Nothing makes for a snappier and more fun summary of 2007, than the “Best of…” and “Worst of…” lists bloggers and journalists love to post. What particularly intrigued me this year was how my inbox found two polar opposite lists, published within a day of each other, that agreed on one very special nominee: British Petrolem (or “Beyond Petroleum” if you bought into BP’s forceful advertising).

BP was among the top five best “Greenwashers of the Year” and the “Five Worst CEOs of 2007″ by the liberal leaning Treehugger and conservative slanted Free Enterpriser (via Townhall.com), respectively. Who says liberals and conservatives can’t agree on anything?

BP’s criticism, from both green and business blogs, proves that embracing corporate social responsibility and going green cannot rely on glossy PR and slick ad campaigns. Stakeholders do not easily forget a recent record of human rights abuse and environmental and safety disasters. And stockholders will only support CSR initiatives that do not lose sight of profit. Corporations can receive acclaim from both sides–if they incorporate triple bottom line objectives into their operations first and let the good press follow.