We all love Mother Earth. If the devil is in the details, he applies here as he does in most areas of life and business, how do we move to the next step of a greener world? What does it really mean for your company to operate in a greener world and how soon will it happen? Logically, most companies will see some benefits (good), some drawbacks (bad), and some will face major problems (ugly).

Consider how the following seven strategic “green energy” trends will affect your industry and your business in particular.

1. Case studies of core benefits of sustainable pioneers going green are beginning to appear in the Wall Street Journal, other major trade publications, and possibly your local newspaper.
2. Technology can help. Website and software tools are available to calculate your company’s carbon footprint, as one of the first steps in understanding the various aspects of going green for your company. That capability can help a company research, define, and then estimate its carbon footprint. The ability to include your entire global supply chain helps you better plan the transition to a greener carbon footprint. Basically, this quantifies target emissions for reduction to some government mandated level for your industry or country.
3. After estimating the carbon emission of your carbon footprint against the mandated amount, the carbon tax can be estimated at a given carbon tax rate per ton. A footnote will be published soon and then the responsibility of the carbon footprint will be registered. This will be huge for some companies. The higher the amount of carbon footprint and the higher the tax rate, the higher the tax liability for targeted industries.
4. Think of generations past people protesting the Vietnam War or chaining themselves to trees to prevent logging operations. Businesses need to better understand the passion, even fervor, of green energy advocates who are demanding that companies formulate and implement green initiatives.
5. A “greenwashing” backlash is developing as clean energy advocates think corporate green claims are exaggerated. Remember, they define how green your activities should be, not your executives.
6. You’ll soon feel pressure from your largest customers to meet the greener mandates they’ve set. If you want to continue doing business with a number of blue chip companies, you will meet your greener operations goals as part of your strategic planning. Since it’s easier for corporate-level executives and strategists to make a decision than it is for their vendors to make those strategies work, be prepared.
7. Many clean energy advocates are concerned about the backlash already building against going green. As more details of the magnitude and cost of the proposed carbon tax legislation and the extent of its use of proceeds for purposes approved by congressional leadership or not related to job creation become apparent, is generating a backlash against that congressional leadership plan. To the extent that the job-creation rationale is actually used to fund a welfare tax, the backlash will accelerate.

Advocates see a long overdue environmental transition. Other experts worry that the carbon tax being discussed will destroy more jobs than are created in the green sector. Whatever tax is enacted and undoubtedly revised, businesses must plan and prepare for a variety of conditions, from huge benefits and opportunities to a substantial, even massive, increase in associated costs that such a tax will produce. All industries and most companies will see good, bad or ugly aspects of the greener world. How prepared are you?