Green Companies 2009

Another day, another list. The Sunday Times has just published its list of Best Green Companies 2009. An interesting one, given that it's based, in part at least, on employee feedback rather than what the company tells the judges - so those companies that score highly are not only getting the message out there but also getting their employees to believe them. And there are some innovative ideas in there - like PWC's setting of personal carbon targets for its 1,600 most frequent travellers, and Coca-Cola Great Britain's provision of smart energy meters and lower cost renewable energy tariffs for its employees.

So far, so good. But there's a significant omission in the methodology. It gives the impression that a company's most significant environmental impact is an internal one. That turning down the thermostat at HQ and putting a grass roof on your building is going to outweigh the impacts that your products and services have on consumer behaviour.  It does nothing to reward the companies whose innovation and forward-thinking are actually helping consumers lead lower-carbon lives. Like Fiat's eco:Drive system, its in-car technology that gives personal feedback on your driving style and helps improve your efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. 

On the one hand, it's great to see some high impact industries are taking the management of their environmental impacts seriously (hats off to construction firms Willmott Dixon, Skanska and Carrillion for making the top 15) . But I'd like to see a special award next year for companies who have done the most to actually change consumer mind-sets - this is where the really big wins in terms of carbon savings are going to come from.