What do you think?
Rate this book
Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage
The essential guide for forward-thinking business leaders who see the Green Wave coming and want to profit from it
This book explores what every executive must know to manage the environmental challenges facing society and business. Based on the authors' years of experience and hundreds of interviews with corporate leaders around the world, Green to Gold shows how companies generate lasting value, cutting costs, reducing risk, increasing revenues, and creating strong brands, by building environmental thinking into their business strategies. Daniel C. Esty and Andrew S. Winston provide clear how-to advice and concrete examples from companies like BP, Toyota, IKEA, GE, and Nike that are achieving both environmental and business success. The authors show how these cutting-edge companies are establishing an “eco-advantage” in the marketplace as traditional elements of competitive differentiation fade in importance. Esty and Winston not only highlight successful strategies but also make plain what does not work by describing why environmental initiatives sometimes fail despite the best intentions.
Green to Gold is written for executives at every level and for businesses of all kinds and sizes. Esty and Winston guide leaders through a complex new world of resource shortfalls, regulatory restrictions, and growing pressure from customers and other stakeholders to strive for sustainability. With a sharp focus on execution, Esty and Winston offer a thoughtful, pragmatic, and inspiring road map that companies can use to cope with environmental pressures and responsibilities while sparking innovation that will drive long-term growth. Green to Gold is the new template for global CEOs who want to be good stewards of the Earth while simultaneously building the bottom line.
This book explores what every executive must know to manage the environmental challenges facing society and business. Based on the authors' years of experience and hundreds of interviews with corporate leaders around the world, Green to Gold shows how companies generate lasting value, cutting costs, reducing risk, increasing revenues, and creating strong brands, by building environmental thinking into their business strategies. Daniel C. Esty and Andrew S. Winston provide clear how-to advice and concrete examples from companies like BP, Toyota, IKEA, GE, and Nike that are achieving both environmental and business success. The authors show how these cutting-edge companies are establishing an “eco-advantage” in the marketplace as traditional elements of competitive differentiation fade in importance. Esty and Winston not only highlight successful strategies but also make plain what does not work by describing why environmental initiatives sometimes fail despite the best intentions.
Green to Gold is written for executives at every level and for businesses of all kinds and sizes. Esty and Winston guide leaders through a complex new world of resource shortfalls, regulatory restrictions, and growing pressure from customers and other stakeholders to strive for sustainability. With a sharp focus on execution, Esty and Winston offer a thoughtful, pragmatic, and inspiring road map that companies can use to cope with environmental pressures and responsibilities while sparking innovation that will drive long-term growth. Green to Gold is the new template for global CEOs who want to be good stewards of the Earth while simultaneously building the bottom line.
366 pages, Hardcover
First published October 9, 2006
57 people are currently reading
1676 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
February 25, 2021
In the past two days, I attended the @Asian Financial Forum 2021 virtually. Many keynote speakers are talking about fiance industry has disrupted by two factors, one is the digital economy, another is climate change. So I was thinking about nowadays how to get the green or environmental topic into corporate strategy? This book gave me a lot of help and insights on rebuild the green strategy.
BACKGROUND:
First, I want to tell a little bit about the authors' background. Dan Esty has touched all the academic bases: Harvard undergrad, Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and a JD from Yale. He earned his professional stripes through a long stint at the EPA, a visiting professorship at INSEAD and a directorship at Yale’s Center for Environmental Law and Policy. And he has authored nine books on environmental matters — the latest of which is “Green To Gold,” co-written with Andrew Winston, Director of the Corporate Environmental Strategy Project at Yale.
SUMMARY FINDINGS:
This book was first published in 2006, 15 years old, the book remains a relevant and enduring contribution to the sustainability conversation. In this book, Esty and Winston went beyond the heady world of policy abstractions political philosophies — providing executives with a “toolkit” for analyzing their organizations’ environmental situations. Green to Gold continues to provide a useful framework for looking at the leading environmental challenges common to every organization.
The opening of the book is super powerful. In the book’s introduction, the authors describe their Herculean work to “examine the canon of green business — the major business books, articles, and case studies that had discussed the business-environment interface.” Their findings?
“We were shocked by what we found. Most of the literature focused on “win-win” outcomes. Indeed, many of the books and articles had a cheerleading tone. Over 95% of the stories and examples talked only about the benefits of environmental thinking — reducing environmental impact and saving money. Surely, we thought, these initiatives can’t always be successful. No business strategy works all the time. Could this one-sided perspective and lack of analytic rigour be one of the reasons a broader business commitment to environmental action had not really taken hold? Were average business people sceptical of the unremittingly positive claims of green gurus? Where were the business-like edge and hard-hitting advice?”
After “four years talking to hundreds of people” and “poring over the data” the authors divulged their major lessons:
1) Even the best companies can be surprised by environmental issues.
2) The environment is not a fringe issue - it can cost businesses real money.
3) Real benefits can come from seeing things in a new light.
4) Smart companies seize competitive advantage through strategic management of environmental challenges.
ANALYSIS PROCESS:
The authors take the top 10 environmental issues with most organizations.
No alt text provided for this image
Green to Gold serves as a useful primer for “The Big 10″ by subjecting each issue to the authors' “AUDIO” analysis: Aspects (business-relevant elements of environmental issues); Upstream (looking back in the value chain); Downstream (looking forward in the value chain); Issues (company-specific challenges); Opportunities (ways to profit a company and/or society).
No alt text provided for this image
No alt text provided for this image
Map stakeholders. Employing this matrix provides a useful way to organize Big Picture thinking and also serves as a template for organizations to manage their own particular environmental situations. “Looking at all the ways environmental issues affect a business can frame thinking and strategy in a new way. By examining their business through an environmental ‘lens,’ managers can avoid expensive problems and create substantial value.”
