by Karlson Hargroves and Michael H. Smith (Earthscan Publications, 2005)

Anyone interested in the business of building a bright green future needs to read this book. Itï¿œs an absolutely critical overview of our progress thus far toward sustainability, with 500-plus information-packed pages on whatï¿œs working best; pragmatic examinations of best practices in business and government; issue-wrangling essays on profitable climate solutions, greening the built environment, and sustainable transportation; probing inquiries into institutional responsibility for major planetary problems; and studies evaluating new industrial and regulatory models.

Itï¿œs not beach reading, and indeed, unless you plan to make green business or governance your calling, itï¿œs probably not a book you need on your shelf. But if you are serious about organizational change, itï¿œs a treasure chest of hard evidence that better ideas can work.

According to the authors, ï¿œGovernment eco-efficiency programmes can be especially helpful for small to medium sized business, which make up a significant percentage of the business sector in any country. Fields like energy efficiency are moving so fast that if firms have not checked what is best practice within six months they will probably be out of date. Most small business do not have the time or resources to source the best information, let alone the funds. It makes sense then for governments to address these information and market failures to help them implement resource productivity programmes wisely.ï¿œ