The Importance of Being Green

Capitalizing on eco-friendly corporate strategies has become a major concern for large and mid-size companies and also gradually being part of approach in the small enterprise. However, in spite of government and NGO efforts, sustainability is probably the greatest concern, which has affected both developed powers, obviously the USA and leading European countries, with a variety of technologies such as electric vehicles, air-generated energy; emerging economies like Brazil which has attained a remarkable regional leadership on biofuels, and developing countries like Colombia where the usage of mixing polymers with petrochemicals and natural gas is being greatly applicable in public transportation leveraging its operating cost.

Among the productivity strategies, it is possible to highlight those focused to optimize the eco-efficiency, and others targetting lower costs, i.e., eco-cost, controls. Likewise, other strategies focus on being a differentiator, including being above compliance and simply participating as an eco-friendly strategist. McDonald is a good example of the eco-cost approach and also an eco-friendly strategist, which characterizes its products and services like several other identifiable companies. On the other hand, eco-efficiencies and attaining compliance can characterize the operating business processes, and are likely to determine productivity objectively, both under Porter's differentiating focus or the Resource-Based View (RBV) perspectives.

The interesting aspect of being green is that it usually is contrast with a diversity of opinions and political perspectives which results in the delay of implementing regulatory and compliance policies that can be used globally, such as, those affecting the control of global warming. The Kyoto protocol and the recent ecology summit are an example by the predominant economic powers suggest that there is plenty of areas to cover and dimensions to expand consistently to attain those policies. NGO can also apply independent practices that will drive emerging and developing countries to further motivate developed countries with greater corporate social responsibility.

In the innovative information technology world, strategies such as virtualization, grid computing and cloud computing (in any of its flavors, namely, Software as a Service or SaaS; Platform as a Service or PaaS; or Infrastructure as a Service or IaaS) have all contributed to driving greener IT environments that can reduce and optimize both the Capital Expenditures (CAPEX) and the Operating Expenditures (OPEX).