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.”

Part of being an effective environmental marketing agency is conducting ongoing, meaningful, primary research. Once a year TerraChoice surveys a wide sample of procurement professionals for an EcoMarkets report to determine the state of green purchasing and analyze year-over-year trends. The full EcoMarkets 2008 report is due out in June, but a few of the conclusions are available now. Here’s some of what TerraChoice found out in 2008:

• 31% of respondents indicated that at least 40% of spending is ‘green’ influenced
• 25% of organizations surveyed have formal green purchasing policies - up from 22% in 2007
• 72% of purchasers surveyed feel that ecolabels help purchasing decisions
• The single biggest factor that respondents said would facilitate more green purchasing is more training and education on how to buy eco-friendly products and services

This year’s EcoMarkets study surveyed 336 procurement professionals, with roughly half located in the US and half located in Canada. Stay tuned for the full report, which will appear on the Responsible Purchasing site. In the meantime, TerraChoice and the Responsible Purchasing Network hosted a webcast on May 28th with more of the study results discussed. A webcast video is available.

If you’re a procurement professional interested in participating in future studies, please contact the TerraChoice EcoLogo Procurement Think Tank at thinktank@ecologo.org.

The Greenwash Brigade hit the nail on the head recently with their commentary on a public radio interview with Seventh Generation’s Jeffrey Hollender. Namely: it’s extremely hard for consumers to uncover greenwashing on their own. If you’re knowledgeable on environmental issues, you can make reasonable guesses about when a marketing claim may be suspect. But trying to get specific environmental information about a product is exceedingly difficult.

First, there are so many things that go into whether a product should be considered environmentally friendly. How was it manufactured? How is it packaged? How was it transported? Is it recyclable?

Second, it’s difficult to find a credible source with information on a product’s environmental impact. Who is documenting this stuff? Are they trustworthy?

Interestingly, the topic fits well into a discussion TerraChoice’s Scot Case had with the Federal Trade Commission recently. The FTC is revamping its Environmental Marketing Claims Guidelines and is currently hearing testimony from experts as they deliberate. Scot was on a panel regarding the need for FTC guidance and made one critical recommendation. Since consumers are demanding proof of green claims, companies should be required to provide it – either with data and evidence on their websites or through third-party certification.

In others words, consumers shouldn’t be stuck with the burden of research. Companies should help make the information consumers need easily available.

Note: For your listening pleasure, there’s a recorded webcast from the FTC event mentioned above.

OfficeMax had some really cool news out last week. The green-savvy retailer has partnered with the award-winning, green start-up company TerraCycle. OfficeMax is launching the partnership with seven TerraCycle products including a line of EcoLogo-certified, TerraCycle Natural Cleaners. Besides being plant-based, non-toxic and biodegradable, these cleaners are packaged directly in used soda bottles! Talk about innovative recycling.

TerraCycle has a storied if still-short history in bringing eco-friendly products to market. The company, founded by 25-year-old Tom Szaky started out with worm poop plant food, making it big with distribution through WalMart and The Home Depot in 2005.

Meanwhile OfficeMax is one of several retailers on a quest to become one of the greenest big-box stores around. And as more and more retailers fight for top green honors, certifications from accredited ecolabelers like EcoLogo grow increasingly important for retail suppliers. TerraCycle certainly makes for tough supplier competition.

Last week the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE) published its latest report on the efforts of federal agencies to adopt more environmentally-friendly practices. The report comes out every two years and covers a wide range of environmental impact areas. Among the findings: by the end of fiscal year 2006, “most of the largest [federal] purchasing agencies, as well as many of the other executive agencies, had developed or were developing comprehensive integrated green purchasing programs.” That’s great news because it means governmental organizations should drive growth in green manufacturing. Earlier this year I referenced the Department of Defense’s green procurement policy and the associated financial incentive for the DOD’s suppliers to offer green products. Clearly financial incentives to go green have expanded significantly across the government sector.

The OFEE also went beyond tracking the purchasing plans of federal agencies in its report and attempted to measure where implementations of new green purchasing policies have been successful. For example, federal agencies are now actively seeking computer products that reduce standby power. It is estimated that bringing power consumption down on standby mode could save taxpayers more than $400 million in annual energy costs over the next six years, and should save enough equivalent energy to power 630,000 homes for one year.

