Green Business Awareness

In case you haven’t heard, President Obama has recently signed Executive Order 13514, which moves the Green issue several steps forward.  This executive order is an extension of George Bush’s executive order 13423.  While President George W. Bush issued executive order 13423 covering climate change issues, the significant difference between the Obama Executive Order on climate change and the previous one concerned the focus on the primary problem - greenhouse gas reduction.  Agencies must now monitor and report their GHG output and comply with other environmental requirements.  It must be noted that the order impacts government agencies, but can the same mandates for corporations in America be far behind? 

Other notable inclusions are the requirements for a “Steering Committee” and a “Sustainability or Green Officer” to be installed.  A casual reading of the executive order will reveal a few very interesting insights.  Many of the demands are very reasonable.  The use of duplex mode for printers, purchasing Energy Star equipment, and a reduction of our potable water.  The tracking of Green House Gases (GHG) is yet another interesting step into a new pattern of operation.

Many may not be aware of a 2007 Supreme Court decision that required the EPA to regulate green house gases under the powers already vested with the EPA under the Clean Air Act.   The little known fact is that the Cap and Trade legislation is not necessary because the basic tools needed for control of carbon emissions are already in place.  EPA has been slow to step up to the plate on this because it is an immense new responsibility that still lacks guidelines and compliance regulations.

Some may feel satisfied that the new executive order applies only to government agencies, and such assurance is misleading.  The stars are aligning for more invasive Green regulations.  We will see the demand for Green buildings continue, but the recession is hurting this except in the governmental sector.  What we are watching is the gradual movement to the inclusion of Green Practices.   This is where the strength of the Green Business League comes into play.  While others are focused on green house gases, carbon offsets, alternative power, and construction issues; the Green Business League has built one of the greatest field forces in the country with nearly 300 trained Certified Green Consultants nationally.  Their mission is quite simply, Green Practices. 

Green Practices are seen as a universal solution to a universal problem.  A business need not own the building in order to earn a credible Certified Green Business status.  By looking at the everyday practices of any kind of business, Green consultants identify hundreds of possible improvements in the daily operation.  Every Green Practice is given a point value that can add up to enough points to earn the GBL Green business certification.  Unlike so many other Green programs offered online, this certification is “Earned, not Bought” according to the requirements of the Green Business League.

Two issues will eventually begin to spread over to aspiring Green businesses.  These issues are the installation of a Green committee and a Green Office whose task it is to prepare an honest Green plan for the company.  Too often such committees resemble the same committee that planned the company picnic, and have possessed only marginal training for the task.  It seems obvious that the Green officer or Green committee must move from a casual or low-impact effort to a serious part of every company’s operation.  It doesn’t matter if the person is a Sustainability officer or Green officer, the all-too-clear message is that business must take the leadership in Green programming or face an increasing regulatory pressure.

Businesses can resolve the Green or Sustainability Officer problem in one of two creative and effective ways.  Send your key inhouse person or persons to the Green Officer Training program that is offered as a broad scope environmental training program online.   Or hire an outsourced expert as an economical way to have a high quality professional working with your company.  Both options bring the added benefit of a comprehensive planning program that addresses all the concerns found in executive order 13514, and a few more.  As this mandate goes from a voluntary issue to federal requirement on all businesses, your firm will already be in full compliance.

Businesses across America should make no mistake about the pressure that is coming to create certified Green businesses.  We see it rising as a hot issue on the horizon, but we will soon be at high noon for Green compliance.  The Obama administration does not care about the economic slow down.  They are passing rules and using their clout to press their agenda into place.  One thing is sure.  It is best not to wait for these regulations to hit your business all at once.  It is the smart move to get your Green program out of the greenwashing phase and into the Green practices program.  The Green Business League is the best way to make this happen.  Designate your Green officer right away, either by using the Green Officer Training program or by requesting the assistance of a Certified Green Consultant.  In the end, we will all be winners, and your company will discover an unexpected benefit.  All GBL trained personnel know how to make Green pay huge dividends.  Going Green as a business is also a way to save a great deal of money, increase productivity, and create a great marketing opportunity.  It is suggested that businesses lead, not follow, this Green revolution.

