Chapter One Of Esty And Winston’S Research Novel, “Green

Chapter one of Esty and Winston’s research novel, â€Å"Green to Gold†, introduced the text’s central theme of the analysis of several businesses and their levels of sustainability, which is defined as the avoidance of the depletion of natural resources. In the past, companies were viewed as simple money-making enterprises; their only purpose was to provide goods and services to the masses. They were held to virtually no responsibilities to the public outside of that goal. In recent year, however, the viewpoint on a company’s duty to both local and global community has immensely shifted. Enterprises, big and small, are now held to higher standards: they can no longer just produce. Government and consumers alike are demanding more from†¦show more content†¦The researchers of â€Å"Green to Gold† have put together three viable reasons for, as they say, â€Å"adding the environmental lens† to business practices (Esty and Winston 11): 1. Upside benefits: Using Toyota as a primary example, Esty and Winston argued that a company’s decision to â€Å"go green† will more likely pique the interest of the public and influence them to buy. Toyota’s successful hybrid Prius, named Motor Trend’s 2004’s Car of the Year, is define this argument (Esty and Winston 11). Toyota’s intentional deviation from the advertisement ploys used by competitors (focusing on size, speed, performance, ect.) and emphasizes on â€Å"green† delivered them record breaking profits. Toyota saw the beginnings of a change in wants in their consumers and took full advantage. Toyota’s, along with BP, willingness to adapt and â€Å"go green† put them above their competitors, making them appear more innovative and entrepreneurial. 2. Downside Risks: In this section, the research of â€Å"Green to Gold† illustrate the potential to cut business costs by producing more environmentally friendly products: redesigning a process to use less energy can lead to lower oil and gas costs (Esty and Winston 13). They also speak of certain companies’ recognitions of themselves as â€Å"prisoner(s) of the market† (Esty and Winston 12). Both Shell’s head executive Albert Bressand and Wal-Mart’s CEO Lee Scott understand that they must abide to