and the consumption of electricity involved in manufacturing aluminum.

In the times of rising fuel prices attributed to factors like plateaued refinery outputs, increasing demand from developing countries and a weakening US dollar, Biofuel manufacturing companies,like SeQuential provide a ray of hope toward resolution of the crisis and achieving sustainability. This is a company that is truly riding the wave of next generationefuels by choosing to manufacture and market Biodiesel as an alternative to the regular fuel. Biodiesel, a cleaner burning, renewable fuel is manufactured from vegetable oil or animal fats and lives up to all that SeQuential promises as its mission - local, cleaner, better.

Not all organizations are created with a vision for an immediate impact in the short-term as well as a sustainable and positive long term impact- Planet Green is certainly an exception. It is a vibrant example of a business based on a genuine concern for the environment addressed by recycling and reuse in turn creating awareness in those involved at every step of the process.

Bergey Windpower Co. realized the potential of Wind Power as a source of energy; all the more relevant today with sky–rocketing gas prices. But they took this one step further by creating the wind energy system as a smaller unit apt for individual and business use. Though the small wind turbine has been around for over one hundred years, the unique value offered by the company is in packaging a small wind machine that an individual can understand, buy, and install to satisfy his or her need to have a reliable, economical, and ecologically neutral form of energy generation.

When you marry a firm whose products are driven by the unwavering commitment to sustainability with the needs of an organization that is dedicated to reducing its carbon footprints, the outcome can be nothing short of a technological advancement that benefits the planet. This is what transpired when Helmet & Payne, Inc.’s (H & P) client Williams, a natural gas company, wanted a solution for its drilling dilemma - how to address increasing surface disruption and the inefficiencies caused by the nature of the sands in the Piceance Basin where Williams operated. H&P, performing contract drilling for Williams, came up with the answer in the form of a product they call the FlexRig that continues to deliver huge economic and environmental benefits.

Sustainability in architectural design is what fuels the creativity at Ten Directions Design. By employing practices like Not-So-Big House Approach, Sustainable Design, and Indoor Air Quality, the firm lives up to its name, taken from the ten directions of Buddha Land described in one of the principal works of Buddhism, the Lotus Sutra. The name implies multidimensionality and thus refers to the three-dimensional nature of this ‘green’ architectural firm’s work. Combining the analysis of a house with an understanding of the needs of the client, the firm creates a space that is a delight for the client and is friendly to the environment.

In consonance with its name of Triodos or ‘three way’, Triodos Bank has built its business model on the three pillars of people, planet and profits. The belief of the bank is simple and its mission is lucid - it finances companies, institutions and projects that add cultural value and benefit people and environment with the support of depositors and investors who wish to encourage social responsibility and a sustainable society.

Culture change in an organization can be actuated through multitude of business strategies- redesigning the organization chart, articulating a renewed mission or revamping the human resource practices. But Alberici Corportaion chose to define and communicate its values through what it does best- constructing buildings. By designing a building that is a manifestation of the company’s message of environmental sensitivity, the organization has not only contributed to a greener planet but has accumulated savings for itself and created a productive, healthy and motivated workforce.

Batesville Casket Company’s innovative reforestation program is an exemplar for the sound business strategy of reducing carbon footprint while, in turn, generating higher revenues. The organization realized the growing demand for wooden caskets, and returned to production of wooden in addition to metal caskets around 1970’s. Wood being a renewable resource provided an opportunity for reforestation, positioning it as a chance for a ‘living memorial’ for the deceased through planting a tree sapling. The program has had huge success in terms of preserving the environment as well as increasing the revenues for the organization.

The ‘ethic of recycling’ at its best may look like the business model of TerraMai- reclaiming wood from demolished buildings, processing it, and selling it to be used in the construction of new structures. Identifying the opportunity created by a demand of the size and type of wood that is fast vanishing from the face of earth, TerraMai is not only flourishing as a business but contributing to the efforts of saving the depleting forests.

The vision Professional Supply Inc. of the company is more than energy efficiency; they are determined to change the way businesses think about energy use. By its innovative patented technologies for air conditioning, heating and ventilation, the organization has helped companies weave in energy conservation into their business strategies proving that green does turn into gold.

LocalHarvest stands for building a vibrant community, healthy environment, and a strong and sustainable local economy- all made possible by the vast potential of the internet. Using the simple idea of connecting buyers and sellers virtually through an online catalog, the organization not only provides impetus to the proliferation of organic farming but also broadens the reach of the local farmers to a larger customer base.

