Every business fears the day when a scandal breaks out and the company finds itself sucked into a wave of bad publicity. Years of work and hundreds of thousands of dollars in marketing effort can be wiped out in a breaking scandal that catches the public eye. We already know that bad news spreads much faster than good news. Public loyalty is not easy to build, so businesses must be alert to the potential downside for any number of decisions that are made in the normal course of business.
One of those decision is the need to take the business Green. At this point, no one is so blind as not to see the value of an environmentally-friendly business. The practical impact of business on the environment is multiplied millions of times as businesses everywhere step forward to make a difference as well. The fundamental concern is environmental. Businesses are also learning that Green and sustainable issues are have a pretty good Return on Investment when they are applied correctly. Other than the time and money required to Go Green, the rewards for making the effort simple are all positive.
The choices to obtain Green business certification are easy to identify. The easiest method of Green certification is to buy a logo off the Internet. The price usually ranges between $400 to $1200 and requires only a few voluntary self-assessments. The pitfall is fairly obvious. The display of a Green certification logo is purposely designed to convince the public that the company has installed a Green program. The fact is that most companies will not take the project seriously or frankly cheat the system. Voluntary programs are unreliable at best and totally worthless in a worst case situation.
Fast forward a year or so to the day when an investigative reporter decides to investigate “Green Certifications.” Because the abuse is so widespread and affecting the public at many levels, the scandal of these abusive systems spreads like wildfire throughout the news media and Internet. In this example, your company also displays the now-embarrassing logo on its website and promotional material. It is now too late to change courses and prevent the public backlash of being involved with an “easy Green” website logo scheme.
The second option is one of the many city-wide free Green business certifications. They seem like an excellent idea because they have the aura of credibility, and the price is more than affordable. Of course, these certifications are free because there is a grant or interim funding for the project from a source that is of little concern at the moment. So, the decision to embrace the city’s Green business program is almost too simple.
Step forward in time again to a point where the temporary funding dries up or the volunteers no longer champion this local project. The best of intentions cannot always run on good will for long. Of course, these other concerns mirror the issues of the “Easy Green” website programs because compliance is voluntary and unaudited. Willing members are given a several page Xerox check list, occasionally the utility company stops by for a few “green Tips,” but there is no professional audit of the program.
The third choice is a more difficult standard of certification because there is a national standard for any business to reach prior to Green business certification and a mandatory audit to insure compliance. This level of certification carries a higher price tag than the other choices and the standards are higher than a token effort. For this reason, short-sighted companies will tend toward the “Easy Green” solutions.
The Green Business League is presently the only company in the United States and Canada with a standing team of trained Certified Green Consultants capable of providing the guide and audit for an authentic Green business certification. However, if the Green certification is subjected to the same future evaluation of an investigative reporter, what will be the result? The reporter will find actual Green practices in place that support the Green certification and an audit trail of annual reviews. Live audits and a nationally standardized checklist will provide bold evidence of a truly Green operation that merits the certification awarded.
It can be argued that we must applaud any effort to encourage environmental improvement, and that is true. But, Nonetheless, there is a great deal of deception afoot as greenwashing has become the most popular form of Green promotion. TerraChoice did a survey to find the 98% of Green products on the shelf were greenwashed in some fashion. The public is being deceived, and the deception is being aided by an Easy Green attitude by businesses anxious to talk the talk without walking the walk.
The astute business will resist Easy Green tactics by applying environmental practices that do not offer a Green certification from a spurious source. The more serious approach of an audited Green certification is the obvious future for any Green business. The backlash of an angry and resentful public is not worth the moments of Green charade that come from the Easy Green programs.
Michael Richmond is the director of the Green Business League, and primary trainer for the Certified Sustainability Officer program that trains in-house Green or Sustainability officers.
Author: Michael Richmond
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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