GREEN INITIATIVES IN THE

WORLD
&
IT’S IMPACT ON
BUSINESS

By
Avinash M
(25)
Bhanu M (26)
Charudatta B
(27)
 Introduction to Green
• Initiatives
What does “Going Green” mean?

• Eric G. Olson defines a green initiative as,

“an initiative that complements the business, operations
and asset strategies already understood and articulated
by the enterprise… that has a positive impact on the
environment”.

• Three principles:
 Common culture of awareness and action
 Facilitates decisions and transformation initiatives that
improve the environment
 Attractive value propositions that are cost effective
 Evolution of Green
• From marketing fad to an all encompassing
environmentally friendly product life cycle.

 ‘green consumerism’ as an initial drive

 shift from individual, ’microcosmic’ actors towards

a ‘macroscopic’ perspective
 included a growth in segment “ultra-green” vs.
original “tie break” consumers

• This grew to bigger and all-encompassing concerns

pushing companies to evaluate the entire product
life cycle.
 Evolution of Green
• From Regulatory Issues to looking at them as Green
Strategy Business Issues

 New environmental regulations and laws were

created in 1970’s to protect the environment
 Formation of CERES (Coalition for Environmentally
Responsible Economics in 1989)
 Council on Economic Priorities (CEP - 1998)grading
companies on their environmental performances
 Involvement on the International Standards
Organization created uniform environmental
standards
 Need for Green Initiatives
Growing population ---> Depletion of natural resources
•

Lack of proper waste disposal

•

Deforestation
•

Excessive pollution
•

Global warming
•
 Did you know…
 For every ton of paper that is recycled, the following is
saved: 7,000 gallons of water; 380 gallons of oil; and enough
electricity to power an average house for six months.

 You can run a TV for six hours on the amount of electricity

that is saved by recycling one aluminum can.

 By recycling just one glass bottle, you save enough

electricity to power a 100-watt bulb for four hours.

 An aluminum can that is thrown away will still be a can 500

years from now!
 Continued…
 Lighting typically uses 10% of a homes electric bill. Compact florescent
light bulbs (CFS) use 75% less energy than standard incandescent. 
They also last 10 times longer.

 The average American uses 680 pound of paper every year and uses
seven trees a year in various wood products. The average household
throws away 13,000 pieces of paper a year.
“If all our newspapers were recycled, we could save about
250,000,000 trees each
year! “

 Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as
many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year!
 Tips for Green Living
• Cycle for Green --- Cycle daily to work and you can save the
environment and also maintain your health.

• Say No to Chewing Gum --- Chewing gum is the second largest

littering item in the world .Chewing gum is not biodegradable
and will stick to its surface for many, many years until treated.

• Go green with e-statements --- Saving paper, trees, postage

and delivery costs. Online banking, paying bills online, say no
to postage or courier are good way to reduce clutter and good
for the environment too.

• Unplug charger from power supply to save energy --- When

leaving the charger plugged in (not connected to the phone),
it will still consume some energy, consequently energy is
being wasted.
1,06,000 Aluminium cans every 60
seconds
20,00,000 plastic bottles every 5
minutes
11,000 Jet trails every 8
hours.
38,000 shipping containers every
12 hours
 Types of Green Initiatives

• Green Computing
• Green Storage
• Green Travel
• Green Office Environment
• Green Workforce
• Green Technology
• Green Jobs
 Continued…