Seventh Generation Inc. articulates its commitment to be beyond solely producing cleaner and greener products; for them it is about cultural change in consumer behavior and business ethics. Living up to its name from the Great Law of Iroquois that prescribes deliberating the impact of each of our actions on the next seven generations, the novel formulas of the company’s household and personal care products ensure that with each use the consumer is making a difference through keeping toxic material out of the environment, saving natural resources and reducing pollution.

Brooks Sports, Inc. designs and markets a line of high performance running shoes, apparels and accessories in more than 40 countries. Building a strong brand through community support and outreach programs, Brooks encourages healthier minds and bodies, healthier planet and a healthier bottomline. As an organization that is not only committed to encouraging long-term health in people but in providing this impetus through environmentally friendly product innovations, ‘Brooks’ has discovered and successfully implemented the mantra of sustainability.

Realizing the urgency of action and leveraging the strength of business for making a difference, Global Ethics Ltd launched a bottled drinking water called ONE. The idea was simple: the profit generated from every bottle of water sold would be channelized toward installation of water pumps in parts of Africa where clean drinking water is almost a luxury. One billion without access to drinking water resulting in 2 million deaths (source: onewater.uk.org; UNICEF and WHO report, 2006) sounds almost ludicrous in today’s world. The magnitude of the problem escapes most of us who take a basic necessity like clean drinking water completely for granted. Unfortunately it is not so in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern and Southern Asia. For many of the millions affected, the time that should be devoted to school and agriculture is spent walking miles to collect water.

‘Sekem’ means vitality from the sun, the ripples of which have touched people, environment and community in multitude of ways. It is an initiative in Egypt with a vision of sustainable development through economic, social and cultural progress. Operating via an umbrella organization called Sekem Holding, products like natural pharmaceuticals, organic food, and organic textiles are manufactured in a hope to heal the earth and spread prosperity in the country.

A cleaning company that is committed not only to keeping the client’s house clean but also ensuring that environment is equally pristine by adopting and promulgating natural and safe cleaning practices – ‘Green Clean Inc’ is an example of how high quality customer service, productive work environment and a healthier planet are goals that buttress each other. The organization has successfully achieved this via a strong sense of social consciousness, providing safer alternatives to harmful chemicals in cleaning products and educating customers, public and employees on safer cleaning practices.

“Partnership with a vision brought about the largest “Steel Winds” energy project on the Great Lakes,” says Keith Nagel, director of environmental affairs and real estate for ArcelorMittal USA. This partnership was born when ArcelorMittal USA’s predecessor company, Mittal Steel USA, assumed liabilities of a massive 1,200-acre Brownfield site during the acquisition of a major integrated steel facility in Lackawanna, N.Y. The blazing wind speeds at the site encouraged Keith to install a meteorological tower in order to record wind patterns. A local university was recruited to understand and evaluate the data. The results confirmed the latent potential the site held for windmill energy generation. With a vivid plan to establish beneficial reuse of this massive Brownfield site ArcelorMittal partnered with BQ Energy, UPC Wind Management LLC and Clipper Windpower, Inc. to start in the Fall of 2006, ‘Steel Winds’- one of the nation’s largest urban wind farms. The project had a “slag breaking” ceremony on September 15, 2006. The first of eight 400-foot state-of-the-art wind mills was put into place in December 2006. The wind farm resides on 160 (of the total 1,200) acres along the eastern shore of Lake Erie proudly visible from the major highway that runs along Lake Erie and through the city of Lackawanna, New York.

SunEdison LLC has become North America’s largest provider of solar energy services through an innovative financing model, called a power purchase agreement (PPA) and backed by private equity financing totaling more than $250 million to date. SunEdison sets the industry standard for profitable distribution of solar energy.

Women's World Banking's vision is to expand low-income women's economic participation by giving them greater access to financial information and markets. In doing so they are enabling women to not only keep their families fed but also engage in the community and develop a political voice that could bring about great change worldwide.

According to Natura's website, the search for beauty is a legitimate yearning of all human beings, but based on stereotypes imposed by society. Natura believes we must demystify the ideal of beauty and maintain ourselves by cultivating and conserving our bodies. In an effort to move towards a more sustainable business model, Natura, Brazil’s leading cosmetics company, launched a new product line, Nature Ekos. Natura Ekos line of fragrances, personal care and ambience products draws from the wealth of Brazil's biodiversity and is inspired by traditional uses of plant ingredients. In keeping with the concept of sustainability, Natura Ekos products are biodegradable and use bottles and packaging that contain recycled material. Refills are provided for each product, which both reduces their environmental impact and increases the price competitiveness of the Ekos products.

