Each year, the Institute for Sustainable Development engages full time Fellows during the summer months and part time graduate assistants during the academic year. Over the course of 2010/2011, 35 graduate and undergraduates from Case Western Reserve (OH), Coastal Carolinas (SC), Duke, Elon, North Carolina State, Syracuse universities and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill helped Green Plus businesses in a dozen states with their sustainability plans. 

This fall, Fellows will be conducting research and developing new sustainability resources for small business, including the Green Plus Nuts and Bolts guide.  The Assistantships will continue into the Spring academic semester, where Assistants will assist Green Plus in continuing an impact assessment project started by a former Green Plus Fellow in the Spring of 2010.

“We are grateful to our Graduate Assistants as they help our Green Plus smaller enterprises to become more competitive through sustainable business practices,” said Chris Carmody, Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development.  ”They are a part of building a new, sustainable American economy,” Carmody concluded.

We’re happy to have Ryan, George, Jessica and Jacob join the Green Plus Team during this academic year.

Ryan Donnelly

Ryan graduated from UC Berkeley in 2006 with a BA in English. Staying in the area, he worked in production at Pixar Animation Studios, before joining the Peace Corps and heading to Mongolia (2008-2010). In the small town of Hatgal, Ryan taught English and computer education. He was the first volunteer in the country to work extensively with One Laptop Per Child, and eventually raised money to begin new computer-education courses at the local school. In 2010 he moved to Lao PDR to work for Digital Divide Data, a not-for-profit social enterprise in SE Asia. DDD hires and trains disadvantaged young people to work on digitization projects and back office support. Ryan is currently a 2013 MBA candidate at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, where he plans to study non-profit management, sustainable energy practices, and social enterprise.

George Kataoka

George is a graduate of the class of 2010 from Soka University of America, a private liberal arts university in Southern California.  He gained experience with recycling, resource management, and zero waste from an internship with Earth Resource Foundation, an environmental educational non-profit organization, and a CRRA (California Resource Recovery Association) professional certification program in recycling and resource management.  Currently, he is studying for a master’s degree in environmentalmanagement (concentrating in energy) at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University.

Jessica Lab

Jessica is a graduate student at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment.  She is concentrating in Environmental Economics and Policy and is interested in sustainability, land use planning, and the interaction between natural science, policy, and economics.  She is a native Floridian and graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2010. 

Jacob Widlitz

Jacob is a 2012 candidate for a Master of Public Policy from the Sanford School at Duke University focusing on health policy and environmental sustainability. Jacob earned his B.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University.  Upon graduation from Cornell, Jacob joined the United States Peace Corps where he served as a math and biology teacher in rural Tanzania, Africa.

The Institute interviews for Graduate Assistant positions at the beginning of each semester, and in the spring for summer Green Plus Fellowships. Assistantships are for credit, by arrangement with our university partners. Summer Fellowships are paid work. To inquire about a position, please email info@gogreenplus.org. 

The Institute for Sustainable Development / Green Plus

www.gogreenplus.org

Forty-six businesses were recognized for their dedication to triple bottom line sustainability in the Green Plus ^TM by the Institute for Sustainable Development.  Five businesses in North Carolina and Pennsylvania obtained Green Plus ^TM certification, while thirty-nine others throughout the Midwest and Southeast were recognized for taking the first step in the program and are now Green Plus ^TM Movers .  Organizations that received the full Green Plus ^TM Certification are A Better Image Printing (NC), Environmental Solutions Group (NC), King’s Daughters Inn (NC), Quality Staffing (NC), and Wohlsen Construction Company (PA).

“We are proud to be working with organizations that are setting the example for smaller enterprise sustainability,” said Chris Carmody, Institute for Sustainable Development Executive Director.  ”We are motivated by our clients’ commitment to the environment and their communities. Their involvement is what makes Green Plus a great community hub for sharing best practices and helping American small businesses understand that sustainability is a growth opportunity.”

“Going through the Green Plus ^TM Certification was very satisfying,” said Diana Minta, owner of A Better Image Printing.  ”It helped me realize that [we] already had many green and sustainable processes in place, like employee benefits, giving back to our community and planning for the future. At the same time we had room to improve. The certification process gave me the tools and motivation to strive for that improvement. Thanks for making [this program] available,” Minta concluded.

