Uncovering Value: Integrating Environmental and Financial Performance

Add more fuel to the fire: Another report shows that environmental proactivity can build value for companies. “Uncovering Value: Integrating Environmental and Financial Performance,” prepared by the nonprofit Aspen Institute, says many leading-edge companies now see an opportunity to gain a competitive edge by integrating environmental factors into core business strategies. As this trend grows, the report concludes, it will be a powerful new force for environmental improvement. The report — which stems from an Aspen “dialogue,” in which participants met six times in New York City over 13 months beginning in 1997 — cites a number of examples of company initiatives that have built value and competitive advantage. Many have been widely reported and cited, involving Anheuser-Busch, DuPont, Georgia Pacific, Volvo, Xerox, and other companies.