Environmental Business International Inc. has established a method for performing research that is both efficient and comprehensive. Our data, interpretation and analyses are crafted to serve the corporate development and planning needs of industry executives in the private sector and decisionmakers in the public sector.

This page describes the Research Methodology typically used by EBI for generating and compiling statistical information on a business segment. This sell-side research methodology using proprietary databases in multiple industry segments is the engine for EBI market intelligence data, publications and contract research services.

EBI finds it is typically less costly and more accurate to survey the sell side of a market and total revenues generated to determine the size of a business segment. We do this in several ways:

  • Generation and maintenance of company databases in defined segments
  • Development of survey instruments and survey execution
  • Identification of top 30-100 companies in each segment
  • Margin analysis modeling
  • Editorial research (executive interviews)
  • Databases: EBI builds and updates proprietary lists of product and service companies in defined segments of our target industries. Generally most companies larger than $5 million in sales are captured, however, there are hundred and sometimes thousands of companies or departments and divisions of companies that are smaller than $5 million.

Proprietary Survey Instruments: EBI designs and implements its own company surveys. Typically surveys are aimed at executives in business development, marketing and/or accounting. Surveys form the backbone of the EBI primary research data. Secondary data collection is focused on revenue of individual companies as well as estimates or reviews of similar markets by private, government or academic researchers.

Market Models: EBI creates market size models from compiling the revenue contribution of the top 30-100 companies and modeling the survey responses and remaining un-surveyed population based on estimates of number of companies in each size category. These figures are reconciled against existing estimates, buy-side data or other sources.

Editorial Research: EBI business newsletters also incorporate extensive editorial research. For both Environmental Business Journal® and Climate Change Business Journal®, editors interview 20-30 climate change executives and thought leaders for each edition. We also conduct segment or issue surveys to gather primary data and executive opinions and forecasts, in addition to reviewing and interpreting the most relevant secondary sources.

By tracking the size and growth of the environmental and climate change markets, EBI provides companies and investors with an independent source of financial data for business planning, benchmarking and financing documents. Policymakers and NGOs benefit from our framework for measuring the economic contributions generated by those markets and companies that contribute to a cleaner environment and to the development of a greener economy.