From the Publishers Weekly review:
"Two experts from Yale tackle the business wake-up-call du jour-environmental responsibility-from every angle in this thorough, earnest guidebook: pragmatically, passionately, financially and historically. Though "no company the authors know of is on a truly long-term sustainable course," Esty and Winston label the forward-thinking, green-friendly (or at least green-acquainted) companies WaveMakers and set out to assess honestly their path toward environmental responsibility, and its impact on a company's bottom line, customers, suppliers and reputation. Following the evolution of business attitudes toward environmental concerns, Esty and Winston offer a series of fascinating plays by corporations such as Wal-Mart, GE and Chiquita (Banana), the bad guys who made good, and the good guys-watchdogs and industry associations, mostly-working behind the scenes. A vast number of topics huddle beneath the umbrella of threats to the earth, and many get a thorough analysis here: from global warming to electronic waste "take-back" legislation to subsidizing sustainable seafood. For the responsible business leader, this volume provides plenty of (organic) food for thought. "

New feature

THE LEADING GUIDE TO DRIVING GROWTH AND PROFITS THROUGH GREEN STRATEGY—NOW REVISED AND UPDATED

"No executive can afford to ignore the Green Wave sweeping the business world. This book shows how to make sustainability a core element of strategy—and profit from it."
— CHAD HOLLIDAY, Chairman, DuPont

"Green to Gold provides the definitive thinking on how business leaders can address environmental issues."
—MICHAEL E. PORTER, Professor, Harvard Business School

"The future of our country depends on getting on a sustainable track . . . Green to Gold blazes a trail for businesses of all kinds to follow."
—MICHAEL MORRIS, CEO, American Electric Power

"Rich with both big-picture thinking and practical suggestions."
—LARRY LINDEN, Advisory Director, Goldman Sachs

"A compelling blueprint for how companies can address critical environmental problems."
—WILLIAM K. REILLY, former Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

"Green to Gold is a must-read for the twenty-first-century CEO."
—TENSIE WHELAN, Executive Director, Rainforest Alliance

Preface to the Paperback Edition, xi

Preface, xvii

Acknowledgments, xxi

Introduction: The Environmental Lens, 1

Part One Preparing for a New World

1 Eco-Advantage, 7

Issues and opportunities for business in an environmentally sensitive world

2 Natural Drivers of the Green Wave, 31

Environmental problems and how they shape markets

3 Who’s Behind the Green Wave?, 65

Stakeholders and the power they wield

Part Two Strategies for Building Eco-Advantage

4 Managing the Downside, 105

Green-to-Gold Plays to reduce cost and risk

5 Building the Upside, 122

Green-to-Gold Plays to drive revenues and create intangible value

Part Three What WaveRiders Do

6 The Eco-Advantage Mindset, 145

Looking through an environmental lens

7 Eco-Tracking, 166

Understanding your company’s environmental “footprint”

8 Redesigning Your World, 195

Designing for the environment and “greening” the supply chain

9 Inspiring an Eco-Advantage Culture, 206

Creating an organizational focus on environmental stewardship

Part Four Putting It All Together

10 Why Environmental Initiatives Fail, 235

Pitfalls to avoid on the way to Eco-Advantage

11 Taking Action, 260

Execution for sustained competitive advantage

12 Eco-Advantage Strategy, 281

Key Eco-Advantage plays, tools, and plans

Appendix I: Additional Resources, 305

Appendix II: Methodological Overview, 311

Appendix III: Frequently Asked Questions, 317

Notes, 323

Index, 353