The Green Plus ^TM program helps educate and certify small businesses and nonprofit organizations in the areas of triple bottom line sustainability (People, Planet, and Performance).  A program of the Institute for Sustainable Development, Green Plus^TM focuses on an organization’s policies and procedures and therefore applies to businesses across sectors and industries.  The first step in the program is completing the 86 question diagnostic survey, after which an organization is acknowledged as a Green Plus ^TM Mover.  This new class of Green Plus ^TM Movers includes: Allora Consulting, LLC, AlphaGraphics Cary, Aramark at the R. David Thomas Executive Conference Center, Armadillo Books, Avista Resort, ActionCOACH – Ben Quinn, Carpe Diem Cleaning, Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, Communication Matters, Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE), Damon’s Grill, Dos Perros Restaurant, Downtown Raleigh Alliance, EcoSelect Furniture, Elliot Realty, Fleetwood Fixtures, Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Flowers by Paulette, Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, Grimball Jewelers, Henderson Area Arts Alliance, Hughes Pittman and Gupton, LLP, Horry Telephone Cooperative, Humanitys Loom LLC, Loco For Coco, Lube Stop, Mother Murphys Laboratories, My Green Table, Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation, PlotWatt, Point to Point, R.W. Sauder, Revealed Design, Rockfish Interactive, Shirley’s Flowers and Gifts, Triangle Community Foundation, Umstead Hotel and Spa, Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants, and Yes Solar Solutions.

As many businesses are learning, true triple bottom line sustainability is not something that can be implemented within an organization in a few days, but for those businesses that have made the effort sustainability is a powerful marketing and branding tool that can help differentiate an organization in a competitive marketplace.  “We are thrilled to have met this important benchmark in our conservation efforts and we encourage all other hospitality providers, from Bed and Breakfasts to full service hotels to strive for Green Plus ^TM certification.  We look forward to mentoring other B&B’s on integrating green practices and technologies into their business,” declared Colin Crossman, proprietor of The King’s Daughters Inn.

One of the many business benefits of sustainability is a stronger, more vibrant community.  For organizations that have been working, not just in a community, but with that community are able to better withstand shifts in the marketplace.  ”[Green Plus ^TM Certification] is a testament to [Wohlsen Construction Company's] leadership, traditions, values and mission.  Since 1890, we have strived to maintain the highest level of performance in the construction industry,” said William J. Sutton II, project manager for Wohlsen.  ”We also have had to continue to reinvent our company and improve in all facets of our business.  Receiving this certification is an outstanding achievement and validation for our company and our employees.  In the area of environmental stewardship, we lead by example for our community, our clients and the generations to come,” stated Sutton.

A part of the Institute’s mission is to expand sustainability knowledge and through Green Plus ^TM employers now have a way of engaging their employees and encouraging them to take that information home at the end of the day.  ”Quality Staffing Specialist is committed to being a sustainable producer of services in all of its markets. I want to express my thanks to our dedicated staff for their hard work in making it possible to achieve this award of excellence,” said Phyllis Eller-Moffett, president of Quality Staffing Specialists.  ”Having gone through the certification process, everyone on the staff has become more aware of how little changes in their behavior have saved the company a great deal on our bottom line while giving them the satisfaction that creating new habits they can bring to the workplace and their homes.”

Every organization that completes the first step of the Green Plus ^TM program is also eligible for national recognition through the North American Sustainable Enterprise awards (NASE).  The Green Plus ^TM NASE Awards will take place Friday, June 18, 2010, from 7:45 to 9:45am EST, in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park. In partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce Executives,  the Institute for Sustainable Development will recognize organizations in a variety of categories for the example they have set in advancing triple bottom line sustainability, including Green Plus ^TM Sustainable Enterprise of the Year, Green Plus ^TM Sole Proprietor, Green Plus ^TM Non Profit of Year, Green Plus ^TM Small Business of the Year (from 5 to 50 employees), Green Plus ^TM Medium Sized Business of the Year (51 employees or larger), Green Plus ^TM People’s Choice award, Green Plus ^TM Champion, and the Green Plus ^TM Chamber of Commerce of the Year.  Tickets for the awards are now on sale at http://www.gogreenplus.org/2010/03/20/north-american-sustainable-enterprise-awards/.  For more information on the Green Plus ^TM Program or the North American Sustainable Enterprise Awards please contact Kirsten Hausman at khausman@gogreenplus.org or go to www.gogreenplus.org.

