Lean and Green

IntroductionThe Myth That Environmental Practices Are Bad for Business

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We compare our environmental expenses to the estimated savings that result from the company’s pursuit of environmental leadership. The savings have offset the expenses by approximately two to one.

—Diana Lyon, program director,Corporate Environmental Affairs, IBM

THE saddest myth in 20th-century business circles was that protecting the environment was the enemy of profitability. Lean and Green dispels this myth by presenting evidence gathered from organizations around the world that profitable business and environmental protection go together. Had we upended this myth sooner, companies would have enjoyed greater efficiencies, consumers lower prices, and the planet healthier ...