In Strategies for the Green Economy, Joel Makower distills his more than twenty years of watching the green business scene and offers insights and inspiration for understanding and untangling the complexities and controversies of profiting in the growing green economy.
Through real-life stories and first-hand experiences, Makower raises and answers complicated, fascinating, and resonant questions about the realities of greening your business. Whether catering to a shade of green customer (and there are many), or understanding what constitutes a "good enough" green company, whether selling everything from cars to coffee, or determining when to lead the market and when to follow it, Makower's engaging and realistic approach helps show the way.
Makower drills down into consumers' complex (and often hypocritical) attitudes on buying green, and the dangers of "greenwashing," a term levied on companies viewed as disingenuous in creating a green image. He shows how companies have profitably integrated green thinking into their operations in a way that creates business value -- and how others have failed.
Comprised of nearly 40 fast-paced chapters, the book offers anecdotes and case studies exploring the successes, failures, trends, and occasional absurdities of companies trying to prosper in the green economy. His stories take readers inside some of the best-known companies and brands, including Clorox, Coca Cola, General Motors, Patagonia, Starbucks, Stonyfield Farm, and Wal-Mart.