Featured Companies
Portfolio 21 invests in companies that are sustainability leaders; all companies must pass our rigorous company evaluation criteria. The following profiles of Portfolio 21 companies represent a sampling of some of our latest sustainability research. Companies are continually added to the fund and new profiles will be featured quarterly.
Google, a technology company best known for its internet search engine, also provides a variety of business software tools, such as word processor and spreadsheet services. In an effort to manage its energy use and associated carbon emissions, Google has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2008 and is a member of the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. The company has developed a solution to reduce energy use in computers by using a simple 12 volt power supply rather than an alternating current (AC). Google's power supplies run at 90% efficiency or better instead of the typical efficiency of 60-70%, which results in significant energy savings. Google has implemented this technology in its server farms and is advocating for an industry-wide PC standard that uses this approach.
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Gushan Environmental Energy
Gushan Environmental utilizes waste oil and vegetable offal (a waste by-product of vegetable oil production) to produce biodiesel. The company has established production plants around China and obtains its waste feedstock from local suppliers, serving a regional populace and reducing the company's overall environmental impact. In addition, the company sells the byproducts of biodiesel production, making complete use of its feedstock and reducing its waste.
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Tandberg
Tandberg is a communications company specializing in video conferencing hardware and software for both small groups and large meeting rooms. The company's technology allows for reduced travel and improved virtual communication, resulting in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Tandberg notes [of its products]: "By reducing unnecessary business travel, our videoconferencing telepresence and mobile solutions help organizations become more environmentally responsible while improving their competitive advantage."
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