Newsweek’s 2012 Green Rankings: This time it’s serious

The latest Green Rankings from Newsweek are out today, and while there aren’t any show-stopping changes from last year, at least at the top of the list, this year’s rankings represent the first meaningful, apples-to-apples comparison of company performance in the rankings’ four-year history.

For the uninitiated: Each year, the magazine, in partnership with Trucost and Sustainalytics, assesses the 500 largest U.S. and global companies and assigns each a “Green Score,” derived from three components:

Can Facebook activate a billion consumers to be green?

What if you had the opportunity to engage a billion people around sustainability? What issues would you choose? What messages would you impart? How would you leverage the opportunity to affect behavior change at scale?

Carefully, no doubt. Pushing folks too hard or in the wrong direction or with a less-than-compelling message might squander the opportunity, maybe even turn people off. But inform and inspire such a sizeable audience to act and — well, anything’s possible.

Two Homes Tucked in the Ground are Topped With Sweeping Arched Roofs in Paraguay

Two homes tucked into a sloping plot in Paraguay are topped with sweeping arched roofs that match the lay of the land. Located in Luque, the site-specific design by BAUEN Architects is beautifully integrated within a verdant green landscape, while a host of natural finishings both inside and out add a luxurious but still sustainable final touch.

Kraft Foods’ third-party alliances key to sustainability strategy

 With its global reach and massive market shares, Kraft Foods is setting new standards on how to source through sustainable agriculture and keep packaging out of landfills. Chris McGrath explains why third-party alliances are an important part of the company’s sustainability strategy.

Let’s talk about sourcing some of your food ingredients first.

Sustainable fashion design: Thinking outside the index

Editor’s note: Read more forward-thinking stories about sustainability and fashion on GreenBiz about companies pushing consumers to make alternative choices and how the fashion industry can avoid its own Foxconn.

Slowly but surely the fashion industry is catching on to corporate social responsibility and sustainability. First came the anti-fur campaigns of the