What was the background to writing the book?

My purpose was to answer questions and clear up confusion that company managers have — especially when it comes to their business success and their stakeholder relationships — regarding the rising issue of climate change and carbon constraint.

Has Thinking Green come to the forefront n many large corporations?

It has risen in importance as a top management issue because of the attention given to global warming and carbon constraint.

How has carbon beeen brought into the discussion?

For the first time in history, scientists, environmental activists and politicians have encouraged companies as well as the public to consider carbon dioxide emissions as a major contributor to global climate change.

How has political activism affected corporate green thinking?

Political activism moves toward government requirements. Companies are motivated to think through the government endgame and to work with the politicians, or office holders, toward rational achievement of green goals.

Are investors placing more pressure...?

Investor groups, stimulated by green advocates, have introduced many dozens of stockholder resolutions pushing management toward climate change and sustainability positions. Investors in some companies are at the same time cautioning management about political commitments and costs that can hurt the viability of businesses.

How are environmentally aware executives making a difference...?

One general example is the involvement of executives in the political process, working with environmental groups and Congress on proposed climate change legislation. Within specific companies, a great many examples of top management commitment and actions are out there; I give details of 42 "benchmark" companies in my book.

Is the public expecting more sustainability from corporations and are companies communicating...?

Yes to both questions, but here’s the problem: Sustainability has become such an overused word that it has lost a lot of precision and relevance. I talk about corporate sustainability and I define it as balancing three accountabilities — economic, social and political. A company has to do all three to stay viable. The book is largely about how corporate greening works into all three.

What is the next frontier for corporate greening...?

Let’s just consider the war on carbon as the new frontier. Company management must deal with the fact that carbon constraint will put greening into new contexts, linked in new ways to essential energy economics, and to new technologies, products, processes and markets. The big question, which I try to make very practical in the book, is how does the company deal with risk as well as opportunity as it steps onto this new and largely unexplored landscape?

What is next for Bruce Harrison?

As an adjunct professor at the university level, I’m interested in what’s happening with crises in business. Every day there seems to be a new crisis. Social media seems to be changing public perception and raising management communication challenges. I’m thinking there may be a book in there — along with two other areas that I'm not ready to get into just yet.

Wayne, thanks for asking!