Andy Bateman, Interbrand; Rich Lechner, IBM; Amy Skoczlas-Cole, eBay; William Swope, Intel
A panel discussion chaired by Andy Bateman, CEO, Interbrand NY
Speakers:
- Richard Lechner, VP, Energy & Environment, IBM
- Amy Skoczlas-Cole, Director, eBay Green Team
- William Swope, VP & General Manager, Corporate Sustainability Group, Intel
Presentation outline:
How are technology companies wrestling with the challenge of leveraging sustainability into their brands?
The Green Dilemma – The Elephant in the room
It seems that there is a reticence by firms to promote or even talk too much about the actions they are taking to respond to the environmental challenge. The general reluctance is borne of the idea that raising their profile in this area will cause greater scrutiny of their total environmental and business impact. Today, firms have no choice but to talk about what they’re doing. Silence will lead to the perception that they aren’t doing anything or will be underutilizing a huge asset. How are firms navigating this dilemma?
The Technologist’s Dilemma – Doing Good or just creating more stuff?
While there is no doubt that technology firms can enable the greater good when it comes to environmental solutions, there is also a sense that technology simply creates more ‘stuff’. More stuff equals more harmful manufacturing, more power consumption, and so on. How are technology firms and the industry at large tackling this dilemma?
Where are all my green products?
When we get beyond all the corporate missions and brand campaigns, there seems to be a startling lack of actual green products and services. For sure, products are getting greener, but when will we start to see truly green products and brands (products and services that have a zero or net positive environmental impact and are marketed as such)?