Best In-Class: Environmental Credos Worthy of Emulation

The following three companies communicate and propagate an exemplary sustainability policy.

Will + Perkins: This architecture firm refers to its environmental credo as its “vision,” which is echoed by company’s outspoken commitment to designing “ideas + buildings that honor the broader goals of society.”
By intertwining their credo with their core identity, the company’s executives have developed a brand in which their commitment to clients and their commitment to the environment are one in the same.

Wal-Mart: This big-box behemoth has a dedicated microsite for communicating its sustainability mission (www.walmartstores.com/sustainability), which is “to become a better company by looking at every facet of our business—from the products we offer to the energy we use—through the lens of sustainability.”

The company’s executives integrated this credo into every facet of the business, and the microsite reflects this: It hosts videos featuring top executives discussing various aspects of sustainability, a sustainability news feed, updates to sustainability milestone meetings and a photo gallery.

Timberland: The company has been a leader in the environmental movement ever since it was founded (its logo is a tree, after all), and it continues to communicate this commitment through its “Environmental Stewardship” efforts.
The portion of the Web site dedicated to environmental stewardship quotes a Greek proverb, which reads: “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” The Timberland team embodies this philosophy by cultivating a brand that is also a lifestyle—a lifestyle that they live and breathe every day. —PR News Editors