No alt text provided for this image
Under the heading “Who Should Care The Most,” the authors appeal to the self-interest of organizations with the greatest exposure (both upside and downside) to environmental issues. Green to Gold lists these characteristics as indicators that a company has “more skin in the game”: High Brand Exposure; Big Environmental Impact; Natural Resource Dependence; Current Exposure to Regulations; Increasing Potential for Regulation; Competitive Markets for Talent; Low Market Power; Established Environmental Reputations.
As the “Green Wave” continues to mature and grow, environmental issues and sustainability initiatives will increasingly become standard fare for corporate decision-makers. And the marriage of environmental innovations and a deepening public consciousness certainly will impact the conversation about this complex set of challenges.
No alt text provided for this image
At the end of the book, the authors gave 8 useful lessions on communication with difference stakeholders:
1) know your own situation well before picking an appropriate partner
2) know with whom you’re dealing
3) be patient
4) learn each other’s culture and values
5) set workable goals
6) establish champions
7) think big, but start small
8) coordinate communications
METHODOLOGY
I also super engaged in reading the appendix II about the methodology part, that is also very helpful for the policy advisors or NGOs setting a green credential for evaluating corporate's green achievements.
1) SRI Rankings (25 Percent)
Major indices (80 percent): Innovest AAA or AA rating, Domini 400 (compiled by KLD Research and Analytics), FTSE4Good Global, Dow Jones Sustainability Index; Additional indices (20 percent): Calvert Funds (Top 10 holdings), Sustainable Business All-Star 20, Sierra Club Mutual Fund.
2) Engagement in Compacts and/or Agreements (25 Percent)
Reporting or Corporate Social Responsibility (33 percent): Ceres, Global Reporting Initiative, Global Environmental Management Initiative, Global Compact, Business for Social Responsibility, World Business Council for Sustainable Development; Climate Change (33 percent): Pew Center’s Business Environmental Leadership Council, EPA Climate Leaders, Department of Energy Voluntary Report of GHG emissions, Climate Savers (World Wildlife Fund), Partners for Climate Action, Chicago Climate Exchange, Other/Regional agreements. EPA Programs (33 percent): Energy Star, National Performance Track.
3) Surveys (25 Percent)
Green-to-Gold survey of environmental executives (75 Percent); Other surveys (25 percent).
4) Other (25 Percent)
Review of literature of green business (33 Percent); Outcomes (33 percent): Performance on eight key metrics: energy use, water use, hazardous waste, total waste, and emissions of greenhouse gases, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur oxides (SOx); Lobbying/Political behavior (33 percent).
CONCLUSION
Overall, I highly recommended every business owner and policy advisor to read it and included the green business into your 2021 corporate strategy.
BACKGROUND:
First, I want to tell a little bit about the authors' background. Dan Esty has touched all the academic bases: Harvard undergrad, Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and a JD from Yale. He earned his professional stripes through a long stint at the EPA, a visiting professorship at INSEAD and a directorship at Yale’s Center for Environmental Law and Policy. And he has authored nine books on environmental matters — the latest of which is “Green To Gold,” co-written with Andrew Winston, Director of the Corporate Environmental Strategy Project at Yale.
SUMMARY FINDINGS:
This book was first published in 2006, 15 years old, the book remains a relevant and enduring contribution to the sustainability conversation. In this book, Esty and Winston went beyond the heady world of policy abstractions political philosophies — providing executives with a “toolkit” for analyzing their organizations’ environmental situations. Green to Gold continues to provide a useful framework for looking at the leading environmental challenges common to every organization.
The opening of the book is super powerful. In the book’s introduction, the authors describe their Herculean work to “examine the canon of green business — the major business books, articles, and case studies that had discussed the business-environment interface.” Their findings?
“We were shocked by what we found. Most of the literature focused on “win-win” outcomes. Indeed, many of the books and articles had a cheerleading tone. Over 95% of the stories and examples talked only about the benefits of environmental thinking — reducing environmental impact and saving money. Surely, we thought, these initiatives can’t always be successful. No business strategy works all the time. Could this one-sided perspective and lack of analytic rigour be one of the reasons a broader business commitment to environmental action had not really taken hold? Were average business people sceptical of the unremittingly positive claims of green gurus? Where were the business-like edge and hard-hitting advice?”
After “four years talking to hundreds of people” and “poring over the data” the authors divulged their major lessons:
1) Even the best companies can be surprised by environmental issues.
2) The environment is not a fringe issue - it can cost businesses real money.
3) Real benefits can come from seeing things in a new light.
4) Smart companies seize competitive advantage through strategic management of environmental challenges.
ANALYSIS PROCESS:
The authors take the top 10 environmental issues with most organizations.
No alt text provided for this image
Green to Gold serves as a useful primer for “The Big 10″ by subjecting each issue to the authors' “AUDIO” analysis: Aspects (business-relevant elements of environmental issues); Upstream (looking back in the value chain); Downstream (looking forward in the value chain); Issues (company-specific challenges); Opportunities (ways to profit a company and/or society).
No alt text provided for this image
No alt text provided for this image
Map stakeholders. Employing this matrix provides a useful way to organize Big Picture thinking and also serves as a template for organizations to manage their own particular environmental situations. “Looking at all the ways environmental issues affect a business can frame thinking and strategy in a new way. By examining their business through an environmental ‘lens,’ managers can avoid expensive problems and create substantial value.”