• Green sources of Energy

• Green food
• Green Buildings
• Green Waste
• Green Brands and Green
Consumerism
• Green Clothing
• Green Wedding
 Most Innovative Green
• Initiatives.
Disneynature, a new film label from the Walt Disney
Company, promoted its new film Earth by planting a tree for
everyone who sees the movie.
• AT&T presented its annual Champions of the Environment
Award , highlighting the environmental achievements of ten
employees and work teams. (biodiesel project and low flow
toilet project)
• Italy launches DUSTCART : $3.9 million research program. 
• Virgin America is donating $1 for every passenger flying
today to environmental restoration efforts .
• Rubber material harvests energy from small movements.
PZT (lead zirconate titanate)
• Tire maker Yokohama has begun selling a new type of tire
made mainly from orange oil instead of petroleum.
DUSTCART
 Green Initiatives taken by
Indian Companies
• Patni Responds to Green Initiatives with IT- BPO Center in Noida
• Acer, HCL Infosystems and Wipro Personal Computing run
programmes on E- Waste management (Take back services).
•  Sify Technologies, India's integrated ICT services provider  has
implemented green measures in its facility in Mumbai.
• Bajaj Auto has installed wind power generation units in three factories
that not only conserve energy but also save Rs 25 crore in power costs
each year.
• The Orchid Ecotel Hotel—Asia's first ecofriendly five-star hotel chain, is
conserving natural resources without compromising quality of service
• ITC achieved milestone tags, such as "carbon positive," "zero solid
waste," and "water positive." 
• Infosys plans to become a carbon neutral company by 2012
• Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) :the only Indian pharma company to
release an annual report, called the Sustainability Report.
 Green Initiatives taken in the
•
•
World.
Boeing has decreased energy use and carbon dioxide emissions by 24%.
Nokia : sources 25% of its energy from renewable resources and aims to
increase that amount to 50% by 2010.
• HP’s ENERGY STAR qualified products save consumer’s money
• THE BODY SHOP: First International cosmetics brand to be awarded the
Humane Cosmetics Standard for their ”Against animal Testing Policy”
• Walmart : Pushed its 60,000 suppliers to push 60,000 suppliers to produce
eco-friendly goods, Cut energy use at its more than 7,000 stores worldwide
by 30%.
• General Electric Co. launched the nation's first credit card. : Invested$900
million in cleaner technology research and development in 2006, drawing
closer to its $1.5 billion annual ecomagination R&D target by 2010.
• Yahoo! Autos : create Green Ratings for cars, giving consumers easy-to-
use environmental information about their car choices.
• Dell plants solar trees in the parking lot.
• Cadbury launches “ Purple Goes Green” in 2007
 Green Initiatives taken by
Indian Government
• Gujarat moots green credits for clean earth rather than carbon credit.
• A network of Environmental Information System (ENVIS), with its focal
point in the Ministry of Environment and Forests, has been created .
• President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
jointly launched a new U.S.-India Green Partnership [ National
Environmental Protection Authority (NEPA)].
• The National Capital Territory of Delhi has announced an action plan
comprising 65 specific actions to address climate change as part of the
State's development policy framework by 2012.
• The government has taken initiatives like providing tax concessions on
purchase of environment-friendly home equipments, regulations
controlling emissions
• The Kerala Government will consider certain incentives such as subsidies
to industrial units that comply with the ‘green factory’ rating of IGBC
(Indian Green Buildings Council).
 International Measures
• San Francisco unveils first solar-powered bus
shelter.
• Japan : outnumbers other countries in ISO 14001
certifications which is related with environment protection.
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ($787billion)
 Energy Department($30.7 billion )
 Greening Federal Buildings ($4.5 billion) 
 Next Generation Biofuels ($800 million) 
 Recent Updates
• India launches the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.
• Latest report in the “GREEN India 2047” series released .
• Environment ministry to rank polluted industrial clusters.
• Delhi’s Green Cover goes up (299.58sq Km)
• Energy Suppliers to install smart meters in all UK
Households by 2020.
• “Tech Resources” fined $115,000 for chemical spill in
British Columbia.
• Chicago capitalizes on wind-powered EV charging station.
• Nanotechnology: Glass cleaner OSORB
• IBM and Syracuse have completed construction of
the Green Data Center.
• The Planetary Society is planning to launch a solar-
propelled space craft in 2010 : LightSail-1
 GREEN PROJECTS AND
Thai Airways PRODUCTS
• Biodiesel Project
• Organic Fertilizer Project
• Ground Support Equipment Repair
• Wheel Suspension Project for Aviation Equipment
• Waste Water Treatment Project

