Seeking Info on Green Business Rating Program

Mark,

This link might be of interest: http://www.gumnutawards.com.au/ Has been running for several years now I understand.

Regards,
Paul GEENI

Hi Mark,

There are 2 excellent programmes that I know of, they had some sort of level of award rating: * A green mechanics programme - this was started in WA but is know running through the Australian Motor Trades Association. The person there a few years ago was Bernie Reigler; * A green dry cleaners programme that addresses some of the chemical use & disposal in the industry. Again this was in WA, but I can't recall who is running it. Try getting in contact with the WA Dept of Environment, they should be able to find the right contact for you.

Best,
Alexis

Mark:

Contact Greg Allen at the Western Australia Department of Environment as he was involved in establishing both of the programs that Alexis mentioned. Here is Greg's email address:

Best,
Doug

Mark

And in your own backyard..... Sustainability Victoria's Waste Wise program.

Monica Vandenberg
Encompass Sustainability
[email protected]
03 9376 2594 0417 336 302

Hi Mark,

Before I respond to your request, I would like to congratulate you and Environment Victoria for providing such a good example of the influence and impact Government agencies can have in Australia in terms of ecologically sustainable development practices. Centrelink Context Centrelink is committed to reducing its ecological footprint and improving its environmental performance in relation to resource management. We have a corporate EMS and environmental management plan focussed on reducing tenant light and power energy consumption; reducing greenhouse gas emissions from staff travel; reducing waste-to-landfill; reducing our consumption of paper; and increasing the amount of paper we use that has recycled fibre content. Our organisational network of 25000 staff is divided into service delivery areas spread throughout the country and national coordinating divisions based in Canberra. Environmental Management (EM) Star Program As mentioned, Centrelink has a corporate environmental management plan and we expect areas and divisions to help implement this plan by including related strategies in local business plans. To facilitate inclusion of strategies in these local business plans we are introducing a scheme (inspired by our involvement in one of Doug's seminars last year) called the EM Star Program. The EM Star Program acknowledges committment to the corporate plan by allocating star ratings according to the following criteria: Plan 1 Star Include EM strategies in local business plans Do 2 Stars Implement EM strategies Sustain 3 Stars Sustain environmental performance improvement over 12 month period Share 4 Stars Take actions to share best practice with other areas/divisions Innovate 5 Stars Create environmental performance improvement innovations We will be working with our Communication Division to develop badging that areas/divisons can use on their intranet sites to show other areas and divisions within Centrelink their level of committment to the corporate EM Plan. Also, each year we convene a conference to support area/divisional Environmental Champion Coordinators or ECCs (ECCs work with me to coordinate activities aimed at raising awareness at their level about the need for sustainable resource management). At the conference, we will issue EM Star Awards for areas/divisions who have achieved the 5 EM Star rating. This is just a brief summary of our plans but I thought I'd share it because it seems like you have similar objectives to ours in terms of engaging a particular target group in environmental performance improvement initiatives. Please feel free to call me if you have any further questions. 

Hi Mark:

Following up on the Washington State, US, suggestions. Check out the King County, Washington website - they had a "star" program for businesses. Also, check out Puget Sound Clean Air Agency website - they were considering both participating in the King County program and in potentially starting their own recognition program. They would be great resources.

Good luck,
Nadine

Canter Barnicle Communications
Nadine Canter Barnicle
Weybridge, Vermont
802 545-2070
e-mail: [email protected]