New Certified Green Plus ^TM Businesses

A Better Image Printing — Chapel Hill, NC (www.abetterimageprinting.com)

Owned by Diana and Steve Minta, A Better Image Printing is a full service printshop, providing customers with ‘more than ink on paper,’ but also binder, delivery, fulfillment, storage, and mailings.  Named by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber as the Sustainable Business of the Year for 2009, A Better Image Printing was also presented with the 2009 Progress Energy Business of the Year award to compliment their two Best Of and one Excellence award in the 2009 PICA awards (Printing Industry of the Carolinas).

A Better Image Printing is known in its community for its ardent support of community development efforts and community events.

Environmental Solutions Group — Greensboro, NC (www.esgtesting.com)

Environmental Solutions Group (ESG) is a firm based out of Greensboro, NC that specializes in residential and commercial environmental assessments and testing services.  Founded by current president, Craig Whittaker, ESG provides their clients with environmental building assessments, energy performance analysis, and third-party verifications for LEED, ENERGY STAR homes, Green Building, and Indoor Air Quality.

Voted 45^th among North Carolina’s Top 100 Small Businesses by Business Leader Magazine in 2009, ESG was also recognized as one of the top environmental firms in the Triad in 2006, 2007, and 2008 by the Triad Business Journal.

The King’s Daughters Inn – Durham, NC (www.thekingsdaughtersinn.com)

Whoever said green and luxury don’t do together hasn’t had the pleasure of visiting the King’s Daughters Inn B&B.  This boutique hotel, opened in April 2009, is run by Deanna and Colin Crossman and is located across the street from Duke’s East Campus near downtown Durham, NC.  The Crossmans purchased the historical property and spent the better part of two years renovating the building, which was originally built as a residence for a dormitory-style retirement home, into a luxury boutique bed & breakfast.

Though many said that renovating an historical property into an eco-boutique B&B was impossible, the Crossmans proved otherwise.  Among other measures, each room has its own total energy management system, they installed a gray water system to reduce indoor water usage, a 10,000 gallon rain water cistern for irrigation, used porous concrete in the parking lot, created a rain garden, installed low-flow fixtures in each bathroom, and LED lighting (light emiting diodes) where possible.

Quality Staffing – Cary, NC (www.quality-staffing.com)

Quality Staffing Specialists is a full-service staffing agency serving the needs of companies all over the Triangle area of North Carolina. Quality Staffing has grown to become the largest woman owned business in the Triangle. Quality Staffing Specialists began providing temporary help to the Triangle area of North Carolina in 1995. Their Triangle staff has over 122 years cumulative staffing and human resources experience. This, as well as their commitment to service, has led them to become one of the largest independently owned personnel services in the Triangle.

Wohlsen Construction Company – Lancaster, PA (www.wohlsenconstruction.com)

Founded in 1890, Wohlsen Construction Company offers a wide range of construction, design, build, and facilities services.  With full service offices in both Pennsylvania and Delaware, Wohlsen Construction customers are located throughout the Mid-Atlantic states and 75% of their clients are repeat customers which plainly shows their commitment to quality, safety, and service.

Wohlsen Construction also supports its local communities and encourages its employees to donate their time, serve on the boards of civic organizations, and make financial contributions through various methods such as the annual Holiday Gift Giving.

