Chapel Hill-Carrboro, NC
A program instigated by the local chamber of commerce that teaches businesses how they can effectively use sustainable solutions to cut costs and reduce waste.
Despite the great impact more sustainable practices can make to a company’s bottom line, many businesses have yet to ‘go green’. It’s not an unwillingness to become more sustainable that stands in the way of more environmentally friendly business methods; rather it’s the simple dilemma of ‘Where do we start’? Many businesses are stumped on how to implement greener practices, but what company wouldn’t jump at the chance to cut costs and reduce waste if they had the assistance of a Fellow at the Institute of Sustainable Development to create a personalized sustainability plan? Through the Green Plus program, members of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce receive just that.
Surveys deployed to over 20,000 companies in North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania revealed that 97 percent of those polled are interested in being known as a successful business committed to their community and their environment. A mere eight percent of these same businesses know where to find affordable information online about improving their sustainable practices. In 2007 with this dilemma in mind, programs at Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill teamed up with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, local philanthropies, and other area business entities to help make triple bottom line sustainability accessible to small employers—meaning good business performance, and a commitment to the community and the environment. The partnership resulted in the creation of the Institute for Sustainable Development and the Green Plus program.
As a member of Green Plus, businesses are connected to a forum staffed with Institute Fellows and experienced companies; receive feedback and tips from Duke and UNC graduate students on environmentally friendly business methods; are connected to mentor companies; are issued a Green Plus How-to Guide including term definitions and easy, medium, and challenging practices; and have access to referrals and links to both regional and national resource organizations. The Green Plus program also offers informational webinars or partnerships with local community colleges for those businesses without internet access.
In order to become a member of the program, applicants must complete a survey addressing the areas of Performance, Planet and People. Under Performance, businesses are asked about their written strategic plan, accounting practices, and other business methods. Plain and simple, Green Plus explains that to be sustainable, a company must be financially successful. The Planet section explores issues such as energy use, transportation, and water conservation. To assess a company’s true level of sustainability, Green Plus also inquires about their commitment to people—an essential element of Green Plus’ vision. Businesses must demonstrate compassion for their employees and an awareness of community needs.
Upon completing the survey, if a company falls short of the program’s requirements in any or all of the three areas, they aren’t left at square one. Institute Fellows in law, business, environmental studies, or public policy will coach the enterprise in how to become more sustainable and improve their score.
In an effort to spread the program throughout the United States, Green Plus announced a new partnership this past July with the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, an organization of 1,250 chamber of commerce members who represent over 1.2 million businesses across the country. ACCE member chambers can join Green Plus at a discounted rate and offer membership to their own associates. Philanthropies are also able to license out the program to interested organizations. Through this expanding national network, businesses around the country are able to share their experiences of going green.
With the combined resources of local universities, charitable organizations, and the business community, companies throughout the Chapel Hill region are now equipped with the tools necessary to employ greener practices. Branding opportunities gained through association to the program also provide members a valuable edge in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Through the Green Plus program, businesses are able to synchronize their practices with the social and environmental needs of their community—all while watching their profits grow.
For more information on this program: Green Plus (http://www.gogreenplus.org)
Follow-up Article: "Going National with Triple Bottom Line Sustainability"
In 2007, the Green Plus program first debuted in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to a small consortium of local businesses eager to improve their sustainability. Good ideas travel fast. In just three short years, companies from Greensboro, North Carolina to Cleveland, Ohio have proudly adorned their windows with the Green Plus decal. Though the program is unique, businesses looking to assess their strategies in the arenas of People, Performance, and the Planet is widespread. The universal applicability of Green Plus’ triple bottom line approach to sustainability enables companies across all industries to adopt it; the program’s ability to maintain this flexibility while not sacrificing integrity makes companies want to adopt it. As stewards of local business, chambers of commerce across the country have enthusiastically joined Chapel Hill in providing the Green Plus program to better serve both their members and their communities.
“The Chamber is firmly committed to assisting our membership in any possible way that will benefit their businesses. We understand the importance of sustainability, and know that being environmentally conscious is good for the business’s bottom line as well as its image,” explains Sarah Gaskill of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, “we see our role as one of facilitator in that we can support the Green Plus program and offer it to our members as a way to help them become stronger businesses.” With 16 participating chambers in 10 different states and counting, it’s a safe bet these sentiments are shared by business leaders in many other communities. “Our interest is in helping business owners reach their goals, no matter where they are on the sustainability spectrum,” said Ron Clapper, President of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce. “Green Plus is a great product to help small businesses and nonprofits get on the path to creating a practical plan for sustainability and gain a competitive advantage.”
The Greensboro Chamber and 15 of their comrades believe in the value of this program, but how are their members responding? “We have been thrilled with the diversity of business owners who are attracted to the program, from a retailer selling gourmet chocolates to a family-owned manufacturer that has been a staple in our community for generations,” said Clapper. Because Green Plus offers a comprehensive approach to running a healthy and sustainable business, local companies have embraced the program as a valuable diagnostic tool for improving their practices in a variety of areas.
Though Craig Whittaker of Environmental Solutions Group LLC in Greensboro is in the business of environmental assessments himself, Green Plus certification was no easy feat. “The certification process was surprisingly rigorous. We’re within the field and it was a challenge for us. It made us reevaluate how we handle sustainability within our own company,” said Whittaker. “The certification addressed issues like childcare and healthcare; things we didn’t expect.” In Cleveland, Ohio, the Council of Smaller Enterprises has posted a number of video commentaries from their Green Plus members. What first attracted Jeff Baldassari of The Taylor Companies to Green Plus was the legitimacy of the program. As he explains, “There is so much greenwashing in a lot of industries where the hype gets way ahead of the performance…This program will identify if you are truly engaging in sustainable practices toward the planet, toward your performance, and toward your people.”
Still in its nascent stages, Green Plus has outgrown the boarders of North Carolina with no signs of slowing. The endorsement of the program from the American Chamber of Commerce Executives has strengthened the program’s appeal and word is spreading through chamber newsletters, e-mails, websites, and conferences. Both the natural environments and economies of communities throughout the country are now feeling the benefits of triple bottom line sustainability.