Just as we thought that the green message was finally getting across to businesses everywhere, the recent sacking of an executive at one of Britain's largest residential property investment companies for his strong environmental views, acts as a timely reminder that we may have some distance still to go.
Tim Nicholson, of Grainger Plc, has now been given the green light to sue his former employers for unfair dismissal, on the basis that he was sacked for holding a green philosophy. Ironically, Nicholson was Grainger's Head of Sustainability.
Nicholson cited in evidence the conflict that arose when he criticised the CEO for flying a member of staff to Ireland to hand deliver his BlackBerry that he had left in London.
For new businesses that are still finding their feet in the current economic slump, the size of their profit margin may be more of a concern than their carbon footprint. So how can budding businesses ensure they stay in the green and out of the red?
Christian Arno, founder and Managing Director of Lingo24 - an online translation services company committed to green principles - has some advice for young businesses intent on success within a green philosophy.
"When I launched Lingo24 in 2001, it was always my intention to run a tight, environmentally friendly ship. We are in a fortunate position in that our only product is translations. This means that we almost always receive the source text electronically and return the translated text electronically too. There's next to no paper involved and no postage costs. It's a very cost-effective business model."
But what about businesses that aren't in the translation industry? Is there any general advice that can help them to stay green and keep their costs down?
"One of the biggest expenses many companies have is transporting people for meetings", says Arno. "But with internet technology, travel can be kept to the minimum. Using VoIP software, instant messaging, email and telephone conferencing services is much cheaper than flying a team of executives to London for a one-hour meeting."
"I'm not saying that businesses should avoid travelling at all costs", says Arno. "There will be situations when it is inevitable. Our policy at Lingo24 is to use the train for travel within the UK. I can get a lot more work done on a five hour, uninterrupted train journey from Edinburgh to London than I could if I chose to fly. Not only is there the benefit of free internet on the train, but with getting to the airport, checking in, going through security, queuing to get on the flight - that really only leaves me with an hour to work."
So Wi-Fi access on the train and telephone and video-conferencing can all be positively profitable. How else can modern technology help businesses keep costs to a minimum?
Lingo24 aims to run paperless office systems as far as possible. "All our documents are stored remotely in a secure central hub in cyberspace. Our staff in the UK, Panama, Romania, China and New Zealand all have access to the same customer database and online ordering system, meaning we never have to post, courier or fax any documents anywhere. This creates substantial savings for us."
Many more companies could use the same application, Arno believes. "Remote storage saves on office space, furniture and staff time. With encryption it's just as safe as physical storage, if not safer."
"It's not about being tight and going to ridiculous lengths to save a penny, it's about cutting out all the unnecessary waste of time, money and energy that many companies have traditionally created. In the age of the internet, there really is no reason why all businesses can't adopt a green ethos."
Through a combination of internet technology and a genuine desire to make a difference, all new businesses could apply environmentally-friendly principles without compromising their long term financial stability - and it can be actually more cost effective to go green.
For more information visit www.lingo24.com
