Green Tech & Greenwash Warnings at Green Technology World Conference

Last month brought TMC’s first Green Technology World Conference to Los Angeles. The event was aimed at educating attendees about how to create a positive impact on both their businesses and the environment – but is the industry ready?

PCMag reported a disappointing turnout that indicated that “‘greening’ technology remains a low priority.” The biggest challenge to changing that mindset is the cost-effectiveness of adopting green strategies.

Conference keynote speaker Joan Vandermate of Polycom, told PC Magazine:

Everybody will say that it’s a good thing to do, but if there’s any invest required, whether it’s an investment of actual dollars or having to assign an employee to do something—in there’s any sort of actual effort involved, then there has to be a payback.

This mentality, speakers warned, can prompt greenwashing – spinning green – rather than truly green initiatives. In order to combat the ‘green is more expensive’ expectations, the conference focused on initiatives with immediate financial benefits – among them simple energy-saving strategies and optimizing virtual communications to cut down on air and car travel.

The conference kicked off with speaker Rick Snyder, president of Tandberg, a virtual communication company. Mr. Snyder’s contribution was rooted in his company’s focus on helping other companies to “See Green.” Tandberg teamed up with research firm Ipsos MORI on one of the largest global research projects on consumer attitudes toward climate change and its impact on corporate brands. The results: consumers and employees reward green companies.

Other speakers noted that although green wasn’t yet a necessity for consumers, it was a high priority that is only expected to increase over the next 2 -10 years. That message was delivered with a program lineup that included Top Ten Ways to be GREEN through Better Networking, Maximizing Benefits of a Virtual Workforce, Empowering Teleworking with IP Telephony and Web Services and Virtual Meetings: A Faster Path to Lowered Emissions.

The take home message? Catch on to the benefits of going green or be left out of a changing market. The next Green Technology conference will be in Miami in January 2008.

Via Green Tech Speakers Warn of ‘Greenwashing’ at PCMag