Is a Company Green Because it Sells Green Products?

Solar companies (installers, manufacturers, etc.) are generally thought of as "green" companies by the general public. But I wonder if this is true? Not just for solar - but for any company selling something green. Does selling a green product make for a green company? The answer is important, because many consumers want to "vote with their wallets" by supporting sustainably oriented companies.

Leafing through the goodie bag given out at the recent Solar Energy Focus 2009 conference, for example, I was struck by the fact that not a single piece, except for the Clean Currents piece, appeared to be printed on FSC paper (paper certified as coming from a sustainable source by the Forest Stewardship Council). This is not a knock on other solar companies, but just illustrates the point that companies selling green products are not necessarily green in all of their operations and actions.

At Clean Currents, environmental sustainability is part of our core business ethic. We are far from perfect, but we do our best to not only sell green products, but to adopt green practices and to support positive environmental advocacy. As part of our commitment to running a green business, we have recently gone through the process of getting our HQ operations certified as green by Montgomery County. An official announcement will be coming shortly. The certification process focuses on areas in which a business can effectively reduce its environmental impact. A few highlights of what Clean Currents is doing:

* We have an environmental mission statement. This is a key first step for any business that wants to be green. The statement includes our policies for purchasing green products (ie. using FSC paper for printing).
* We have a green benefits package for employees, which encourages employees to help the environment.
* We actively support positive environmental advocacy. This is crucial. We are not going to solver climate change with voluntary actions alone. We need a combination of voluntary actions and new legislation to require the use of clean energy and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
* We got our landlord to buy wind power and we offset emissions from employee travel.
* We are members and sponsors of sustainable business groups and environmental non-profit organizations.

Look at other companies in the area. Are they selling green products but not acting in a sustainable way? Are they only pushing legislation that has a direct financial benefit for them? Look around in the solar field. Do the local installers you know walk the environmental walk? Is their care for the environment solely wrapped in the package of solar panels they want to sell you or does it go a little deeper? Look at the ownership and associations of these companies. Do they share your views on the environment and sustainability?

I don't know the answers to these questions, but looking through my solar goody bag, I suspect that the public may be surprised by the variety of approaches (or lack thereof) to sustainability in the clean energy world. There are many great companies out there. But not all are committed to a cleaner environment to the same degree. It's important for environmentally conscious consumers to know who or what is standing behind those nifty green solar panels.