No alt text provided for this image
Under the heading “Who Should Care The Most,” the authors appeal to the self-interest of organizations with the greatest exposure (both upside and downside) to environmental issues. Green to Gold lists these characteristics as indicators that a company has “more skin in the game”: High Brand Exposure; Big Environmental Impact; Natural Resource Dependence; Current Exposure to Regulations; Increasing Potential for Regulation; Competitive Markets for Talent; Low Market Power; Established Environmental Reputations.
As the “Green Wave” continues to mature and grow, environmental issues and sustainability initiatives will increasingly become standard fare for corporate decision-makers. And the marriage of environmental innovations and a deepening public consciousness certainly will impact the conversation about this complex set of challenges.
No alt text provided for this image
At the end of the book, the authors gave 8 useful lessions on communication with difference stakeholders:
1) know your own situation well before picking an appropriate partner
2) know with whom you’re dealing
3) be patient
4) learn each other’s culture and values
5) set workable goals
6) establish champions
7) think big, but start small
8) coordinate communications
METHODOLOGY
I also super engaged in reading the appendix II about the methodology part, that is also very helpful for the policy advisors or NGOs setting a green credential for evaluating corporate's green achievements.
1) SRI Rankings (25 Percent)
Major indices (80 percent): Innovest AAA or AA rating, Domini 400 (compiled by KLD Research and Analytics), FTSE4Good Global, Dow Jones Sustainability Index; Additional indices (20 percent): Calvert Funds (Top 10 holdings), Sustainable Business All-Star 20, Sierra Club Mutual Fund.
2) Engagement in Compacts and/or Agreements (25 Percent)
Reporting or Corporate Social Responsibility (33 percent): Ceres, Global Reporting Initiative, Global Environmental Management Initiative, Global Compact, Business for Social Responsibility, World Business Council for Sustainable Development; Climate Change (33 percent): Pew Center’s Business Environmental Leadership Council, EPA Climate Leaders, Department of Energy Voluntary Report of GHG emissions, Climate Savers (World Wildlife Fund), Partners for Climate Action, Chicago Climate Exchange, Other/Regional agreements. EPA Programs (33 percent): Energy Star, National Performance Track.
3) Surveys (25 Percent)
Green-to-Gold survey of environmental executives (75 Percent); Other surveys (25 percent).
4) Other (25 Percent)
Review of literature of green business (33 Percent); Outcomes (33 percent): Performance on eight key metrics: energy use, water use, hazardous waste, total waste, and emissions of greenhouse gases, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur oxides (SOx); Lobbying/Political behavior (33 percent).
CONCLUSION
Overall, I highly recommended every business owner and policy advisor to read it and included the green business into your 2021 corporate strategy.
June 26, 2010
Dan Esty has touched all the academic bases: Harvard undergrad, Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and a JD from Yale. He earned his professional stripes through a long stint at the EPA, a visiting professorship at INSEAD and a directorship at Yale’s Center for Environmental Law and Policy. And he has authored nine books on environmental matters — the latest of which is “Green To Gold,” co-written with Andrew Winston, Director of the Corporate Environmental Strategy Project at Yale.
So it wasn’t for lack of preparation or credentials when (about a year after "Green To Gold" was published) Esty found a somewhat skeptical crowd when presenting his ideas at the Harvard Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative. Skeptical, because of the relatively new-found emphasis that Wall Street and Corporate America then were placing on environmental affairs and (more to the point) because Esty’s policy prescriptions both lionized private sector environmental contributions and denigrated government watchdogs. Esty ran into a polite buzz-saw when he tried to sell the notion that government regulators should let private-sector leaders set standards for the new environmentalism:
“Right,” grumbled one M.I.T professor as he left the crowded seminar room, “We’re supposed to let the foxes guard the chicken coup?”
Nevertheless, Esty made interesting arguments about the inherent weaknesses of “Command and Control” bureaucracy in fostering widespread behavioral change that transcends political borders and ideologies. He also described opportunities presented by this window in time, public awareness and technology (which, among other things, provides enormous opportunities to expand market mechanisms — as remote sensing and nanotech remove much of the administrative cost burden from monitoring.) Esty’s views have been shaped by market-influenced success stories such as the phase-out of CFCs and the 1990 Acid Rain Tradeout Program. “Market mechanisms have started to prove themselves,” he said, citing the flood of venture capital (this was pre-recession) then flowing into environmental technologies.
Although the research forming the basis for “Green To Gold” now is five (or more) years old, the book remains a relevant and enduring contribution to the sustainability conversation. In this book, Esty and Winston went beyond the heady world of policy abstractions political philosophies — providing executives with a “toolkit” for analyzing their organizations’ environmental situations. GTG continues to provide a useful framework for looking at the leading environmental challenges common to every organization. Listed here (in the authors’ order of relative importance), those issues are:
Climate Change
Energy
Water
Biodiversity and Land Use
Chemicals, Toxics, and Heavy Metals
Air Pollution
Waste Management
Ozone Layer Depletion
Oceans and Fisheries
Deforestation
GTG serves as a useful primer for “The Big 10″ by subjecting each issue to the authors' “AUDIO” analysis:
Aspects (business-relevant elements of environmental issues)
Upstream (looking back in the value chain)
Downstream (looking forward in the value chain)
Issues (company-specific challenges)
Opportunities (ways to profit a company and/or society)
Employing this matrix both provides a useful way to organize Big Picture thinking and also serves as a template for organizations to manage their own particular environmental situations. “Looking at all the ways environmental issues affect a business can frame thinking and strategy in a new way. By examining their business through an environmental ‘lens,’ managers can avoid expensive problems and create substantial value.”
