Esty, D. C. & Winston, A. S. (2006). Green to gold: How smart companies . . New Haven, CN: Yale University Press

To assess the manner in which companies integrate environmental realities into their business strategies, Esty and Winston surveyed major corporations to determine the degree of awareness and successes and failures. Espousing an ecological modernization view--that economic advancement and environmental viability can occur hand-in-hand--Esty and Winston considered various stakeholders as catalysts for an increase in corporate environmental sensitivity. Government regulators and environmentalist, academics and policy theorists, suppliers and business to business partners, consumers, and investors understand the risks of environmental indifference. Stakeholders advocate on such issues as climate change, non-renewable energy, water, biodiversity and land use, chemical and metal contamination, air pollution, excessive waste, the ozone layer, oceans and aquatic life, deforestation, desertification, radiation, and food safety.

Companies serious about environmental initiatives publish quantifiable goals that shareholders and the public can track and measure the size of its environmental footprint. The objectives impact how the firm does business within its own operations and supply chain, with suppliers, and with customers. For example, the authors paraphrased a speech by the CEO of Wal-Mart, Lee Scott, in 2005: "Wal-Mart will cut energy use by 30 percent, aim to use 100 percent renewable energy (from sources like wind farms and solar panels), and double the fuel efficiency of its massive shipping fleet. In total, the company will invest $500 million annually in these energy programs" (p. 7). From this orientation, Esty and Winston claim that companies reap the benefits of "higher revenues, lower operational costs and even lower lending rates from banks that see reduced risk in companies with carefully constructed environmental management systems" (p. 11).

Measuring a company's environmental footprint requires data. Most companies operate their supply chain using enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems--SAP, Oracle, Hansen, or other systems. Supply chain management defines the processes that companies employ to operate their business. It usually originates with demand and supply planning to procurement, manufacturing, warehousing, order fulfillment, and the transportation of goods to customers. The ERP systems allow companies to enter costs and units, such as gallons, kilowatts, and therms, etc. With this information, Esty and Winston suggested that companies measure green house gases, toxic waste, waste water, air pollution, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This data assists in quantifying their environmental footprint. Combining the composition of the products manufactured, the with the product's useful and end of life, "landfill ground contamination" (p. 169), companies have the complete environmental "life cycle assessment (LCA)" (p. 169). Therefore, energy consumption and emissions span four traditional manufacturing phases--assembly, manufacturing, use, and disposal.

By isolating energy emissions into definitive phases of the industrial or service process, companies can focus on the most important phase for design and production improvements and changes that increase customer satisfaction. Tracking fundamental metrics, such as energy, water, air, waste, and compliance, can help firms tie the items to strategic goals. Esty and Winston identified three areas of environmental focus: "Track both relative and absolute metrics . . . Capture data at multiple levels within a company . . . collect the same information for the whole value chain" (p. 175).

The remainder of the book described various strategies for weaving ecological strategies into the corporate culture--financial, research and development, and the supply chain processes. Measuring the firm's environmental footprint reflects the success of the program and the level of corporate stewardship. The authors concluded the book with advice on the execution of plans and potential hazards to avoid.