Friday, February 13, 2009

Sphinx Enterprises Ltd: A Wealth of Green Resources & Information


I like Sphinx Enterprises approach to corporate branding and to identity politics. I admire their efforts to identify, explore and promote prudent, manageable solutions to pressing environmental problems. And there's much to admire in Sphinx's logical approach to spreading the good word about fostering vibrant, sustainable places to work. I especially respond to their integrity; it can take courage to call a spade a spade and the folks at Sphinx seem to do it more unabashedly than most. Look at their use of the term "green washing" (an obvious play on "whitewashing") aimed at putting pretenders on notice right from their homepage:
We understand that you don’t have to sell green to be green; however, selling green products without greening your daily operations or making unsubstantiated claims regarding product attributes could lead to allegations of “green washing” and missing out on valuable cost savings.
Their website provides a wealth of information and vital green-themed links. I particularly admire their Resource Center which, in addition to providing a simple, easy to follow "Top 10" list of steps to "greening" small businesses, also includes an incisive, economic list of useful, informative links and even the elementary and entertaining "Story of Stuff" along with a half-dozen or so downloadable (pdf) articles ranging from policy/tech ("CEO Think Green") to uber-wonk ("Sustainability and ROI").

Headquartered in Chicago, IL, Sphinx Enterprises, Ltd. is a post-modern consulting firm providing, in their words
"business sustainability solutions and research for corporations, organizations and local living economies. We are business sustainability professionals and expert practitioners committed to meeting the needs of our clients and community by providing innovative, sustainable solutions that maximize business performance and profits while being environmentally and socially responsible."
Not convinced? You'd be hard-pressed to find a more spot on summary of the philosophical imperative underpinning the sustainability movement than their Local Living Economies/Mission Statement. All in all, on a 1 to 10 worth-your-while readability scale, for small businesses looking for legitimate ways to "go green," Eco Town gives the Sphinx Enterprises web presence a solid 9 as a place to start.

2 comments:

  1. thanks for the link.

    Bioregional is a similar organization in the UK.

    http://www.bioregional.com/

    They also do Sustainability scoring and advise clients on how to setup a sustainability action plan.

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  2. I'm familiar with BioRegional from their BedZED (Beddington Zero Energy Development) project which appears similar in nature to Transition Town Totnes referred to in the Peak Oil & The Transition Movement post from 2/9/09.

    Thanks for commenting. Your input is welcomed and appreciated.

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