Also, here are excerpts from an upcoming article:

Governments, industry, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have reported numerous “sustainability success stories” when, in reality, these programs or projects have done little more than reduce the rate of unsustainability. There is a big difference; one that is rarely communicated.

Environmental activists, once so proficient at influencing public opinion, are now challenged, if not bettered, by industry and governments that have hired talented individuals and applied significant resources to persuade all stakeholders and especially the media.

This point was driven home to me nearly a decade ago when the very first sustainable development vice presidents were assigned to their positions at corporate headquarters. I was intrigued that most had limited backgrounds in environmental science, regulation and technology, but were extensively trained in communication, marketing and product development. I concluded that they were hired to increase profits, build the brand and reduce the rate of unsustainability.

By shifting the discussion to sustainable development, companies have been able to both change public perceptions and make a profit by marketing “environmentally friendly” products that are, nonetheless, based on increasing consumption, at least for their brand of products. Sophisticated public reporting and/or partnerships with NGOs that industry once battled in the courts are now used to deliver this new generation of corporate messages.

These “win-win” strategies cost pennies on the dollar relative to significant manufacturing process changes or the building of yet another, even more elaborate, level of pollution control infrastructure. The danger to companies is that they start to believe their own headlines and ignore what it takes to be truly environmentally and socially responsible.