Download project report - SF Green Business

Business Case
San Francisco Department of the Environment
Green Business Program
Hillary Meredith, Michelle Mullineaux, Kate Randolph, Sheila Samuelson
December 12, 2007
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 3
SFGBP OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................... 4
CONTEXT FOR THE SFGBP: CLIMATE CHANGE ...................................................................... 5
HELPING SF REACH ITS CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY GOALS ................................................. 5
DEMAND FOR SFGBP ...................................................................................................... 6
THE METRICS PROJECT: GATHERING OF INFORMATION .......................................................... 7
CASE STUDIES .............................................................................................................. 8
BARKLEY COURT REPORTERS .................................................................................... 9
BITE COMMUNICATIONS ............................................................................................ 9
CLIFF’S VARIETY................................................................................................... 10
COLE HARDWARE .................................................................................................. 11
JUDAHLICOUS ....................................................................................................... 12
NEW RESOURCES BANK ........................................................................................... 13
ORCHARD HOTEL .................................................................................................. 14
SMWM ................................................................................................................ 15
ENVIRONMENTAL METRICS ............................................................................................ 15
SYNTHESIS ................................................................................................................ 16
RESOURCES ............................................................................................................... 18
2
Introduction
The goal of this research project is to build the business case for the San Francisco Green
Business Program (SFGBP) through a quantitative and qualitative approach. This report
contains the context and demand for the SFGBP as well as the success stories of businesses
that have reduced their environmental impact, strengthened their reputation and competitive
advantage. On a macro level, the SFGBP is helping the City of San Francisco achieve its
greenhouse gas emission reduction targets set out in its Climate Action Plan, and on a micro
level it is positively impacting the lives of taxpayers who will enjoy a healthier, more
prosperous City.
Green was arguably the biggest business trend of 2007. Large corporations like IBM, Xerox and
Hewlett Packard embraced green manufacturing processes, championed energy conservation
and became buyers of renewable energy. Bank of America launched a $20 billion program to
fight global warming over the next decade by financing companies creating low-emissions
technology, lending money for green building projects and creating the ability for customers
to trade carbon credits. Wal-Mart achieved its goal of selling 100 million energy efficient
compact fluorescent light bulbs three months ahead of schedule. Google announced that it
was investing hundreds of millions of dollars to develop and stimulate the creation of
renewable energy technologies that are cheaper than coal-generated power. The drivers of
going green — from surging energy costs to impending GHG legislation to increasing customer
demand — are as real as the opportunities to reduce business expenses and drive profitability
and competitive advantage.
Many of San Francisco’s smaller businesses, which account for 83% of firms in San Francisco
alone, share the same interest as big companies in cutting costs, reducing their
environmental impact and enhancing their reputation. These businesses simply need guidance
on how to go green. Through the SFGBP, these smaller businesses receive step by step
recommendations and free hands-on technical support to become a certified Green Business.
While there is no single business case for going green and no single route to demonstrating its
significance as an actual or potential driver to business success, there is an abundance of both
qualitative and quantitative information included in this report that collectively builds the
business case for why the City of San Francisco, its taxpayers and its businesses should
support and grow the SFGBP.
3
SFGBP Overview
The SFGBP is a partnership of government agencies and public utilities that work together to
promote, recognize and provide hands-on support to local businesses that choose to operate
more sustainably. The program was launched in 2003 by the San Francisco Department of
Environment (SFDE) and, as of fall 2007, has certified 72 businesses. These businesses have
adopted measures that prevent pollution at its source, close waste loops, conserve water and
reduce their overall carbon footprint. The SFGBP is a part of the larger organization called
The Bay Area Green Business Program, which has been operating for over 10 years and
supports other regional green business programs similar to SFGBP in Alameda, Contra Costa,
Marin, Santa Clara and Sonoma counties.
