GreenBiz.com has released their 2009 report on the State of Green Business. This year they are reporting a mixed bag of results, from their study of about 1500 green articles and blogs.  The overall trend seems to mimic the general state of the economy as a whole. Some segments are showing positive gains while others are feeling the squeeze.  According the the report, there was added interest in the rise of a “Green” economy and it’s ability to provide new jobs. With the sudden collapse of the world’s economy, a Green future became a source of hope for companies seeking new revenue streams and hoping to create jobs. Sadly, the costly downturn in economic activity is making the “switch” all the more difficult and risky.

Other highlights from the report are:

+ There is an increased focus by some of the world’s largest companies on reducing water usage. With major beverage manufacturers leading the way, many companies are beginning to view water as a scarce resource that in the future will be a barrier to growth.

+ Higher education programs around the nation have continued to try and reduce their environmental impact. Some schools have also begun sustainability degree programs allowing students to study traditional subjects with through a lens of sustainability.

+ A renewed push for “product stewardship” was observed over the last year, as more and more companies began concerning themselves with their products end fate. Unfortunately, the downturn in the economy is testing the will of these companies as the switch to recyclables and renewables can result in added expense. 

+ The “green marketing” future is about to hit. Over 300,000 new “green” oriented trademarks were applied for over the last year. Unfortunately, this rise is also leading to increased customer concern over whether or not companies can be trusted to back up their environmental claims.

+ Carbon emission reduction has really started to take hold as “Levi Strauss, Nike, Starbucks, Sun Microsystems, and Timberland partnered with the nonprofit Ceres to create a business coalition to lobby Washington for stringent climate change legislation.”

To view the full report, or to find out more, head to www.greenbiz.com

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