–BT: Formerly known as British Telecom, BT set a 2020 goal to help customers reduce carbon emissions by at least three times the end-to-end carbon impact of BT’s business.

–Google: The company launched Project Sunroof in 2015, using imagery from Google Maps and Google Earth, 3D modeling, and machine learning to help consumers evaluate solar feasibility for their homes.ii

–Infosys: The Indian company partnered with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to launch the India Water Tool to help companies better assess their water risks and manage their water usage more efficiently.iii

–Nike: The Nike+ suite of personal fitness products combines deep understanding of what makes athletes tick with extensive market research data. Nike+ incorporates sensor technologies embedded in running shoes and wearable devices that connect to the web, apps, and social networks.iv

–Ricoh: The global producer of electronic products is focused on helping its customers reduce energy use, carbon footprint, and use of virgin materials—while also expanding its own business opportunities for product refurbishing, recycling, and new designs.v

–Natura Cosmeticos: The number one cosmetics manufacturer in Brazil uses ingredients from the Amazon (though it does not bill itself as a “natural” brand per se), partners with families throughout the region to help them farm sustainably, and packages its products in 100 percent post-consumer recycled containers and so-called green sugar cane ethanol plastic. The company is committed to eco issues and has been given awards for its work.vi

–Coca-Cola: The company launched EKOCENTER as both a great idea and a magnet for many sustainable solutions. As a cross between a community center and a general store, EKOCENTER units are run mostly by local women entrepreneurs in developing counties—where people at the bottom of the economic pyramid live. Based on community needs, EKOCENTER sells a wide range of products and enables connectivity from solar power. It also facilitates other services from phone charging to financial transactions, provision of safe water and vocational training.vii

–VF Corporation: The company’s North Face subsidiary launched an innovative “Clothes the Loop” program, which allows customers to drop off their unwanted clothing and footwear (any condition, any brand) at retail and outlet stores for proper recycling.viii

–Xerox: Launched a reforestation program to help its customers offset their paper use by planting new trees in geographic areas of need. The company partnered with technology platform PrintReleaf.ix

–Akzo Nobel: The Dutch company launched a marketing campaign “Let’s Color” enlisting volunteers and donating paint to revitalize run-down urban neighborhoods like the favelas in Rio de Janeiro.

–Unilever: The company holds a series of globally coordinated and locally delivered internal and external communications events called “Big Moments” to understand customer needs and align around the company’s Sustainable Living Plan.

–Campbell Soup: The food company has, over the past decade, systematically responded to the broad customer trend toward healthier foods. As one example, the company entered the “packaged fresh” foods category.

–DTE, NextEra Energy and other utilities have been deploying smart grid and smart metering capability to its customers.

–Avis: As noted earlier, Avis acquired Zipcar, which epitomizes the trend toward collaborative consumption.

–Duke Energy: The U.S. power company launched a new $62 million solar rebate program in early 2018, which aims to help customers with the upfront cost of installing solar panels on their property.xi

–Patagonia: The company, through its Common Threads Initiative, encourages customers to purchase used Patagonia products on eBay before buying them new.

–Akzo Nobel: The Dutch company set a 2020 goal of achieving 20 percent of its revenue from eco-premium solutions that have a downstream sustainability benefit.

–Allianz: The insurance company offers a range of product solutions that are specifically tailored to the needs of low-income families. Key markets are developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America where over 50 million low-income people are already reached by financial services from Allianz.xii

–Cisco and IBM see smart grid as representing a $100 billion market opportunity, working with customers including utilities and federal governments.xiii

–Nokia: In May 2018, the company announced the Smartpur project that aims to develop 500 digitally integrated and sustainable villages across India.xiv

–Schneider Electric: The French company, a global specialist in energy management and infrastructure operations, is upgrading “smart cities” initiatives, partnering with current and new customers to drive growth.xv

–Yerdle: This sharing economy startup sees itself as a new kind of retailer, which allows people to trade items for community credit. Yerdle’s warehouses are your friends’ closets, attics and garages.xvi

–Unilever: The company’s subsidiary Hindustan Lever Ltd. (HLL) developed a washing product for the world’s poor people at the “bottom of the economic pyramid” back in 2000–2002, one of the early success stories sometimes captured as “the fortune at the bottom of the pyramid.”xvii

–Bombardier: The Canadian aerospace company launched a new family of fuel-efficient airlines. At the time of the product launch, these game-changing aircraft emitted up to 20 percent less CO2 and up to 50 percent less NOx, flew four times quieter, and delivered dramatic energy savings—up to 20 percent fuel burn advantage as well as up to 15 percent improved cash operating costs versus current in-production aircraft of similar size.xviii

–Levi Strauss: The company created Water<LessTM Jeans, which use up to 96 percent less water than conventional methods. Levi systematically rethought water consumption at every step of its production process.xix

–Alcoa: In 2011, the company created what some called a self-cleaning, smog-eating building material. The company’s Reynobond with EcoClean building panels actually cleans the surrounding air.xx

–H&M: The UK-based clothing retailer developed a “Conscious Exclusive” collection driving toward a more sustainable fashion future. The collection uses recycled “shoreline waste” in new clothing.xxi

–Toyota: As the world knows, Toyota developed the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle (the Prius), launched in 1997.xxii

–Companies are fairly far down the path of identifying their customer’s sustainability issues; nearly four of five companies (78 percent) rated their company Stage 2 or higher (meaning they understand their customer’s ESG goals); and over half (55 percent) rated their company Stage 3 or higher.

–When it comes to partnering with customers to jointly cut full life-cycle footprint, companies are not as far along. Two of five companies (42 percent) rated their company Stage 2 or lower. Only one in six (17 percent) rated their company Stage 3.5 or Stage 4.

–Companies are not yet reaping the revenue benefits of selling sustainability features into existing markets. Fewer than one in four (23 percent) rated their company higher than Stage 3; though another 30 percent rated their company Stage 2.5 or Stage 3 (see Figure 20.1).