The bottom line goal of these programs is to achieve a healthier and cleaner environment by
helping businesses integrate environmental responsibility into their operations in a manner
that is sustainable as well as profitable (Green Business Program). This is achieved through
the use of a comprehensive checklist given to businesses upon enrolling in the program. The
checklist is broken down into four categories: Waste & Recycling, Energy Conservation, Water
Conservation, and Pollution Prevention. Each category involves several required measures
that the business must meet (such as replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFLs), in
addition to optional measures which the business chooses based on applicability. Once the
checklist is completed, and the auditors have verified the measures taken, the business then
becomes a certified Green Business.
The SFGBP is an innovative way to encourage and support businesses to adopt green operating
principles. Very few other US cities and regions outside of the Bay Area have developed a
Green Business Certification program matching the scope and scale of San Francisco’s.
Exceptions include the greater Seattle area’s EnviroStars Program1 and the State of Oregon’s
Eco-Logical Business Program.2
The Green Business Program is also an example of an environmental program that fosters a
unique partnership between the government and business sector. San Francisco is known for
creating effective policies on protecting the environment, thanks to the efforts of the SFDE.
Voluntary agreements, such as the SFGBP, are attractive to businesses and the community
1
2
See http://www.envirostars.com for more information about this program.
See http://www.ecobiz.org for more information about this program.
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alike and tend to lead to the evolution of mandatory policies (IPCC 19). Free to all local
businesses, the SFGBP is ensuring that the businesses are not just meeting compliance
standards, but going beyond compliance. This not only has economic and environmental
benefits, it also has a positive impact on the health and well being communities in which
these green businesses operate.
Context for the SFGBP: Climate Change
In order to understand the significance of the SFGBP for San Francisco and for tax payers, it is
important to look at the program in the context of our current environmental crisis. With the
International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Al Gore jointly winning the 2007 Nobel
Peace Prize, there is little doubt that global climate change is occurring and that human
actions are the primary cause. According to the IPCC’s most recent report on climate change,
greenhouse gas emissions have grown 70% from 1970-2004 (IPCC 3). Over the coming decades,
there is significant economic potential for mitigation of global GHG emissions. The sectors
that effect GHG emissions are energy supply, transport, buildings, industry, agriculture,
forestry/forests and waste management (IPCC 10). Businesses, which are significantly
involved in these various sectors, can have a major impact on the reduction of emissions
while strengthening the workplace and community environment and reducing costs.
Businesses that practice waste management can benefit from cost savings on waste disposal
and the community can benefit from less landfill space needed and lower waste disposal
costs. Energy, comprising the largest growth sector of GHG emissions, can lead to cost savings
through renewable and efficient resources.3
1
Helping SF Reach Its Climate and Sustainability Goals
The SFGBP is one of many unique programs that San Francisco has initiated to achieve its
aggressive climate and sustainability goals. In 1997 the City adopted the Sustainability Plan
for the City of San Francisco and in 2004 it adopted the Climate Action Plan committing the
city to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2012 (Our City’s). The
plan carves out benchmark greenhouse gas emissions, makes projections on the impacts
global warming might have on the region and outlines specific actions in the key areas of
transportation, solid waste management, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Developed
in partnership between SF Environment, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
3
See http://www.ipcc.ch/ for more information
5
and ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability — SFDE is the lead agency responsible for
reducing emissions. While road vehicles produce the largest percentage of GHG emissions as
per the city’s baseline inventory (see Figure 1), commercial enterprises contribute a
substantial 16% and are therefore a key focus area for SFDE (Dowers 9).
In June 2005 San Francisco became the only city in the US to participate in the United
National Global Compact Cities Programme, which was created to improve the quality of
urban life through the effective use of cross-sector partnerships between business,
government and civil society. San Francisco’s program — the Business Council for Climate
Change (BC3) — aims to create a universal model for helping business and government work
collaboratively to reduce GHGs at the local level. The SFGBP and BC3s initiatives piloted by
SF Environment are two landmark programs to help businesses realize economic growth,
environmental sustainability and social well-being. In addition, both contribute positively to
action on climate change. With the passing of California’s AB 32, SF businesses are positioned
for success in the new economy to come with the first comprehensive program of regulatory
and market mechanisms to achieve real, quantifiable, cost-effective reductions of greenhouse
gases.
