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Sustainability Officer Training is perfect for businesses that are looking for ways to become environmentally healthy.  We offer a well rounded training program into two and a half, knowledge packed days, and show any business how to install an eco-friendly program that anyone can see importance in.  For a long time, the Green transition for businesses has been left to the best efforts of a group of people within an organization who had no formal training in environmental education.

The online Sustainability Officer Training will provide participants with a heavy introduction to the Greening process.  They will be shown how to implement a program that merits respect and will save money.  Green is also about efficiencies, and we know how to make Green pay in the short and long run.  The final project at the Sustainability Officer Training is to prepare a Green program for your business that fits the needs of your company and allows your team to control the application of the program.  You will leave with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to plan an Authentically Green Program in your company.

It is almost impossible to imagine that the problems of environmental duties could be so well organized in a two-day session that will produce such superior results, but it will.  With knowledgeable material, the Sustainability Officer Training will provide you with the most vital issues in the Green World. In fact, the last segment provides a Green program that will allow any business to Go Green despite the size or type.

Successful businesses have realized that "Going Green can save your company thousands of dollars in lost revenue!" Most businesses see the Greening process as another expenditure that is good for the earth, but not good for the bank account. That type of thinking is changing, and the savings realized by companies that use Greening processes is far more priceless than ever imagined.

You must realize that your cost of daily operation is sure to go up in the near future. The Cap and Trade legislation will add a hidden cost to everything we use.  The cost of energy alone is predicted to go up by 200-300%. Your carbon output may even be taxed.  In the past, businesses hired sustainability experts to speed up their procedures, reduce waste, and increase profits. Green officers are the modern version of sustainability experts. When it comes to a sustainable issue, there are areas of waste that will greatly affect your company's profits for the years to come.

Greenwashing is something that every business must keep away from because it will mostly likely come back as very bad press.  It is not credible enough to talk or promote your company as Green by good worth of some Green adjustments to your operation. To be Green Business Certified, your company will want to be validated by a true independent third party like the Green Business League, Inc. This is awarded when a company is able to acquire enough points for already having Green practices.

Sustainability Officer Training offers a significant edge for any business. Don’t waste time "trying to be Green, and then doing a poor job of it," when actually establishing a Green program will give your business a Green Business certification that is earned not bought.  Find out how Going Green will save your business an immense amount of money each year, and you will also profit from the impressive marketing value of an authentically Green certification.

Look three to five years down the road and ask yourself whether being a Green business will be necessary. Obama's must read books during his Martha's Vineyard vacation was "Hot, Flat, and Crowded" by Thomas Friedman. He has appointed a Green Czar with sweeping powers to push a Green agenda across our country. Climate change, population growth, and the need to heal our world will hurt any company that does not have Green practices or programs.  To sign up or learn more go to www.sustainabilityofficertraining.com.

On November 5 at 12:00 PM Central, Molly Meyer LLC will be hosting our first live webinar! Molly will be presenting on "Vegetated Roofs: German & U.S. Markets." The presentation provides a detailed history of the development of the German vegetated roofing industry, including the political and financial motivations for vegetated roofs’ widespread presence in today's mainstream German construction practices. Comparisons are drawn to the vegetated roofing market in the U.S., and implications on the current and future development of the U.S. vegetated roof market are discussed. (AIA/CES credit available.) Sign up for our first live webinar here!  http://www.mollymeyer.com/seminar-1 
 

Molly Meyer LLC is a vegetated green roofing consulting company, advising architects, contractors and property owners on best practices for design, installation, and maintenance. Located in Chicago, we advise on projects nationwide. Our mission is to provide long-lasting green roofs at reasonable budgets. We have worked on green roofs for every imaginable design goal, including extensive, intensive, vegetable gardens, terraces, steep-sloped roofs, inverted roofs, and native systems.  
 

Molly Meyer LLC is a certified Female Business Enterprise with the State of Illinois, an AIA/CES registered provider, a LA CES registered provider, a member of the Chicago Sustainable Business Alliance, and a member of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. 
 

Molly Meyer, M.Sc., GRP, is a vegetated green roof consultant and founded Molly Meyer LLC in 2009. In 2007, she received a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship to work in the vegetated green roofing industry in Germany. She installed all varieties of green roofs (including steep sloped, single-course extensive, multi-course extensive, intensive, and inverted roofs), analyzed hundreds of existing green roofs for maintenance issues, and executed technical design for basic to advanced green roof systems including wind uplift, drainage, irrigation, and sloped applications. The experience has given her a solid understanding of the mature green roofing industry in Germany, and she is bringing this unique and rich advisory perspective to the young green roofing industry in the U.S. Molly’s love for work in the construction industry began when she worked as an apprentice carpenter for Seattle-area general contractor Edifice Construction from 2005 to 2007. She earned her B.S. and M.S. in Earth Systems, with a focus on soil research, from Stanford University. She is originally from Indianapolis. 

We have entered a new period of environmental awareness. The right to assert a Green business status is not the same as brushing on a new coat of green paint. Unfortunately, there are simply too many companies claiming to be a Green business without actually earning their right to be a certified Green business. The idea of an authentically Green business demands that the aspiring Green business literally earn the Green credential through a process that has clear standards and compliance options rather than a mere Internet logo purchase.