New Green Plus^TM Movers

• Allora Consulting, LLC – Chapel Hill, NC (www.alloraconsulting.com)
• AlphaGraphics Cary – Cary, NC (http://cary398.alphagraphics.com)
• Aramark at the R. David Thomas Executive Conference Center – Durham, NC (www.acc-rdthomasconferencecenter.com)
• Armadillo Books – Chapel Hill, NC (www.armadillobooks.net)
• Avista Resort – North Myrtle Beach, SC (http://avistaresort.com)
• ActionCOACH – Ben Quinn – Chapel Hill, NC (www.actioncoach.com/benquinn)
• Carpe Diem Cleaning – Durham, NC (www.carpediemcleaning.com)
• Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce – Columbus, IN (www.columbusareachamber.com)
• Communication Matters – Hillsborough, NC (www.cmatters.org)
• Council of Smaller Enterprises – Cleveland, OH (www.cose.org)
• Damon’s Grill – North Myrtle Beach, SC (http://ribsribsribs.com)
• Dos Perros Restaurant – Durham, NC (http://dosperrosrestaurant.com)
• Downtown Raleigh Alliance – Raleigh, NC (www.godowntownraleigh.com)
• EcoSelect Furniture – Greensboro, NC (http://ecoselectfurniture.com)
• Elliot Realty – North Myrtle Beach, NC (http://elliottrealty.com)
• Fleetwood Fixtures – Leesport, PA (www.fleetwoodfixtures.com/)
• Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants – Tallahassee, FL (www.ficpa.org)
• Flowers by Paulette – Lancaster, PA (www.flowersbypaulette.com)
• Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce – Durham, NC (www.durhamchamber.org)
• Greensboro Chamber of Commerce – Greensboro, NC (www.greensboro.org)
• Grimball Jewelers – Chapel Hill, NC (www.grimballjewelers.com)
• Henderson Area Arts Alliance – Henderson, KY (www.haaa.org)
• Hughes Pittman and Gupton, LLP – Raleigh, NC (www.hpg.com)
• Horry Telephone Cooperative – Conway, SC (www.htcinc.net)
• Humanitys Loom LLC – Westlake, OH (www.humanitysloom.com)
• Loco For Coco – Greensboro, NC (http://locoforcocochocolate.com)
• Lube Stop – Berea, OH (www.lubestop.com)
• Mother Murphys Laboratories – Greensboro, NC (www.mothermurphys.com)
• My Green Table – Durham, NC (www.mygreentable.com)
• Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation – Hillsborough, NC (www.pemc.org)
• PlotWatt – Durham, NC (http://blog.plotwatt.com)
• Point to Point – Beechwood, OH (www.pointtopoint.com)
• R.W. Sauder – Lititz, PA (www.saudereggs.com)
• Revealed Design – Raleigh, NC (www.revealeddesign.com)
• Rockfish Interactive – Rogers, AR (www.rockfishinteractive.com)
• Shirley’s Flowers and Gifts – Rogers, AR (www.shirleysflowersinc.com)
• Triangle Community Foundation – Durham, NC (www.trianglecf.org)
• Umstead Hotel and Spa – Cary, NC (www.theumstead.com)
• Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants – Bellevue, WA (www.wscoa.org)
• Yes Solar Solutions – Cary, NC (www.yessolarsolutions.com)

2009 Sustainability Fellows, from left to right, Brooks Rainey-Pearson, Dale Hammer, Amanda Campbell, Elizabeth Leidel, and Teddy Salgado

Call for Applicants: Institute Seeks Candidates for 2010 Sustainability Fellowships

The Institute for Sustainable Development is seeking qualified applicants for its 2010 Sustainability Fellowship program. Fellowships pay a competitive stipend and will run for eight weeks during the summer of 2010. The Institute will select at least eight Fellows and perhaps more depending on the quality of the applicant pool. At least one (1) Sustainability Fellow will be a student of Accounting from a certified U.S. accountancy program. Other Fellows may come from any field.

“We’re looking forward to working with a new cohort of sustainability leaders, and our small business and non-profit partners in the field are even more excited,” said Chris Carmody, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development.

A core part of the Institute’s mission is to foster a new cohort of sustainability leaders – across disciplines and generations. Through these fellowships, the Institute seeks to help smaller enterprises and their communities in the U.S. and Canada utilize sustainability to improve their economic conditions and quality of life, and to provide a laboratory for leaders from different disciplines to learn about the triple bottom line from one another. In 2009, the Institute Sustainability Fellows cohort included graduate and undergraduate students in the fields of business, environmental studies, law, planning and politics.

Who May Apply

While preference may be given to current students and graduates of participating academic institutions (Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), the Institute’s Summer Sustainability Fellowships are open to anyone legally qualified to work in the United States. Most prior Fellows have been graduate or undergraduate students, but the Institute may also accept non-student applicants it feels can make an exceptional contribution to the program.  The Institute does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, creed, ethnicity, sexual orientation or sexual identity.

American Institute of Certified Public Accounts (AICPA) Fellow

The Institute will select at least one current student of Accounting from an accredited U.S. college or university, stipend to be underwritten by the AICPA. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants is the national, professional organization for all Certified Public Accountants. Its mission is to provide members with the resources, information, and leadership that enable them to provide valuable services in the highest professional manner to benefit the public as well as employers and clients.

