As this green thing moves from novelty to large-scale business opportunity, some firms are specializing in services that help their customers reduce their environmental footprint. If the green wave is the new gold rush, these companies are selling the picks and shovels. By Andrew Winston
It's becoming increasingly clear that green product innovation is far from a philanthropic effort - it's a growth platform, especially during slower economic times. By Andrew Winston
Aug. 22, 2008 - Nine Sam's Club locations in southern California have created Home Efficiency Centers highlighting eco-efficient products and appliances that help consumers save money on utility bills.
Aug. 13, 2008 - Seventy-one percent of supply chain executives believe the cost of greening manufacturing is getting lower as profit potential soars, according to a new survey.
Aug. 8, 2008 - Swedish furniture giant IKEA is pouring more than $75 million into cleantech startups over the next five years with an eye toward selling solar panels and other home energy-saving devices in its stores, Cleantech Group reports.
July 28, 2008 - Telecom equipment vendor VNL has found a commercially viable way to turn rural residents of developing countries into long-standing customers: an energy-efficient, solar-powered mobile phone system that looks likely to blow the telecom market wide open, Solar Daily reports.
July 21, 2008 - Forest products giant Weyerhauser has teamed up with textile firm Lenzing to develop a new non-woven cloth material made from renewable wood fiber.
July 17, 2008 - Wal-Mart has launched a new line of "traceable" jewelry in what the retail giant calls a "first step" toward selling only gold, silver, and diamond pieces that meet certain criteria for environmental and social responsibility.
July 15, 2008 - Sharp Electronics is looking to build on its momentum as a leader in the energy-efficient LCD TV market with a new ad campaign touting its solar panel business as well, MediaPost reports.
July 14, 2008 - Johnson Controls, known for its energy-saving building solutions, is making the (short) leap to on-site renewable energy generation. The industrial giant has begun selling solar energy kits to schools and businesses looking to lower electricity costs even further, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports.
July 10, 2008 - Struggling to keep up with demand for hybrid vehicles, Toyota says its planned production facility in Mississippi will make Priuses instead of Highlander SUVs, Reuters reports (via Nikkei).
July 1, 2008 – No longer content simply to give customers the tools they need to assess their environmental performance, IBM has launched a consulting service to help companies assess the effectiveness of their environmental policies, and other CSR related activities.
June 24, 2008 - Electronics giant Siemens AG says it's on track to pull in 25 billion Euro a year in green-product sales by 2011, thanks to skyrocketing demand for environmental solutions in the industrial, energy, and healthcare sectors.
June 17, 2008 - Advanced Data Centers is pouring $100 million into a state-of-the-art green datacenter that the company says is already generating big buzz among corporate clients keen to save on IT energy costs, Sacramento Business Journal reports.
June 13, 2008 - GE has unveiled a new fleet solutions service that it says can help business customers reduce average fuel costs by 15%, saving up to $15,000 per vehicle.
July 17, 2008 - Wal-Mart has launched a new line of "traceable" jewelry in what the retail giant calls a "first step" toward selling only gold, silver, and diamond pieces that meet certain criteria for environmental and social responsibility.
