Companies doing good environmental deeds are seeing the rewards and, in this case, the awards!

The EcoLogo program recently presented TransGlobe Property Management Services with an award for their environmental leadership displayed by purchasing EcoLogo-certified cleaning products from Avmor, one of Canada’s leading green companies. TransGlobe purchased these products for their own corporate offices as well as the buildings they operate and manage across Canada.

This is a company dedicated to property management with integrity.

TransGlobe committed to purchasing and using a range of ‘green’ cleaning products from Avmor which are all third-party certified by the EcoLogoCM program. EcoLogo-certified Avmor cleaning products help companies, like TransGlobe, reduce their environmental footprint and provide a safe and healthy environment for employees and building tenants.

Thanks, TransGlobe, for leading this environmental initiative. Watch as more companies see the rewards of greening their practices. Will your company be next?

A sample of EcoLogo certified products on display include:

BioSource’s Pet Stain Remover, EcoEthic’s Cream Cleanser, BioVert Dish Cleaner, Shampoo by Nature Clean, Oxibrite’s Toilet Cleaner, Attitude’s All Purpose cleaner, Zebra pens, Nana Essence shampoo and conditioner, Merchants of Green coffee, Cascades’s Bathroom Tissue and Paper Towel from Atlantic.

A modern model of an environmental home, the solar house combines construction materials with technological innovations to create a healthier living environment. Throughout the house, displays help visitors to discover ways to “green” their home.

The solar house was designed by students from McGill University, the Université de Montréal and the École de technologie supérieure for an international competition - the 2007 Solar Decathlon - in Washington, D.C.

Visit Environment Canada’s site for more information on this environmental project.

Many workplaces today are adopting green policies and practices, but are they noticeable at desk level?

When looking around a computer station, it’s easy to notice all of the paper strewn about, disposable coffee cups piled up and the computer chugging away, even while not in use.

Individuals can start improving their indoor environment at work, starting with their desks. While recycling paper is important, reducing paper consumption is an even better option. Switch printer options to print on both sides of the paper. When going to get a cup of coffee in the morning, bring a reusable mug, don’t take the throw-away cup. And finally, change the settings on computers so they go into sleep mode after 10 minutes instead using up all that energy when they are not in use.

Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin co-authored True Green @ Work, a guide that provides these as well as countless others ways (100, in fact) to make the office environment greener. Click here to find out more about this book and how you can get a copy for your office.

Greenbiz.com posted an article recently about a “robust” growth in green investing in 2007, caused by a rise in overall participation in green initiatives.

The 2008 World Wealth Report, released by Capgemini and Merrill Lynch, looked at the drivers and inhibitors of wealth generation and how they influence individuals with at least $1 million in financial assets.

Among the findings, investors are supporting innovative research and development initiatives in the areas of alternative fuels and renewable energy in greater numbers. For example, total investment in the clean technology sector increased to $117 billion U.S. in 2007, up 41 per cent from 2005.

The report concludes that the unilateral pursuit of economic progress, with sustainable development as an underlying commitment, will be driven by more consciously aligning investment choices with values such as concern for the environment.

Visit Greenbiz.com for more on this story and to read the full report.

EcoLogo has a category certifying renewable electricity investment. To receive EcoLogo certification, renewable electricity investment funds must be unincorporated, open-ended trusts that invest exclusively in renewable electricity generation facilities and have a portfolio where, on an annual average basis, 60 percent of renewable energy generation facilities and 50 percent of the total name plate capacity are certified under the Ecologo criteria for “Renewable Low-impact Electricity.” Click here to review the full criteria.

TerraChoice Environmental Marketing recently released its EcoMarkets 2008 Summary Report to the public and the results have to be shared. Here is a sneak-peek at some of the findings:

· Over $78 billion of purchasing power is represented in this study and the majority of survey respondents control at least half of their organization’s total procurement budget.

· Sixty-eight percent (68%) of North American organizations increased their green purchasing in the past 12 months and 91% of purchasers believe they will become more active green purchasers over the next two years.

· An overwhelming majority of survey respondents (72%) believe eco-labels contribute to better purchasing decisions.

· Purchasers identified the eco-labels they rely on most frequently to help make purchasing decisions. Results show that Energy Star (60%) and EcoLogo (27%) are the most frequently-used eco-labels.

The purpose of the EcoMarkets 2008 Summary Report is to inform our clients, partners and public audiences about the attitudes and practices of North American buyers towards environmentally preferable purchasing. The report is a public summary of research conducted in 2007 and 2008 in partnership with the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation and with the Responsible Purchasing Network – a project of the Center for a New American Dream.

To get a free copy of the EcoMarkets 2008 Summary Report, email Melissa Peneycad at ecomarkets@terrachoice.com.

From cancer-causing chemicals in hair dyes to hormone disruptors in some types of plastic water bottles, we’ve all heard about the toxic chemicals found in some of our everyday healthcare products.

Recent issues of both Women’s Health and Men’s Health covered the health impacts of environmental issues.  In a special Green Guide section found in the August 2008 issue of Men’s Health, TerraChoice was asked to give readers advice on navigating around often misleading green language on packaging such as “all natural”, “CFC-free”, “organic” and “made from recycled materials.” The May 2008 issue of Women’s Health covered TerraChoice’s 2007 study on the Six Sins of Greenwashing in which most of the consumer products surveyed were found to be making false or misleading claims about their “earth-wise” benefits.

