When consumers can know the footprint of a product -- not merely the carbon footprint -- but the full enviro-footprint of every stage from extraction of materials, to converging of materials to production to packaging to shipping through use and disposal for every component of every product (at least for mass produced products) than consumers will begin choosing the better choices from an environmental perspective.
We studies dozens of companies during our four years of research. A few have not evolved in their thinking since the 1970s. They are still grousing about legislation and complying with it grudgingly. Others have begun to see the business opportunities in going "beyond compliance." A few have embarked on bold new initiatives to provide solutions to the world's environmental ills-like GE's plan to sell renewable energy, efficient power generation, water purification, and much more.