SELCO INDIA (the Solar Electric Light Company) is a solar energy services company that sells, installs and services solar lighting systems to the underserved in rural India. SELCO is headquartered in Bangalore, India and has 25 solar service centers offices in the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. With a staff of more than 150, SELCO has installed more than 45,000 solar lighting systems. SELCO has also partnered with more than 12 local financial institutions. SELCO’s primary mission is to uplift the quality of life among the underserved and also create enabling conditions for income generating activities. Solar lighting has led to better education, smokeless environment and longer working hours; thus uplifting the quality of life of the beneficiaries. SELCO has ensured that its clients can get door-step service and door-step financing: two key components for the successful dissemination of modern energy services in the underserved areas.

Honey Care Africa is an innovative, rapidly expanding Kenyan social enterprise established expressly to increase the income of rural farmers. To date, Honey Care has doubled the income of several thousand small scale farmers through its "Money for Honey" program, which trains them in commercial beekeeping and then buys their honey at a guaranteed price. Honey Care then packages and sells the highest quality African honey. The overall objective of the company is to produce and market high quality honey that will successfully compete on the world market with honey products from elsewhere. To achieve this objective the company has opted to work with the rural community groups in an out-grower model whereby it has introduced modern beekeeping methods using the Langstroth hives. In this approach, the company closely monitors the production process to ensure quality of honey produced by the contracted out- growers.

E7 is an international environmental NPO comprised of the world's leading electric utilities. Major global environmental and social issues that affect the electric utility industry are considered to be the top priorities of the E7.Each E7 member considers the management of environmental issues among its highest corporate priorities, and all support the concept of Sustainable Development. The E7 electricity companies operate on the national territories of the G8 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom and United States). Membership in the E7 is by invitation. The E7 may also invite other organizations from around the world to become Partners and contribute to the implementation of the E7’s goals. The number of E7 members from any single country is limited to a maximum of two (2) and these. must be the largest, or among the two largest, electricity producing companies, in the country that is under consideration. The E7 has a unique operational knowledge of the electricity sector. In other words, the E7’s diversity of experience and expertise complement each other granting it an all-encompassing scope of the global electricity industry. Sharing this wealth of experience with countries facing new pressures on their electrical industry is the most valuable way the E7 can contribute to sustainable development throughout the world.

Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum, and alumina, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. The company, which employs 131,000 people in 43 countries, serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation, and industrial markets. Alcoa’s vision is to be the best company in the world, through the eyes of its customers, shareholders, communities and people. To achieve its vision, Alcoa has taken an innovative approach to the environment and societies in which it operates. By developing technologies and solutions twenty years in advance, Alcoa can operate ahead of the curve. Alcoa has created a commitment to sustainability through its vision for 2020.

In 1999 Alec McClennan founded the only organic lawn care company located in Northeast Ohio, Good Nature Organic Lawn Care. Good Nature provides an innovative alternative to chemical lawn treatment applications by using organic materials such as sugar beets, clove, garlic, alfalfa, and canola oil. The majority of Good Nature Organic Lawn Care customers start using the organic lawn care treatment because they are concerned about the potential health risk to their children and pets which can be caused by hazardous lawn care chemicals. What they soon learn is that in addition to peace of mind from avoiding potential health hazards, they are also creating healthier soil, grass and environment.

Tetra Pak, a packaging company in a highly polluting and environmentally damaging industry, is working hard to create sustainable activities and become environmentally responsible. In partnerhips with three other companies, Tetra Pak is using plasma technology to create recyclable material. Additionally, the company has committed to following a carbon equalization policy in Canada which helps meet it's commitments to the Kyoto agreement.

Bank ABN AMRO has made sustainability a cornerstone of its business. The bank strives to include a concern for social and environmental issues in the decision-making of every strategic business unit. These activities have gained such prominence that a special unit, the Sustainable Development Group was organized to coordinate sustainability work across the organization. The innovativeness of this sustainability mindset has led to numerous activities that are creating a shift in the impact of ABN AMRO on environment and society.

