GREEN BUSINESS VIEWS

Posts Tagged ‘green officer’

What do successful companies know that others do not?  One of the issues is the value of stepping into the best trends before the rest ever figure out that there is a trend.  It is called leadership, and large companies have dedicated teams that survey, study, and evaluate what trends will take the company to the next level of success.  Leadership is critical to forward-thinking businesses.

Trends come and go, so it is impossible to ride one trend forever.  In business, it is called flexibility.  Of course, making the right choices is a mixture of diligent study and decision-making.  It never comes with a guarantee, which can be scary.  We all know that business has risks, but they are risks of great success and reward mixed with the potential of failure and loss.  We all hope to make the best decisions and capture the rewards that come from being in the right place and the right time.  To do this, every business must be mobile, flexible and forward-thinking.

Truth be told, the Green business realm is still in its earliest stage.  In five years, the impact of Green and sustainable business will be as far reaching as cell phones are today.  Business has always been market sensitive and must respond to the demands of the market, the government, and competition.  Does anyone still think that Going Green is a passing trend?  Think again because we are looking at a literal overhaul of the market.  In five years, every company will either be Green or struggling against a flood of opposition.

Do a little study and check out your competition on the Internet.  Are they playing Green like so many other businesses by making claims about their Green virtues?  In most cases, businesses are not nearly as Green as they claim, which means that they are Greenwashing in large part.  What you will learn from this exercise is that your industry is admitting that the trend is real, but not willing to take the leadership that will move their companies into a future success as a Green company.

In this early cycle, leadership is needed and it will be rewarded by opportunities for marketing and business that will be driven to a credibly Green Business.  The degree of certainty of the reward seems to be the lingering questions about the financial gain to be realized by making an investment into a more sustainable operation.

Every business must always consider the ROI when it makes a decision, but not every example of a Green company will produce a visible profit nor will profitability be easily calculating with any application.  But there is a fundamental principle at work that needs to be appreciated by the more visionary companies.  A sustainable company is an efficient company.  Some refer to this as the “Lean and Green” concept.  Years ago, companies hired efficiency experts to improve the operation and profitability of the company while other companies scoffed at the cost of bringing in such experts.  Well, the Green consultant is the efficiency expert of our day, and the fact is that a thorough sustainability plan will result in a better, more efficient, and more profitable company.

One element may actually add to the cost of the Green business operation while four elements will save money for the company.  The skill that is required is the professional ability to design a plan that will bring a predictable and profitable result.  The best pattern is for a company to prepare a tailored sustainability plan that will lay out a reasonable transition to a more sustainable operation.

Here’s a clue about Going Green.  Don’t do it in a piecemeal way.  Start with the concept suggested in Executive Order #13514, and develop a Green officer in the company who will be able to design a sustainability plan tailored to your company’s needs.  If you have trouble with this project, there is help.  I suggest make one of two very affordable choices:

1- Train a person to be a Certified Sustainability Officer (CSO).  This training is specifically designed to empower your Green officer to get up to speed and learn how to build a highly effective sustainability plan for your company.

2- Reach out to a Certified Green Consultant in your area to assist your company with its sustainability plan.

The sustainability plan will bring the rational transition plan that your company needs.  In a few years, your company will be leading, not following, the trend.  Knowing what we now know, the Green and sustainable company is the company of the future.  What you may not realize is that the effort and investment that your company makes in Going Green will make it leaner, more effective, more marketable, and ready for the next generation of business.

There are different approaches to the environmental issues we face today.  We see some organizations that are addressing buildings, homes, and their owners.  But what about the rest of the business and homes that would like to become green certified?  Do they have to build, renovate, or add expense changes to improve their carbon footprint?  The answer is No; we can start by understanding that going Green is about individual behavior of every one on this planet.

In many cases, people are relatively ignorant of the many opportunities they have to Go Green.  Or maybe our busy lifestyles do not afford us the time to study endless areas of environmental sustainability issues.  Even some of the terms can be intimidating. We here words like Bioaccumulation, Remediation, Out gassing, Sick Building Syndrome, Building Related Illness, Volatile Organic Compounds, and Indoor Air Quality just to mention a few.  The list goes on and on, so should we research all of the different terms described above, do you even have the time?