Consider the hard issues that we presently face. World population is predicted to swell to nine billion people by 2025, our resources are reaching their limits, and we have abused the land, water, and air for decades. These mistakes have come back to haunt us, and they have the potential of destroying us and the generations after us. Knowing this, Greenwashing is one of the worst decisions that a company can make, and people will resent every business who plays this game.

The Green Business League has set an industry standard when it comes to Green business, and their 100 point system allows everyone to participate. Moreover, the process is all-inclusive. you need not own the building or offer a product to get involved. You need only make a commitment to installing basic Green practices in your daily operation.

One of the big mistakes to avoid is the attempt to Greenwash your business or product by making claims of environmental compliance that are not honest or part of your business operation. Like trying to pretend that you are a chess master as a chess tournament, those who understand Green will eventually learn that you are mocking an issue that is very serious to the rest of us. This is the kind of mistake that will cost businesses heavily. The best advice is to be authentically Green, but do not Greenwash.

An authentic type of Green business is one that have the Green practices at work in its daily operation as well as what it promotes to others. We have all heard it said that, "If you talk the talk, then you should walk the walk." While this seems to be good and practical advice, it is lost on many marketing efforts. Unfortunately, the truth is often the first casualty in the marketing business. Yet, there is a desire for truthfulness by all consumers because they are the ones hoping for a better world.

Credible Green claims need to be backed by actual Green practices that are implemented in the daily operation of the business. When a business actually functions as a Green business, the dynamics change. Environmentalism requires universal participation rather than doing only the minimum required to make a Green claim. Since most people has limited knowledge on the subject, it is best to get the assistance of a certified Green consultant. The added benefits is a better Greening project, Green certification, and your business will save thousands of dollars in the process.

Authentically Green is not only the intelligent way to Go Green, it is also the best marketing option available to any business. It will attract those that are environmentally loyal because they will travel the extra mile and spend the extra dollar because they believe in the cause. To attract more customers and keep them coming, it pays to be an authentically Green business.

The Green Business League offers insight and certification of nearly any business at a reasonable price that makes the process easy. Acquiring the assistance of a Certified Green Consultant to supply insight and certification that will be respected by clients, community, and other Green businesses. Going Green is the best choice in a day of far too much Greenwashing.

Best Management Practices (BMPs) are methods that organizations use to manage their impact on the natural environment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains a website of helpful information about BMPs (EPA.gov/ne/assistance/univ/bmpcatalog.html). These practices are useful for owners of small and medium-sized businesses (SMB). One publication by Harvard University and the EPA’s New England Division illustrates the value of BMPs. In this publication on Preparedness and Security, Harvard University discusses the workings of the Cambridge Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). The key concept behind this committee is collaboration.

Collaboration and Your Company Culture  
A 2002 Corporate Values Survey by the American Management Association (AMA) revealed several insights related to collaboration and company culture. The #1 corporate value stated by AMA survey respondents was customer satisfaction (77%). Other company values related to collaboration reported were teamwork (47%), positive work environment (42%), and social responsibility (33%).

Your focus on building environmental management into the company culture will depend upon creating a positive environment. Employees will use teamwork to establish and accomplish environmental goals, an important aspect of social responsibility. 

• Collaboration is a BMP to help your organization accomplish business goals more effectively such as coordination of environmental management activities. The idea of getting people to work together toward the achievement of common goals is a core concept of management. If you cannot achieve collaboration and goal achievement, it will be hard to manage with green business principles.  
• Collaboration begins with getting employees to subscribe to a green business model. Employees are strong resources for achieving objectives and making sure company operations run smoothly. Their contributions to writing an environmental management plan and carrying out its objectives are crucial to green business management. You can make employee participation in environmental management planning mandatory or voluntary depending on your management style. To make participation mandatory, consider writing environmental duties into job descriptions and holding employees accountable through the evaluation process.
• Collaboration works best in a positive company culture. Integrate other aspects of your management program with the goal of becoming a greener business. For example, your personnel, financial, and customer-driven practices affect company culture. How much have you paid attention to the total management approach toward creating a positive culture lately? Hopefully, you are satisfied with your answer. If you built the company from the ground up, your personal stake in the company culture is huge. Look for HR and management strategies that help you to build a better culture around sustainable business practices.
• Collaboration is an ongoing process. Once you establish a desirable culture with a green focus, ensure that employees maintain a focus on environmental collaboration. For example, this means including in policies and procedures periodic updates for the environmental management plan, recognition for employees who save resources like energy, and being accountable to your consumers for your environmental impact.

Positive outcomes of collaborative environmental management include other rewards for your business. Use the concept of collaboration in all areas of the business to manage your workforce. When you are not sure how to go about it, consider enrolling in management development courses or seminars from many U.S. training providers, or contact your local small business development center for educational information.

About the Author:
JD Carr, CGB - is a serial entrepreneur and consultant with over 14 years experience building Internet and digital media businesses. JD is a Certified Green Broker® and specializes in commercial building sustainability and finance with Greenergy2030.com. A vocal advocate for environmental issues, JD writes and lectures frequently on the subject and is committed to helping entrepreneurs realize the positive goals their organizations can achieve through sustainable business practices.

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