Scope of Work

Sustainability Fellows work collaboratively as a coordinated team to provide services to a growing network of small businesses and non-profits interested in understanding and implementing triple-bottom line sustainability strategies into their organizations and communities.  In addition to active engagement in the ongoing operations of the Institute, each Fellow will develop one summer-long research project in line with both the Institute’s needs and the particular interests and expertise of the individual fellow.

Accepted Fellows will participate in a special training at the start of the summer to prepare them with the skills necessary to offer coaching, consulting and other services to the diverse client base of the Institute’s Green Plus program.

“Before working at the institute I understood fundamentally that there is a business case for sustainability,” said 2009 Fellow Teddy Salgado, a MBA candidate at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. ”Being a Sustainability Fellow was particularly rewarding, though, because not only did I get to see first-hand how businesses were using those principles to create a competitive advantage, I also helped an entrepreneurial organization grow,” Salgado concluded.

• 2009 Fellows worked with smaller enterprises from a variety of sectors including local retail, professional offices, service and non-profit organizations.

Individual projects included

• Writing articles for national business publications
• Researching Best Practices for the Institute in auditing certified companies
• Developing profiles and case studies of small businesses participating in Green Plus.
• Creating Special Features for the Green Plus online platform

Group projects included

• Developing content for the Green Plus Sustainability How To Guide-an educational guide for small businesses to learn best practices in the areas of People, Planet and Performance.
• Updating, evaluating, and testing the Green Plus diagnostic survey with a portfolio of small businesses
• Contributing regular posts to the Green Plus News/Blog on sustainability issues relevant to the small business audience

“The Fellowship provides a unique environment where students from many fields, all of whom are passionate about sustainability, work together,” said 2009 Fellow Brooks Rainey Pearson, a joint Law and City Planning graduate student at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “The experiences afforded and the friendships created in that setting will serve me well as I embark on my career,” Rainey Pearson concluded.

Application Deadlines & Questions

Applicants should submit a cover letter of one page or less describing their interest and qualifications for helping smaller enterprises with triple bottom line sustainability issues and their CV as a Word Document or PDF to Jobs@gogreenplus.org no later than midnight, February 28, 2010. The Institute will conduct interviews by phone or in person during March and notify candidates by April 1. Applicants with any questions should pose them in writing to Jobs@gogreenplus.org.

Attached Funding

While the Institute pays stipends for its Summer Sustainability Fellowships, it is a non-profit organization. Exceptional candidates who come with outside sources of funding are also welcome, though outside funding does not qualify or disqualify an applicant.

Mission & History

The mission of the Institute for Sustainable Development is to democratize triple bottom line sustainability by making it accessible to smaller employers and their communities, fostering a new generation of sustainability leaders, and developing a common understanding of sustainability principles across cultures.

The non-profit was founded in the North Carolina Research Triangle in 2007 by a unique partnership of academic, business and philanthropic leaders. Early partners included Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Greater Durham Chambers of Commerce, and the Fenwick Foundation.

DETECTING THE GREEN LIGHT: LOCAL CHAMBERS AHEAD OF WASHINGTON
November 1, 2009 – by Neal Peirce

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s cautious if not hostile approach to climate control legislation isn’t just putting it at odds with the Obama administration. Progressive corporations such as Apple and Pacific Gas & Electric have resigned their memberships over the issue.

And there’s a fresh breeze blowing at the grass roots, too. A growing coterie of local chambers of commerce is pushing both members and their communities to think and act “green,” to surge ahead of the curve in cutting carbon emissions.

And why? It’s because “they see green as a huge marketing opportunity as consumers increasingly respond to firms that are environmentally responsible,” says Carly Grimm, author of a new report on chambers’ initiatives financed by the Energy Foundation and produced by Partners for Livable Communities. “Enterprise at Home for Progress at Large: The Economics of Sustainability (Chambers of Commerce as the New Civic Players in Environmental Sustainability)” — focuses on green/climate-change initiatives of leading chambers spread from New England to Southern California. The chambers, including Los Angeles, Indianapolis and Columbia, S.C., were identified by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, a professional association of leaders of 1,250 local chambers that’s separate from the U.S. Chamber.

The new survey doesn’t focus on such likely suspects as Berkeley or Portland, Ore. — far from it. Case in point: Waco, Texas. The Waco Chamber of Commerce recently built the nation’s first certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) chamber headquarters. In fact, it attained the U.S. Green Building Council’s coveted LEED Gold certification with such features as a 1,400-square foot reflective roof, solar panels and natural lighting.

