GreenBiz

GreenBiz
Name	GreenBiz
Type	Private
Industry	Media
Founded	2001
Founder	Joel Makower
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Key people	Joel Makower
Products	News, analysis, events, research

GreenBiz GreenBiz is a media and events company focused on corporate sustainability, cleantech, and circular economy developments. It produces news, analysis, research and convenes conferences that bring together corporate sustainability officers, investors, policymakers and technologists from across sectors. GreenBiz content and convenings engage stakeholders involved with renewable energy, supply chain transformation, corporate reporting and sustainable finance.

Overview

GreenBiz operates at the intersection of corporate sustainability, environmental technology and investor engagement, providing editorial coverage, research briefs and industry gatherings. Its editorial and event work addresses topics such as renewable energy procurement, corporate climate strategy, circular economy initiatives, sustainable procurement, science-based targets and ESG disclosure, connecting practitioners from corporations including Walmart, Unilever, Microsoft, Apple Inc., Amazon (company), Google, General Motors, Nike, Inc., PepsiCo, Coca-Cola Company, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Siemens, Schneider Electric, IKEA, Starbucks, Target Corporation, L'Oréal, Pfizer, Intel Corporation, Cisco Systems, Accenture, Deloitte, McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, EY, KPMG, PwC, BlackRock, Vanguard Group, State Street Corporation, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America and HSBC to investors, regulators and NGOs. Coverage frequently references frameworks and institutions such as Science Based Targets initiative, Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, Global Reporting Initiative, CDP (organisation), United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, International Energy Agency, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, International Finance Corporation and United Nations Environment Programme.

History

GreenBiz was founded in 2001 by Joel Makower following his earlier editorial work with sustainability publications and advisory projects, emerging amid growing corporate interest in environmental management, clean technology and carbon accounting. Early coverage intersected with milestones including the growth of ISO 14001, the rise of LEED certification, and corporate responses to the Kyoto Protocol and subsequent international climate negotiations such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Over time GreenBiz expanded from online journalism into research and live meetings, paralleling developments in renewable energy markets shaped by Tesla, Inc., Vestas, First Solar, NextEra Energy and utility-scale deployments in regions such as California, Texas, Germany, China, India, Brazil and United Kingdom. The outlet chronicled corporate commitments tied to initiatives like the RE100 and shifts in investor stewardship exemplified by signatories to CDP (organisation) and engagement by asset managers such as BlackRock.

Programs and Initiatives

GreenBiz runs research programs and advisory briefs that synthesize corporate disclosures, sustainability reporting trends and procurement strategies for renewable energy and materials circularity. Its work often engages with standards and verification schemes including ISO 14001, LEED, B Corp, Forest Stewardship Council, Rainforest Alliance, Marine Stewardship Council and Fairtrade International. Partnership-driven initiatives align with organizations like World Resources Institute, World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Natural Resources Defense Council, Rocky Mountain Institute, Sustainable Brands and Ceres (organization), helping advance topics such as supply chain decarbonization, sustainable aviation fuel, green hydrogen and electrification. GreenBiz publications cite academic and policy institutions including Stanford University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge, Yale University, Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, London School of Economics, Princeton University, Imperial College London and National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Events and Conferences

GreenBiz convenes major annual conferences that attract corporate sustainability leaders, investors, policymakers and technologists, alongside regional and thematic summits focused on circular economy, clean energy procurement, sustainable supply chains and corporate climate action. These events feature partnerships with corporations, NGOs and research institutions and have hosted speakers from entities such as United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, European Commission, U.S. Department of Energy, California Energy Commission, California Air Resources Board, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, City of New York, City of London, Mayor of London, Bill Gates, Al Gore, Christiana Figueres, Greta Thunberg, Michael Bloomberg, Mary Barra, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Larry Fink, Mark Carney, Ban Ki-moon, Antonio Guterres, Jeff Bezos and leaders from corporations named above.

Impact and Reception

GreenBiz is cited by practitioners, trade media and academic researchers for its reporting on corporate sustainability trends, renewable energy procurement and circular economy practices, informing decision-making at multinational companies and financial institutions. Its convenings are referenced in coverage by outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Forbes, Fortune (magazine), Fast Company, Wired (magazine), MIT Technology Review and Nature (journal). Analysts and NGOs use GreenBiz research alongside data from BloombergNEF, ICCT, IEA, CDP (organisation) and EMFD to assess corporate progress on emissions targets, renewable procurement and supply chain sustainability.

Funding and Governance

GreenBiz operates as a private company funded through event revenues, sponsorships, subscriptions and research partnerships with corporations, foundations and industry coalitions. Its governance includes executive leadership and advisory contributors drawn from sustainability practitioners, corporate officers, policy experts and academic researchers associated with organizations such as Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, Ceres (organization), Rocky Mountain Institute, World Resources Institute and leading universities listed above. Sponsorship and partnership models mirror practices in trade media and conference sectors involving corporations, philanthropic foundations and multilateral institutions such as Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Gates Foundation, European Investment Bank, International Finance Corporation and development agencies including USAID and DFID.

Category:Companies established in 2001 Category:Environmental organizations based in the United States