Other examples of success include an increase in the number of biobased products (cleaning products, solvents, etc.) being used and tested by federal agencies, and the fact that the IRS prints all annual income tax forms on recycled content paper.

All in all, there is more green purchasing going on. And more green purchasing means more money in the green supply chain.

On the day we celebrate the Earth, it only seems appropriate to recognize a few companies doing their part to keep our planet healthy. Below are the latest green activities from companies participating in the EcoLogo program. Diamant, Cascades and Hewlett Packard have all made long-term commitments to environmentalism. Here is what they’re doing on one particular day of the year. Happy Earth Day, everyone.

Diamant: Diamant Corporation makes recyclable plastic food wrap that contains no plasticizer and no chlorine. The company’s been busy making a lot of news of late, and today has an announcement out stating it has completed initial trials for new bio-degrading plastic bottles. That’s right, bio-degradable plastic bottles. If you’ve had a hard time giving up the plastic water bottle habit, take heart. There may be an eco-friendly solution in the near future.

Cascades: Cascades is known for its green paper products and packaging materials, and has published its own annual sustainable development report since 2004. Today the company announced that its Rockland line of colored paper will contain up to 100% recycled fiber. Pretty colors and eco-friendly - comes in green and many other shades.

Hewlett Packard: HP has a long, long history of environmentalism, not only creating products, but also acting as a resource and inspiration for many green initiatives. In honor of Earth Day, HP published this month a guide to energy efficiency in the workplace. Did you know duplex printing can reduce paper consumption by 25%? The full guide is available on the HP website.

Just in time for Earth Day, GreenYour Media LLC has announced the beta launch of its new GreenYour.com site. Better than Googling, GreenYour.com lets consumers search for green product and lifestyle alternatives by category or keyword. Type in Green Your “Hair”, for example, and up pops facts on shampoo and hair dye as well as tips and product recommendations.

The new green search site is noteworthy for its comprehensive criteria in determining whether or not a product is eco-friendly. Green attributes are considered as well as green yield, which is defined as the ability of a product to help consumers reduce waste and environmental impact. Products are also considered green when they have been certified and labeled by a credible environmental organization. In other words, the folks behind GreenYour.com are looking to help clear up consumer confusion around ecolabeling and combat greenwashing by clearly identifying products that meet reliable environmental standards. In its list of credible standards, GreenYour.com includes EcoLogo, Green Seal, the EPA’s Energy Star program, USDA Organic, Greenguard and the Forest Stewardship Council.

GreenYour.com apparently has great plans for the future. Since it is built on an open-source content development platform, the creators of the site are clearly intending to make it accessible to outside sources for content contribution. According to the press release, “Next, we will introduce a range of interactive tools and partnerships.”

Oh, and GreenYour.com has a blog too. Welcome to the blogosphere.

First there was green marketing, and then there was greenwashing. Now the pendulum is swinging back again. According to a new study by Burst Media (via Green Daily), consumers are growing wise to green advertising claims. More than 20% of survey respondents said they seldom or never believe environmental claims in product ads, and two-thirds said they only “sometimes” believe.

So is consumer skepticism good or bad? Probably both.

Given the level of greenwashing in the market, it’s a good thing that consumers aren’t falling for every green marketing trick. However, the entire purpose of environmental labeling is to make environmentally-friendly choices available and apparent to the public. If consumers disregard all green advertising, it means many of them are foregoing potentially eco-friendly product alternatives. It’s important to bring clarity and transparency to ecolabelling… before consumers turn away altogether.

Fortunately, there are resources for consumers seeking a little truth in marketing. In addition to looking for accredited environmental labels like EcoLogo, consumers can visit (and contribute to) sites like the new Greenwashing Index. The Greenwashing Index aims to collect and publish examples of greenwashing in product ads. The site’s criteria for greenwashing covers a lot of the same ground as the TerraChoice “Six Sins of Greenwashing” report. For example, the site talks about ads that make green claims that are “vague or seemingly unprovable.” This matches up well with the Sin of Vagueness and the Sin of No Proof.

The more it’s possible to separate the green from the greenwash, the more consumers will buy green products when they hit the stores. Healthy skepticism is good. Giving up on green is not.