Green Career Central Blog

Sustainability Career Trends: Just Means Ranks 1,000 Companies on Sustainability

Just Means, a news and media outlet for sustainability, has ranked 1,000 companies worldwide in order of their sustainability performance using four large factors--financial, Environmental performance indicators, Social performance indicators and Governance performance indicators.

In order to be considered for the ranking, companies had to:

• Be publicly traded on a major index,
• Have a market capitalization of at least $1 billion, and
• Produce a publicly available corporate social responsibility or sustainability report.

Here is more information about the methodology used in the ESG ranking. 

Five of the top ten companies were based in the US, the other five were European or Canadian.  Of the top five US companies, three were tech companies, the other two were healthcare.  The number one spot is held by pharmaceutical giant, Merck, the second spot by IBM. Here is the list of the other 998 companies.

Use this list to find companies in your area.  Research their corporate or sustainability report to see how it was done and where you could apply your strengths to become a valuable addition to their sustainability team. 

Green Career Tip: 5 Reasons Your Emails May Be Sabotaging Your Green Job Search

In my interactions with green job seekers and green career transitioners over the last four years, I have seen a lot of emails. Some have left me scratching my head…what were they thinking when they sent me that email? Let me explain.
 
Although email is generally a casual communication medium, as soon as you decide it’s time to search for a new job or transition into a new green career, it’s important to step up your game!
Remember:

• Your emails are one of the ways you make that all important first impression.

• Your emails also provide you with a great opportunity to stand out from a crowded field of candidates.

With just a few changes in your email habits, you can up the impact you have through your online correspondence. Use these questions to evaluate your own email habits. What changes do you need to make?

Click here to continue reading the rest of the article. 

Green Jobs Growing: EPA Launches Energy Star National Commercial Building Competition to Reduce Energy Use

The Environmental Protection Agency has launched a one-year Energy Star competition among 245 commercial buildings within the United States to reduce their energy usage.  A group of finalists, chosen in July, will compete for the title of 2011 Energy Star National Building. The winner, to be announced in November, will be the building that reduces it's energy usage intensity. 

In late July, EPA will narrow down the field to a select group of finalists. Among this group of finalists, the competitor that reduces its energy use the most on a percentage basis will be recognized by EPA as the winner in November.

Actions You Can Take

• To follow the progress, do a twitter search on #ESNBC.
  
  
• Track developments on their forum that resides on Facebook.

• Participate in the EPA's Bring Green to Your Work program. For instance, this part of their site provides everything you need to host a brown bag lunch in your workplace - tips sheets, posters, fast facts, and guidelines on how to start a green team at work. If you'd like to work in green building or energy efficiency, participating in this program will give you experience you can use to strengthen your green resume.

• If you work in building operations or want to work in a green building, scan the 245 buildings pictured in this photo array to see if any of them are located in your area. You can click on the SORT tab to pull up 12 different building categories from hotels to financial institutions and schools to hospitals. If you want a more extensive list, enter your state or city into the search function of the ENERGY STAR list of Certified Buildings and Plants.

Follow the Cleantech Money: SunPower to be Purchased by Total Oil and Gas for $2.3 Billion, Lincoln Renewable Energy Makes $41 Million Solar Power Deal, Axion Raises $7.6 Million

French oil and gas giant Total has made an offer to purchase photo voltaic solar panel maker, SunPower, for up to $2.3 billion.  The purchase will give SunPower the strength to compete more effectively in the global solar panel manufacturing business including reducing the costs of constructing solar power plants.   

Chicago based Lincoln Renewable Energy has made a $41 million deal with Macquarie Energy LLC to finance and construct a 10 megawatt solar power plant in New Jersey.  Macquarie Energy will enter into a long term purchase power agreement with Lincoln Renewable Energy as part of the deal.  The plant will be built in Cumberland County, Fairfield Township. 

Axion International has raised $7.6 million in funding to continue developing their manufacture of plastic building products, including railroad ties, using recycled milk jugs as feeder resource.