Companies made bigger commitments to sustainability in 2010

GreenBiz.com issued its 4th annual State of Green Business report, which found that in 2010, U.S. corporations continued to enhance their sustainable business efforts by making bigger, bolder, longer-term sustainability commitments.
“Companies are thinking bigger and longer-term about sustainability -- a sea-change from their otherwise notoriously incremental, short-term thinking,” writes Joel Makower, executive editor of GreenBiz.com and principal author of the report. “And during these tough times, many have doubled down on their sustainability activities and commitments. During 2010, we saw a steady march of progress, with some of the world’s biggest companies and brands putting a stake in the ground in the name of environmental (and, sometimes) social sustainability.”
U.S. companies are doing well in paper use and recycling, investments in cleantech, and the growth of LEED. However, U.S.-based firms are trailing behind European and Asian companies in corporate reporting. The report said the amount of emissions generated by the energy used per dollar of GDP is the biggest cause for worry. Although the report tracks steady year-over-year declines, the rate of improvement in reducing emissions is nowhere near what is needed to avert the worst impacts of climate change.