Presently, there is no universal standard for what makes a Green business.  In fact, there is a growing cacophony of niche groups trying to install their own version of a Green business certification regardless of the obvious misrepresentation.  City sponsored Green committees are now promoting Green programs that seem like good ideas but lack the scale for this challenge.  The Internet is filling up with Green business certification websites.  Corporations are launching Green programs that are patched together by ad hoc committees.  And, we hear of Green programs promoted by TV, radio, and a variety of commercial Green initiatives.

There are plenty of Green business seminars, a bevy of Green business books, and tons of articles filling our newspapers and magazines.  Yet, what is missing?   There is a need for a national, cohesive and comprehensive Green business model that will literally transcend all the rabble of good Green ideas.  Green business, in case you might have missed the difference, is not the same as building a Green building or buying someone’s Green product.  A Green business is how any business operates, and whether the business owns the building is not critical.

What are the ten best ideas for a Green business?  This will not be your average regurgitation of all-too-familiar Green ideas.  Rather, I feel that it is important to look beyond the superficial elements and talks about what should really matter, as any business hopes to install a Green program in its operation.

First, the Green business program must be holistic.  The present venue of Green programs are unfortunates niched into segments that are worthy but not a complete program.  Even sustainability programs lack the full view, since sustainability is primarily about how we manage our resources.  Other areas of health, pollution, and conservation are outside of a pure sustainable model.

Second, the Green business program must be nationally advanced.  Frankly, as meritorious as local programs are, the diversity of Green applications cannot work well in a national market.  The importance of a broad-based program that carries the same standard nationally is the only way to build a Green business certification that holds up when questioned.

Third, the Green Business program must have an achievement scale.  The Green Business League has a 100 point system for achievement.  While points can be acquired in a variety of ways, there is an infinite combination of Green Practices that allow any kind of business to participate in the program.

Fourth, the Green Business certification must be audited.  Without some validation of the Green Practices, the system is wide open to all kinds of abuse and misrepresentation.  Website certifications are notorious for selling their certifications without any true audit of performance.

Fifth, the Green business should be strenuous.  We find that Greenwashing is a near universal practice in the market right now, and standards must be more than superficial or even artificial.

Sixth, Green business certification must be progressive.  No one should think that a one-time fix is a forever solution.  It is not enough make an effort today and forget about the challenge for the other 364 days in the year.  Worse yet, there are businesses that ignore the fact that this is a subject that must be visited no less than once a year.

Seventh, installing a Green business program should not be an amateur effort.   The sheer size and scope of a true Green project is larger than a volunteer or single employee can master.  One of the realizations is that the planning for a Green business requires training like that found in the GBL Green Officer Training.

Eighth, Going Green need not be a negative investment.  Good planning for nearly any company has numerous benefits beyond the public relations or marketing value.  The Return on Investment can make Greening a business more profitable because the company is more efficient and has less waste.

Ninth, avoid the Easy Green programs that promise a Green certification that is too easy.  This invites abuse, which means that your company will be linked to companies that have little to no Green value.  This is a serious issue that deserves a serious response that is not found in the Easy Green programs.

Tenth, a Green business should make it a priority to buy goods and services from other Green businesses.  When asking your consumers to buy Green, there is an ethical obligation to bring similar requirements to the purchasing department.

These ten principles provide the starting point for the kind of Green Certification that should be sought for your company.  The real work lies in the adoption of Green Practices.  In the Green Business League system, every installed Green Practice has a point value.  Once validated via an audit by a Certified Green Consultant, the integrity of the process can be respected and honorably promoted to the public.  Anything less hurts the environmental cause, in that token efforts can be misrepresented as a serious Green effort.

There is one trend that seems to have enduring value. The environment is not an easily resolved concern, and climate change is an emerging issue that has long term implications.   Yet, there are those who seem to have hesitation about the true impact of these issues on their business.  Rather than embracing this as an opportunity, the default position is to go toward a “Token Green” or “Easy Green” status.  The lesson yet to be learned is that Going Green as a business shows leadership, integrity, and public concern. These are aspects of public perspective that can be faked, but not for long.

Token Green refers to the rather universal tactic of doing only the minimum required to thereafter dub themselves a Green business.  Such timid efforts to represent a Green business on the most superficial efforts will eventually fall prey to the same embarrassment as the “Emperor’s New Clothes.”  It is adverse marketing to make claims as a Green business when the commitment level is about the same effort as planning the last company picnic. We are all familiar with the saged remark, “If its worth doing, its worth doing right!”  This is definitely true of the environmental issues of our day.  No business should claim to be a Green business using token Green tactics.  The need for an authentic Green business certification is the smart choice to curb abuse and misrepresentation by any good business.

