GreenBiz just released their 12th State of Green Business report, which takes a hard look at where corporate sustainability practices stand worldwide, as well as outlining a number of trends to watch for in 2019.

Thank you to Jen White for bringing this report to our attention!Her newsletter, GreenTalks, is one of my must-reads. 

In 2017, 85% of S&P 500 companies published a sustainability report, up 20% from 2013. This is good news and much like our 2019 Garden Trends Report, this State of the Green Business report looks positive. 

Read more to see what the top 10 top trends in green business are.

1. Corporate sustainability programs are here to stay. Sustainability and sustainability experts have permeated every part of operations—they don’t just live in the “sustainability department” now.
2. Reuse is making a comeback. More companies are giving things a second life—be it packaging or excess materials.
3. Soil quality. Yes, you read that right. Greenbiz says soil quality is getting increasing attention in the sustainability world. They see more companies—both those in agriculture and those who indirectly impact soil quality through their sourcing—investing in healthy soil. Why? Well, the Earth is losing fertile soil at a staggering rate—and that’s bad for the food chain and the climate. Who’s doing it? General Mills, Land O’Lakes, Patagonia and the Soil Health Institute, which has several multinational corporations it works with.
4. Corporations acting on deforestation.
5. Electric buses and trucks are on the rise.
6. Companies doubling down on energy production.
7. Green and sustainability loans. Companies with good sustainability metrics are getting lower lending rates with these special loans.
8. Super pollutants becoming more important. Greenbiz sees a bigger effort being made to deal with greenhouse gases such as methane, CFCs and HFCs.
9. Climate-risk disclosure taking investors by storm. More companies are disclosing data related to climate risk, and investors are paying attention. Plus 58 stock exchanges now have environmental listing requirements.
10. Science-based targets that look beyond carbon. Organizations are coming together to set goals for reducing environmental impacts on water, land use and biodiversity.

To learn more about trends in the green industry, download our 2019 Garden Trends Report