Abstract
Ecomagination is GE’s commitment to address challenges such as the need for cleaner, more efficient sources of energy, reduced emissions, and abundant sources of clean water. And we plan to make money doing it. Increasingly for business, “green” is green (Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman and CEO of General Electric, in 2005).
Ecomagination is a milestone for a number of reasons, including that it’s a long-term commitment with specific targets made at the company’s highest level. GE has taken this process seriously and done its homework to make sure its claims and goals are credible (Joel Makower, sustainability consultant, in 2005).
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Notes
- 1.
GE Launches Ecomagination to Develop Environmental Technologies,‖http://www.nema.org, May 13, 2005. (accessed on October 31, 2006).
- 2.
In chemistry and manufacturing, electrolysis is a method of separating bonded elements and compounds by passing an electric current through them (http://www.wikipedia.com).
- 3.
Dollars ($) refers to US dollars in this case study.
- 4.
Between January 2006 and October 2006, the retail price of one gallon of gasoline ranged from $2.25 to $3.0 in the US. (from http://www.wikipedia.com).
- 5.
GE Ecomagination,‖ http://home.businesswire.com/,, May 17, 2006 (accessed on November 1, 2006).
- 6.
The Thomas-Houston Electric Company was founded in 1879 by Elihu Thomson and Edwin J. Houston. It was a competitor to EGEC, until the merger of the two companies.
- 7.
Under the ‘Number One Number Two’ strategy GE had to be one of the top two players in every segment in which it operated. If any business failed to meet this criterion, it was shut down or sold off.
- 8.
Amanda Griscom Little,―GE’s Green Gamble, Vanity Fair, July 12, 2006.
- 9.
Over the years, Crotonville became a major corporate training center. It was also the birthplace of several management techniques in strategic planning.
- 10.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or sometimes USEPA) is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and with safeguarding the natural environment: air, water, and land. The EPA began operating on December 2, 1970, when it was established by President Richard Nixon. (www.wikipedia.com).
- 11.
http://www.cleanupge.org/gemisdeeds.html (accessed on November 8, 2006).
- 12.
Amanda Griscom Little,―GE’s Green Gamble,‖ Vanity Fair, July 12, 2006.
- 13.
Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan,―Public Health Absurdities,‖ The Washington Times, December 30, 2005.
- 14.
The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change concerning the issues related to global warming. The countries that ratify the protocol commit themselves to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases, or to engage in emissions trading if they maintain or increase emissions of these gases. The treaty was negotiated in December 1997 and came into force on February 16, 2005. As of October 2006, there were 166 signatories to the treaty, but the US Congress had not yet ratified it. (www.wikipedia.com).
- 15.
G8 or the Group of Eight is an annual political summit meeting of the heads of government of eight of the most powerful countries in the world. The members are: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (from www.wikipedia.com).
- 16.
WTO or the World Trade Organization is an international, multilateral organization which sets the rules for the global trading system and resolves disputes between its member states. The headquarters of the WTO is in Geneva in Switzerland, and as of November 2006, the organization had 150 members (from www.wikipedia.com).
- 17.
Amanda Griscom Little,―GE’s Green Gamble,‖ Vanity Fair, July 12, 2006.
- 18.
Louis Lavelle,―GE’s Mile-Higher Governance Bar,‖ BusinessWeek, November 8, 2002.
- 19.
Marc Gunther,―Money and Morals at GE,‖ Fortune, November 15, 2004.
- 20.
The Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, launched in 1999, are a group of indexes which track the financial performance of companies which met detailed criteria for environmental, social, and financial sustainability. At the time GE debuted on it, around 300 other companies were listed on the various indexes.
- 21.
Amanda Griscom Little,―It Was Just My Ecomagination,‖ Grist, May 10, 2005, www.grist.org
- 22.
Joel Makower, Ecomagination: Inside GE’s Power Play,‖ World Changing, May 8, 2005. www.worldchanging.com
- 23.
GE Taps GreenOrder to Help Create Ecomagination,‖ World Wire, June 6, 2005. www.worldwire.com
- 24.
By mid-2006, the number of products under Ecomagination had increased to 30.
- 25.
Adapted from―Ecomagination background information,‖ www.draeger-stiftung.de/HG/internet/SD/pdf/eco_backgrounder_english.pdf/, May 4, 2005.
- 26.
GE‘s Ecomagination: Eco-friendly?‖ Environment, July-August, 2005.
- 27.
Amanda Griscom Little,―It Was Just My Ecomagination,‖ Grist, May 10, 2005, www.grist.org
- 28.
www.ge.com/en/company/companyinfo/advertising/eco_ads.htm (accessed on November 10, 2006).
- 29.
Ecomagination Leadership Award,‖ www.gewater.com/pdf/
- 30.
- 31.
Energy Star is a US government program to promote energy efficient consumer products. It is well known for its logo appearing on many computer products and peripherals. The program was created in 1992 by the EPA.
- 32.
- 33.
When It Comes To Being Green, GE Walks The Walk,‖ http://ge.bloggingstocks.com, May 23, 2006 (accessed November 1, 2006).
- 34.
GE Announces Plans for Largest Desalination Plant in Africa Plant will Provide Desperately Needed Drinking Water, Media Release, www.gewater.com/pdf/ June 25, 2005 (accessed November 10, 2005).
- 35.
GE Ecomagination Revenues Cross $10 Billion,‖ www.greenbiz.com, May 19, 2006 (accessed on October 31, 2006).
- 36.
The Greening of General Electric, The Economist, December 10, 2005.
- 37.
Amanda Griscom Little,―It Was Just My Ecomagination, Grist, May 10, 2005, www.grist.org
- 38.
Amanda Griscom Little,―It Was Just My Ecomagination, Grist, May 10, 2005, www.grist.org
- 39.
The Greening of General Electric, The Economist, December 10, 2005.
- 40.
The Greening of General Electric, The Economist, December 10, 2005.
- 41.
Imaginative Energy? http://www.halo-energy.com/analysis.htm (accessed November 3, 2004).
- 42.
GE Ecomagination Revenues Cross $10 Billion, www.greenbiz.com, May 19, 2006 (accessed on October 31, 2006).
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———. GE’s green gamble, Vanity Fair, July 12, 2006.
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When It Comes To Being Green, GE Walks The Walk., http://ge.bloggingstocks.com, May 23, 2006. Accessed 1 Nov 2006
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George, S.S., Regani, S. (2019). ‘Ecomagination’ at Work: GE’s Sustainability Initiative. In: Lenssen, G.G., Smith, N.C. (eds) Managing Sustainable Business. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1144-7_20
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