But should we ignore the fact that every business and home is going to be subject to some kind of environmental risk.

Your probably thinking what is he talking about my business just sells widgets.

In fact this company may sell  Green widgets, so I am all ready doing something to help change my environmental footprint.

Recently I attended a green fair.  All of the venders at the show had some kind of green product or service their company was providing. I took the time to visit most of the Green booths, and I learned that many were good at what they knew but not so good about the whole environmental topic.  After listening to their description of the product and service I asked them this question.

One question was, “Is your business green certified?”  And all of them answered no, but they immediately proceeded to tell me how long they have been providing a green service or product.  I had to think to myself, this is” talking the talk and not walking the walk.” It was plain to see that most businesses selling a green product and service have not finished their homework.

This is another answer I heard from one of the business owners. “Why do we need someone to certify us?  We have been around for years providing a green service.  We all ready have our own green program in house.”

It is common to hear some firms making this clam, they more than likely are already meeting some or most of the requirements to be green certified.  But isn’t it obvious that if Going Green is a matter of declaration, then anyone can claim to be a green business.  This goes back to changing the behavior of each individual. Earning and not “Give it to me, I deserve it” is an attitude that needs to be changed.

If your business is not certified and someone is not paying attention to the environmental risk your company could be facing a law suit and a bad reputation that could take years to overcome.

Why not ask yourself a few questions about identifying your environmental risk.  For example, what resources are we most dependent on (energy, water, materials), and how much do we use?   How do we dispose of waste?   Have others in our industry had problems?  Do our suppliers pollute?  Do they meet all applicable laws and legal requirements? These are just a few questions to keep in mind when trying to identify environmental risk.

Here’s a quote by Daniel C. Esty and Andrew S. Winston.  From there book Green to Gold.

Business Consequences:

“Climate change is a highly contentious issue because the costs both addressing the problem and of not addressing it could be very high. Green house gases are linked to the burning of fossil fuels, so successfully controlling emissions will require action on the part of not only every business on the planet but every individual.”

Just align our self’s with nature and not defy it could work wonders to get on the right path.

I doesn’t matter if you offer a Green product or service.  Every business needs to change at the operational level regardless of whether the building is owned, rented, or leased.  The best method to integrate Green practices into a company is to train and install a Certified Sustainability Officer in the company.

Okay, there is an ugly rumor running about that business leaders have an aversion to the basic idea of Green.  If we investigate this mild phobia, we would learn that the sustainable word is considered a more business-friendly concept.  But, why?  Well, it seems that the concept of Green had a rough time at birth.  It was kidnapped by a band of treehuggers, fed by veggans, and watched Captain Planet save the world from ravaging corporate polluters.

Green has a legitimate meaning that is best defined as “health impact on living things” from our actions.   I am sure that no one is really against this concept of a better life for all, but the concept has been skewed from it’s best intentions.  At this point in time, the taint of extremist has faded from this valuable term.  The real meaning is valuable to any business because employees are one of the biggest assets of any company; and if the workers are take less sick days, have fewer claims, and are more productive, the company will be more profitable.

I prefer to include four key topics in the environmental plan for a company.  Environmental program include: Heath and Safety (Green), Sustainability practices, Pollution reduction, and Conservation.  Regardless of highjacking tactics, there are core elements of any environment-conscious company’s plan.  This creates a holistic approach to the subject that allows a company to avoid the piecemeal approach to the whole project.

It is a good idea to do an energy audit, a carbon footprint, address indoor air quality, include recycling, or adopt Green purchasing protocols.  Unfortunately, these ideas alone are still acquired in a piecemeal and random fashion.  Start with an assessment of the current environmental practices that results in the completion of a holistic sustainability plan for each company.  This allows all subjects to be considered and included as they might apply.

Do not avoid the Green factor, the sustainability practices, pollution reduction, or conservation options.  It is frankly a matter stepping up to the plate in an honest way.  Building an environmental program is also progressive.  By this, I mean that you don’t have to do everything at inception, but you need a good start.  A Green business is assembled over a period of years as more elements are added to the sustainability plan.

If your company wants to start the process, it is recommended that you appoint a Green officer (also known as a Certified Sustainability Officer or CSO).  Training if this person can be done online, and having a in-house Green officer makes the effort seamless, affordable, and holistic.

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.

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.