????投資可持續(xù)發(fā)展除了有益于我們的地球母親,，能不能給企業(yè)帶來(lái)真金白銀的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力？美國(guó)圣母大學(xué)（Notre Dame）門多薩商學(xué)院（Mendoza College of Business）的兩位管理學(xué)教授愛(ài)華德?康隆和安特?格拉瓦斯對(duì)這一點(diǎn)深信不疑,。

????兩位教授在最新研究報(bào)告《企業(yè)可持續(xù)發(fā)展與財(cái)務(wù)表現(xiàn)之間的關(guān)系》（The Relationship Between Corporate Sustainability and Firm Financial Performance）中分析了從PNC金融服務(wù)集團(tuán)（PNC Bank）旗下526家分支機(jī)構(gòu)搜集到的數(shù)據(jù),。PNC金融服務(wù)集團(tuán)旗下有93家分支機(jī)構(gòu)擁有LEED綠色建筑認(rèn)證，也就是說(shuō)這些分支機(jī)構(gòu)的建筑物達(dá)到了美國(guó)綠色建筑協(xié)會(huì)（U.S. Green Building Council）的能效標(biāo)準(zhǔn)和其他環(huán)保指標(biāo),。

????這些對(duì)環(huán)境友好的分支機(jī)構(gòu)公布的年度營(yíng)收數(shù)據(jù)平均比沒(méi)有獲得LEED認(rèn)證的分支機(jī)構(gòu)多出300萬(wàn)美元,，折算到每個(gè)員工頭上意味著,，每個(gè)員工多創(chuàng)造了461,300美元的收入。每家LEED認(rèn)證的分支機(jī)構(gòu)開(kāi)設(shè)的存款賬戶比非LEED認(rèn)證的普通分支機(jī)構(gòu)多出458個(gè),，消費(fèi)貸款余額平均高出994,900美元,。與此同時(shí),，這些綠色分支機(jī)構(gòu)的人均年度公用事業(yè)費(fèi)用卻要少675.26美元,。

????康隆說(shuō)：“這些發(fā)現(xiàn)非常有意義，令我感到意外,?！眱晌谎芯空咭呀?jīng)剔除了幾乎所有其它能解釋這兩類分支機(jī)構(gòu)之間差異的變量，包括市場(chǎng)人口結(jié)構(gòu),、建筑規(guī)模和樓齡等,。考慮到這一點(diǎn),，這些數(shù)據(jù)就更令人震驚了,。

????而且，康隆補(bǔ)充說(shuō)：“所有PNC金融服務(wù)集團(tuán)的分支機(jī)構(gòu)都在從事同樣的業(yè)務(wù),，提供相同的產(chǎn)品,，并使用同一系統(tǒng)?！彼鼈冎g唯一的顯著差異在于是否擁有LEED綠色建筑認(rèn)證,。

????為什么對(duì)環(huán)境友好的分支機(jī)構(gòu)業(yè)績(jī)明顯更勝一籌？康隆和格拉瓦斯認(rèn)為,，其中一個(gè)原因是在LEED認(rèn)證分支機(jī)構(gòu)工作的員工更加精神上更滿足,，更能夠全身心地投入工作，這顯然會(huì)使他們更有工作效率,，同時(shí)更能提升客戶服務(wù)質(zhì)量,。格拉瓦斯說(shuō)：“人們當(dāng)然對(duì)能在LEED認(rèn)證的建筑物里工作感到自豪?！?/p>

????但最大的一個(gè)原因可能還是因?yàn)镻NC金融服務(wù)集團(tuán)在2009年推出了一項(xiàng)市場(chǎng)推廣活動(dòng),，大舉宣揚(yáng)其LEED認(rèn)證分支機(jī)構(gòu)的綠色環(huán)保?？磥?lái),，當(dāng)顧客可以選擇的時(shí)候，他們更傾向于選擇那些身體力行,、維護(hù)我們所處的這個(gè)星球的公司,。

????譯者：老榆木

????Over and above what it does for Mother Earth, can investing in sustainability give businesses a dollars-and-cents competitive edge? Edward Conlon and Ante Glavas, two management professors at the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame, think so.

????In a new study, "The Relationship Between Corporate Sustainability and Firm Financial Performance," the pair analyzed data from 562 branches of PNC Bank. The company has 93 LEED-certified branches, meaning the buildings meet the U.S. Green Building Council's standards for energy efficiency and other measures of greenness.

????Those earth-friendly branches reported annual revenues averaging more than $3 million higher than their 469 non-LEED counterparts, which works out to $461,300 in extra sales per employee. Each LEED branch opened 458 more deposit accounts, and booked consumer loan balances averaging $994,900 higher, than the typical non-LEED PNC branch. At the same time, the yearly cost of utilities was $675.26 lower per employee at the green branches.

????"The findings are significant, and they surprised me," says Conlon. The results are particularly striking when you consider that the researchers controlled for virtually every other variable -- including market demographics and the size and age of the buildings -- that could explain the disparity between the two types of branches.

????Moreover, Conlon adds, "All PNC branches do the same things, offering the same products and using the same systems." The only substantial difference among them is LEED certification or the lack of it.

????Why do the earth-friendly locations perform so much better? Conlon and Gravas believe one reason is that employees in the LEED branches are more satisfied and engaged, which apparently makes them more productive, and may improve customer service as well. "People are certainly proud to be working in LEED buildings," notes Gravas.

????The biggest factor, however, is probably that PNC launched a marketing campaign in 2009 that trumpeted its LEED branches' greenness. When customers have a choice, it seems, they gravitate toward companies that do their bit to sustain the planet.