When I was a child behaving badly, my grandmother would ask, "Are you thinking about how you're affecting anyone other than yourself?" Answering this question is a simple, straightforward and particularly compelling way to image whether or not any particular action we take is a responsible one. It is also a good guideline for businesses that wish to know if they are being responsible in their choices.

In the hype over how Google has up-ended the tech world with its purchase of Motorola Mobility, one aspect of the deal hasn't yet attracted attention - but is potentially the most important. Google entering the hardware business should lead to the one breakthrough the market truly needs: a smartphone free of conflict minerals.

An international initiative this fall will encourage hundreds of organizations to assess their use and recycling of plastics in a push to call more attention to the vast amounts of plastic waste entering the environment.

After decades of pressure to do so, Coca-Cola and Nestle Waters North America say they will take responsibility for collecting and recycling used bottles and cans, if states pass laws requiring that.

Puma, the world's third-largest sportswear brand, pledged to eliminate all releases of hazardous chemicals across its global supply chain by 2020.

Walmart and CSR are not words normally associated together, which is why it makes such a fascinating study in what CSR really means and how one of the largest companies in the world can help create a more sustainable society. What got me thinking about this was the convergence of three events.

You've seen them on billboards, tv commercials, newspaper and internet ads: businesses claiming virtue by appearing to lighten their environmental impact. "Going green" may be the new trend but how can you discern genuine sustainable action from PR pranks? How can you tell which companies are walking the talk and which are just trying to open our wallets?

Google is more than just the default search engine on so many of our computers. It is also a massive company well-known for providing its employees with perks that employees at other corporations can only imagine. Depending on which Google office you call home, you can benefit from things like car wash services, massage rooms, and even an on-site doctor.

Renowned and much loved green business champion Ray Anderson died on Monday from cancer at the age of 77.

IKEA, the world's largest furniture retailer from Sweden, has set a goal to derive all of its energy from renewable sources, and it is now installing 39,000 solar panels on the rooftops of its stores in the United Kingdom to help achieve that goal.