It is only a matter of when (not if) your business will Go Green, but when you do make the decision ... don't Greenwash your company. There is also a question which program will provide that Green certification. The Global GHG Climate Initiative is quietly setting the expectations as the agenda targets 2017 as the year that we will turn the corner of climate change. There is also an earlier target (2012) for programs to be deployed to make this happen in about a five year time frame.
For those who haven't been paying attention, the failure of the Cap and Trade bill will not change the larger agenda. The EPA has been given the power to control greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.
These and other pending legislation will catch many ill-prepared business in an expensive game of catch up as the Fortune 500 companies are already shifting gears for business in this new economy.
What to Expect:
Greenhouse Gas Accounting (Measuring your Carbon Footprint): You are already hearing about your carbon footprint. This is a cumulative assessment of all the ways energy is used by your company (directly and indirectly) which converted into a carbon equivalent.
Energy Management is part of the carbon consideration, but is is also an issue of concern in it's own right. More than token efforts, businesses will feel real pressure to get "Lean and Green."
Go Paperless now and cut operational costs. 36% of municipal solid waste in paper and paper products. The upstream impact of paper mills and downstream burden on our land fills makes paper the "love/hate" issue of every business. But, the facts reveal that paperless data and retrieval systems cut manpower costs by 25% and greatly speed up the business operation.
Indoor Air Quality is the other environmental sleeper. Your employees are one of your greatest investments, and one of it's greatest liabilities. The indoor air quality is often far worse than you think, and it will impact employee productivity. Environmental lawsuits are up by over 300% and growing.
Every company needs to train an in-house Certified Sustainability Officer (CSO) to act as a kind of compliance officer. Larger companies are already doing this, and it seems certain that the burden of carbon and environmental compliance will make this office a standard for all businesses.
The Sustainable Forum offers the perfect solution for developing a sustainable officer for any company. Using a unique local development event and online training, anyone of your staff can earn the CSO designation and bring this skill to your business in a seamless manner. The primary duty of a CSO is to develop a tailored plan for the company that provides a holistic plan for environmental compliance with a secondary focus on cost savings. The Sustainable Forum is sponsored by the prestigious Green Business League, and is developed in conjunctions with the EPA Energy Star partnership program.
Businesses are encouraged to develop a Certified Sustainability Officer within their ranks. Training can be taken online at www.CertifiedSustainabilityOfficer.com. A CSO will have the unlimited support.
