GreenBiz Leaders

GreenBiz Leaders is a new environmental best practices database featuring hundreds of examples of companies that have successfully combined environmental responsibility with economic profit. This database will provide a valuable resource to businesses seeking to improve their environmental practices while containing costs. Access to the database is free and unrestricted to all users.

The more than 650 company examples selected for GreenBiz Leaders are winners of federal, state, and local environmental award and recognition programs, housed within GreenBiz.com. All organizations in this database meet some established environmental criteria or merit recognition for their environmental achievements set by these programs. Simply joining an organization or endorsing a set of principles does not qualify for inclusion in GreenBiz Leaders.

The database is searchable by type of initiative (energy use, waste recycling) or type of company (standard industrial sector classifications). For example, a user could search for all energy-efficiency practices by clothing retailers. Users can also search by typing in one or more keywords (company name, chemical, or product). The database is continually updated as new award results are announced. GreenBiz Leaders also recognizes facilities in EPA's National Environmental Performance Track program, designed to reward and encourage top environmental performers -- those who go beyond compliance with regulatory requirements to attain high levels of environmental performance.

Are "leadership practices" the same as "best practices"? That is for you to decide. It is likely that some of the initiatives you find will be new and innovative, while others may seem less so. It depends a lot on your own organization's environmental programs and commitment.

GreenBiz Leaders is a project of GreenBiz.com, a program of the nonprofit National Environmental Education & Training Foundation. GreenBiz.com developed the searchable database through a grant from EPA's National Environmental Performance Track program.

Why Are We Doing This?
As companies of all sizes and sectors try to align environmental responsibility with business success, there is a need for information about what other companies have done. At present, there is no comprehensive, searchable, and regularly updated collection of "leadership practices" that can enable users to find leadership examples of environmental initiatives that are relevant to their size, sector, and specific needs. GreenBiz Leaders will fill this gap.

Why Hasn't This Been Done Before?
Several reasons. Putting together a comprehensive database is time- and labor-intensive. Equally vexing is the issue of what's really a "leadership" practice; what is cutting-edge for one firm may be old hat for another. The task of picking the good practices from the not-so-good ones is forbidding, to say the least. The challenge of keeping the database current is also formidable.

How Is This Different?
Rather than attempt to find "leadership practices" ourselves, we are collecting information about the winners and honorees of existing award and recognition programs. (We have identified more than 100 such programs in the US alone.) As a result, we will not be the judges; rather, we will rely on the criteria of each individual award and recognition program, thereby providing independent, third-party validation to each of the examples. By doing so, we will avoid the pitfalls of having to define (and continually re-define) what constitutes a "leadership" practice.

Who's Behind This?
GreenBiz Leaders is produced by Green Business Network, a project of the nonprofit National Environmental Education & Training Foundation, based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to provide clear, concise, accurate, and balanced information, resources, and learning opportunities to help companies of all sizes and sectors integrate environmental responsibility into their operations in a manner that combines ecological sustainability with profitable business practices. We are supported by grants from the U.S. EPA as well as such companies as AT&T, Bank of America, Kimberly-Clark, and Pitney Bowes.

How Can My Program Participate?
We are seeking the participation and cooperation of award and recognition programs honoring private-sector companies for their environmental achievements and initiatives. There is no cost or other obligation to participate. We simply ask that you provide us with descriptions (preferably in electronic form) of award recipients or honorees for as many years as possible -- ideally, five years, if your program has existed that long. We'll do the rest.

Do All Programs Qualify?
While we intend to be as inclusive as possible, our goal is to create a database that is credible and that avoids "greenwashing." We require that recipients or honorees meet some established environmental criteria or merit recognition for genuine environmental achievements. Simply joining an organization or endorsing a set of principles will not likely qualify companies for inclusion. We reserve the right to exclude programs we do not deem appropriate.

How Will My Program Benefit?
In at least two ways. One, you will help companies recognized by your program to receive additional exposure. In addition, each individual record will be linked to the website of the program that honored it. This could provide your program with additional outreach and help attract participants, entrants, or members.

Where Will This Information Appear?
In addition to appearing on GreenBiz.com, select records will appear on any of several spin-off sites we are creating. For example, climate-related leadership practices may appear on ClimateBiz.com, a site we are building in partnership with Business for Social Responsibility. Similarly, green building-related practices may appear on GreenerBuildings.com, which we are creating with the US Green Building Council.

Where Can I Learn More?
Contact Corina Beczner, Project Manager, GreenBiz.com: 510-451-1300 or corina@greenbiz.com.

GreenBiz Leaders

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