State of the Green Economy

STATE of the Consumer demand for eco-friendly products and services continues to grow, and enviro-concerned shoppers aren't afraid of premiums. But it's an increasingly crowded marketplace, and the growth of "greenwashing"-marketing products and services with unsubstantiated environmental GREEN ECONOMY claims-is making a lucrative market increasingly disillusioned. Still, even though entrepreneurs should move cautiously, there's probably never been a better time to go green. ENERGY 2011 marked record growth in wind technology, climbing from 4,008 megawatts generated to 5,265MW. Wind energy now produces enough electricity to power about 1.5 million homes annually. ($3.1 billion invested in wind technology in 2011, $4 billion projected for 2012) Energy demand is projected to increase by 34% by 2025. There are approximately 475 hydroelectricity generating stations across the country, representing 97% of renewable electricity. BUSINESSES AAAAAA Canada is the 7th-place ranked country in the world for the creation of green technology firms. 764% | 2600+ Canada is the 4th-place ranked country in the world for ethanol production. of Canadian green companies expect to hire additional full-time employees over the next five years. Canadian projects have registered for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification. (10,300 barrels per day) 682,000 1.03 Businesses spend an annual %$9.19 |BILLION new full-time positions are projected for the West Coast mega-region on environmental protection.. total Canadian employees currently work in the environmental industry. MILLION by 2020. A 2010 TerraChoice study PRODUCTS found that more than 95% of products claiming to be natural or eco-friendly are "greenwashed" in 80% (O Over the past few years, the number of green products available for purchase has jumped of households reported purchasing environmentally-friendly cleaning products. some way. A 2011 study by Cone Communications found that ........................... 75% 71% of consumers would stop buying a product if they were misled by an environmental claim. 80%- 80%-- Consumers pay an average premium of 25-65% for "green" products. 25% 65% There was an 80% drop in plastic bag demand after the 5-cent charge was implemented in Canadian grocery chains. 65,000 TONS D800 (42% of Canadian households now have a low-volume toilet. of toxic waste per year comes from discarded cell phones, equal to three small oil tankers. (Less than 10% of phones recycled) Infographic designed by: infoglyphs