Easy Green comes from the new and novel offerings that allow a business to gain a Green business logo from an amateur operation.  As a child, who hasn’t bought a plastic badge and pretended to be the sheriff?   What child hasn’t put on the shoes and clothes of their parents pretending to be “all grown up.”   Who of us hasn’t bought a watch or piece of jewelry thinking that these items have improved the opinion of others about who we are?  Buying your way into a program is not the same as earning your way to pubic respect.   Therefore, it seems basic intelligence to avoid the Easy Green programs and elect for something that has obvious merit.

The obvious choice for any business is to work toward an “Authentically Green Business.”  This authentic status means that Green is not superficial nor a one-time effort.  Such authenticity starts with the understanding that Green is progressive.  A serious program does not happen once or in sporadic efforts. It is a kind of behavior modification effort that pervades the total business operation.  The effort is not a token or an easy buy in.  The value is found in the willingness to demonstrate a whole-hearted commitment to become an authentically Green business.

The marketing aspect of an authentically Green business is obvious.  The Green business certification can be validated by audits, national standards, and an ongoing program of operational improvement.  The one program that offers this level of Green business certification that reflects a full scale commitment comes from the Green Business League.  This program provides professional guidance and nationally recognized through more than 250 Certified Green Consultants.   Using a 100 point systems that is accomplished by the adoption of a variety of Green Practices to literally earn a Green business certification that is audited and honest.  That is something worthy of marketing and promoting to the consuming public.

Marketing, as we have been told, comes from an understanding of branding.  Building your company’s public reputation on Token Green or Easy Green efforts is an incredible mistake.  Knowing that there is a way to implement a Green program that can be validated and certified is the starting point for the Green marketing that will follow.  Once the foundation of the marketing plan is in place, a public relations campaign has the legs needed to gain public support and loyalty.

Amidst a multi-national and international global economy, there is something to be said for buying from a business within a modest proximity of your operation.   Transportation costs are a hidden cost that is offset by reduced wages in another area, but what is the real impact of buying from low wage countries?  We are presently in a recession, and that recession has been made worse by rampant unemployment that has not been seen since the Great Depression.  A little common sense appreciation of our economic woes should bring us back to an old concept that deserves to be resurrected.  That concept is “Buy American.”

This is not easy, because every store and many of the most available products come from China, India, Mexico, and Taiwan.  We have, quite frankly, exported a lot of our manufacturing to countries who are more than happy to do the work and send it back to us.  Therefore, we have become more of a service and business nation that has less and less exportable goods, except for farm products and minerals.  It remains to be seen if what we still have to export will sustain us as we continue to become more of a debtor nation year after ignorant year.

With the rise of a new and Greener theme of Green Supply Chain, the government and business should realize that transporting goods across the globe and over thousands of miles is contrary to the environmental good.  Every mile of transportation requires energy, and the great majority of that energy comes from fossil fuels.  Simply stated, all that transportation adds millions of tons of carbon dioxide to the air.  Therefore, saving money by importing and transporting goods could be causing more carbon dioxide than if we made these items locally.

The other tragedy is that imported goods have left us without the diversity of employment that we used to enjoy.  When the financial sector failed, we lacked the stability to sustain our economy because the financial sector was such a huge portion of all our national economy.   Banking, the stock market, and real estate should not be our dominant businesses.  Diversity is a stabilizing factor for any economy.  Money is no good to any nation that lacks the basic commodities necessary for life.  Without the staples needed for daily life, inflation is the only expectation that people can expect because money is meaningless without some commodity that it can purchase.  Therefore, simple economics tells us that we must encourage the industries that produce products and employ people.

The many-fold benefits that we get back are the lowering of transportation costs, less CO2 emissions, and we will see more jobs that will drive the economy and pay taxes to reduce our national debt (hopefully).   Buying locally, has an unfortunate bypass value.  If you can’t find it locally, there is the expected allowance to buy it from “wherever.”   In the drive to reduce the global climate change issue of carbon dioxide emissions, we need to encourage and incentivize new businesses to produce things in America.

Now, let me add that there will be those suffering from the “Not in my back yard” (NiMBY) syndrome.  They do not want to despoil there community with manufacturing companies.  But wait a minute.  If this is a global issue, why is it okay to send these nasty programs to Mexico, India, China, or South America?  Instead of solving the problem and making it work right, is it okay to make these things outside of the U.S. and buy them back once they have been sanitized?