Under the heading “Who Should Care The Most,” the authors appeal to the self-interest of organizations with the greatest exposure (both upside and downside) to environmental issues. GTG lists these characteristics as indicators that a company has “more skin in the game”:
High Brand Exposure
Big Environmental Impact
Natural Resource Dependence
Current Exposure to Regulations
Increasing Potential for Regulation
Competitive Markets for Talent
Low Market Power
Established Environmental Reputations
There’s practical and worthwhile information here — certainly a major contribution to the literature. In the book’s introduction, the authors describe their Herculean work to “examine the canon of green business — the major business books, articles, and case studies that had discussed the business-environment interface.” Their findings?
“We were shocked by what we found. Most of the literature focused on “win-win” outcomes. Indeed, many of the books and articles had a cheerleading tone. Over 95% of the stories and examples talked only about the benefits of environmental thinking — reducing environmental impact and saving money. Surely, we thought, these initiatives can’t always be successful. No business strategy works all the time. Could this one-sided perspective and lack of analytic rigor be one of the reasons a broader business commitment to environmental action had not really taken hold? Were average business people skeptical of the unremittingly positive claims of green gurus? Where was the business-like edge and hard-hitting advice?”
After “four years talking to hundreds of people” and “poring over the data” the authors divulged their major lessons:
1) Even the best companies can be surprised by environmental issues.
2) The environment is not a fringe issue - it can cost businesses real money.
3) Real benefits can come from seeing things in a new light.
4) Smart companies seize competitive advantage through strategic management of environmental challenges.
(With the distance of several years since the book's writing, these lessons now seem elementary and self-evident. But one should remember that for many mainstream businesses at that time, "Green" consciousness was still in its infancy.)
As the “Green Wave” continues to mature and grow, environmental issues and sustainability initiatives will increasingly become standard fare for corporate decision-makers. And the marriage of environmental innovations and a deepening public consciousness certainly will impact the conversation about this complex sea of challenges. What's more, the "game-changing" oil disaster in the Gulf undoubtedly will continue to shape opinions and policies for years to come. In this complicated environment, solid research -- such as that provided in "Green To Gold" -- is essential to an informed dialogue and meaningful action.
So it wasn’t for lack of preparation or credentials when (about a year after "Green To Gold" was published) Esty found a somewhat skeptical crowd when presenting his ideas at the Harvard Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative. Skeptical, because of the relatively new-found emphasis that Wall Street and Corporate America then were placing on environmental affairs and (more to the point) because Esty’s policy prescriptions both lionized private sector environmental contributions and denigrated government watchdogs. Esty ran into a polite buzz-saw when he tried to sell the notion that government regulators should let private-sector leaders set standards for the new environmentalism:
“Right,” grumbled one M.I.T professor as he left the crowded seminar room, “We’re supposed to let the foxes guard the chicken coup?”
Nevertheless, Esty made interesting arguments about the inherent weaknesses of “Command and Control” bureaucracy in fostering widespread behavioral change that transcends political borders and ideologies. He also described opportunities presented by this window in time, public awareness and technology (which, among other things, provides enormous opportunities to expand market mechanisms — as remote sensing and nanotech remove much of the administrative cost burden from monitoring.) Esty’s views have been shaped by market-influenced success stories such as the phase-out of CFCs and the 1990 Acid Rain Tradeout Program. “Market mechanisms have started to prove themselves,” he said, citing the flood of venture capital (this was pre-recession) then flowing into environmental technologies.
Although the research forming the basis for “Green To Gold” now is five (or more) years old, the book remains a relevant and enduring contribution to the sustainability conversation. In this book, Esty and Winston went beyond the heady world of policy abstractions political philosophies — providing executives with a “toolkit” for analyzing their organizations’ environmental situations. GTG continues to provide a useful framework for looking at the leading environmental challenges common to every organization. Listed here (in the authors’ order of relative importance), those issues are:
Climate Change
Energy
Water
Biodiversity and Land Use
Chemicals, Toxics, and Heavy Metals
Air Pollution
Waste Management
Ozone Layer Depletion
Oceans and Fisheries
Deforestation
GTG serves as a useful primer for “The Big 10″ by subjecting each issue to the authors' “AUDIO” analysis:
Aspects (business-relevant elements of environmental issues)
Upstream (looking back in the value chain)
Downstream (looking forward in the value chain)
Issues (company-specific challenges)
Opportunities (ways to profit a company and/or society)
Employing this matrix both provides a useful way to organize Big Picture thinking and also serves as a template for organizations to manage their own particular environmental situations. “Looking at all the ways environmental issues affect a business can frame thinking and strategy in a new way. By examining their business through an environmental ‘lens,’ managers can avoid expensive problems and create substantial value.”
Under the heading “Who Should Care The Most,” the authors appeal to the self-interest of organizations with the greatest exposure (both upside and downside) to environmental issues. GTG lists these characteristics as indicators that a company has “more skin in the game”:
High Brand Exposure
Big Environmental Impact
Natural Resource Dependence
Current Exposure to Regulations
Increasing Potential for Regulation
Competitive Markets for Talent
Low Market Power
Established Environmental Reputations
There’s practical and worthwhile information here — certainly a major contribution to the literature. In the book’s introduction, the authors describe their Herculean work to “examine the canon of green business — the major business books, articles, and case studies that had discussed the business-environment interface.” Their findings?
“We were shocked by what we found. Most of the literature focused on “win-win” outcomes. Indeed, many of the books and articles had a cheerleading tone. Over 95% of the stories and examples talked only about the benefits of environmental thinking — reducing environmental impact and saving money. Surely, we thought, these initiatives can’t always be successful. No business strategy works all the time. Could this one-sided perspective and lack of analytic rigor be one of the reasons a broader business commitment to environmental action had not really taken hold? Were average business people skeptical of the unremittingly positive claims of green gurus? Where was the business-like edge and hard-hitting advice?”