Figure 1: San Francisco’s Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions (1990)
Demand for SFGBP
A number of factors are driving the increasing demand for green products and services.
Increased media coverage and an overall increase in understanding and awareness about
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climate, environmental and social issues play a significant role. The rise of the conscious
consumer is another. According to the BBMG Conscious Consumer Report, nearly nine in ten
Americans describe themselves as “conscious consumers” who are more likely to buy from
companies that manufacture energy efficient light bulbs (90 percent), promote health and
safety benefits (88 percent), support fair labor and trade practices (87 percent) and commit
to environmentally-friendly practices (87 percent) if products are of equal quality and price
(Bemporad and Baranowksi 1). Additionally, the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability
(LOHAS) market segment is a group of estimated 35 million people — 16 percent of adults in
the US — who spend $209 billion annually on good and services focused on health, social
justice, the environment, personal development and sustainable living (LOHAS).
These factors have no doubt contributed to the significant increase in the number of
businesses enrolling to the SFGBP each month since 2005, as shown in Figure 2 below.
Figure 2: Monthly SFGBP Enrollment and Certification
The Metrics Project: Gathering of Information
The qualitative and quantitative information for the SFGBP business case was gathered
through various in-person interviews, online communications and surveys. The quantitative
information gathered through the survey was then used as input into a metrics spreadsheet to
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calculate CO2 emissions diverted, as well as water and energy conserved (See Appendix A).
The metrics spreadsheet was prepared by the SFGBP and verified by the Commercial Toxics
Reduction Program within the SFDE. The qualitative information was collected through
surveys and in person interviews. The team collecting the data included Elizabeth Eastman
and Sushma Dhulipala from SFDE and four Presidio School of Management MBA students:
Hillary Meredith, Michelle Mullineaux, Kate Randolph and Sheila Samuelson.
Several challenges were encountered during the information gathering process — from
businesses’ inability to find the time and resources to respond, to a lack of existing data. For
instance, most businesses certified by the SFGBP lease their building space and are unable to
quantify their electricity or water savings because they share bills with other building
tenants. Another challenge encountered by this process came from the two important
measures of sustainability: social and financial. Unfortunately, social performance is
difficult to quantify and some of the methodologies for financial performance are
retrospective (Salsmann 1,2).
In his paper, Framing the Business Case, Simon Zadek reminds us that there is no single
business case for green business and no single strategy to get there (65). To understand the
business dynamics he recommends unpacking the “business case” into its interrelated
component categories, including: pain alleviation, cost-benefit, strategic and new economy
(Zadek 66,67). While some of the green businesses studied herein started on the road to
green by way of pain alleviation or the cost-benefit of eco-efficiencies, most have integrated
green business principles and practices to the degree that they fit within the strategic and
even new economy frameworks.
The full story of going green is included in the following Case Studies section, which
communicates the business case for going green through a select group of San Francisco
businesses, certified through the SFGBP — including a three professional services firms, two
retailers, a bank, a restaurant and hotel.
Case Studies
The following summaries highlight successes of eight businesses considered to be model
members of the SFGBP. The owners, managers and employees of these businesses have shown
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exemplary pioneering spirit, ingenuity, persistence and desire to reduce their impact on the
planet while still maintaining a successful business model. Many of them seek continual
improvement in reducing their CO2 footprint and overall environmental footprint.
BARKLEY COURT REPORTERS
Barkley Court Reporters (BCR), California’s largest and oldest privately held court reporting
company, is pioneering change as the first and only firm in this industry to become a certified
green business. In an industry that uses vast amounts of paper to print transcripts and legal
documents, BCR is providing paperless versions for download on their secure website, and
printing all necessary paper transactions on post-consumer waste copy paper. Proving their
willingness to go above and beyond the SFGBC requirements, BCR has committed to planting a
tree in a protected forest for each paperless transcript they produce. Other meaningful
changes to relieve global warming taken by BCR include the following.