I support “Buy America,” and as hard as it is, I make the effort to find something that I can purchase that is made in the U.S.  The current status is a trend that is hard to reverse and will cost us more to accomplish than we might like.  But, there are some things that are just the right thing to do.  We cannot be purists about this matter, but we should be better than we have been.  Buy American and start the turning of the tide because the market is determined by the buyers, not the sellers.  If we create a demand, business will respond.  It may be with an American car.  And yes, I have bought a foreign car in my life, but that is something that I regret as I see American auto workers struggling with unemployment.  We have all bought the cheaper and more innovative products from other countries, but this is a habit that can be changes simply by looking a little hard at the tag and for the American option.

I believe that a Green world also means a Green America.  That Green America puts a preference and emphasis on buying locally, and buying American.  This concept is echoed by the EPA in their “Environmentally Preferred Purchasing” that asks that we buy from companies that promote Green principles.  Unfortunately, we can no longer tell which company is Green and which one is a Green pretender.  There is no standard, no auditing, and no certification of 98% of all businesses in our country.  Without a standard, Greenwashing and Green hype has flourished, and as the American consumer figures this out, their disappointment will be profound.  The sheer fact that more than 96% of all Green products on the shelves are Greenwashed, according to TerraPass, is shocking and stupid.  Isn’t it time that we got honest about environmental commitments?

The Green Business League is the largest certification program for Green businesses offering a an audited and certified Green business certification.  With more than 250 Certified Green Consultants nationwide, the Green Business League is a leader in what has been a poorly led effort.  Going Green as a business has often fallen prey to niche promotion, “Easy Green” websites offering their logo for a fee, and businesses who prefer the price of Greenwashing over Green certification.  Find a Certified Green Consultant in your community who will assist any business in a well-constructed process of Green business certification through the adoption of Green Practices.  The business need not own the building, as required by LEED, because Green Practices deal with the operation and how to run a Green program.

When it comes to Green business certification, be prepared to join the ranks of the misled and Greenwashed because there is an army of Green scams ready to take your money.  Well, actually they are the home-brew versions of Green business certification, and there are the rip off versions.  It is obvious that progressive businesses would like to be certified as a Green business.  Therefore, we should not be surprised to see the rise of instant Greening programs offering easy-to-earn certifications.

Under the home brew category we will find the “Token Green Option” where the mere fact that a company has a Green anything is reason enough to proclaim themselves Green!  One company might use only Green cleaning products, while another company might have purchased some carbon credits.  A third company contributes to a Green charity and supports the local Green fair.  Can we rely upon these weak self-assertions for Green compliance, or might these Green claims be more about marketing than reality?  In a token Green situation, we find the mentality that does only the minimum required to make the claim of ownership.

The next level up in home brew certification is the “Local Option” wherein more and more cities are trying to adopt the Marin County model of a Green business certification.  The highlight of this project is that it is essentially free and seems to require low level compliance.  Each business applicant is given a list of Green electives that they complete on their own, and then local utilities are supposed to stop by offering tips on Going Green.  These projects are local initiatives intended to encourage businesses to Green up their operation, but have obvious flaws that will eventually lead to embarrassing criticisms.

By now, I think we have all found that “Free” is never a good idea.  Try thinking about the last time that you received anything free.  Did it have any real value, or was it just a way to get you into the real offering?  The simple fact that any business can obtain the same certification whether they comply or not makes it a fool’s errand.  As these regurgitated Green standards are applied in multiple ways in city after city, there is no true standard that we can follow.  Finally, how does a random group of community activists develop a Green business program that is reliable?  The sheer volume of information and questions that are engendered requires more than an amateur approach.  These local programs are offered for free because they are worth nothing, regardless of the good intentions of these groups.

The Greenwashing choice is undoubtedly  the “Internet Option” where dozens upon dozens of websites are appearing on the Internet offering a Green business certification.  Certification, curiously enough, is  based upon the payment of a $400-$700 fee and a handy-dandy, self-assessment form.  Once again, where is the credible validation for these easy-to-obtain certifications?  You may as well get your driver’s license over the Internet or a Cracker Jack box.   Imagine how well that would work?  These are rip off programs that invite abuse and artificial certification.   Paying money is not the key ingredient to certification.