ITC
• They produce paper from bagasse, which saves trees
• ITC has been Carbon Positive four years in a row (sequestering/
storing twice the amount of CO2 that the Company emits).
• Water Positive seven years in a row (creating two times more
Rainwater Harvesting potential than ITC’s net consumption).
• Solid Waste Recycling Positive (Reusing/Recycling more solid waste
than generated)
Organic Farming
• Organic farming - is a type of agriculture that benefits
from the recycling and use of natural products.
• The technique is characterized by the use of green
manure, biological pest control methods and special
cultivation techniques to maintain soil productivity.
• Today, organic farming caters to a major and
preferred industry, worldwide.
• Organically grown food products have a huge market
catered to, by farmlands covering approximately 10%
of the total world-farmland cover.
 Advantages of Organic Farming:
• The economics of organic farming is characterized by
increasing profits via reduced water use(which means
drought resistance), nutrient-contamination
by pesticides, reduced soil erosion and carbon emissions
and increased biodiversity.
• Organic farming produces the same crop variants as
those produced via conventional farming methods, but
incurs 50% lower expenditure on fertilizer and energy,
and retains 40% more topsoil.
• Weed competitiveness
• The use of green pesticides such as neem, compost tea
and spinosad is environmentally friendly and non-toxic.
These pesticides help in identifying and removing
diseased and dying plants in time and subsequently,
increasing crop defense systems.
CONSUMER BENEFITS
• Nutrition
• Poison-free 
• Food Tastes Better 
It comes as no surprise, that organically grown food
tastes better than that conventionally grown. The
tastiness of fruit and vegetables is directly related to its
sugar content, which in turn is a function of the quality
of nutrition that the plant itself has enjoyed.
• Food Keeps Longer
Organically grown plants are nourished naturally,
rendering the structural and metabolic integrity of their
cellular structure superior to those conventionally
grown. As a result, organically grown foods can be
stored longer and do not show the latter’s susceptibility
to rapid mold and rotting.
 GROWER BENEFITS
• Disease and Pest Resistance
A healthy plant grown organically in properly balanced soil resists
most diseases and insect pests.
• Weed Competitiveness
The crops, being healthier, are also better able to compete with
those weeds that are present.
• Lower Input Costs
By definition, organic farming does not incur the use of expensive
agrichemicals – they are not permitted! The greater resistance of
their crops to pests and the diseases save farmers significantly in
expensive insecticides, fungicides and other pesticides.
• Drought Resistance
Organically grown plants are more drought tolerant.
• Added Value
There is a discerning market of consumers who recognize the
greater food value of organic produce and are willing to pay
premium prices for it.
 Hybrid and Electric Cars
• The number of cars on roads globally - 1 billion next
year and 2 billion by 2030. These levels are unsustainable
from an environmental perspective.
• Will cut down emissions of global warming pollutants by a third to
a half
• Fuel efficiency is greatly increased, hence Better mileage
• Fuel Consumption is reduced and hence dependency on fossils
fuels can be decreased
• Batteries are recycled by manufacturers and are designed to last
for the lifetime of the car

Eco Friendly Batteries

• AKAI has come up with eco friendly batteries which doesn’t
contain mercury or cadmium(jan 28). Eco friendly means they
contain alkali which does not poison the surroundings
• By one year they will be foraying into CFL bulbs, lanterns and
torches.
 Dynamo Torchlight
• Torches which can be charged using a dynamo attached to it.
• These torches have a set of energy efficient led s. These led s consume
less power and helps in providing light for a longer time
• They have rechargeable batteries which is charged by the dynamo.
 Tata BP Solar
• They are providing solar equipped heating and lighting system.
• This joint venture has provided systems for
• Rural development-solar lanterns, street light, home lighting
systems, vaccine refrigeration, water pumping system
• Telecom-domestic satellite, satellite radio, telemetry systems
• Banking- for charging the ups in the bank, atm, or powering the
printer computer especially in rural branches
• Roads and highways- They have provided solar panels for
powering Traffic signals in isolated places.

Solar cooker
• Sufficient for 4-5 people
• Saves 3-4 cylinders of lpg
• Costs around Rs.1000
• Life 10-15 years
• There is about 10 million solar cookers in india
 Why companies GO GREEN?

• Main reason to go green is : PROFIT

• However companies must, Uphold

responsibilities and trust from
consumers on a global scale
Core Pressure Model

Operating
Profits & &
Revenue Infrastructu
re

Green
Strateg
y

Image
 Business Opportunities
• New industries - Goods and
services aimed at battling
climate change generated
$300 billion in annual revenues
in 2008-09.
• The Clean Technology sector,
which only a few years ago was
barely a sector at all, now
represents 20% of the entire
venture capital asset class.
 The Huge Savings - $$$
• Spirit Group - target to save 17% of its projected
energy costs by 2010 through auditing its energy
and waste, and taking action.
• Gift manufacturer Gilt Edged Promotions saved
£2,000 per year by reducing waste.
• Denso Manufacturing UK saved £30,000 per year
by finding a customer prepared to pay for its
industrial waste.
• “Turn It Off” a global power management initiative
that calls for employees to say “nighty- night” daily
to their PCs saved almost $ 2 million and avoided
11,000 tons of CO2 emission in one year.
 To Green or Not To Green