 Converting to post-consumer copy paper alone, BCR saves 7.2 forty-foot-high trees,
2,100 gallons of water, 1,230 kW hours of electricity and 18 pounds of air pollution for
every 40 cases of paper used (Barkley).
 Replacing disposable kitchenware with reusable items.
 In all offices, printer cartridges are now refillable.
 Non-toxic cleaning supply program has been implemented.
 Restrooms include occupancy sensors and low-flow toilets to reduce energy and water
usage.
 All 154 workstations automatically power off after business hours each evening.
BITE COMMUNICATIONS
Bite, a subsidiary of the Next Fifteen Communications Group, is a communications
consultancy with offices in London, New York, San Francisco and Stockholm. Bite has built its
business on developing creative, results orientated campaigns for market-leading blue chip as
well as fast growing emerging start-up brands. Its client list includes Apple Computer, AMD,
Cisco, Samsung, Sun Microsystems and Toshiba. Bite Communications has a cleantech section
of the business that leads corporate brands that are serious about going “green” succeed.
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Cleantech helps companies align their internal practices and internal perceptions. What
differentiates Bite from some of the other businesses certified through the SFGBCP is that
they have offices in other states and countries. Helen Fuell, Operations Manger and champion
of the SF office green practices, has sent the SF Certification check list to all the other
offices to lead them in their greening efforts. Bite takes the greening process very seriously
and does not want to participate in “green washing”. Although they have taken many
measures to be green and have received a tremendous amount of press, the company does
not promote themselves as a green business outside of the cleantech sector. The philosophy is
that they do not want to say they are green until all offices and aspects of the company are
green. Through the SFGBP, Bite has:
 Slowly switched to local suppliers (i.e. Planet Organics for fruit delivery).
 Held a green week throughout the company where employees were encouraged to
participate and they even held a competition for who had the lowest and highest
carbon footprint.
 Provides bikes for employees to use for quick trips and to run errands.
 Continually encourages and guides other companies in how to go through the SFEGBCP
process.
 Been used as a case study in the UK for helping companies go green.
CLIFF’S VARIETY
Cliff’s Variety has come a long way from their modest beginnings selling magazines and cigars
in the 1930s. Today, with a staff of over 35 and a selection of more than 65,000 items on a
daily basis, Cliff’s strives to have all the necessities of daily life – from tiaras to tape
measures. Operating as a responsible community member has always been an integral part of
the business model at Cliff’s, and they have worked to maintain a close relationship with the
Castro neighborhood. Under the leadership of manager Larry Bair, the variety store has
become a model for efficient retail operations and waste reduction. The store has not only
taken significant measures to reduce their waste, water usage and energy usage, but is
continually looking to increase the number of green products on its shelves. Bair has noticed
an increase in traffic as a result of carrying green hardware products and since becoming a
drop off site for used fluorescent bulbs and latex paint. While still awaiting their certification
as a Green Business, Bair offers a bit of advice to businesses interested in joining the
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program: The process opens a lot of doors if you are willing to spend the time to do research
on products, processes and applications. Some of the measures Cliff’s Variety has taken are
listed below.
 By recycling over 100 lbs of cardboard daily, providing more recycling bins than trash
cans and introducing a compost bin (at the request of a store employee), Cliff’s was
able to cut their garbage bill in half, saving nearly $8,000 annually.
 Most lighting in the store had been converted to energy efficient T-8 and T-5
fluorescent bulbs before applying to the SFGBP. This also includes occupancy censors
in the storage areas and bathrooms.
 Cliff’s sales floor is daylit but is also fitted with optical sensors that automatically turn
on energy efficient fluorescent bulbs only when natural light becomes dim.
 Bair has purchased EnergyStar LCD computer monitors, printers and an A/C and
heating unit.
 All computers are set to shut down at 8pm each night and office computers are set to
go into sleep mode when not in use during business hours.
 All four toilets are low-flow, including one dual flush. All faucets have 1.5 gal/min
aerators.
 Through their community recycling program the store has collected over 800 bulbs and
400 gallons of paint in 2007 alone.
