Green Plus™ was designed for businesses and non-profits in any industry, especially those organizations with 500 or fewer employees.
There are three main reasons to join Green Plus™ – to
Green Plus™ was designed to be the first small businesses and non-profit sustainability certification applying broadly across sectors. The program is not product or industry specific, but instead covers overall management practices in business, environmental, employee, and community areas. Green Plus™ participants to date include professional offices, landscapers, restaurants, hotels, cleaning services, florists, schools, logistics firms, local government departments, and non-profits. See examples of existing Green Plus Mover and Certified organizations in the National Directory.
Green Plus is a triple-bottom line sustainability certification program. The Green Plus Diagnostic Survey covers questions across three areas:
Sustainability requirements are a growing trend in the private as well as the public sector. Federal, state, and local governments have long played a regulatory role in environmental and employee management issues. In July 2009, the United States’ largest employer, Wal-Mart, asked all of its suppliers to complete a sustainability questionnaire that will become the basis of a rating system that will be published on all products and other private sector companies are following suit. There is significant evidence that a company’s commitment to sustainable business practices is an important factor in consumer purchasing decisions and that sustainable practices save money and increase employee satisfaction. Green Plus™ is a turnkey solution to help businesses and non-profits on the path to sustainability, providing benchmarking, coaching, resources, and networking.
To qualify for Green Plus Mover status, an organization must complete the diagnostic exam, and starting August 1, 2010, achieve a minimum average score of 40%. Movers are included in the National Directory, can use the Mover logo, and have taken the first step toward certification.
Time to complete certification varies widely depending on the given organization and its commitment. The Institute for Sustainable Development certifies qualifying businesses and non-profits on a quarterly basis. The exam is approximately 90 questions and takes between two and seven hours to complete, depending on the size of the organization. Your organization may take the diagnostic exam on a rolling basis as you pursue sustainability and certification.
Small firms may complete the diagnostic exam in a matter of hours, while larger ones designate teams and split up questions. Upon submitting the questionnaire, a business or non-profit receives feedback within a maximum of 30 days from our staff and university partners. A business may be asked to submit supporting documentation and may be subject to a site visit to confirm its answers, a process typically taking three months. If a business falls short in one or more categories, Fellows in business, law, environmental studies and public policy will coach the enterprise in how to become more sustainable and thereby improve its score.
A final step prior to Certification is verification of practices. We request documentation of practices and perform further review in person or virtually. Documents requested typically include a business plan, strategic plan, work plan, marketing plan, and a gas, electric, water, and sewer bill. You may choose to share full documents or redacted documents electronically or via other means. We respect your privacy and take your confidentiality seriously. Find out more about the certification process here.
The Institute conducts random site visits both to verify an organization qualifies for certification and after certification to audit companies’ ongoing performance. The Institute for Sustainable Development audits at least 20% of Certified Green Plus™ companies.
Please be aware that Green Plus is a tool intended to educate smaller enterprises on issues related to environmental, community, 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., state and local laws. Organizations not in compliance with U.S., state and local laws will be removed from the program. To learn more about the Green Plus Terms & Conditions of use, read more here.
In 2010, the cost to chamber members to join Green Plus is $350 and the cost to non-chamber members is $550. The cost to sole proprietors (organizations with two or fewer employees) is currently $150. Read about partner chambers and additional details about pricing here.
The Institute makes determinations on Green Plus certification for individual organizations at the end of each quarter. 2010 deadlines for consideration are
Green Plus™ was developed by centers and departments at Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in conjunction with business and philanthropic leaders over a three-year period. The business plan for the program was designed by the Center for Sustainable Enterprise UNC Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, and the concept, tools, and program were tested with over 150 businesses from the Midwest and Southeast from 2007 to the present.
Academic Partners
Business & Philanthropic Partners