Cascade Engineering is a leader in engineered plastic systems for the automotive, solid waste and industrial markets. Cascade certainly is driven by the “Triple Bottom Line” philosophy. The company’s objectives are to create a higher level of organizational accountability and transparency; foster a balanced approach to continuous improvement; and provide a learning tool and framework for other medium sized companies. Cascade’s innovations include developing and issuing an annual report titled the Triple Bottom Line Report. This report includes a “sustainability scorecard which illustrates Cascade’s strong commitment to transforming what many people view as a ‘good idea’ into long term strategic advantage,” said Fred Keller, Cascade Engineering Chairman and CEO. “ In measuring our many areas of progress, and some remaining performance gaps, Cascade is inviting its many stakeholders and industry peers to take a close look at our multi-year effort to realize the potential of three vital and interrelated ‘bottom lines’. We believe that social and environmental initiatives can contribute to positive business results, and that sustainability will continue to gain momentum through the open exchange of ideas and best practices”.

Blue Sky Hauling is an Oakland, California-based hauling company that is redefining the hauling industry and globally helping underserved populations at the same time. Unlike traditional hauling or recycling companies, Blue Sky Hauling removes unwanted items and materials from homes and businesses and then partners with local, national, and international organizations to deliver useable items and materials to places that have immediate need. By taking recycling one step further, Blue Sky Hauling is successfully partnering with non-profit organizations both locally and around the world to benefit the disadvantaged and those in crises.

The Lusty Wrench is an award winning "eco-conscious" auto repair shop that weaves environmental responsibility throughout its day-to-day operations. For over 25 years the repair shop has not only provided a needed service to the local community but has also restored the environment through innovative, responsible business practices. From recycling waste products, to purchasing auto parts from socially-responsible countries, to educating customers on auto-related sustainability issues, the Lusty Wrench demonstrates how a small local business can effect environmentally-desirable change using big concepts, while still making a comfortable profit.

The Beach Solar Laundromat uses eight solar thermal panels to heat water for the Laundromat, potable water for the second floor apartment and for space heating in radiators. The building was built in 1939, and the mechanical retrofit took place in 2002 and 2003. Natural Gas consumption has been reduced by approximately 30% as a result of the energy initiatives undertaken. Revenues have grown 160% over eighteen months as customers actively choose the Beach Solar Laundromat because of its environmentally friendly energy initiatives.

Interface, a highly regarded eco-conscious company, and one of the largest manufacturers of commercial flooring in the world, has created the industry's first post-consumer recycled polyester commercial fabric. Terratex® is made from 100% recyclable or renewable material, manufactured using increasingly sustainable processes, made to meet or exceed industry standards for quality and performance, and recyclable or compostable at the end of it's useful life. Interface believes Terratex makes an impact, not an imprint, on the environment.

“Sustainable agriculture” is a competitive and productive type of agriculture striving to include, in addition to food quality and safety standards, a balance between respect for the environment, economic and social repercussions on the local environment, and profitability. Groupe Danone is one of the first food-manufacturing groups to have committed to sustainable agriculture, an essential requirement for meeting consumer expectations, considered as a complementary approach to organic agriculture. This commitment, however, does not mean that the Group is neglecting organic agriculture, as shown by the purchase of Stonyfield Farm in the United States.

Macroplastic, maker of plastic bags, along with a businessman from a supermarket chain, a non-governmental organization and the Federation of Industries (FIEP) for the state of Curitiba have decided to address the issue of garbage pollution in one of Brasil’s most industrialized regions. The innovative scheme to address the consumer-caused pollution is working in one area, Matinho. Macroplastic produces grocery bags of 6 different colors (rather than traditional, single one-design-fits-all bags). A supermarket chain purchases the bags for their regular packaging needs, the consumers receive the bags for free when shopping for groceries, and get educated about recycling process by trash collectors who are trained to separate and handle the trash correctly and communicate with consumers around the right use of bags.

Scrapile is a furniture company that has created its business model based on the principles of reuse, rediscover, and re-purpose. Wood that is ‘waste’ for other companies is the raw material for scrapile furniture. This has helped in arresting the flow of discarded wood into the landfills while generating innovative products. This benefits Scrapile by allowing them to procure raw materials free of cost for manufacturing furniture, while clients gian from reducing their garbage bill by donating the scrap, and the environment id better off by decreased dumping of waste wood in the landfills.

