Eight trends for 2008

Welcome to the 2008 Sustainable Industries TrendWatch, a smorgasbord of trend forecasts (and, for subscribers, lists ranking the West Coast’s leading sustainable business pioneers).

Many months after our editorial team first gets together to hash out the biggest prospective green business trends we expect for the year ahead—and long after we start probing our thought-leader readership about what you see looming on the horizon—our hard work is vindicated by its resulting accuracy.

Sure there have been a few minor duds—a few trends that weren’t quite ripe on the vine. But each year, after clicking through hundreds of articles, sifting through reams of research, and asking dozens of industry leaders the right questions, we are more often than not able to draw a few aces. And our game has clearly improved over time.

A quick recap: For 2004, we predicted more government-mandated green building certifications, more businesses buying green power, increased sophistication of retail and distribution of natural foods, and integration of sustainable business into MBA curriculums.

For 2005, we forecasted grassroots growth for biodiesel, a stable of new LEED certifications, interest in using buildings to solve cities’ infrastructure issues, and green applications for nanotechnology. We also questioned the long-term viability of natural foods retailer Wild Oats.

For 2006, we expected growth in green building for healthcare facilities and downtown residential buildings, as well as a reckoning for U.S. automakers that spent decades fighting fuel-efficiency standards. We also reported social and political pressures would lead to a groundswell in recognition by the U.S. business community that climate change is for real (Thanks for the assist, Al!).