Green Business

When thinking holistically about sustainability in buildings, “green cleaning” should be included along with your energy and carbon management programs. This article discusses the history of “green cleaning."

Let's be honest. We know that the environmental issue is a growing tsunami of global threat. We also know that most people have only a minimal knowledge of what to do. Governments are pushing this agenda strongly, as world population has doubled.

There is one statement that tends to evoke a knee-jerk reaction, and that occurs when I say that the reputable Green business programs have had less than a 3-5% penetration into the marketplace.

There is something new that may be invaluable for your consulting business. So far, the LEED, ISO and Energy Star programs reach less than 5% of the business market. This is not a criticism, just a fact.

We have seen hundreds of environmental consulting firms pop up across the country. Some have survived and others have failed. What all seem to have in common is an inability to breakthrough the resistance that still exists in the marketplace.

As our landfills burst at the seams, there is no doubt that we have a unfortunate penchant for throwing things away. Like throwing trash out of the window of the car, the trash becomes someone else’s problem.

We do make distinction between a Green officer and a Certified Sustainability Officer. Referring to Executive Order #13514, the installation of a person to champion the sustainability plan is a basic requirement.

One of the big missing pieces in the success of the Green business community is willingness to “Give Green a Chance.” (a la John Lennon). On the serious side, “Buying Green” is simply good ethics.

GBL has been helping businesses Go Green for the last 6 years, and we want every company implement some aspect of green within their day to day business practices. Most businesses think that it is hard to be a green company, but that is not true.

As the pendulum gradually swings to a more mainstream concept of Green business, there are some fundamentals that should come as a natural evolution of the process.