• Green or not , however, only those

products that are bought by enough
number of people (critical mass)
eventually make it in the market place.
• “There is positive link between the
environmental and financial
performance of the companies”
 Comparison of major
companies
BOEING AREVA
• Reduced lighting • Claims to ”Minimize its
electricity use by up to environmental impact”
through various efforts like
90% in some of plants. CO2 free energy generation,
• Decreased energy use for transmitting energy.
and CO2 emission by 24% • Continues to support nuclear
between 2002-07. energy and the construction
of new reactors.
• Dropped hazardous waste
manufacturing by 30%.
 Continued…
TOYOTA GM
• Plants are made • GM’s vice-chairman
sustainable by
employing natural
never believed in
energy sources such as going green to help
solar and wind power, the environment;
and through ecological for him it made a
preservation by just good business
planting greenery
sense.
around production
sites.
 Concluding Remarks
• All companies seek profit as their bottom line, however,
if companies consider triple bottom line, a business can
enhance its overall performance.
• Businesses just starting green initiatives such as global
giants (ex: GM) are only profit based.
• New companies just starting green initiatives can
become truly green if they use effective triple bottom
line in trying to sustain a green strategy.
• Companies ,that use triple bottom line effectively, will
maintain their green position and strategy and have true
success in the global market.
 Top 10 Green Business
Trends
1.The Green Economy Gains Currency
 2. Water Becomes the New Carbon

• A cup of coffee, for instance, has 140 liters of

embedded water, when you consider the amount
used to grow, produce, package, and ship the
beans. Notion of “embedded water”
• A hamburger contains 2,400 liters.(also referred
to as “virtual water”)
 3.Building Efficiency Rises
• Again
Green buildings in US - saved the U.S. the
equivalent of burning 1.3 million tons of
coal for electricity since the development
of the LEED standards.

"Energy use in commercial buildings and manufacturing

plants accounts for nearly half of total U.S. greenhouse-gas
 4.Universities become green
• Future university selection criteria may include
“greeness”.
• 63 % of college applicants surveyed said they
would value having information about a
college’s commitment to the environment and
that such data could affect their choice to
apply or attend a school.
• Why does this matter?
Future green graduates entering workforce -
adding skills and selecting companies based
on “greeness”.
 5.Green moves up & down
organisation
• Key is not just CEO support – but
throughout organisation.

• Gap between employer and employee.

A survey or workers found that 63 %
considered themselves to be greener
than their employers.
 6.Product Stewardship
Creates a Material Change.
• Companies retain
responsibility for their
goods long after they sell
them — and even after the
goods have outlived their
useful lives.
• Computer manufacturers
redesigned packaging to
create less waste and lower
costs.
7.Green Marketing Suffers a
Failure to Communicate
• Consumers trust and understanding limited

• A rise in green marketing efforts has been matched

by a nearly equal rise in claims of green washing.
 8.Carbon Becomes a
Business Imperative
• Carbon is now, and probably forever, part of
the corporate landscape.
• The supermarket chain Tesco, began
labeling products with information related to
their greenhouse gas emissions.
 9.Information Technology
Plugs Into Green
• IT creates around 2-4% of global carbon emissions -
similar to the aviation industry.
• McKinsey report says green IT can help eliminate 7.8
metric gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions
annually by 2020, equivalent to 15 percent of global
emissions today.
• Collaboration through new standards (The Green
Grid), best practices.
• Energy efficiency in the datacenter will continue to be
a big focus for IT departments.
 Green IT initiatives:
Drivers are 60% business and 40%
environmental reasons:
1. Virtualisation & consolidation
2. Energy Efficiency – Power management
will be used to throttle down servers (and
other IT equipment) when not in use.
3. Travel reduction – Tele-working and cloud
computing as the next killer apps replacing
virtualization.
4. Asset Disposal
10.Greener Design Comes Out
of the Lab
• Green chemistry —
addressing pollution
at the molecular
level— seeks to find
safer alternatives.
• Biomimicry -
harnesses natures
design
 Bibliography
• Terragreen Magazine
• Master Builder (January Issue)
• green.yahoo.com
• Hindu (January 28)
• www.itcportal.com
• www.indiaclimatesolution.com
• www.greeninitiatives.in
• www.greenpeace.org
• www.gogreen.in
• www.iclei.org
• www.tatabpsolar.com
• en.wikipedia.org
• www.small-farm-permaculture-and-sustainable-living.com
• www.buzzle.com