GE, for example, has strengthened its competitiveness by creating a profitable business with its "green" ecomagination initiative. Ecomagination is GE's su•ategic initiative to provide cleaner and more efficient sources of energy, provide ahundant sources of clean water anywhere in the world, and reduce emissions. Jeffrey Immelt, GE's CEO, is fond of saying: "Green is green,"14 meaning that addressing ecological needs offers the potential of gaining and sustaining a competitive advantage for GE. 111rough applying strategic innovation, GE is providing solutions for some tough environmental challenges, while driving company growth at the same time. Ecomagination solutions and products allow GE to increase the perceived value it creates for its customers while lowering costs to produce and deliver the "green" products and services. Ecomagination allows GE to solve the trade off between increasing value creation and lower costs at the same time. This in turn enhances GE's economic value creation and its competitive advantage. Moreover, ecomagination products and services also create value for society in terms of reducing emissions and lowering energy consumption, among other benefits. In 2012, GE's ecomagination strategic initiative alone generated $25 billion in revenues. Just to put this in perspective,