About Green View
In the belief that the present version of Green business is frankly still in its infancy, the challenge of the hour is to establish a standard for Green business beyond the many niche Green program presently parading around as the Green solution. For example, the carbon offsetters, will perform a carbon emission calculation and then sell the company the appropriate amount of carbon offsets to make the company “Carbon Neutral.” The company is thereby dubbed a “Green business” because it is carbon neutral.
Energy Star is another worthy program that seeks to insure that all appliances and equipment in the business or building are energy efficient. If the company participates in the Energy Star project, it can claim to be Green. If the owner builds a building in conformity to LEED, they could earn a LEED certification. Of course, you could pay for an energy audit and find out how to improve your energy use. There are gray water systems, recycling efforts, paperless offices idea, and solar power that all claim to make the users Green by virtue of the the company’s participation.
Dare I mention the infamous “Easy Green” websites out there that sell their logo for a fee and an unaudited Green self-assessment for to be completed. These programs are evidence that Greenwashing is the most popular form for Going Green in America and around the world. That is both unfortunate and unfair. The real issues of environmental concern deserves much more than superficial solutions that are designed to make these company money by helping businesses enjoy a pretend Green status.
The question that is begging to be asked is “How can a business become an Authentically Green Business?” First of all, there are no government programs for this. The criteria must be a national program that is offered through a process of Green implementation within the company. Your company can then proudly proclaim that it has far more than a Green niche, but a Green operation that is constantly improving its business and the world that we all share.