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California Green Business Program Takes on Growth and Funding Challenges in a March 2013 Action Planning Retreat

By Kirsten Liske

The California Green Business Program (CAGBP) is a legislatively legitimized (AB 913, 2011) voluntary program offered by local government agencies that validates sustainable business activities, establishes a green marketplace, and tracks and promotes measurable economic and environmental outcomes from practices changes implemented by business participants.

In the program, local public agencies provide free or low cost expert technical assistance in air quality, solid waste, water supply, wastewater, storm water, hazardous waste and materials, and energy. Businesses who achieve a minimum level of compliance and sustainability practices become Certified Green Businesses and receive free marketing. The CAGBP is one of the few governmental environmental assistance programs that also result in economic development and beneficial governmental relations.

Launched in 1996, the program is now available in 21 California jurisdictions representing almost 40% of the state. More than 2,700 small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are certified statewide.  In 2012 those certified businesses achieved the following environmental protection and cost saving outcomes:

GHG Emissions Reduction

343,353,462 tons
Energy Saved

38,254,747 kWh
Solid Waste Diverted from Landfill

212,616,001 tons
Water Saved

30,362,771 gallons
Haz Waste Reduced

6,245 gallons

The programs work together as part of the statewide California Green Business Network. In 2012, in addition to local program funding challenges, the Network was informed that some critical state funding that supports the statewide database would not be available past the next fiscal year. This reduction in resources came at a time of unprecedented program expansion with agencies from Humboldt to Los Angeles beginning to launch programs and needing support. With the opportunity to really engage and support a robust statewide program, combined with resourcing challenges, the Network hosted a two-day “Charting the Path to Sustainability” retreat March 20-21, 2013 that led to a prioritized nine step action plan and working groups signed up to move those forward.

Eighteen of the twenty-one programs were represented, and the retreat attracted the participation of Cal EPA agencies (CalRecycle, DTCS, and CARB) as well as the Governors “Go Biz” program.  Small and medium certified businesses and the program auditing and certification partner agencies also participated for a total of almost 60 attendees. The retreat was designed and facilitated by nonprofit Institute of the Commons, who also helped with the formation of the California Product Stewardship Council as an extended statewide organization.

The group started with identifying key timeline activities and appreciations of the people and successes we’ve had along the way.  They then did scenario and trend identification for things that affect green businesses and the programs.  Individual work and breakout groups were then formed to identify and prioritize key areas for action to help the CAGBP move forward to sustainability in the face of all of those trends.  Participants were amazed that, at the end of a day and half retreat, we were leaving with action plans and commitments to further them!  The key areas where committees formed to take action are listed below,

The California Green Business Program:

  • Is driven by accurate and current performance data
  • Leverages technology
  • Practices collaborative governance
  • Attracts sustainable, reliable funding
  • Maintains high and consistent performance standards
  • Develops and implements effective marketing and branding for certified green businesses
  • Fosters sustainability education in schools
  • Promotes green workforce development
  • Continually expands our program impact and reach.

The transcriptions of the retreat with specific action plan steps are currently being approved by participants and, once complete, will be available to the public.  Please contact Jo Fleming at jo.fleming@envirocentives.com if you would like a copy or to find out how to participate in one of our action planning groups!

About the Author:

klKirsten Liske is one of the California Green Business Program’s biggest fans.  As Vice President of P2 and Zero Waste at Ecology Action she helped the Monterey Bay Area GBP launch and has leveraged her nonprofit’s mission and resources to help the statewide Network develop the database and its organization. Ecology Action facilitated the Network’s Strategy and Policy Committee through the retreat planning process.

Ecology Action, a California based non profit, has been a leading provider of innovative marketing and engagement programs that overcome barriers to reducing energy use and achieving environmental sustainability. Learn more at www.ecoact.org

Toolkit Measures Nature-Related Risks

Source: Environmental Leader.com

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development has released Eco4Biz – a toolkit aimed at businesses looking to assess, measure and value the natural resources they use.

The toolkit has been released in report form and is titled Eco4Biz – Ecosystem services and biodiversity tools to support business decision-making. WBCSD says that the report is a “one-stop resource kit” to help environmental managers and companies navigate and choose from a range of available tools to better understand how they rely on nature, leading to more informed and better sustainability decisions.
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Kaeser Compressors Releases Downloadable Whitepaper

Kaeser Compressors Inc. has announced its newest whitepaper is available for complimentary download.

Authored by industry expert Werner Rauer, “CAGI Data Sheets: An apples to apples comparison” explains the importance of using CAGI data sheets in competitive comparisons. It also includes a line-by-line explanation for each item included on the CAGI data sheets.

An abridged version of the whitepaper has been published to Kaeser’s company blog, “Kaeser Talks Shop,” at www.KaeserTalksShop.com. Additional whitepapers are also available on Kaeser’s site, including “Combination Refrigerated/Desicccant Compressed Air Dryers” and “Basics of Rotary Screw Compressor Lubricants.”

More information:To download any of Kaeser’s free whitepapers, click here.

Kaeser Compressors

EPA’s FY 2014 Budget Proposal Maintains the Strength of Federal, State, and Tribal Core Environmental and Human Health Protections

FY 2014 Request Focuses on Transforming the Way EPA Does Business

WASHINGTON – Today the Obama Administration proposed a Fiscal Year 2014 (FY 2014) budget of $8.153 billion for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This request is $296 million below the EPA’s budget for Fiscal Year 2012.

