According to a Financial Times article, P&G sets 'greener' products targets, "Procter & Gamble has set itself a target for environmentally targeted products, marking what senior executives describe as a major evolution in the corporate philosophy of the world's largest consumer products company."


Wow! This is an interesting proposition, and if anybody out there thinks the green movement is a flash in a pan, well, the world's largest consumer products company, doesn't, and it's doing something about it. Every company doing business today should heed this call to action, too, because P&G is pointing to the future with its new positioning.
That's what I said: new positioning. Get this: P&G is also changing its purpose statement, which currently reads that the company wishes to "improve the lives of the world's consumers with its branded products and services"–by adding this important language--"now and for generations to come."
This kind of reminds me of the positioning of a much smaller, but vibrant company, S.C. Johnson, and its environmental statements. Proving once again that companies large and small can make a positive impact on the environment, even as they ring up sales and profits.
Lest anyone out there thinks this is all hot air, P&G CEO AG Lafley is a very purposeful chief executive; one with definite goals and a way of achieving them. According to the article, "It is believed to be the first time a consumer products company has set itself a financial target for developing and selling new "greener" items, rather than for waste or energy reduction."
Susan Arnold, head of P&G global brands described this as "a huge change" and went on to state: "We have to develop environmentally sustainable products that delight the consumer–they want us to deliver the same great products at the same great prices."
P&G plans to add a new statement into its operations. The company intends to "incorporate sustainability into our products, packaging and operations." The company is also working to reduce its waste, energy and water consumption by 10% by 2012, resulting in a projected 30% reduction over 10 years.
Kudos to P&G. What do you think of this development? Will you be more likely to purchase products from a company that incorporates more environmentally friendly policies?