COLE HARDWARE
Founded in 1959 by Dave Karp, Cole Hardware is a popular neighborhood hardware store chain
with four San Francisco locations. Each location provides a variety of products ranging from
typical hardware supplies to gardening tools, general household cleaning detergents to
kitchen wares. Cole Hardware began a dedicated environmental policy several years ago and
was awarded Green Business certification for all stores in December 2006. Though each store
presents its own set of challenges in terms of implementing the measures on the Green
Business checklist, the Cole Street store (original location) has made special efforts in their
green initiatives. The overall result is not only lower operating costs but also a positive
impact on the community around them. In addition, Rick Karp (also known as Keeper of the
Karma, son of Dave) believes that sales have improved now that the neighborhood relies on
11
the store for green products. Some of the outcomes Cole Hardware has enjoyed in the process
of becoming a certified Green Business:
 Cole Hardware promotes the use of green products by specially advertising them in
their monthly newsletter “Hardware Hotline”. In each store they are prominently
displayed and get a special “Earth-Friendly Product” sign to let customers know which
is the wiser choice.
 Employees are encouraged to purchase green products for use at home and in the
store. This year, the year-end gift to all employees is a reusable mug, which will help
cut down on wasting disposable cups.
 All but one employee (the store manager) either walks, bikes, or takes public
transportation to work. There are a total of 26 employees- that’s an average of
roughly 80 commuter miles diverted daily.
 Cole Hardware has enjoyed media attention for their greening efforts. Most recently,
their greening efforts were mentioned in the San Francisco Business Times (7/07), Ace
Hardware’s newsletter “Vision” (3/07) and the San Francisco Chronicle (11/07).
JUDAHLICOUS
Judahlicious is one of San Francisco’s best kept secrets. In the Outer Sunset neighborhood,
the colorful juice bar serves fresh squeezed organic juices and snacks. The owner, James
Kelliher seeks not just to minimize, but eliminate the carbon footprint of his business. He
achieves this by:
 Diverting nearly all waste to either compost or recycling programs. All compost is hand
sorted and contributes to an outstanding organic soil for a small native plant nursery
located in San Francisco.
 Supporting local organic farmers and purchasing only fair trade coffee.
 Using only the highest EnergyStar rated appliances.
 Encouraging his staff to walk, bike or use public transit to get to work.
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NEW RESOURCES BANK
New Resources Bank (NRB) represents a new kind of financial institution, which was founded
in September 2006 as a community-oriented bank with the sole mission of serving the unique
needs of green entrepreneurs and sustainable businesses. This new economy innovator saw a
clear emerging market of eco-entrepreneurs and developed a unique value proposition that
generates environmental, social and economic value while serving their needs. Founder Peter
Liu believes NRB will succeed on the strength of their brand and reputation, attracting
depositors who want to see their money used for more sustainable purposes. Because
sustainability is at the core of the company’s DNA, it is no surprise that NRB is not only a
certified green business, but it also occupies a LEED-gold certified building and is a founding
member for the Business Council for Climate Change (BC3). In November 2007, the Social
Venture Network (SVN) announced that NRB was among the SVN Innovation Award winners
rewarding innovation and social change among leaders in emerging enterprises. Unlike other
businesses in the SFGBP, the bank occupies a new LEED building, which is inherently energy,
water and waste efficient, so no “reductions” were necessary as part of the certification
process. It is important to note that this market leader in its first year of operation has
already:
 Recycled over 85% of construction waste materials and diverted 15 tons of waste
through sustainable purchasing and on-site recycling and waste management
programs.
 Saved over 20,000 gallons of water through the use efficient water fixtures.
 Saved hundreds of thousands of kilowatt-hours through energy conservation measures
including the use of CFLs, EnergyStar equipment, occupancy sensors and photo sensors
for automatic daylight harvesting. In addition, desktop and laptop computers
automatically into sleep mode when not in use.
 Reduced pollution through the use of low or no-VOC paints, non-toxic cleaning
products, and employee transportation programs. The company car is a Prius and NRB
provides up to $1,500 towards the purchase of any Hybrid that obtains more than 40plus miles per gallon of gasoline.
