Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) provides a series of standards for sustainable construction, and the certifications come in a number of levels "” from basic to Silver, Gold and Platinum. In growing numbers, businesses are getting on board with LEED, building with energy savings in mind in both the materials used and the ways in which they are designed to work "” using less electricity, creating less runoff and recycling rain water. Even green rooftops are gaining ground, doing their job to reduce the crushing effects of the "urban heat island" and to bring unnaturally jacked temperatures down, even helping improve air quality.

So, have we reached the tipping point for corporate eco-consciousness? Patrick Penfield, assistant professor of Supply Chain Practice and director, Supply Chain Executive Programs for Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management, hopes that the spread of green through corporate America is rooted in a concern for the environment. But he's still pragmatic.

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Keywords: green logistics, sustainable supply chains, LEED-certified warehousing, sustainable distribution centers, warehouse management, WMS