After “four years talking to hundreds of people” and “poring over the data” the authors divulged their major lessons:
1) Even the best companies can be surprised by environmental issues.
2) The environment is not a fringe issue - it can cost businesses real money.
3) Real benefits can come from seeing things in a new light.
4) Smart companies seize competitive advantage through strategic management of environmental challenges.
(With the distance of several years since the book's writing, these lessons now seem elementary and self-evident. But one should remember that for many mainstream businesses at that time, "Green" consciousness was still in its infancy.)
As the “Green Wave” continues to mature and grow, environmental issues and sustainability initiatives will increasingly become standard fare for corporate decision-makers. And the marriage of environmental innovations and a deepening public consciousness certainly will impact the conversation about this complex sea of challenges. What's more, the "game-changing" oil disaster in the Gulf undoubtedly will continue to shape opinions and policies for years to come. In this complicated environment, solid research -- such as that provided in "Green To Gold" -- is essential to an informed dialogue and meaningful action.
March 12, 2022
A good understanding of environmentalism into corporate. However, the book (at least the version I read) was a bit outdated and sometimes the examples felt more like good PR for some major companies. Nevertheless, the book greatly emphasizes that the environmental impact of a company is crucial and shouldn't be neglected. I really liked the Apollo13 principle of 'no is not an answer' in the context of a production pipeline. I think the book is a good read for everyone that wants to have a clearer overview of the impact and influence on and coming from companies in society and the environment.
May 26, 2009
This is a great book for a company executive trying to figure out how to 'go green', or how much he/she needs to pay attention to environmental issues. The book is loaded with examples of companies large and small that have taken the lead on the environment, from Wal-Mart and GE to BP and Shell, to little Swiss companies you've never heard of. The basic point is that environmental issues are 'strategic' -- meaning that they'll bite you if you're not paying attention. Example -- a cereal company put a little prize in its boxes of kiddy cereal, not thinking about the tiny lead button-battery in the prize. The word got out, and Kellogg had to recall the toys, apologize, and generally grovel to everyone involved. McDonald's, on the other hand, had seen that one coming and taken the lead out of batteries in their kid's meals several years before.
The good news is that environmental initiatives usually save you money and bring you innovative new products if you think about them in the right way.
The book is crammed with suggestions, examples, and cases studies of both good and bad examples of environmental stewardship, innovation, and strategic thinking. This is a 'must read' for any business executive who doesn't want to end up in court because a supplier is dumping toxic waste into a local stream -- or who wants to ride the wave of the environment into good press and profitability. Which seems to me to be everyone. Failure to follow the precepts in this book will condemn you to bringing up the rear environmentally speaking -- and that's not going to be good.
The good news is that environmental initiatives usually save you money and bring you innovative new products if you think about them in the right way.
The book is crammed with suggestions, examples, and cases studies of both good and bad examples of environmental stewardship, innovation, and strategic thinking. This is a 'must read' for any business executive who doesn't want to end up in court because a supplier is dumping toxic waste into a local stream -- or who wants to ride the wave of the environment into good press and profitability. Which seems to me to be everyone. Failure to follow the precepts in this book will condemn you to bringing up the rear environmentally speaking -- and that's not going to be good.
August 5, 2008
More like a 2.5. Not a bad book, but it's not really something that is going to change the business world. CEOs of companies like those that were profiled will probably scoff at the somewhat simplistic advice offered here, whereas small to mid-sized companies may struggle to make some of the changes necessary to ride the "Green Wave" (you just know they want that one to catch on...).
Personally, the book made me think at least a little about what my new employer might be doing, or even if it faces any environmental challenges at all. I can imagine possibly taking some of the ideas and trying to implement them myself in a smaller company that does not already have an EMS in place. Furthermore, this book might be beneficial to a environmentalist who may be interested in reading how "the other half" lives and makes decisions.
Personally, the book made me think at least a little about what my new employer might be doing, or even if it faces any environmental challenges at all. I can imagine possibly taking some of the ideas and trying to implement them myself in a smaller company that does not already have an EMS in place. Furthermore, this book might be beneficial to a environmentalist who may be interested in reading how "the other half" lives and makes decisions.
June 4, 2021
This is one of the earlier books co-written by Andrew Winston. It provides the thinking on how business leaders can address environmental issues in the new economy. This is really a must-read for anyone interested in the future of business and our world. I had an interesting conversation with Andrew on my podcast Inside Ideas, where we discussed this and the upcoming book that he writes together with Paul Polman.
You can listen to the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQeC1...
Or check out the link below:
https://www.innovatorsmag.com/profit-...
https://www.innovatorsmag.com/inside-...
https://medium.com/inside-ideas/andre...
You can listen to the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQeC1...
Or check out the link below:
https://www.innovatorsmag.com/profit-...
https://www.innovatorsmag.com/inside-...
https://medium.com/inside-ideas/andre...
May 10, 2015
Esty's "Green to Gold" is an interesting read about how large "WaveRider" corporations are dealing with the Green Wave. It's packed with anecdotes from about a dozen corporations from IKEA to Herman Miller to BP. He talks a lot about forming relationships with NGOs and other environmental groups long before problems emerge ("feelings are facts"), designing for the environment to lower costs and maintain a competitive advantage, and using a environmental sustainability as a way to attract and retain top talent. As an entrepreneur, this book wasn't particularly relevant, but it was an interesting look into how corporations look at the Green Wave
February 2, 2008
An outstanding premise, but the authors just didn't deliver as compelling a case as they could have. They sacrificed the opportunity for a great thesis driven home by some key evidence and statistics by attempting to be overly comprehensive about the green movement and by trying to build a prescription for success. In the end, I would recommend reading the first several chapters and skipping the strategic recommendations.
