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www.CTGreenGuide.com WinTer 2014 • Connecticut Green Guide 19 But the sustainability of the state and its businesses is more than just one metric. In terms of total carbon emis- sions, Connecticut is a top 10 state. In terms of generating renewable energy, the state ranks 45 out of 50 states. Having 107 state parks spread across the third smallest state is impressive, but not having any of its cities rank in the top 70 for public transit usage isn't. Connecticut is considered to be the second best state for fuel cell de- velopment and production, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, but the region's long history of manufac- turing has left it with hundreds of polluted properties, including more U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund sites than 60 percent of U.S. states. The state's businesses have a direct and indirect impact on many of these metrics. How companies buy their power, run their opera- tions, treat their employees, and view their role in creating a green state all contribute to just how sustainable Connecticut's business community really is. "Connecticut's commitment to sustainability is inspiring," said Riva Krut, chief sustainability officer at Danbury industrial gas supplier Praxair. "We applaud the leadership at the government level and at the private sector level." Praxair is the top ranking Con- necticut company in the Newsweek ranking America's Greenest Compa- nies and one of only three Connecti- cut companies to place on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, along with UnitedHealthcare and The Hartford Financial Services Group. Krut, who took over as chief sus- tainability officer in 2008, said the company's green initiatives really took off in 2003 after its investors started asking about the company's response to environmental crisis. "Our sustainable efforts are tied to our business mission," Krut said. "Sustainable development is the right way for businesses to proceed." Praxair has initiatives like provid- ing 1.7 million hours of training for its drivers last year to find the best ways to reduce mileage and fuel usage, since the company's trucks drive the equivalent of 29 times around the world every day. Other initiatives include having its 220 sites around the globe avoid sending 90 percent of their process waste to landfills, and planting more than 1 million trees by the end of 2015. A survey of 434 Connecticut businesses by the Connecticut Business & Industry Association last year found 66 percent were engaging in some sort of sustain- ability activity, ranging from energy efficiency to waste management to considering the environmental impact in their purchasing. That participation rate is down from 74 percent in 2010 but an increase from 47 percent in 2007. For Connecticut businesses, the key to sustainability remains the cost, said Eric Brown, CBIA associ- ate counsel. While they do pay Green Companies here is where companies either headquartered in Connecticut or with major Connecticut operations landed in Newsweek's 2014 list of America's Greenest Companies RANK ComPANY 30 Praxair 34 UTC 73 Johnson Controls 76 UnitedHealth 88 Bristol-Myers Squibb 102 CBRE 127 Stanley Black & Decker 144 Pfizer 145 Aetna 146 Northeast Utilities 167 Northrop Grumman 178 Hartford Financial Services Group 180 General Electric 181 Noble Group 200 Travelers 213 NRG 226 Cigna 233 Kimberly-Clark 261 Merck & Co. 2 78 Dominion 311 Priceline.com 420 Walt Disney 435 B/E Aerospace 435 General Dynamics SoURCE: NEWSWEEK Connecticut has a 25 percent recycling rate, considerably worse than the national average of 34 percent, but burns a greater portion of its garbage for energy (67 percent) than any other state. SoURCES: KEEP AmERICAN BEAUTIFUL, CohNREZNICK