Green Business Certification Andrea H Lai Choi-Wah Yu Annemieke Kerstens Eliza Wendel
Terms Green Business Certification “Zero Waste” Green Building Certification (LEED) Sustainable Food
What is a Green Business Certification? A certificate that proves the environmentally sustainable practices of a business
“Going Green” relates to consuming Earth’s resources more efficiently Becoming more trendy with a well known REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE slogan
Why is it becoming more popular? Businesses can choose amount of participation many levels Both independent and federally regulated certification There’s an increasing trend for consumers to purchase green products or favor green businesses
Green Business Certification Due to the newness of the Green Business Certification concept, several certifying programs have emerged: – Sacramento Area Sustainable Business Certification – Partners for a Greener Davis Certification
A Business must implement practices in ONE category Energy conservation Water conservation Pollution reduction Solid waste reduction Green building Transportation and air quality
How to get certified? Sacramento Area Sustainable Business Certification 1.Application 2.Verification 3.Recognition
Application Checklist Application under review Send to BERC (Business Environmental Resource Center) BERC staff will contact your business for a site visit and verification
Verification BERC staff verify selected measures and progress via site visit.
Recognition Certificate Window placard Types: – Silver Star – Gold Star
City of Davis: Sacramento Area Sustainable Business Program participants Dos Coyotes Border Café in North and South Davis Segundo Dining Commons Peter J Shields Library Davis Energy Ciocolat Mak Design Bo Tree Chevron Physical Edge Inc Yolo Federal Credit Union
City of Davis: “Green Business Partners” Dos Coyotes Border Café in North and South Davis (Gold level) Café Italia (Gold level)
Benefits Authenticity to consumers Smaller carbon footprint with greater market rewards in the future Business with a Green Certificate will attract a greater consumer population
Continued… A GBC cannot be purchased, instead a business must prove through their practices that they have made an eco friendly adjustment
Having a GBC also allows consumers to find a business online much easier if they are specifically looking for a company who sells products in an environmentally efficient way It also creates a better public image and better community relations Tax reductions and credits!
Challenges Independent company can run the risk of being challenged by FTC Initial investment can be pricey. Even though it pays off in the long run many companies don’t want to take the financial risk Eco-friendly equipment is costly and there are additional costs for obtaining actual certificate
University of California Policy Green building Clean energy Transportation Climate protection Sustainable operations Waste reduction and recycling Environmentally preferable purchasing Sustainable foodservice
Some Highlights in the UC System Policy All new construction must meet a minimum standard of LEED-NC Silver Renovation projects greater than $5 million that do not qualify for LEED-NC must be certified under LEED-CI
What is LEED ? Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design 4 levels of LEED certification: Certified Silver Gold Platinum Based on sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) for renovation projects LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) for new buildings and major renovations of existing buildings
Some Highlights in the UC System Policy... By 2020 the University of California has pledged to.. Achieve zero waste Purchase 20% sustainable food Reduce water consumption by 20%
UC Davis Progress - Dining UC Sustainability Policy goal : 20 percent of food purchased for campus by 2020 must be considered sustainable 21% At UC Davis: At this moment, More than 21% of food purchases for the 1.8 million meals served per year in campus's four residential dining halls are considered sustainable
Sourcing food sustainably – UC Davis Sacramento Growers Collaborative Products grown on campus Campus meat laboratory UC Davis Student Farm
More about UC Davis Dining Since June 2008, ALL four dining halls have been Tray-less Saves more than 50,000 gallons of water. Aggie-ware Reusable plates, bowls, cups and flatware
The Nation’s Coolest School UC Davis ranked 1 st UC Irvine ranked 9 th 2013 UC Irvine ranked 3 rd UC Davis ranked 4 th UC Santa Barbara ranked 10 th UCs showed commitment to maintaining and creating sustainable campuses
UCI Dining UCI Dining initiatives: Weigh the Waste Food Donation Program Sustainable Agri-food Systems Conduct research and develop educational programs around sustainable food at UC Irvine
UC Santa Barbara dining Implemented -100% Certified Fair Trade Coffee -100% Certified Humane Cage Free Eggs In fall quarter of the , Residential Dining removed trays from all four dining commons 54% reduction in food post consumer waste 37% average savings of total waste overall Uses napkins that are made from 100% (post-consumer) recycled paper and are not bleached.
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