Waste Management NZ Ltd, the largest waste management and resource recovery service provider in New Zealand and with operations in Australia, has created eco-friendly landfills and introduced innovative resource recovery methods. The company harnesses the gases emitted from its landfills and generates electricity, which is then fed to the national grid. They have successfully demonstrated how waste management companies can not only recover resources and reduce emissions, but also convert waste into an energy source for heating and electrical generation, thus increasing their overall profits. As a result, Waste Management’s landfill gas management skills are utilized by a number of private and territorial authorities in New Zealand, Australia and China.

Among the many rural businesses of post-communist Russia, ALVI Inc. offers a new model of self-reliance and sustainable development. By aligning community interest and business interest, the company has successfully grown into a multi-product organization with high productivity levels and a flourishing community.

Electrolux is a company committed to sustainability through its products and its operations. Continually working to reduce energy consumption from its products and factories, the organization has recognized the growing customer base of environmentally friendly products and the urgency of saving the planet and society. They have used this knowledge for excellent product design and seamless implementation.

Swiss Re is internationally recognized for taking a public stand on global warming. This year it has been named to the list of top 20 most sustainable business stocks by SustainableBusiness.com. Swiss Re's latest initiative to raise public awareness about sustainability came in the form of an inspiring TV documentary entitled 'The Great Warming'. Supported by Swiss Re and narrated by Alanis Morissette and Keanu Reeves, the documentary was a three-part series which explored not only the underlying science of climate change but the solutions that will lead to a truly sustainable future. 'The Great Warming' aired on TVB Pearl in March 2005. Swiss Re fosters broad awareness of climate risks. It supports effective measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provides new (re)insurance and financing solutions in this field. The company shares its know-how through its publications and engages in discussions on emerging issues with various stakeholders at the Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue in Rüschlikon.

Billing itself as “the hallmark of Environmentally Sensitive Hotels”, The Orchid is a 245-room “ecotel” or Eco-Hotel located in Mumbai, India. It is Asia's first certified eco-friendly, five-star hotel certified as ISO 14001. Guests are encouraged to participate in the hotel’s environmental crusades and they reportedly do so with much enthusiasm and zeal.

An oil giant, Yukos, is one of the largest Russian-based multi-national corporations and one of the largest CSR actors from the former USSR. Yukos represents one of the most innovative companies in the region when it comes to questions of merging business interests with world benefit. Among the Yukos' particular innovative strategies is its approach to distributing funds for local community development. When most Russian companies provide financial assistance to various organizations in a sporadic, if at all, manner, Yukos organizes an open competition for projects directed towards sustainable community development.

An alliance of farmers and restaurant owners in Northeast Ohio is developing a sustainable food network. Novel relationships between the farmers and the local retailers and restaurateurs have stimulated efforts to educate small business owners and consumers about the benefits of sustainability. Members of the alliance are working to combat over-industrialization while improving health and the environment.

The development of the new Toyota Prius from its 1997 predecessor was conducted almost from scratch and resulted in improved environmental and driving performance. The Prius, whose name is derived from the Latin for "prior to", is positioned to play a significant role in determining the current and future direction of the automobile. The Prius answers the question of what form vehicles could take in the 21st century if they take the environment into consideration.

In 2005, Mohawk Paper Mills purchased windpower for its newly acquired Beckett Mill in Hamilton, Ohio, making Mohawk the 2nd largest industrial consumer of windpower in the U.S. The family-owned paper manufacturer plans to use 45 million kilowatt hours of pollution-free wind power annually to run its two mills in New York and the new facility in Ohio. The company is the only paper mill in the U.S. to use wind energy to manufacture paper.

British Petroleum, like many other fuel and energy producting companies, is always on the hunt for fuel that is in abundant supply and is non-polluting. The company believes that such a fuel may be hydrogen, a chemical element that carries energy and can be stored in either liquid or gaseous form. With an increasing world consciousness toward the impact of human activities on the environment and, specifically, the impact of emissions from urban air pollution to global warming, BP is looking for a cleaner energy supply.

Sustainability and social responsibility are at the very core of Seventh Generation's identity as a business. Today the company is the natural products industry leader in the paper products, household cleaning, and baby diaper/wipe market segments. Through its packaging, web site, e-newsletter, booklets and presentations by their CEO, Seventh Generation provides information on its products and answers questions consumer most frequently ask about household products and their impact on the health of both people and the environment.