The Waco Chamber building is also the first LEED-certified structure in its city. But it’s proving contagious as McLennan Community College, Caterpillar Logistics, Wells Fargo and Baylor University all follow the Chamber’s example by seeking LEED status for their new buildings in town. Chamber leader Jim Vaughan hopes the city’s expanding commitment to sustainable development will create a magnet for businesses and young professionals — or, as he asserts, “put Waco on the map.”

In Bridgeport, Conn., first steps to create a set of green citywide goals and action items originated with the mayor, Bill Finch. But the Bridgeport Regional Business Council responded quickly, leading to the founding of the Bridgeport Sustainability Initiative — B-Green 2020 — as a public-private partnership. More than 100 city and business leaders met to develop specific green agendas ranging from buildings to water resources.

Among specific plans, with help from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, are energy upgrades of local sewage plants that constitute Bridgeport’s largest carbon emitters. A green energy park and a street tree adoption plan are being developed. And B-Green 2020 is out evangelizing through a Mayor’s Conservation Corporation of 30 door-to-door canvassers promoting energy conservation, recycling and storm water management.

But how to draw firms to sustainability and carbon-cutting strategies nationwide? Surveys show that overwhelming numbers of firms would like to be known for their commitment to the environment. But many have little idea how to start down a green path.

An ingenious program to fill that gap has sprung up in North Carolina’s Research Triangle area, a region rich with academic talent. Interested faculties at Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill have teamed up with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce to create, with local philanthropies, what they’re calling their “Green Plus” program.

Local firms are offered a Green Plus How-To-Guide. But more than that, they’re connected to mentor companies and get free counsel on sustainability initiatives. There’s even an initiation: Candidate firms must stipulate where they stand on three areas — performance (written strategic plan and accounting practices), planet (energy use and conservation), and people (compassion for employees and awareness of community needs).

If a firm stumbles in filling out its Green Plus questionnaire, it’s not left high and dry — university-connected experts in business-related environmental policies will coach it on how to improve its score.

Now Green Plus is ready to “go national.” It has announced a partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce Executives to create a countrywide network of local chambers ready to reach out to their own business communities on climate and related sustainability issues. The idea is not just to “spread the word” but also to help firms across the nation share their experiences in going green.

The optimism, the contrast to the U.S. Chamber’s position, is hard to miss. While it’s officially for promoting “energy conservation and efficiency,” the Chamber is overwhelmingly defensive, worried about threats to American jobs and the competitiveness of our industries.

The green thrust of an emerging group of progressive local chambers is positive, looking to expansive green initiatives designed to make American businesses more vibrant, on the cutting edge of new and best practices, and ready to compete vigorously — locally and on the world stage. It’s a proactive, optimistic — and refreshing — position.

Please click here for the original article, or here for a version at the National League of Cities.

Cleveland, October 14, 2009-

Green Plus™ is a three-part program to help smaller enterprises improve their performance through becoming more sustainable. In the first stage, employers take an online assessment which evaluates their management, environmental, employee and community engagement practices. In the second stage, participants become part of an online network and can receive advice from other business owners and university-based content experts on how to improve their sustainability performance. Employers with exceptional scores across the Green Plus™ assessment’s People, Planet and Performance sections may be Certified Green Plus™, recognizing their specific efforts and providing exposure to their current and potential customers and business partners in communities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

“COSE’s endorsement and support of the Green Plus™ process, is focused on helping small businesses take the first steps to greater profitability through sustainability,” said Steve Millard, President and Executive Director of COSE.

Green Plus™ has been adopted as the official small and medium sized enterprise sustainability program of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). The program is available at a substantial discount through participating chambers of commerce throughout the U.S. and Canada in the 1,300 chamber ACCE network. The program costs $550, but will be available to COSE members with five or more employees for $350 and to COSE companies with four or fewer employees for $75.

“There are many great home-grown sustainability efforts already going on in our region,” said Millard. “Green Plus™ gives our members the opportunity to both learn new practices and share their own knowledge across North America – while also opening up new business opportunities,” he added.

For more than ten years, COSE has been a provider of electricity and natural gas savings options to small and mid-sized businesses, helping them to save money and becoming a stronger partner for small business energy management efforts.

Additionally, COSE has been designated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio as the small business energy efficiency administrator for the First Energy Service territories.  In this role, COSE is working to find efficient and effective ways to improve and lower the energy demand of small businesses, resulting in additional profitability for small firms.

