Running a Green Business: A Checklist for Action
In-house measures
Building Design and Renovation
Make your own facilities as green as possible. All company facilities should be energy-efficient and otherwise environmentally responsible. For example, large facilities can strive for a high score in the LEED Rating System. Build demonstration facilities. Model homes, field offices, job-site trailers, and other facilities that have public visibility should serve to demonstrate your company values and technical know-how when it comes to green design. PV power on job-site trailers, for example, will give your company experience with this power source, while providing that important demonstration role with both the public and subcontractors.Transportation/Travel
Encourage employee use of public transit. Provide passes, reimbursement, or other incentives for public transit use by employees. Encourage carpooling or vanpooling. Provide incentives for employees to set up carpools or use company-organized vanpools. More convenient parking for carpools and providing free coffee and newspapers in vanpools are examples of incentives that could be provided. Provide for bicycle and pedestrian commuting. Provide under-cover, secure storage for bicycles. Provide shower and changing facilities for employees wanting to bicycle, jog, or walk to work. Pay employees not to drive. Consider allowing employees to opt for extra pay instead of a parking space “benefit” as a way to encourage alternatives to single-occupancy vehicle commuting. Provide for telecommuting. Permit employees to work from home regularly or periodically. This not only reduces environmental impacts of commuting but also can improve efficiency and avoid time lost in traffic congestion. Provide home Internet connections and laptop computers to facilitate this. Avoid some travel through teleconferencing. More and more options are becoming available for tele- or video-conferencing. These can save tremendous amounts of energy associated with air travel. Allow flex time for traffic peak smoothing. By providing flexible work hours, time (and gasoline) wasted in traffic congestion can be reduced. Provide higher mileage reimbursement for fuel-efficient cars. Encourage employees to purchase fuel-efficient vehicles by linking the reimbursement rate to the miles per gallon achieved by the employee’s vehicle. Buy energy-efficient vehicles. If your company owns vehicles, be sure to include fuel economy as one of the selection criteria. Also consider alternative fuels and gasoline-electric hybrids. Choose green hotels when on the road. When traveling, try to select hotels that adhere to strong environmental principles, or actively make your stay greener. If your hotel does not offer a specific option of not changing linens each night, for example, leave a note on the bed to that effect.Purchasing
Buy recycled paper. Select the highest-recycled-content paper that meets your requirements. When some virgin fiber is required for photographs or fine resolution, consider wood fiber content that is certified through Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.
Salvaged woods were used in this creative stairway.
Source: South Mountain CompanyBusiness Operations
Recycle. Maintain an active and rigorous in-house recycling program for office paper, cardboard, beverage containers, toner cartridges, and any other products for which there are local recycling options. Extend recycling programs to the job site as well. Promote “paperless operations.” Encourage company-wide use of e-mail; electronic invoicing and billing; “extranets” for communicating about projects among design team members; Web-based and electronic marketing; e-ticketing for travel; electronic transfer of building plans, etc. Use responsible cleaning procedures and materials. Use low-impact cleaning practices or choose a green cleaning service to maintain a healthy indoor environment while minimizing environmental impacts. Practice low-impact landscaping. Avoid chemical fertilizers and pest control; use water-efficient irrigation or practice xeriscaping; avoid two-cycle engine use when possible (lawn mowers, leaf blowers, edge trimmers, chain saws); use native plantings that will support diverse wildlife. Maintain equipment. Follow rigorous maintenance schedules to maintain mechanical equipment in optimal working order and rated energy efficiency. This means regular replacement of filters, cleaning of compressor coils, burner tune-ups, lubrication of pumps and motors, proper vehicle maintenance, etc. Recycle waste oil and solvents, and use biodegradable lubricants and hydraulic fluids. Avoid wasting energy after-hours. Instruct employees to shut down all office equipment at the end of the day or during prolonged periods of inactivity—and not to disable energy-saving features on personal computers and other Energy Star equipment. Make sure HVAC equipment is configured to set-back temperatures and ventilation rates after-hours. Programmable thermostats for smaller offices and more sophisticated energy management and control systems for larger buildings are recommended. Make all employees aware that screen-savers do not save energy. Establish a company “green team.” For larger companies, establishment of a company-wide standing committee addressing greening initiatives is an excellent way to efficiently incorporate environmental planning into a company. (Green teams can also be used to help incorporate green measures into the company’s design and construction projects.)Assessment of Impacts and Progress
Calculate company “carbon balance.” Carry out careful accounting of environmental impacts of business operations. The easiest starting point is to assess carbon emissions from energy use in company buildings and vehicles, airline travel, paper use, and so forth. Develop a plan to reduce carbon emissions. Set goals for reducing carbon emissions and track company progress in achieving those goals.Education
Educate employees. Provide employees with in-house environmental education. Invite speakers to your office to address green design. When practical, set up opportunities for experts addressing company employees to also address the general public in your area.Off-Site Measures
Incorporate environmental issues into business planning.
McStain plans not only to preserve but also to enhance the lake bordered by the High Plains preservation area. Constructed in the mid-1800s for irrigation and now a key rest stop for thousands of migratory birds, this site embodies the responsibility and the opportunity of green business and green building.
Source: McStain Enterprises