November 1, 2020
Great read, a required read for all executives. This book explores what they must know to manage the environmental challenges facing society and business, and how to be good stewards of the Earth while simultaneously building the bottom line; how to keep a sharp focus on execution while using an environmental strategy.
July 17, 2019
I thought this economically-focused environmental book was a refreshing twist on the typical environmental books. The facts and figures presented are well-support and make for an interesting and informative read. I would recommend this to all the skeptics out there on the "green" movement
October 15, 2019
Really helped me get my business started when I read it 5 years ago. A lot of great, timeless lessons.
July 12, 2009
basic review of company environmental strategies, but quite dry
July 18, 2024
The subtitle of this book explains its contents: how to use environmental strategy to innovate, create value, and build a competitive landscape. However, this book is not suitable for reading by random people. This book is really ideal for CEOs or top-level management in companies.
The book is quite exciting and boring at the same time. This book has various stories from companies worldwide that have adopted a green way of thinking. Sometimes, I get lost in the whole story and forget the theory or concept being explained. However, this book has a reasonably coherent theoretical and conceptual pattern to follow.
When viewed from an academic perspective, this book is extraordinarily insightful. It has the potential to simplify the complex concept of sustainability, making it more manageable for businesses. I recommend it to anyone researching sustainability in business, as it can pave the way for a more sustainable future.
Maybe the triple bottom line concept can be achieved if companies adopt the thinking from this book.
The book is quite exciting and boring at the same time. This book has various stories from companies worldwide that have adopted a green way of thinking. Sometimes, I get lost in the whole story and forget the theory or concept being explained. However, this book has a reasonably coherent theoretical and conceptual pattern to follow.
When viewed from an academic perspective, this book is extraordinarily insightful. It has the potential to simplify the complex concept of sustainability, making it more manageable for businesses. I recommend it to anyone researching sustainability in business, as it can pave the way for a more sustainable future.
Maybe the triple bottom line concept can be achieved if companies adopt the thinking from this book.
January 6, 2025
Originally read this a few years ago for an environmental econ course I was taking and recently decided to reread it again as I reenter the ESG space. A very very very important read that I hope all corporate professionals consider reading. Much of the material has strangely stood the test of time (or corporate climate policy hasn't improved much in the past 15+ years). While the material in this book is mostly centered around American corporations and policies, I'd be interested in reading an updated version that goes more in-depth on how EU policy is forcing positive change for corporations worldwide...
March 6, 2025
I read this for a Green Business class at Emory and it really expanded my mind. I recommend it because it discusses what the private sector emphasizes. It was my introduction for me to understand considerations of companies that take the lead in the green wave: creativity, consistency, connection, and risk management.
July 7, 2019
Listened it completely on Audible.
Repetitive messages, book is lacking any concrete messages. Wave writers or wave riders, not sure what does it actually mean. At some point, it looked like a book funded from companies whose names taken throughout book. No Any Concrete learning from listening.
Repetitive messages, book is lacking any concrete messages. Wave writers or wave riders, not sure what does it actually mean. At some point, it looked like a book funded from companies whose names taken throughout book. No Any Concrete learning from listening.
May 26, 2022
Great book on strategy, finding comp advantage, and offering simple tools. Reread.
August 20, 2022
繁體中文版書名：《綠色商機》
January 2, 2015
Just look at the title of the book: "Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage"
Are you game/interested in reading a book with such a title. Then read on. :)
These days we get to hear a lot of these terms which are supposedly the need of the hour and helpful for all the world. e.g. Greening, sustainability, recycle, reuse & renewable.
If you were a company and are wondering does it make any sense in all this and where do i stand in all of this, then probably you should be asking these questions.
A. What is green, does it mean regulations, process or any extra cost that one must incur?
B. Is it just another passing fad or is it going to stay for a long time? Infact there is a word for the eyewash, its called Green-washing. There are websites dedicated to the same.
C. Can the benefits be actually calculated? If so will it help in reducing the monthly Opex or operating cost reduction?
Now these are some of the common questions that generally comes to ones mind. So how does one move forward. There are lot of avenues that come to mind. Some of them
A. Internet: But too much of information and noise. So how would you go about it.
B. Books: Well the same here too. Fads, latest breakthrough's etc
C. Consultants: They are dime a dozen. If they are so good why didn't they do something on their own.
D. Advice and opinions: Again everyone has to have an opinion on everything under the sun, which includes me. :)
How would you go about it. It ain't easy.
That is where this book may help a bit. Not much but definitely give you an idea as to how to go about it. But only if you are absolutely new to this whole green thingie.
This book helps one understand the following in a easy manner
A. What is happening out there with lot of anecdotes and examples.
B. Tries to share a structural foundation to build on in your company.
C. Introduces you to a lot of jargon, that is created by the authors as well as industry.
But for people who are already in the industry would find this book pretty pretentious for the following reasons.
A. This book sounds like a spokesperson of some companies mentioned in the book.
B. There is nothing new that is already available online and for free on top of that.
C. This gives a very rosy picture of all the companies. Especially petroleum companies like BP. Its not only about environment its also about their track record of human rights etc.
Overall a very average book that is not ground breaking in any aspect. But the overall flow helps in understanding what, how and why of the whole green and sustainable biz. It does introduce everyone to lot of interesting NGOs, efforts and campaigns and breaks it down in a simple yet clear manner.