William McDonough & Partners are architects who design buildings and communities worldwide that tell stories of sun, wind, water that surrounds them and of the people who inhabit them. Using a creative balance of nature and culture, they strive to create a sustainable environment that honors the relationship between the human community and the nature that surrounds them.

Cummins is a global power leader and family of four inter-related, yet diversified businesses that create or enhance value as a result of doing business with each other or having those relationships. It averages more than $6 billion in annual sales and is a technology leader in the diesel engine market, providing cutting-edge solutions to the increasingly difficult challenge of producing cleaner-running engines. Currently, Cummins clean diesel engines are powering transit buses in Southern China.

British Petroleum, (BP) is one of the world's largest energy companies, it's origins dating back to May 1901. Despite BP's reputation as an oil and gas giant, it has taken highly innovative steps to move away from fossil fuels and toward the development of alternative energy sources. BP states that, as a global energy business, its aim is clear: to reduce its environmental footprint by producing cleaner products and encouraging customers to use them safely and efficiently

As the oldest and largest for-profit Fair Trade company in the U.S., Equal Exchange trades directly with 28 democratically run farmer co-ops located in 14 countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Its mission is to build long-term partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound, to foster mutually beneficial relations between farmers and consumers and to demonstrate the viability of worker cooperatives and Fair Trade. They strive to build social and economic justice through the marketplace.

Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) is committed to crafting fresh, flavorful, high-quality beer and food while remaining principle-centered, environmentally respectful and socially conscious. They have incorporated a "zero waste initiative" into day-to-day operations and cut operating costs at the same time. The objective is to make full use of the by-products generated from the brewing process.

The Co-operative Bank, whose roots go back to 1872, is a full-service retail player in the United Kingdom commercial banking industry. It offers a full range of banking services, including on-line banking, and is an innovator in the field of sustainability reporting. Using sophisticated financial value analysis methods, the bank reports not only shareholder and stakeholder value created but also an analysis of the direct contributions that ethical and ecological positioning has made to the company's profitability.

Whole Foods is the largest organic and natural foods grocer in the United States. Clearing $188 million in profits over the past two years, it has beaten Wal-Mart in overall and comparable store sales growth, while profoundly impacting how Americans eat. The company also prides itself on treating employees in a fair and equitable manner and preventing upper management salaries from skyrocketing out of control. Financial data is released to employees, to help them understand how the company is doing and keep the working environment transparent. Executive pay is limited to 14 times the average frontline worker, while frontline employees qualify for stock options, profit sharing, health insurance for full time employees, and paid time off for volunteer work.

Patagonia defines the quality of its company by the degree to which it can reduce its impact on the environment. To that end it has celebrated the cultural histories of the communities it is located in by recycling and restoring existing structures whenever possible. From 1996-1998 the company restored two buildings - one in Reno and one in California - and became more energy efficient with the goal of demonstrating that alternatives to conventional, waste-intensive construction practices and energy generation exist and yield structures that are more sustainable and in harmony with the environment.

In 1993, Patagonia adopted fleece made from post consumer recycled plastic soda bottles into its clothing product line, becoming the first outdoor clothing manufacturer to do so. Known as PCR® clothing, it created a positive step towards a more sustainable system. Today, the company uses PCR® fleece in about 31 products, and has saved some 86 million soda bottles from the trash heap and reports the addition of PCR® filament yarn to some products in its line. PCR® filament yarn contains 30-50% post-consumer feedstock and the remainder is post-industrial feedstock, allowing Patagonia to make both lining and shell out of recyclable materials.

In 1996, Patagonia converted its entire sportswear line to 100% organically grown cotton. This decision followed the findings from an independent research company commissioned by Patagonia to give an environmental impact assessment of four major fibers. The company learned that oil-based polyester and nylon were big energy consumers and sources of pollution, but nowhere near that of cotton. They made a decision in the fall of 1994 to take the cotton sportswear 100% organic by 1996, giving the company eighteen months to make the switch for 66 products – and only four months to line up the fabric.

KBA, a landscape architecture and environmental design firm, practices “restorative redevelopment.” This holistic approach calls for reclaiming and renewing existing property, and promotes economic development, sustainable design and ecological restoration. The company encourages learning from past practices in order to improve planning and land development.

Deep Water Ventures’ president, Brad Ives, has turned his interests in wood, sailing and ecology into a thriving business. The company is committed to forest stewardship and the method of selective cutting, which preserves a forest’s biodiversity, provides long-term benefits to the local population, and generates profit without adversely affecting the region’s ecosystem. By association with an independent agency that carefully monitors logging operations, the company can assure its customers that the product they are purchasing comes from sustainable forests.