Green Plus™ was developed by the North Carolina Research Triangle based Institute for Sustainable Development — a combined effort of universities and chambers of commerce to provide smaller employers with affordable tools to improve their triple bottom line sustainability. The Green Plus™ model was developed by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business in 2007. UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University developed online sustainability tools for small business that were tested in Ohio and North Carolina throughout 2008. COSE was the Institute for Sustainable Development’s partner in beta testing the Green Plus™ program with Ohio businesses.

“Smaller enterprises employ most North Americans and are the key engine of new job creation,” said Chris Carmody, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development. “Large employers have benefited greatly from their sustainability efforts. Green Plus™ was created to give small employers the same opportunities to save and make money while going green and being sustainable,” Carmody continued. “COSE’s ongoing advocacy and innovative programs for smaller employers makes it the ideal Green Plus™ partner,” Carmody concluded.

Green Plus™ is not a product-specific certification program, but a broad small business sustainability certification. Employers currently participating comprise professional firms, restaurants, hotels, landscapers, printers, designers, small manufacturers and others. Green Plus™ is also designed to help non-profit organizations that want to improve their sustainability.

COSE member, The Taylor Companies was recently recognized as the first Ohio Certified Green Plus™ business on September 28, 2009 for its exceptional practices business, environmental and community practices. More on Taylor Chair’s certification can be found at www.gogreenplus.org. Other COSE members are beginning to participate in this program from the legal, landscaping and non-profit sectors.

For more information on Green Plus™, please see www.gogreenplus.org.

About COSE

COSE is one of Ohio’s largest small business support organizations, striving to help small businesses grow and maintain their independence. Comprised of more than 17,000 member companies, COSE has a long history of fighting for the rights of all small business owners through group purchasing programs for health care, workers’ compensation, or energy; advocating for specific changes in legislation or regulation to benefit small business;and, providing a forum and resource for small businesses to connect with and learn from each other. (www.cose.org)

The index will be overseen by the Sustainability Consortium, which includes representation from the Environmental Defense Fund and leverages the expertise of several university partners including Duke University’s Corporate Sustainability Initiative, which has already published on the knotty challenges of eco-labeling. Products will be evaluated via a Life Cycle Assessment, which traces products from their raw materials through production, transportation, consumption and disposal. According to the consortium (and of particular interest to those of us at Green Plus), the sustainability index will cover not just the environmental impact of a product but also its social impact:

“Measurements of sustainability will be holistic and account for both environmental and social imperatives throughout the entire life cycle of the product including manufacture, distribution, consumer use, and post-use. These measurements will be derived from four areas: energy and climate, material efficiency, natural resources, and people and community.”

Wal-Mart’s deep supply chain means that any environmental initiatives it undertakes have far-reaching implications. According to the New York Times, “Wal-Mart plans to begin by asking its more than 100,000 suppliers around the world to answer 15 simple questions about the sustainable practices of their companies.” And the third-party nature of the consortium serves to legitimize the index itself, which will ultimately encourage better purchasing decisions by consumers (who will be able to navigate through the eco-labeling landscape) and better production decisions by suppliers (who will likely respond to consumer demand for better products, and will have better insights into their own supply chain and its impact through the assessment process itself). And aided by the index itself, other retailers will have the opportunity to target their purchasing in a more sustainable way.

www.gogreenplus.org

Green Plus is a green and sustainable small business certification and education program that gives employers affordable, practical support in succeeding financially while being good to their environment, employees and community. Green Plus gives chambers of commerce, trade associations, foundations and local governments a new way to support their small business and non-profit stakeholders.

Find out more about the Green Plus program and what it can do for your business here.

The Institute for Sustainable Development partners with chambers of commerce to offer Green Plus to their members, and licenses the program to philanthropic foundations and local government as a triple bottom line education tool for their grantees and small business constituents.

The Institute is comprised of public and private university partners, chambers of commerce, and philanthropic organizations dedicated to providing smaller employers affordable access to sustainability expertise. In 2008, the Institute’s partners received the national Business Civic Leadership Center’s  Siemens Sustainable Community Award for its effort to build a public-private coalition to advance sustainability.

If you are a chamber of commerce click here for a quick video  and information on Green Plus partnerships, or contact Chris Carmody, Director of the Sustainable Business Initiative, at ccarmody@sustainablefoundation.org.