A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Chico, concludes that sustainability is increasing among large U.S. companies. Nathan Heinze and Timothy Heinze, “Sustainability Practices and Promotion: Websites of Large U.S. Companies,” Int’l. J. of Global Environmental Issues, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2011. Researchers looked at online sustainability promotion among the financial, information technology, health care, energy, utilities, telecommunications, and manufacturing industries, and found that companies are increasing their sustainability efforts and promoting these efforts on their Websites.
From 2008 to 2011, of the companies reviewed, those that advertised energysavings efforts on their Websites increased from less than 50 percent to 66 percent, according to the study. The utility industry was the most active in sustainability efforts, with more than 80 percent featuring programs in energy, waste reduction and climate-change prevention. The financial industry had the lowest percentage of such programs, with 48 percent addressing sustainability efforts.
