A Look Back at 2009
2009 was an ambitious year both for TerraChoice and our clients. We partnered with many great companies and organizations to work towards a more sustainable planet. Even through a recession that slowed down the global economy, we kept our focus and worked towards our goals. TerraChoice is anticipating that 2010 will be another successful year in continuing to help grow the world’s most sustainable companies. But before we fully swing into 2010, we would like to share some of our highlights from 2009 that appeared in our latest issue of eQ:
Climate Change – How did we fight climate change and the depletion of natural resources? We promoted the advancement of renewable energy:
• EcoLogo’s new Renewable Low-Impact Electricity Standard (which may include Bio-gas, Bio-mass, Geothermal, Solar, Tide and Wave, Water, Wind and Renewable Energy Certificates) will help “greener” energy get the credible certification and recognition it deserves.
• Drax, the world’s largest coal-fired power station, announced its plan to replace coal with sustainable biomass. TerraChoice Environmental Marketing also worked with Drax, delivering a comprehensive research study assessing the socio-economic benefits of biomass production. TerraVeritas developed a set of sustainable biomass principles and implemented a program of verification against those principles.
Endangered Species and Nature – What did we do to help wildlife and environmental conservation?
• TerraChoice consulted with World Wildlife Fund-Canada and developed the green screening criteria for the organization’s online store, which helps them to fundraise for their important causes.
Green Marketing Communications – We are known around the world for spreading the word about greenwashing. So how did we do that in 2009?
• In April, TerraChoice released The Seven Sins of Greenwashing study, educating thousands of consumers and companies about how to avoid greenwashing. This study received mass media attention and our work has also made it into books such as Good to Green, Strategies for the Green Economy, Ecoholic Home, and Confessions of a Radical Industrialist.
• TerraChoice also launched TerraVeritas, our latest and exciting business line, to promote transparency and legitimacy in green claims.
Responsible Consumerism and Environmentally Preferable Products – How did we tackle waste, over-consumption and unsustainable products?
• EcoLogo launched the development of its first standard for Toys. This new standard will help promote healthier and greener products.
• TerraChoice’s EcoMarkets 2009 Report informed clients, partners and the public about the attitudes and practices of North American buyers towards environmentally preferable purchasing.
• TerraChoice also worked with AIR MILES on its My Planet program, developing scientifically-sound criteria from which they selected the My Planet Rewards and developing the Program’s Principles.
This is just a sample of our accomplishments in 2009 (the full article can be read here) and we are very proud of all that we have achieved together in the past year. Thank you to all our clients and friends who helped make 2009 a year to remember.
Let’s see what sustainable improvements we can make together in 2010!