Earthenterprise Tool Kit - International Institute for Sustainable ...

EarthEnterprise Tool Kit
involve people from all levels of the company. Formal “green teams”are
increasingly popular.
• Develop a strategy that encompasses all of your company’s stakeholders.
• D e m o n s t rate market leadership. Educate customers about the
e nv i ro n m e n t , and make sure that internal operations are managed
proactively, not in reaction to regulations. Design products and processes
that incorporate environmental responsibility, and carry out cost-benefit
analyses using cradle-to-grave, or cradle-to-cradle, life-cycle costing.
Product Strategies
• Explore all possible ways your product can be environmentally improved.
Examine the relative environmental benefits of each alternative, as well as
the cost and ease of implementation. Set priorities. Typically, several
measures can be found that save money or are cost-neutral.
• Prepare a phased plan of environmental improvements to accomplish over
time. Estimate the likely timing and content of competitors’ responses and
be re a dy to offer additional improvements to maintain leadership.
Incorporate specific estimates of the tasks and time required to effect each
planned improvement.
• Ensure that your products meet or exceed the quality expectations and
re q u i rements of your customers. D u ra b l e , quality products genera l l y
enhance environmental performance.
• Thoroughly test your products under consumer-use conditions.
Marketing and Communications
• R e s e a rch env i ronmental attitudes and purchasing criteria of yo u r
customers.
• Pursue alliances with other companies, environmental groups, universities,
and research organizations.
• Combine public relations, imaging, and other marketing/communications
efforts with traditional advertising.
• Err on the side of understatement when making environmental claims.
Being conservative avoids backlash. Whenever possible, let others praise
your efforts. Do not establish unrealistic expectations.
• Communicate through sources people trust.
• Treat environmentally-conscious consumers with respect. They tend to be
well-educated, analytical, and cynical about corporate claims.
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INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT