Yes folks, it is true. IBM has been recognized for the second year in a row, as the Greenest company in the US, by Newsweek’s Green Rankings Survey. Out of 500 US companies being Surveyed, IBM came out on top.
“Environmental sustainability benefits our clients, our company and the planet, and we are constantly striving for continual improvement,” said Wayne Balta, IBM’s Vice President of Corporate Environmental Affairs and Product Safety.
The criteria included: their environmental impact, environmental management and sustainability disclosure. IBM definitely earned the number 1 spot due to their forward thinking initiative: Smarter Planet. It highlights how forward thinking leaders in Business can use smarter systems to achieve greater economic growth and sustainability. IBM suggests that if corporations can improve on creating greener buildings, use smart grids, use better water management systems, and find better ways to tackle traffic congestion, we will have a smarter planet. IBM measures and reduces resource consumption for it’s clients in order to help them save the environment and their money. IBM is now providing better management systems and technology to other firms to encourage “being green”. According to the Newsweek Survey, “At its Zurich lab, water that cools a supercomputer is used to warm nearby buildings”. IBM executives are doing interviews, speeches, and getting the word out on their forward thinking opportunities.
There is a lot that is bugging me about this whole Smarter Planet concept. First of all, does IBM actually want to improve the planet, or is it just trying to use all this marketing and publicity to silence stakeholders that are adamant on IBM being a socially responsible entity? Also, do you all think that the “Smarter Planet” concept will really raise awareness and make a difference for many companies or do you think it will fade away after it’s 15 minutes of fame? Thoughts?
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/39204.wss
http://greateribm.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/newsweek-votes-ibm-greenest-company-in-the-us/
http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/overview/ideas/index.html?re=sph