“EPA’s FY 2014 budget reflects our firm commitment to keeping American communities across our country healthy and clean, while also taking into consideration the difficult fiscal situation and the declining resources of state, local and tribal programs,” said EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe. “Our request takes a balanced approach to funding the agency, including increased investments in more efficient technologies as well as necessary program eliminations or reductions.”

EPA’s FY 2014 request will allow EPA to continue its progress in addressing climate change; protecting the nation’s air, waters, and lands; supporting sustainable water infrastructure; and assuring the safety of chemicals. EPA will continue to lay the groundwork to transform the way it does business, ensuring the best use of human and financial resources, while continuing to achieve the agency’s mission effectively and efficiently.
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Emissions Rules Put Alternative-Fuel Vehicles in a Bind

Source: The New York Times, Energy & Environment.com

THE Environmental Protection Agency’s latest proposed tightening of limits on sulfur in gasoline, and its previous rules, will most likely have the perverse consequence of retarding the development of cars running on batteries, advanced biofuels or hydrogen — all promising but expensive technologies that have not become mass-market products.

At the least, domestically produced gasoline and rapid advances in technology to make the internal combustion engine more efficient are likely to help the conventional automobile survive against competition from vehicles powered by electricity, natural gas and other cleaner alternatives.

The E.P.A. last week announced its proposed new Tier 3 rules sharply reducing allowable amounts of sulfur in gasoline, which would help automobiles’ catalytic converters to capture more pollutants. Tier 1, the E.P.A.’s first set of rules, was established two decades ago, under the Clean Air Act of 1990. Tier 2 was a refinement in 2000.

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The Effects of Pharmaceutical Pollution on Water Quality

Source: Environmental Protection.com

A new study suggests that more research is needed in order to find the complete impacts pharmaceutical pollution has on aquatic life and water quality.

In a new study, researchers focused on six common pharmaceuticals (caffeine, ciprofloxacin, metformin, an antihistamine for allergies, and two antihistamines for heartburn) influenced streams in Indiana, Maryland, and New York. Each pharmaceutical was investigated alone and in combinations by using pharmaceutical-diffusing substrates in order to find some of the effects they caused in the springs.
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New Cleaner Fuel and Cars Standards Proposed

Source: Environmental Protection.com

The EPA has proposed new standards for both cars and fuels that will help reduce pollution and improve efficiency in vehicles.

The EPA’s new standard proposal for cars and gasoline will aid in achieving lower pollution at the lowest cost. By decreasing the amount of emissions caused by motor vehicles and their fuel, the standard can help prevent up to 2,400 premature deaths and 23,000 cases of respiratory illnesses in children per year.
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71% of Consumers Think Green When Purchasing

Source: Environmental Leader News.com

A record-high 71 percent of Americans consider the environment when they shop, up from 66 percent in 2008, according to research from Cone Communications.

Some 7 percent consider the environment every time they shop while 20 percent consider it regularly. Forty-four percent consider it sometimes, according to  the 2013 Cone Communications Green Gap Trend Tracker.

Even as thinking “green” is increasingly at the forefront of consumers’ minds, Americans still struggle with their role in the lifecycle of products with an environmental benefit. Nine in 10 respondents say they believe it’s their responsibility to properly use and dispose of these products, but action isn’t aligning with intent: Only 30 percent say they often use products in a way that achieves the intended environmental benefit. Some 42 percent say they dispose of products in a way that fulfills the intended environmental benefit.
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Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels

Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels

For a century, almost all light-duty vehicles (LDVs) have been powered by internal combustion engines (ICEs) operating on petroleum fuels. Energy security concerns over petroleum imports and the effect of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions on global climate are driving interest in alternatives. This report assesses the potential for reducing petroleum consumption and GHG emissions by 80% across the U.S. LDV fleet by 2050, relative to 2005. It examines the current capability and estimated future performance and costs for each vehicle type and non-petroleum-based fuel technology as options that could significantly contribute to these goals. By analyzing scenarios that combine various fuel and vehicle pathways, the report also identifies barriers to implementation of these technologies and suggests policies to achieve the desired reductions. Several scenarios are promising, but strong, effective, and sustained but adaptive policies such as research and development (R&D), subsidies, energy taxes, or regulations will be necessary to overcome barriers such as cost and consumer choice.

EPA Announces Chemicals for Risk Assessment in 2013, Focus on Widely Used Flame Retardants

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will begin assessments on 23 commonly used chemicals, with a specific focus on flame retardant chemicals, in order to more fully understand any potential risks to people’s health and the environment. This effort is part of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan which identifies commonly used chemicals for risk assessment.

Americans are often exposed to flame retardant chemicals in their daily lives; flame retardants are widely used in products such as household furniture, textiles, and electronic equipment. Some flame retardant chemicals can persist in the environment, bioaccumulate in people and animals, and have been shown to cause neurological developmental effects in animals.

“EPA is committed to more fully understanding the potential risks of flame retardant chemicals, taking action if warranted, and identifying safer substitutes when possible,” said James J. Jones, Acting assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “Though today’s announcement represents a significant step forward on chemical safety, it’s important to remember that TSCA, this country’s chemicals management legislation, remains in dire need of reform in order to ensure that all Americans are protected from toxic chemicals in their environment.”
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