We should all put Internet certifications in the same category as Cyber sex.  They are not right, and they are not real.  Worse yet, what do you think will happen when the customers of a business realize that anyone can buy the same certification without any honest change in their operation?  No one should begrudge paying money for something that is real, but we should be very upset at the Green Internet scams popping up like locust descending on fields of grain.  These Green Internet certifications are a mockery of a very serious problem in our world.

The correct option is the “Authentically Green” choice.  The right way to get a Green business certification is one that is “Earned, and not Bought.”  This is an issue that needs to have integrity at the core and substance all around.  By using a uniform standard of point accumulation, a business must actually install Green practices to earn a certification.  To assure compliance, a national organization of Certified Green Consultants administrate the program.  These consultants actually audit the firms annually to insure compliance.  No company should short-circuit the issue of Green certification knowing that Greenwashing is one of the notable environmental sins that can be committed.

The Green Business League is the only program in America offering an effective Green business certification that is nationally standardized and properly implemented.  Their certification is not free, cannot be faked, and cannot be bought over the Internet.  The difference is like the difference between cutting down a tree or planting one.  No one should hurt our world when they have the change to help it.  Green business certification comes through a GBL Certified Green Consultant who is trained to guide a business into a Green program that anyone can respect.

A word of warning is in order at this early stage of Green awareness.  Do not do this poorly!  Avoid programs that are token and misguided efforts, regardless of their flowery words or claims of being authoritative.  Ask yourself,  how you would feel if it was discovered that the Green certification program was little more than a Greenwashed idea that had little to no truth behind it.   The future of our world deserves better than these Greenwashed programs offer.  I also wonder why these programs have gone unrebuked for so long.  Are we still so unschooled in environmental issues that we can be fooled by imitation Green rather than the real thing?  Does business think that no one will notice that their Greenwashed surface coat will not wear thin before long?  Obviously, they do.

Instead, there should be a source of pride in honestly earning a Green business certification that comes from a commitment to change and improve the Green practices of a business.  Early on, a decision was made by the Green Business League that any certification awarded “…must be earned.”   GBL committed to building a field force of hundreds of Certified Green Consultants to assure continuity to Green standards in every state and city.  Finally, audits of Green practices were required annually.  Believing that “You can’t Expect what you don’t Inspect,” the need for annual reviews required more than a signature on a form.  If your company wants to Go Green or work toward its Green business certification … there is really only one choice.  Anything less is worse than an insult because of the seriousness of the issues we face and pass on to our children.

So far, getting a Green business certification comes through a few limited options.  Green Seal certifies cleaning products and other commercial products.  LEED certifies buildings, newly built or renovated.  Then there are the website knock offs that sell their logo for several hundred dollars and a weak promise to be Green.  What happens if your business was not based on a product or don’t own the building?  The certification choices are poor indeed.

The Green Business League has set out to create a new benchmark in the industry.  First of all, this is a certification that requires that the certification award must be ”Earned, not Bought.”  Secondly, this is the fastest growing and most prominent business certification in the market.  The Green Business League offers more than a trademark.  It boasts the largest field force of Certified Green Consultant, a standardize criteria for certification, and local Green networking chapters across the country for networking of Green Businesses.

The environmental crisis requires that every family and every business participate.  A criteria of participation and standard of certification allows everyone to get involved and demonstrate that they have made valuable strides against environmental issues that seems incredibly immense when viewed individually.  With thousands of Certified Green Consultants, and hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses helped by these trained professionals, the impact is multiplied many times over.  This will make a big dent in a stubborn issue, and the continued success of so many people could help turn the tide of world environmental threat.

The certification process is not complex.  It is a guided process, that requires a company to earn 100 points by actually adopting Green Practices into the business operation.  Green Practices are actual changes in the business operation that have universal application that are not necessarily tied to owning a building or selling a product.  Therefore, this is a method of certification that has broad appeal and great rewards for everyone.

My advice is don’t be fooled by Green certifications that are website driven alone.  These come up in a night and disappear just as easily.  Those that were committed to the cause go beyond the superficial to create real momentum in the community.  They have real people doing real work as well as a national presence.  The Green Business League stands out as the bona fide choice for certification that is destine to set the standard for Green Business Certification.  To find a Certified Green Consultant in your area, visit Green Consultant Directory and make a real commitment to a Green Business Certification that offers so much more than a logo and a website.