NERD ALERT: I spent Sunday embarking on one of my favorite new pastimes: reading through corporate responsibility and sustainability reports* of Fortune 50 companies. Why would anyone do such a laborious thing? Well, in typical consumer-facing media, most brands are not overtly blasting messages about their sustainability efforts, and I was keen to learn what some of the biggest companies are doing and saying about sustainability.

Much as we wish everyone was committed to going green, we're just not there yet. Still, there are often ways to promote green products and services without labeling them as such outright - which still helps the world, while taking the pressure off decision-makers whose company values or mission may not align with the green movement directly. Here's how.