'Best Green Companies'

For two years, The Times newspaper (UK) has run a contest to find the best green companies and this year's results have just been published. Rather than summarise them, here is a link to the site:
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/related_reports/best_green_companies/tables/

The rankings were derived from two surveys. First, a management survey, which accounted for 70% of the final ranking. It covered environmental management policies, environmental training and internal consultation, energy consumption, waste production and recycling. It also considered efforts to promote environmental initiatives within business supply chains. Second, an employee survey, which accounted for 30% of the ranking. It asked staff to respond to 52 statements about their employer, each in one of four broad areas: policies and systems, training and motivation, reporting and communications and environmental performance.

To give a flavour of the contest, here are extracts from a couple of companies - Sanska and Tesco - from very different industries.
1. Skanska UK. Top-rated construction company. Overall rating: 4/60.
'As a leading global construction company, almost everything Skanska does affects the environment. In the UK the firm works on large projects such as the Channel tunnel rail link and widening of the M1, as well as thousands of smaller ones. It also digs hundreds of holes each day to replace and renew the gas, water, electricity and telephone lines up and down the country. The company does everything it can to minimise its environmental impact, earning it a positive green score of 81% in our staff survey. To ensure its policies are known and understood from the outset all staff get environmental training when they join and they say it is not only adequate (77%) but also makes them think differently about what they do at home (78%). ... A waste assessment is carried out on all projects with a subsequent management plan sent to employees and subcontractors. Waste is segregated on sites and excavated materials are used to make underground floor slabs or used in permanent landscaping.'

2. Tesco. Top-rated supermarket chain. Overall rating: 15/60.
Tesco is the most environmentally friendly supermarket in the country. The firm, which wins our award for being the best big company for corporate environmental strategy, has invested £115m in energy-saving technology for its stores in the past two years and is working hard to create the zero carbon supermarket of the future. ... The firm's flagship low-carbon supermarket in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, has exceeded its proposed CO2 reduction targets of 50% by a further 20 percentage points. "The Cheetham store is part of the evolution of technologies and ideas that we want to move on to future stores," says programme manager Jake Ronay. "We want to raise the bar, but I think a 70% reduction since 2006 is a fantastic achievement." A closer analysis shows that a 31% reduction has been achieved through energy efficiency, 20% by using natural refrigeration and another 20% through renewable energy. Onsite wind turbines power the sign at the front of the building and a combined cooling, heating and power plant provides 25% of the store's electrical needs, as well as 50% of its refrigeration. The plant is run on vegetable oil, reducing carbon emissions by 78%. The supermarket also harvests rainwater from the roof, which supplies the store with 50% of its toilet flushing requirements. Built with wood from sustainable forests, a glass front and roof lights allow the building to make maximum use of natural light. Store lights automatically dim or switch off depending on the availability of sunlight, ensuring an 8% energy saving.'