One of Ford Motor Company’s latest innovations is the Rouge Truck Plant, a facility that exemplifies ecological awareness and a commitment to wise use of natural resources. Ford has a history of environmental activism, and the construction of this plant is a great example of a sustainability initiative that works.

As an industry leader in the design and manufacture of air conditioners, Lennox International has not been content to rest on its laurels. The company recently came out with the quietest, most energy efficient unit on the market. In addition, this unit uses a refrigerant that does not deplete the ozone. The new unit is actually ahead of the curve in terms of meeting government requirements, while Lennox maintains a healthy bottom line.

TerraCycle has developed an innovative process for creating organic non-toxic fertilizers - the world’s first consumer product line that is not only made completely from waste but is also packaged in waste. The company follows ecologically sound, chemically-free methods for delivering a product that assures the superior growth of vegetation. In addition, TerraCycle has created innovative opportunities for local communities such as urban community gardens and school-wide recycling events.

A number of major financial institutions have come together to adopt a framework for determining, assessing and managing environmental and social issues in project financing. These global voluntary regulatory guidelines, the “Equator Principles” (EPs), are revolutionizing the way large projects are financed. Banks that adopt the EPs apply them globally to project financing in all industry sectors including mining, oil and gas, and forestry, and they make loans only to those projects whose sponsors aim to be socially responsible and environmentally sound.

Bamboo Hardwoods, founded in 1990, operates a successful and environmentally sustainable company that is working to slow the degradation of natural resources. By using bamboo (which is a grass) as an alternative source material for flooring, the company has demonstrated that deforestation of traditional hardwoods can be prevented. The company values its relationships with employees and suppliers, and actively promotes their well being.

Blast Internet Services (Blast), a web development company, supports environmental issues, sustainable growth, family-friendly policies, and personal empowerment. Its community involvement activities range from sponsorship of an after school program to free web services to area non-profit agencies. Its headquarters has been built in an environmentally friendly building, and its employees embrace and practice the company philosophy of ecological responsibility.

Luther Tyson and Jack Corbett developed the first investment fund that enables people to invest in companies that uphold high ethical standards of social responsibility. By giving investors such a choice, the two essentially reevaluated and transformed the role of investors in society.

Run by The Chef's Garden, Veggie U is the non-profit arm of their Culinary Vegetable Institute. Veggie U innovatively promotes an ‘earth to table’ educational approach for elementary children to learn how better eating leads to better health. Through educational programming, seminars and outreach programs to schools, Veggie U not only promotes good eating practices among children, but also helps to educate them about sustainable agriculture practices.

Modine Manufacturing, a leader in heat-transfer-component technology, offers an innovative approach to the advancement of fuel cell technology – a popular alternative to fossil fuels. Internally, the company has been committed to the fuel cell research for the last five years. Externally, Modine helps other companies to utilize this technology and realize its commercialization. The effort has already yielded developmental partnership with Ballard, a joint venture of Daimler Chrysler, Ballard Power Systems, and Ford Motor Co. with the mission to develop, manufacture, and commercialize fuel-cell.

Furniture manufacturing is a messy business that produces lots of waste. Yet Herman Miller Inc has made it a goal, not just to reduce waste, but to entirely eliminate it. This commitment is more impressive because it originated as a grass-roots effort. The company consistently develops technological and organizational innovations that should lead to "total footprint elimination."

Noisette, a property development company, committed to triple bottom line principles, uses an integrated approach to engage community members in its development projects. Their innovative perspective: they see themselves as building sustainable communities, rather than merely developing property investments. Using this model, they have successfully developed an entire island.

Hemisphere Development's innovation is an unusual approach to real estate investment: They invest in the worst, most damaged properties imaginable, the ones most investors avoid like dirty laundry. Their approach not only helps to green the environment, it is also profitable. The impact of their work reaches from urban Cleveland to rural Ohio.

Carl Scianna, founder of PolyBrite International, has produced a breakthrough marriage of pre-existing Light-Emitting Diodes (LED) technology and PolyBrite's own clear, durable, biodegradable, and inexpensive polymer as a result of the inspiration he felt at the accidental death of his cousin, a state police officer. The technology has sparked a new industry and is having a transformational environmental impact.