The great news for those concerned about climate change and sustainability is that the cost of renewable energy (“green power”) is quickly decreasing. The result is that many companies, particularly larger companies, are making significant long-term investments in renewable energy which they expect will bring their companies lower costs and help to make the companies more profitable and competitive. So there is a strong business case for sustainability for these companies. Typically the renewable energy is in the form of wind or solar power. Examples include Walmart, Apple, and Target.

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Recent studies have shown that the investment in renewable energy has grown the fastest for the largest companies due to their economic leverage and scale of operations. Now there is concern that the growth in use of renewable energy might level off because of the obstacle of getting smaller companies to participate. As a management accountant in a smaller company, how would you seek to bridge the gap to participate in renewable energy, along with the larger firms?