The Aspen Institute has issued a study, entitled, "Uncovering
Value - Integrating Environmental and Financial
Performance". It was prepared by a diverse group of
corporate, financial, governmental and environmental
officers who paid particular attention to how financial
institutions value, or fail to value, corporations with
integrated environmental planning. The Aspen Institute is an
international nonprofit educational institution dedicated to
enhancing the quality of leadership through informed
dialogue.
The study reported success stories. For example, it found
that Anheuser-Busch, concerned about recycling, developed
an aluminum can that is 33 percent lighter and a recycling
plan that saves the company $200 million a year.
DuPont developed a family of herbicides that dramatically
reduced herbicide application per acre with no drop in crop
yields. More than 200 million fewer pounds of chemicals are
applied to the soil each year because of the development,
which means4 to about recycling, developed an aluminum
can that is 33 percent lighter and a recycling plan that saves
the company $200 million a year. DuPont developed a
family of herbicides that dramatically reduced herbicide
application per acre with no drop in crop yields. More than
200 million fewer pounds of chemicals are applied to the soil
each year because of the development, which means4 to 6
billion pounds less waste. That breakthrough enabled
DuPont to jump from eighth to second in market share in the
crop protection chemical industry.
Volvo increased its market share in one truck segment by 35
percent over three years by differentiating its trucks on
environmental factors like fuel efficiency and lower
emissions. As a result, Volvo's truck operations jumped from
30 percent to 56 percent of the company's operating income
in a three-year period.
ITT Nokia's market share in the Netherlands for 24-inch
televisions increased by 57 percent and their gross revenue
by 73 percent in the month after a consumer testing
magazine rated their product as a "best buy," based in part on
energy consumption, recycling, materials and use of
hazardous materials.
Contact, The Aspen Institute, Suite 1070, 1333 New
Hampshire Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036, ph.
(202) 736- 5800; fax (202) 467- 0790, email
kodonnell@aspeninst.org. Website
http://www.aspeninst.org/