The best thing about this book is the following which they have stressed upon " The Green aspect should be 3rd factor in your sales pitch, the 1st and 2nd should focus on efficiency and cost" True any product should touch the baniya within us and then the child.
To put it simply without the following please do not even try to go ahead reading the book
A. intent and belief that sustainability makes a lot of sense both economic and otherwise
B. To cultivate a thought of reducing waste and have a long term view instead of quarterly results.
Are you game/interested in reading a book with such a title. Then read on. :)
These days we get to hear a lot of these terms which are supposedly the need of the hour and helpful for all the world. e.g. Greening, sustainability, recycle, reuse & renewable.
If you were a company and are wondering does it make any sense in all this and where do i stand in all of this, then probably you should be asking these questions.
A. What is green, does it mean regulations, process or any extra cost that one must incur?
B. Is it just another passing fad or is it going to stay for a long time? Infact there is a word for the eyewash, its called Green-washing. There are websites dedicated to the same.
C. Can the benefits be actually calculated? If so will it help in reducing the monthly Opex or operating cost reduction?
Now these are some of the common questions that generally comes to ones mind. So how does one move forward. There are lot of avenues that come to mind. Some of them
A. Internet: But too much of information and noise. So how would you go about it.
B. Books: Well the same here too. Fads, latest breakthrough's etc
C. Consultants: They are dime a dozen. If they are so good why didn't they do something on their own.
D. Advice and opinions: Again everyone has to have an opinion on everything under the sun, which includes me. :)
How would you go about it. It ain't easy.
That is where this book may help a bit. Not much but definitely give you an idea as to how to go about it. But only if you are absolutely new to this whole green thingie.
This book helps one understand the following in a easy manner
A. What is happening out there with lot of anecdotes and examples.
B. Tries to share a structural foundation to build on in your company.
C. Introduces you to a lot of jargon, that is created by the authors as well as industry.
But for people who are already in the industry would find this book pretty pretentious for the following reasons.
A. This book sounds like a spokesperson of some companies mentioned in the book.
B. There is nothing new that is already available online and for free on top of that.
C. This gives a very rosy picture of all the companies. Especially petroleum companies like BP. Its not only about environment its also about their track record of human rights etc.
Overall a very average book that is not ground breaking in any aspect. But the overall flow helps in understanding what, how and why of the whole green and sustainable biz. It does introduce everyone to lot of interesting NGOs, efforts and campaigns and breaks it down in a simple yet clear manner.
The best thing about this book is the following which they have stressed upon " The Green aspect should be 3rd factor in your sales pitch, the 1st and 2nd should focus on efficiency and cost" True any product should touch the baniya within us and then the child.
To put it simply without the following please do not even try to go ahead reading the book
A. intent and belief that sustainability makes a lot of sense both economic and otherwise
B. To cultivate a thought of reducing waste and have a long term view instead of quarterly results.
September 23, 2015
A couple months ago, I read a fantastic HBR article that was written by the co-author of this book, Andrew Winston, on prioritizing environmental and social issues in business strategy in order to increase company resilience, brand reputation, customer loyalty etc. This article really sparked my interest in the area of business sustainability, and so I purchased Winston (and Esty's) book.
The intent of this book seems to be to serve as a resource for business leaders looking to make a case for sustainability to be a profitable strategy within their company, and includes some useful tools and frameworks to that end. The central idea of the book is that by examining their businesses through an environmental lens, managers can avoid expensive problems, hedge risk in a crowded, more regulated world of dwindling resources, and build brand reputation, customer loyalty, and stakeholder trust. If I were only rating the ideas in this book compared to those in many other business books, my evaluation would be very favorable. However, having just finished Natural Capitalism, a book that I found much more compelling, I found Green to Gold to be a little unsatisfying.
This book suffered from an abundance of overly obvious information, and very shallow analysis of the case studies. And (though this may be considered a strength to other readers) I also felt that the book was too practical and lacked a little ideological grandeur - I am always captivated by the theoretical principles of sustainability - for instance an analysis of automobile transportation calculating that the average vehicle, built from mined, refined and transported steel, aluminum and plastic, sits idle 95% of the time, and when in motion, only uses 5% of its fuel to transport the actual human inside it. Anyways, I love big-picture, fundamental analyses of environmental principles, and I thought this book lacked that.
But, I thought their case for environmental strategy was convincing, and they included a great framework for companies to identify risks in their industries and diagnose potential opportunities for improvement. I was also very impressed by their section on environmental strategies that failed. I think that is a real strength of the book. Other books on sustainability make it sound like an infallible strategy that will work in every situation, regardless of execution, but here they illustrate some common pitfalls that lurk behind environmental initiatives.
I'm sure if I were a CEO or something, I would have gotten a lot more out of the book, so, definitely worth a read if you have an interest or stake in sustainable business.
The intent of this book seems to be to serve as a resource for business leaders looking to make a case for sustainability to be a profitable strategy within their company, and includes some useful tools and frameworks to that end. The central idea of the book is that by examining their businesses through an environmental lens, managers can avoid expensive problems, hedge risk in a crowded, more regulated world of dwindling resources, and build brand reputation, customer loyalty, and stakeholder trust. If I were only rating the ideas in this book compared to those in many other business books, my evaluation would be very favorable. However, having just finished Natural Capitalism, a book that I found much more compelling, I found Green to Gold to be a little unsatisfying.
