- What Is Green Plus™ Certification?
- What Is a Green Plus™ Mover?
- What Do I Get by Joining Green Plus™?
- Why Does Sustainability Matter?
- Who Should Join Green Plus™?
- Why Green Plus™?
- What Is Meant by People, Planet, and Performance?
- What’s the Process?
- How Long Does It Take to Complete the Certification Process?
- Is There An Assurance Process?
- How Do I Get Started?
What Is Green Plus™ Certification?
Green Plus Certification is a third party certification that means an organization gets the full spectrum of sustainability – green, plus people and economic performance practices – and walks the walk to back it up. Organizations that have earned Certification often have historically excelled in one area of sustainability, and then work over time to incorporate the full spectrum of sustainable practices.
You might recognize the Green Plus Certified businesses and nonprofits in your community as respected employers and active community supporters. Certification is a signal of commitment to long term viability – thinking beyond the short term.
How does Green Plus determine who becomes certified? Green Plus Certification means an organization has earned a score of 80% or higher on the Green Plus Diagnostic Survey, with a minimum score of 70% in each triple bottom line category – People, Planet and Performance. Once the minimum score is earned, organizations must successfully complete a document verification process. 20% of all Certified organizations receive a site visit on an annual basis for assurance purposes. Certification is awarded by the nonprofit behind Green Plus, the Institute for Sustainable Development, which was created by universities, chambers of commerce, and philanthropic supporters.
Green Plus was created to both foster and recognize these movers and shakers in your community. Support their efforts by doing business with them or joining them as an employee.
What Is a Green Plus™ Mover?
Green Plus Movers have taken the critical first step – getting smart about how they’re performing today. Movers have earned a minimum score of 40% on the Green Plus Diagnostic Survey and are poised to “move” toward Certification. In fact, nearly all Certified organizations started out as Movers and over time earned the score needed for Certification.
If you know a Mover in your community, congratulate them for their efforts and encourage them to press on. Today’s Movers are tomorrow’s sustainability leaders.
What Do I Get by Joining Green Plus™?
By joining Green Plus, save time, gain focus, and follow a roadmap for sustainability with these tools:
Diagnostic Survey. The Diagnostic Survey is centered around practices representing key principles of sustainability with regard to Performance, Planet and People.
Sustainability How To Guide. Save hundreds of hours of searching by referencing the How To Guide (or the Nuts and Bolts of Doing Green, as we like to call it), which defines key terms, outlines easy, medium and advanced steps, and shares examples from others.
Sustainability Report. After you complete the Diagnostic Survey, the Green Plus team sends you a customized report with your score and an outline of your strengths and areas of opportunity.
Green Plus is also a third-party certification program. Earning Green Plus Certification gets you:
Press Recognition: A public announcement of Certification is made via a quarterly press release.
Location-specific Recognition: A Green Plus Certified window cling is available for your place of business.
Online Recognition: Green Plus Certified logos are available for use on your website and emails.
Public Network Upgrade: An upgrade to “Certified” is made in the Green Plus Online Directory.
Why Does Sustainability Matter?
You might not know it, but
sustainability is mainstream now.
Bigger commitments. According to a 2011 MIT Sloan/BCG survey of over 3,000 companies, 59% are increasing their commitment to sustainability. Sustainability is increasingly becoming the norm.
Did you know? Sustainability disclosures are becoming a requirement for the supply chains of the world’s largest businesses, including Walmart, Proctor & Gamble and Kaiser Permanente. Is your business ready to meet the new bar?
Rush to be sustainable. A 2011 KPMG Corporate Responsibility study of over 350 executives found that 62% of companies have a strategic plan for corporate sustainability in place, and 11% are developing one. More than half of those plans have arisen in the past three years. For comparison, only 11% have had a plan in place since at least 2001.
Everyone has to start somewhere. Sustainability can be overwhelming for smaller organizations. Let us help you get your footing and set you on a course of sustainable success.
Who Should Join Green Plus™?
Green Plus was designed for businesses and non-profits in any industry with 500 or fewer employees.
Why Green Plus™?
When it comes to tackling sustainability, you have options – Google it, get a degree, hire a consultant or specialized staffer. But what will give you the biggest bang for your buck? Time is precious. You need a roadmap to give you direction and the tools to get there.