When in doubt, look for evidence that a product meets credible environmental standards across the entire lifecycle of the product, from manufacture to disposal, such as EcoLogo and Green Seal.

Residents in Laval, Quebec, and its surrounding area got a pleasant surprise recently when they received the latest copy of their Yellow Pages™ directory. The directory includes the new ecoFinder section, which aims to bring together green buyers and sellers.

Yellow Pages Group (YPG) launched this pilot project in response to the growing trend in responsible consumption and to a recent survey demonstrating a high level of interest among Quebec residents for this type of reference tool. The purpose of the new ecoFinder section is to promote businesses that offer environmentally-preferable products or services or who have leading environmental operational practices.

Annie Marsolais, Director of Corporate Communications for YPG expresses the mission of the ecoFinder section: “we want to provide consumers with the most accurate resource to make informed purchasing decisions that contribute to environmental sustainability.”

TerraChoice helped develop the screening criteria used by YPG to identify companies that qualified for the ecoFinder section. The criteria included existing third-party certifications such as EcoLogo and Energy Star®.

Of the 40 categories identified for the ecoFinder section, here is a sampling of what you can expect to find: Ecotourism, Landscaping Products & Services, and Clothing, Footwear & Fashion Accessories. Businesses that were selected within these categories offer the following: sustainable hostelling practices, organic farming methods, greener products, and more.

If you’re a Canadian resident living in York or Ottawa, Ontario; Burnaby, New Westminster or Vancouver, British-Columbia; or Montreal, Quebec, keep your eye out for the ecoFinder section in your local Yellow Pages™ directory over the next few months.

And as the people at YPG like to remind us, don’t forget to recycle your old Yellow Pages™ directory.

Clean Edge and Co-op America recently released a report that suggests solar power could reach one-tenth of the U.S. energy supply by the year 2025, as posted on GreenBiz.com.

The Utility Solar Assessment (USA) Study finds that in order to truly increase solar power usage in the U.S., utilities will be required to play a more active role. Utilities are asked to take advantage of solar power, especially during peak periods when grid congestion is high, and to develop new business models to adapt to these new market realities. 

The report identifies solar companies and regulators and policy makers as other key stakeholders in delivering solar energy. Solar energy companies are tasked with streamlining processes such as installation and making technology more user-friendly. Regulators and policy makers are told they must make significant, long-term investments as well as production tax credits for solar and other renewable energies.

Here at TerraChoice, our science team is reviewing the EcoLogo criteria for renewable, low-impact electricity, which includes solar, wind, water, biomass and biogas-fueled systems. We’re also looking into geothermal as well as tidal and ocean energies as additions to this list. 

GreenBiz.com also remarks on how solar power is quickly becoming a cost-effective alternative to fossil fuel-based energy sources. That certainly peaked our interest. Download the USA Study from SolarCatalyst.org and stay tuned for more EcoLogo renewable, low-impact electricity news and for information on how to participate in this category’s review process.

When we, at TerraChoice, released the report called The Six Sins of Greenwashingä last year, we never could have imagined the response it would receive. We soon became aware that the world was watching. And possibly even more significant was a distinct rumbling arising from the coverage that was streaming in. It appears our Six Sins study hit a nerve and was sparking dialogue about a growing skepticism around “green” products.

For those of you not familiar with our Six Sins report, we recently conducted an in-store survey of product-specific environmental claims found on 1,018 products from six North American retailers. A staggering number of more than 99 per cent of products surveyed were found to be sporting deceptive “green” marketing claims. We found patterns that helped us classify these false or misleading marketing claims into six categories (click here to view the report).

Since its release, GreenBiz.com has reported that the Six Sins study was one of the major environmental stories of 2007. Online coverage was astounding and radio and television was quick to follow. The global reach has been observed in articles published in India, Australia and across North America.People around the world are buzzing about products on the “green” market. This heightened interest in the environment has revealed consumer skepticism and savvy around environmental marketing claims. If left unchecked, this kind of distrust of environmental marketing claims has the potential to hurt the planet and the market share for truly environmentally preferable products. TerraChoice’s President and CEO Scott McDougall has termed this trend the “Seventh Lesson of the Six Sins.” Read more about the warnings issued from this seventh lesson in our latest issue of EcoMarketer and stay tuned for advice on honest and effective eco-marketing.

As temperatures gradually rise around the globe, some countries are leading the way in finding sustainable business solutions to help tackle the climate crisis.

Leaders from the government, corporate and not-for-profit sectors met in Canberra, Australia, this past May for the 9^th annual National Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Development to talk about recent accomplishments and developments in green biz. The Honourable Kevin Rudd MP, Prime Minister of Australia, gave the keynote address at the Forum, where the aim was to accelerate uptake of sustainable practices and facilitate partnerships in this endeavour. (Notable speakers from previous forums include former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Al Gore and renowned primatologist Jane Goodall.)  A keynote speaker at this year’s forum, President and Chief Executive Officer of TerraChoice Environmental Marketing Scott McDougall spoke about the threats “greenwashing” poses to business and environmental policy, but also about the opportunities this presents to marketers. 

“If greenwashing goes unmitigated, this will be a great loss for business and the planet,” says Scott. “There are, however, significant informative and honest environmental claims that marketers can use to continue building great relationships with consumers.”

To read more about the National Business Leaders Form, visit www.nblf.com.au, and click here for tips on how to avoid “greenwashing.”