Andrew S. Winston is a sustainability expert and the co-author of the bestseller Green to Gold. His last book published during the financial crisis last year, Green Recovery: Get Lean, Get Smart, and Emerge From the Downturn on Top, is a timely and practical guide to help companies go green and do more with less, and survive the bad economic conditions.
In his book, Andrew focuses on 4 strategic areas:
1. Get Lean by revving up your energy and resource efficiency.
- Switch to energy-efficient lighting
- Turn off lights
- Update heating and cooling systems
- Shrink the data center carbon footprint
- Shut down office computers and other equipment
- Cut back on printers and print less
- Train the drivers
- Redesign the distribution system
- Reduce corporate travel and meet virtually
- Reduce and recycle waste
2. Get Smart by using environmental data about products and value chains to save money, innovate, and generate competitive advantage.
- Collect good environmental data
- Drive performance and internal competition
- Prioritise and focus on the real environmental footprint
- Answer customers’ pressing questions
- Find market openings and focus innovation
- Make smarter decisions and investments
- Map out your value chain for a quick view on resource use
- Use data that is already out there
- Seek out tools to help you
3. Get Creative and rejuvenate your innovation efforts.
- Ask tough questions
- Make it someone’s job
- Build green into design and R&D systems
- Use technology to bring people and perspectives together
- Make time for green innovation
- Set green innovation goals
- Build scenarios and tell stories
4. Get (your people) Engaged and excited by asking employees to solve their own, the company’s, and even the world’s environmental challenges.
- Build a foundation for green thinking and what your people should know
- Engage employees on sustainability at home and at work
- Give people ownership of environmental goals and the tools to act on them
Image credit: Amazon.com
