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!).

Our No. 1 trend for 2007 was energy-efficiency’s role as the silver-bullet strategy for merging massive economic and environmental forces against the now-recognized problem of climate change. We also predicted some long-overdue attempts to valuate the less-tangible benefits of green buildings, cleantech investment in water technologies, and a renaissance of solar-energy innovation that would reward Wall Street investors. We’ve been doing this for a while. In fact, February marks our fifth anniversary of producing this magazine under a cycle that ginned 60 straight issues and over a dozen special publications, including the first-ever Sustainable Industries “Green Office Guide” included free for subscribers with this issue.

We’re taking next month off from our usual cycle to celebrate our five-year anniversary with a special retrospective in March 2008. Readers’ subscriptions have been extended a month to mind the gap. We’ll also be working on new ways to serve you in the year ahead, including a full menu of focused Webinars, special events, increased offerings at www.sustainableindustries.com and digital supplements that will place Sustainable Industries ahead of its peers in publishing innovation. The past five years have offered all of us a truly remarkable journey. As always, we extend a sincere thank you for your support to make the continued growth of Sustainable Industries possible.

Green building gamble
Cleantech what? Venture capital bets on building products.
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Batteries included
Electric car markets drive innovation in unplugged power.
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Information is power
New technologies help consumers change behaviors.
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Supply chain demand
From source to shelf, business takes a look at its impact.
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The new Nasdaq
London’s new market takes AIM at U.S. cleantech.
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Gridlock on the Western plains
Transmission woes leave wind developers dead in the water.
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The commodity conundrum
Commodity prices stymie biofuels’ overheated growth.
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Green media goes belly up
Will green media outlets outlive Hollywood hype?
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In the subscriber edition, readers will find eight exclusive lists ranking everything from the region’s largest renewable energy developments and green building practitioners to leading sustainable business education programs and events, as well as additional articles on our 8 key trends. We think you will find this year’s installment of “Sustainable Industries Overview” an invaluable resource in the year ahead. To get your copy of the "Sustainable Industries Overview," pick one up at our newsstand locations or call 1-800-433-9301to get the 2008 edition delivered to your mailbox.