Green Plus was developed specifically with smaller enterprise is mind, those with 500 or fewer employees. We’ve worked with you enough to know that time is scarce and that anything you commit to needs to strengthen your bottom line. That’s why Green Plus is focused on practical, achievable, cost-effective steps that benefit your organization in the long run – and frequently the short run as well. Green Plus allows you to work at your own pace while giving you the feedback and support along the way to help you get to a new level.
Green Plus was developed by sustainability whizzes at top tier universities, the University of North Carolina and Duke University. These academics joined forces with their local chambers of commerce, who know what it’s like working with smaller enterprises, fusing cutting edge academic thinking with practically minded insight to produce a program fit for busy small businesses and nonprofits. The result is a clear path to sustainability that doesn’t require a Master’s degree.
We think Green Plus is a great entry point, though the process of doing green better is ongoing and continuous. As you continue along, here are some other Tips and Resources that can complement your new mojo.
What Is Meant by People, Planet, and Performance?
People, planet, and performance is a concept often referred to as the triple bottom line. In addition to the traditional bottom line performance typically measured by economic performance, the triple bottom line includes environmental and social performance.
The idea behind the triple bottom line is that the three areas are interrelated and mutually reinforcing – by succeeding in all three, organizations can actually be more competitive. We’re here to show you how.
What’s the Process?
1) Register
To begin the program, first register on the website.
2) Getting Started Stage
The Green Plus team will schedule an introductory call with you to learn about your organization, understand your goals in joining the program, and answer any questions you have.
3) Diagnostic Stage
To get a baseline of where you are today, fill out the online Green Plus Diagnostic Survey. We’ll review your answers and prepare a report detailing where you are today and what the opportunity areas are for improvement and moving toward Certification.
4) Planning Stage
After receiving feedback, plan your next steps. Review opportunity areas and consider ease of implementation, time involved, cost, strategic value, and management input to help shape priorities. An 80% score is required overall with a minimum of 70% in People, Planet and Performance categories to qualify for certification.
5) Nitty Gritty Stage
Launch new practices in line with your plan.
6) Certification Stage
After you’ve launched new practices, update your answers online to receive an updated report. Once the score of 80% overall is met, the Green Plus team will schedule a phone call with you to check in and request a handful of key documents in order to complete the assurance process. Once the assurance process is complete, you’ll be officially Certified.
How Long Does It Take to Complete the Certification Process?
The time it takes to become certified varies depending on:
1) where your organization starts and
2) how quickly your organization is prepared to roll out new sustainable practices
The most advanced and fastest organizations can get there in several weeks. On the longer end, getting there can take several quarters of planning an executing.
The point is not the length of time it takes, however. You’re never really done and if you’re like many others, you’ll find the process itself is its own reward.
Is There An Assurance Process?
In addition to verifying a handful of randomly selected documents for all qualifying certified organizations, Green Plus visits a random sample of at least 20% of the Green Plus organizations certified annually. On-site assurance visits serve as an opportunity to verify compliance and connect with clients. During a site visit, the Green Plus team meets with key staff and observes practices. We also take this time to share ideas and answer questions.
At its core, Green Plus is a tool intended to educate smaller enterprises on issues related to environmental, social, and economic success. It is not within the scope of our mission to regulate the behavior of participants. Organizations participating in the Green Plus program must be compliant with U.S. federal, state, and local laws. Organizations not in compliance with U.S. federal, state, and local laws will be removed from the program. To learn more about the Green Plus Terms & Conditions of use, read more here.
How Do I Get Started?
To get started, register.
Learn more about Green Plus on our About page.
I lead the green team at McKee Foods in Gentry Arkansas. In the the past 3 years we our goal has been to reduce our landfill usage. In November 2011, we were able to announce that we are now landfill free. None of our waste goes into a landfill. We are now reducing, reusing or recycling 96.7& of our total waste and the rest goes to waste to energy. I know we have more than the 500 employees that you mention (we have about 1500) and are located in Arkansas so I di’nt know if there might be any common ground for you and us. Let me know if you have any interest in finding out more about us and our gren journey. Thanks, Jim twiggs 479-736-3727