The Triple Bottom Line of a Sustainable Green Business

For Iowa businesses, the introduction of the Triple Bottom Line represents both a challenge and an unprecedented opportunity. The concept behind this is founded on the principle of creating a new business model consisting of three equal parts used to create the ultimate goal of a sustainable business operation.

People (Social Well Being & Equity) - Recent studies have shown a dramatic increase in the value employees (young and old alike) place in working for organizations that promote the well being and equity of their workforce, along with a commitment to the community and environmental stewardship efforts that work toward the common good.

Planet (Environmental Protection & Resource Conservation) – Adopting a commitment to the education and awareness of sustainable business practices and products followed by an implementation plan is the first step toward universal acceptance of the planet aspect of your organization’s triple bottom line. Many companies are also amending existing or creating new Mission, Vision & Values policies that becomes an integral part of their organization’s transitioning culture.

Profit (Economic Prosperity & Continuity) – Business survival in our society is highly predicated on their abilities to turn a profit. Innovative companies are adjusting to the changing economies and global challenges by adjusting their operations to satisfy both their shareholders and stakeholders by effectively adopting Green Practices and Products.

Eight Categories Used to Evaluate Eco-Friendly Laptops

There’s a lot to like about the convenience, portability and power we get out of today’s laptop and notebook computers. With millions of these now in use worldwide, it is important to consider sustainability factors such as their build design and life cycle. With this in mind there are some that are greener and more environmentally friendly than others, and the good news is that you can now make your purchasing decision based on selecting a notebook that meets established environmental standards.

Epeat® is an organization that evaluates electronic products in relation to 51 total environmental criteria, 23 required criteria and 28 optional criteria. Products are also ranked in EPEAT according to three tiers of environmental performance – Bronze, Silver, and Gold. All registered products must meet the required criteria, and achieve Bronze status. Manufacturers may then achieve a higher level EPEAT “rating” for products by meeting additional optional criteria.

Eight categories used by Epeat® to evaluate eco-friendly laptops:

1. Reduction/elimination of environmentally sensitive materials
2. Materials selection
3. Design for end of life
4. Product longevity/life cycle extension
5. Energy conservation
6. End of life management
7. Corporate performance
8. Packaging

Visit the Epeat website at http://www.epeat.net/PublicSearch.aspx to find notebooks that qualify.

Five Factors Driving Green Information Technology Practices

1. Energy Availability – 1.5 billion people are now online worldwide, 80% of the world’s population however is NOT. In some areas, new power feeds using traditional methods are difficult or impossible to obtain.
2. Energy and Equipment Costs – Information Technology demand is growing 12 times faster than the overall demand for energy. Governments worldwide are moving to enact legislation that will track and limit carbon emissions.
3. Equipment Costs and Life Cycle  – Information Technology equipment turns over every 3 to 5 years, and by 2010 there’s the potential for one billion computers worth of e-waste. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, humans discard 20 to 50 metric tons of computer related equipment worldwide each year. This figure represents 5 percent of all municipal solid waste.
4. Data Center Costs – Data centers consumed approximately 180 billion kWHh in 2007, a figure that is expected to double by 2010. Escalating equipment and energy costs within the data center combined with rising carbon emissions is helping create the perfect storm.
5. People, Profit and Planet – Information Technology practices are subject to the same triple bottom line success factors as businesses. Adopted practices that positively impact people, profit and the planet represent the emerging key factors in measuring organizational success. Achieving a successful triple bottom line creates a Win-Win-Win!

1. Save money

It simply isn’t true that going green is going to break the bank. Companies adopting green practices save real money applied directly to their bottom line by taking steps to run a cleaner and more efficient business. New practices that evaluate and reduce energy, water, materials, waste and other inputs result in quantifiable savings now and in the future.

2. A competitive advantage

Statistics show that customers, consumers and businesses alike are more inclined to purchase and partner with established green businesses. Customer loyalty to such businesses is reaching an all-time high.

3. Increase efficiencies

Analyzing your business from top to bottom with an eye toward building a greener and sustainable operation fosters an overall culture of waste elimination among both employees and management if implemented properly.

4. Improve local economies

Buying and recycling locally not only can reduce your carbon footprint, it also helps local economies by creating jobs that retain young job seekers and in turn creating stronger and more sustainable communities.

5. Employee motivation and wellness

Introducing a green business culture can have a positive measurable effect on your employee’s motivation, morale and wellness. Employees respect efforts to improve indoor quality, reduce waste and eliminate environmental toxins. This provides a healthier work environment and allows you to attract and retain employees who share your values and commitment.

1. Green Buildings – Many new construction projects are now including new and innovative environmentally friendly building materials and architectural designs. In addition, sustainable land/lots must be considered as part of the Green Building platform. Here’s the U.S. Green Building Council’s take on a Green Building: “A high performing home or business that’s energy and water efficient, has good indoor air quality, uses environmentally sustainable materials and also uses the building lot or site in a sustainable manner.”

Green Products – We are becoming increasingly aware of the need to include Green Products in our efforts to Go Green. Products are simply material things we produce or utilize in conjunction with Buildings and Practices. Here’s a definition of Green Products we like to use:  “A product that is environmentally and socially responsible, along with being accountable to, and respectful of, the places and people that provide and use them.”

Green Practices – Arguably the most important aspect of Going Green lies in the ongoing practices we perform in our day to day routines – be it at home or work.  This is the straw that stirs the Green Drink, and adopting Green Practices is the one area each and every one of us can participate in starting today. Practices also happen to have the largest overall environmental impact and is the key link in the Green Chain of Buildings, Products and Practices. Here’s a powerful definition I like to use that was created many years ago. I think it sums up the organic nature adopting of Green Practices: “In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation… even if it requires having skin as thick as the bark of a pine.” – Great Law of the Iroquois

Greenwashing – Even though Going Green is the right thing to do, there are always bumps in the road. Greenwashing is a commonly used term that refers to “The promotion of a product or service as being environmentally friendly without any basis in real fact.”