While the first wave of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting was driven by a desire to mitigate risks and bolster reputations among investors, the rapid growth in the number of CSR reports has been driven by a realisation that they can deliver numerous business benefits. But what are these benefits, how do you maximise them and, just as importantly, how do you measure them and prove they exist?

Recent hand-wringing about the costs associated with ethanol and other biofuels overlooks the urgency of finding alternatives to petroleum.  Only a year ago, biofuels were considered the silver-bullet solution to all energy woes. Today, that same bullet is being blamed for a rise in global food prices, leading to greater poverty and social unrest. The fact is neither assertion is true.

Greening your inventory is a way to offer products and service big-box stores can't compete with and your customers will take notice. Offering green items is part of a plan entrepreneur Bill Snider of the American ‘Ace Hardware’ store has to gain an edge on larger businesses like OSH, Home Depot and Wal-Mart.

Every printer vendor these days claims to be more environmentally friendly than its rivals. They are aware of the wasteful reputation of their technologies and for years have been fielding claims about the verdancy of their products and solutions.