The research firm says there's been a notable increase in consumer expectations for companies' green products and green business practices. Consumers are making changes, and some expect businesses to follow suit.

This Green Report Card examines consumer perceptions of corporate greenness. It looks at 93 companies over 13 industries, gathering "environmental friendliness" ratings and tracking perceptions over time. The report, which analyzes data the publisher collected online, is 41 slides long and includes data for each of the 93 companies and each of the 13 industries.

Based on 769 online interviews, this research measures the environmental image of 93 business-to-consumer-based companies in the U.S. Highlights include:

° In spite of widespread, and growing, efforts among U.S. corporations to promote their environmental initiatives, companies with a clear, distinct "green" image are the exception rather than the rule.

° The top-rated companies include (among others) Google, Discovery Channel, Whole Foods, Apple, and Toyota.

° While the highest-rated companies have changed little from the first wave of the study in summer 2008, many industries have seen a slight dip in ratings -- suggesting a halo effect from the economic downturn that has bled into green perceptions.

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