This book suffered from an abundance of overly obvious information, and very shallow analysis of the case studies. And (though this may be considered a strength to other readers) I also felt that the book was too practical and lacked a little ideological grandeur - I am always captivated by the theoretical principles of sustainability - for instance an analysis of automobile transportation calculating that the average vehicle, built from mined, refined and transported steel, aluminum and plastic, sits idle 95% of the time, and when in motion, only uses 5% of its fuel to transport the actual human inside it. Anyways, I love big-picture, fundamental analyses of environmental principles, and I thought this book lacked that.
But, I thought their case for environmental strategy was convincing, and they included a great framework for companies to identify risks in their industries and diagnose potential opportunities for improvement. I was also very impressed by their section on environmental strategies that failed. I think that is a real strength of the book. Other books on sustainability make it sound like an infallible strategy that will work in every situation, regardless of execution, but here they illustrate some common pitfalls that lurk behind environmental initiatives.
I'm sure if I were a CEO or something, I would have gotten a lot more out of the book, so, definitely worth a read if you have an interest or stake in sustainable business.
March 30, 2008
This book is a hapless, scientifically and morally devoid treatise making the "business case" for more environmentally sound economic activities. It isn't, as it claims, a fundamental rethinking of green practices in the business realm, but rather encouraging business to make changes at the margins, where such activities reduce costs, enhance brand image, or profitably reduce environmental damage. The book says nothing about internalization of costs, cap and trade systems, or other policies to proactively address environmental harm.
This flawed analysis of the world's environmental problems stems from an early (and unsupported assertion) that the "era of big government is over." The book then proceeds to make mention of more stringent environmental standards in the US and EU, as scare tactics to get business leads to move "ahead of the regulatory curve."
This makes abundantly clear that business will fight tooth and nail against fundamental changes in the scope and approach of environmental policy in the United States. Green-washing and other marginal corporate efforts will remain the business approach to environmental problems.
This flawed analysis of the world's environmental problems stems from an early (and unsupported assertion) that the "era of big government is over." The book then proceeds to make mention of more stringent environmental standards in the US and EU, as scare tactics to get business leads to move "ahead of the regulatory curve."
This makes abundantly clear that business will fight tooth and nail against fundamental changes in the scope and approach of environmental policy in the United States. Green-washing and other marginal corporate efforts will remain the business approach to environmental problems.
September 1, 2013
This is a practical book which looks at how - and why - various global companies have integrated environmental sustainability into their businesses.
The book operates at a fairly shallow level and even when discussing motivation for environmental leadership focuses mostly on numerical payoffs rather than philosophical backing.
Its main strength is in the breadth of its examples and the practicality of its advice. It was last updated in 2009 so it is a bit out of date (BP is an environmental leader in this volume) but it is interesting nonetheless.
The book operates at a fairly shallow level and even when discussing motivation for environmental leadership focuses mostly on numerical payoffs rather than philosophical backing.
Its main strength is in the breadth of its examples and the practicality of its advice. It was last updated in 2009 so it is a bit out of date (BP is an environmental leader in this volume) but it is interesting nonetheless.
November 25, 2007
This was a good book; well written and presented. The authors researched a number of companies to find examples of businesses succeeding and failing with environmental strategy, and present a lot of interesting and useful anecdotes from different companies throughout the book. The book presents a bit of actionable advice as well as a few tools and metrics. The tips and ideas seem useful to show how a business can work to be more sustainable and concurrently enjoy more success in the market.
August 22, 2009
Provides good tools and case studies to help readers develop a strategy to overcome environmental inertia at work. Nails the main issues and provides helpful suggestions. I wish they made this required reading at work.
That said, this book does focus mostly on the challenges of large companies (think Fortune 500), so it may not be as applicable or helpful to readers who work for smaller-sized organizations with traditional non-environmental strategies.
That said, this book does focus mostly on the challenges of large companies (think Fortune 500), so it may not be as applicable or helpful to readers who work for smaller-sized organizations with traditional non-environmental strategies.
September 4, 2008
Profiles (more like sketches, really) of Fortune 500-type companies that are made money by going green, combined with key strategies & risk distilled by the two authors. I'm on my company's internal "green team" and found it very useful in generating ideas and helping us plot our course to sustainability. Only three stars because the writing is bad, though perhaps par for business-management books.
Read
August 4, 2011I read it because it's the new capstone book for ISU's MBA program (replaced The World is Flat). I figured I'd check it out to prepare for my Managing for Sustainability class which I'm taking in Spring to finish my MBA. It's a solid book that explains in business terms the why and most importantly the why of the green revolution and how to take advantage of it. I especially like that they don't sugar coat and avoid making it seem like every green investment will be a home run.
July 17, 2012
Good book for the environmentally conscious business man and a must read if you want to gain the eco-advantage over your competitors. This is a business / environmental strategies book. As business books go I give it an A-. Environmental sustainability is where my field (EHS Management) is heading and this book will give anyone in corporate America or with an affiliated NGO, tips on strategies to employ, pitfalls to be wary of, and how to measure success.
Read
July 24, 2011Very interesting depiction showing how you can save money and be green in business. I wish more companies would pay attention to this book/movement. A few new ideas for me - looking at the sustainability of the supply chain, and using the green qualities of a product as the '3rd button' to push with marketing. Good read.
September 12, 2011
I had to read this book for my University subject, Sustainability so I thought it would be pretty painful. Actually it wasn't too bad and I enjoyed the crystal ball look into the future of our businesses. This book is good for anyone who wants to get a grasp on why we must have a carbon tax in Australia, that sort of thing. I actually enjoyed this book.
August 14, 2008
I thought this economically-focused environmental book was a refreshing twist on the typical environmental books. The facts and figures presented are well-support and make for an interesting and informative read. I would recommend this to all the skeptics out there on the "green" movement.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews