Green Business Awareness

Sustainable Business

The challenges faced by businesses today trying to Go Green are immense. We may innocently hope that the process is similar applying a fresh coat of paint.  It is not!  The task of Greening a business is often lightly planned, lightly accomplished, and the regular business of the company goes merrily on its way. The glaring issue is that environmentalism is progressive, not static. It is far too easy to fall into a “Token Green” belief that a little bit is good enough.

While we must acknowledge that every contribution, great or small, is valuable to the greater environmental issues; the immensity of the issue cannot be resolved by token Green efforts that do not carry through all needful parts of a Green business. Going Green, quite frankly, is a three to five year commitment! Even with that long-term commitment of a five year plan, the business must take proactive steps on a month-by-month schedule to reach a level of serious Greening.

If that shocks anyone, it reveals the poor perception of the immensity of this issue. There are hundreds of Green practices that must be gradually integrated into the daily operation. Business cannot be glib about the process. Greening any business is a substantial commitment that literally changes hundreds of simple and more complex activities of the daily operation. Therefore, rather than tackling the problem with the same vigor as the company might an inventory shortfall, it is very common to address the concern with superficial or token efforts that are thereafter promoted as a Green commitment.

The recent executive order #13514, gives any intelligent person a glimpse into the future. One clear mandate is the need to install a Green or Sustainability Office in the company. That Green Officer is going to be responsible to produce a sustainability plan for the business. As anyone can see from the executive order, the requirements go well beyond what most self-appointed Green companies offer.

Be aware that every business will eventually need a CSO (Chief Sustainability Officer) or CGO (Chief Green Officer) in the operation of the business.  The reason is that the progress and information required for an authentically Green business should not be a shallow effort.  The issues are real regardless of your opinion of global warming or diversion of your precious time.  The stress on world resources are immense. Even drinking water is deemed to be the next environmental crisis. We simply cannot continue consuming resources at an uncontrolled rate while providing band aids on gaping wounds.  We are quickly passing (or already have passed) the time of simple cures.

Green Officer training is now offered in a comprehensive program for any green officer via an incredible Internet curriculum.   If your company does not have the capacity or desire to train and install a Green Officer, it is a good investment to outsource the Green officer duty by seeking a Certified Green Officer.  One thing is clear, the day of “Easy Green” is passing, and the necessity to have a certified Green officer or certified Green consultant is upon us.

It may seem like a old idea, but it is still a good idea.  Innovation is a hundred times better than governmental solutions.  Proof of this has recently come across my desk as I reviewed the latest wind turbine ideas.  A Massachusetts company called FlowDesign has recreated the problematic large-bladed wind turbine concept.  This is proof of the fundamental idea that private industry needs encouragement rather than more regulation.

We might note that even the renown T Boone Pickens has all but abandon the great wind turbine project that he so heartily championed a year ago.  The good idea relied on the belief that these huge windmills would produce large amounts of “free energy.”  The cost of installation and the ongoing operational costs  made this project unfeasible.  The late-arriving realization is that they huge windmills are costly, unsightly, and not very efficient.

I had long said that the windmill solution is the problem child of the alternative energy sector because it has so many downsides.  Windmills can be noisy, visually unattractive, liability threats, and costly to install.  Also, they do not work in light wind and cannot operate in high winds.  This leaves a smaller window for energy production.  Lastly, we must consider the actual energy conversion.  Wind power, as much as we like the idea, is not as simple a solution as it sounds.

FlowDesign has adapted the traditional windmill to something that resembles jet engine technology.  The unit is smaller, allows wider wind speed margins, and is more efficient in energy production.  You have to ask, why we spent so many million (or billions) on a solution that seems like a flashback to the Dutch windmill era?

The same question can be applied to the GFL bulb that has minute amounts of mercury in the bulb.  We know that the disposal of millions of these bulbs creates yet another ecological hazard.   The better solution seems to be the LED lights that are nearly large scale application.  Organic LED adds greater reason to put this on the fast track for broad application.

Finally, I have to ask why are we still chasing ethanol from corn?  The logic is quickly lost as we realize that it takes food out the of the system to generate fuel for our cars.  The obvious genius of hydrogen power calls for a Manhattan-like project to make hydrogen cheap to produce.  Thinking of fuel from water is simply too good to bypass.

As we face en energy crisis in the foreseeable future, the government’s penchant for throwing money at pet projects, pork barrel dead ends, and faulty ideas should stop.  I advocate that the smart money should go to create tax incentives and funding for smart technology that will break the back of the the ugly issues threatening our livelihood on many levels.  The current administration has already eclipsed the spending mania of past presidents.  Congress has passed budgetary bills that had made our national debt a nightmare, and the public voice seems lost on those we voted into power.  This frustration should lead to a mid-term election change where Americans will speaks their mind.

What is needed is not more regulation, taxation, and misguided solutions; but the smart kind of solutions that will take our country to the leaders of the Green technology and innovation.  With the loss of manufacturing jobs and the large unemployment rate now hurting our economy, it is time to take a strong leadership position with great ideas that will make our country better, not poorer.  I sincerely hope that we see more innovation like the ideas coming from FloDesign.

Any company looking to radically improve their Green IQ should work toward their Green business certification by contacting the Green Business League.  If any firm wishes to send their in-house staff to Green Officer Training, consider an upcoming three day training event.  In other words, let’s take on the challenge as smart business and do not wait for legislation to make a needful task into a loathsome and expensive burden.

The economy continues to drag along with hopeful moments that hint at possible recover, but the fact is that nearly every segment of business has been impacted by this recession.  It is easy to fall into defensive attitude that is similar to a siege defense.  Just holding on during the time of trouble is seen by many as the only way to emerge after the storm has passed.  While this is not a business-as-usual cycle, it seems smart to lay the foundations for the recovery that surely must come.   The questions is what will that recovery look like?

Historically, recessions do not go on forever, and twelve to eighteen months seems like a protracted period for what is otherwise a nation anxious to do better and with resources to make a recovery happen.  Even though we are told that the recovery will be slow, frankly, no one knows.  After a period of “Doing Without,” the cycle might happen with a fervor that no economist might expect.  It seems odd indeed that savings by citizens are on the rise while spending is down.  That might be a good thing after all.

Also, there seems only two futures for us as a country.  It is to plunge into devastating depression or to move forward into a brighter future that we all desperately seek.  My money is on a brighter day for families and business.  Concerns about a confiscatory and over-controlling government has people scared and dubious of what has been a government that loves power more than the prosperity of its people.  Nonetheless, there is the collective and historic desire of Americans to work hard, do the necessary things, and return to its position as a world market leader.

The emerging business market will not be the same as the husk now left behind.   The day of “planned obsolescence” is over, and “convenience” must make room for the practical and pragmatic solutions.  The good news is that there are a lot more consumers out there.  In fact, the world as a whole is growing in its consumption.  That means that there is a fundamental vacuum of unmet expectations.  World population growth is both a threat to our world resources and an opportunity to be in a position to service that wanting market.  To do so, business cannot simple turn on the machinery and ramp up production.  Green ethical businesses must be in the formation process now.  The public will skew toward Green businesses that offer the services and products that they need, but they will be skeptical of any company attempting to greenwash its way into their hearts.

Business should know that health (the Green issue) and sustainability (the Blue issue) concerns are going to be big factors in the market as it returns.  It seems somewhat counter intuitive, but this is the time to strategically get your business act together, but please do not do it in a scant method.  Self-appointed Green businesses are going to be cache and wearisome.  Companies that pick up some little-known or locally-promoted Green certification will seem like lightweights.  Frankly, there are only a few good Green business certification out there.  LEED will certify the building, and Green Business League will certify the business.  Both are worthwhile pursuing, but he Green Business League has broader application and is far more affordable.

Thinking Green is not an innate talent.  So, the fact that a company has a Green commitment is usually somewhat short-sighted and limited.  One of the smart options is to get someone with the training and resources to guide the company into a realistic and reputable Green business status.   In this areas, there are two great options.  First, is to find a Certified Green Consultant (www.GreenConsultantDirectory.com) to provide a free assessment for Green business certification.  Secondly, train someone in your firm to be a Green Officer (www.GreenOfficerTraining.com).  Both of these programs work with the Green Business League 100 point system of certification.  In the end, your business will have  an honest Green business certification, and you business will be functioning in a Green manner.  The business will be a respectable Green business in the new market that we will all discover together.

During this interim period, there will be the design to piecemeal the Greening process by taking a little here and a little there.  While this seems more convenient or more affordable, the public is maturing about what Green really means.   Consumers will discern between the amateurs and the real professionals, and there will be a premium for authentically Green businesses.  There is already a loyal group of Green consumers who will travel an extra mile and pay an extra dollar for a Green product, and this group will grow.  As people understand the value and meaning of a Green business, they will seek out companies that mirror their values as well.

The new market will be a Greener market that will not long tolerate pretenders, piecemealers, and Green pretenders.   Therefore, any business that believes in a Greener future will be spending their dollars to earn a serious and nationally-respect Green business certification.   Like the stock market, people tend to buy when the market is high and excited, and they tend to sell when the market is low and sluggish.   Smart investors know that you “Buy low, and sell high.”   Right now is the time to buy into Green and make a solid and credible investment in what promises to be a boom market as we go forward.

The recession has had a definite impact on the environmental progress of many companies.  First of all, there is a lot of loose information in the media today, including the Internet, that is only marginally helpful.  Unfortunately, most of this easy-to-find information is mostly superficial and very, very, very redundant.  How often can we hear about CFL bulbs, programmable thermostats, and turning off lights and equipment when we leave the area?  The whole Green movement has what feels like a false bottom that is very shallow, but the full subject matter is much more comprehensive and involved than most care to consider.

The recession has had an adverse affect on our collective program because the transition to Green Practices goes much deeper than strained budgets and time may seem to allow.  This is, of course, a mistaken and misguided approach to the genuine efforts that care called for at this time.  Nonetheless, it seems that nearly everyone agrees that individuals, families, agencies, and business needs to be fully committed to a cause that threatens our lifestyle and our lives.  As the recession loses its stranglehold on the economy the need to continue the environmental conversion continues to be a bigger and more demanding necessity.  Humble and well-intended efforts are often just that.  What is needed is a smart and honest program that will bring businesses to a point of solid operation.

There are two reliable methods for improving the Green IQ of any business operation.  The first is to request that a Certified Green Consultant complete a free assessment for the existing and proposed Green practices that will earn the company a Green business certification through the Green Business League.  The second method is to have one or more persons go through the Green Officer Training which is offered regionally or online.  One of the new wrinkles in the Green certification process is the realization that your firm need not own the building to receive a Green business certification.  The Green Business League is one of the most respected national organizations that promotes Green Practices for Green businesses, and their 100 point system focuses on the daily operations with secondary interest on building requirements.  While a Green building is valuable, a Green operation is even more valuable since there are none exempt from participation.

The Green business certification process is provided only through the two options listed above.  A worksheet that guides the trained Green Consultant or Green Officer provides a thorough review of nearly all possible environmental solutions.  No two businesses will earn Green business certification the same way, every business can make the necessary strides to become certified with a very modest investment that often pays off in as little as 12 to 24 months.  It is gratifying to learn that Going Green is not just a cost factor, but there are real and substantial savings that any business can realize by a properly implemented Green program.

Unlike some certifications, the Green Business League offers an independent, third-party certification that can be respected.  This program proudly declares that this certification is “Earned, and not Bought.”  Greenwashing seems to be the default process in business today.  Businesses often make a token effort to install a few Green ideas, and summarily declare that their company is now a Green business.  Self assertion is no proof of genuine compliance.  Neither does it allow for a standard to be set for achievement.  By setting low or no credible requirements to post a Green claim (or buy one off the Internet), everyone qualifies regardless of the flawed efforts made to make such a claim.

The only way to end Greenwashing is not to advertise more boldly than the competition, but to set a standard of performance that can be measured, audited, and certified.  Until any business meets an industry-wide standard for Green, their process is horribly flawed.  The fact that the recession has slowed the commitment to become more environmentally engaged, it should not simply become a laizzez faire of half-hearted efforts that masks the authentically Green businesses that the public will respect both now and in the years to come.

A recent news release gave a list of the five books that President Obama is reading while on vacation.  One of those books is “Hot, Flat, and Crowded” by Thomas Friedman. This is recommended reading for anyone who wants to understand the geopolitics and the business implications of the world we now inhabit.  For business, this issue will also become a part of the everyday decision-making process.  Developing a Green business will not be an option in the near future.  It will simply be “How business is done!”  President Obama is an avid proponent of environmental causes.

The three factors mentioned by Freidman are spot on. When we understand global warming, world population, and the rise of the middle class on a global scale have combined to create new and staggering dilemmas; the realization should be that the world is in a major transition that can only be ignored at our peril.  Growth has always been viewed as a “Good problem to have.”  In this context, it is one of the biggest challenges of our generation.  The way we handle this challenge will literally define the next several generations.

The unfortunate truth is that most businesses are ill-equipped for the challenge and woefully behind in an authentically Green business operation.  We are presently experiencing a dumbed-down version of Green that is essentially Greenwashing covered over by a minimalistic Green effort.  Part of the reason is that most companies come to this effort without a clearly defined game plan, unskilled advisers, and no clear goal in mind.  This is more than unfortunate because business needs to exert both leadership and ethics instead of modest compliance.

The best way to solve the issue is to have one or more key people in your company attend a Green Officer training program.  The Green Business League offers what could essentially be called a Green Business Boot Camp that educates and empowers those who are Green officers or members of the Green Business League to understand how to do the job properly.  Better yet, these knowledgeable employees are shown not only how to Green the business properly, but how to move it toward Green Business certification.

Learn more about Green Officer Training and consider this two day training either online or in a regional training event.  Why should selecting a Green Officer or setting up a Green committee fall under the came criteria as planning the company picnic?  The impact of this issue on business has negative and positive implications.  If the Green transition is superficial or faulty, charges of Greenwashing will damage the company image.  If it is done correctly. the company will be viewed in a positive light by consumers and will literally cut the cost of operation through the Green efficiencies discovered.

The Greening of a business has multiple benefits.  Some of the benefits accrue your community and the world, but other benefits are definitely for the business.   The business has a powerful marketing opportunity that has no down side, employees will be more productive, and the business will save money.   When done right, there seems to be no downside.  the best advice, however, is doing the job right.  Green Officer Training is the right way to Go Green.