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ORCHARD HOTEL
The Orchard Hotel was the first hotel certified within the SFGBP program in July 2005 and is a
pitch perfect example for how use green principles and practices as a strategic process to
bolster the triple bottom line of people, planet and profits. The Orchard started on the path
to reducing its environmental impact in early 2002. After 9/11, business and leisure travel
declined dramatically and all hotels were struggling for survival. Rather than lay off workers
or decrease amenities, the Orchard started exploring ways to decrease expenses without
impacting guest experience. Incremental eco-efficiencies and improved waste management
strategies translated into reduced expenses and increasing profits. Once on the path, the
Orchard quickly transformed into an eco-innovator engaging all stakeholders in the greening
process via participatory management. The business case for going green was clear —
operating expenses declined, occupancy rates and revenues increased, and the hotel enjoyed
not only low employee turnover rates, but was awarded Best Place to Work in the Bay Area in
2007 by the San Francisco Business Times (moving up from #2 in 2006 and #4 in 2005)
(Larson). Some of the key green business measures included:
 Complete lighting upgrade including switch from incandescent to CFLs, T12s to T8s,
and installation of occupancy sensors in infrequently used areas. Additional energy
efficiency measures included installation of a plate and frame heat exchanger and
upgrades to EnergyStar equipment whenever appropriate. Switching the hotel’s 700
incandescent CFL light bulbs to CFL bulbs, will save the Orchard approximately
$48,000 over the life cycle of the CFLs while saving 379,862 kWh of energy and
eliminating 583,000 lbs of CO2 from the atmosphere.
 Use of low or no-VOC paints and non-toxic cleaning products to reduce prevent
pollution.
 Seeking out suppliers with shared sustainable values including green architects and
designers, as well as eco-friendly limousine, laundry, cleaning and guest amenity
services.
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SMWM
Founded in 1985, SMWM combines the collective strengths of nearly 60 designers and
professional staff members to benefit their clients and enrich their environments. With many
years of collaborative experience, SMWM has gained national prominence and established its
reputation as a fearless and discerning innovator in the design world. The San Francisco office
has taken their commitment to improving environments a step further by becoming a certified
Green Business, an effort led by sustainability champion, Liza Bass. The certification has not
just improved their bottom line and reduced waste streams, but improved staff morale. A few
of the highlights from their achievements as a certified Green Business:
 All told, SMWM saves over 40,000 tons of CO2 per year trough their greening efforts
 They currently divert 75% of their waste stream through recycling and composting
 All paper purchased (including for architectural drawings) is either 100% recycled (90%
of purchases, or 30% recycled (10% of purchases).
 They replaced over 50 incandescent bulbs with CFLs, which saves more than 5,000 lbs
of CO2 from entering the atmosphere per year, and saves SMWM roughly $2000 over
the lifetime of the bulbs.
 By safely disposing of 25 CRT screens, SMWM was able to keep 100 lbs of lead from
contaminating water sources.
SMWM sets a great example to the architecture and design industry of how a company can
reduce their environmental impact with minimal effort, while reaping the benefits of lower
operating expenses and higher employee productivity. As a result, SMWM is attracting top
talent and top clients, which helps them keep an edge over the competition.
Environmental Metrics
As mentioned above, human-derived greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to climate
change and the business sector in general is a significant emitter. The SFGBP provides a
framework for businesses to vastly reduce their carbon footprint, through a variety of
required and optional measures. The following sample of certified (and nearing certification)
businesses were surveyed and their environmental metrics were calculated. In these four of
15
the eight businesses alone, annual reductions of CO2, energy (kWh) and water have been
significant, and many pounds of toxic metals mercury and lead have been diverted from the
landfill (See Appendix A for sample spreadsheet calculator)
Figure 3: Sample Reductions Among Green Businesses Interviewed
Business Name
Barkley Court Reporters
Cliff's Variety
Cole Hardware
SMWM
Bite Communications
TOTALS
Total
Total CO2
Energy
Reduced
Saved
(lbs/yr)
(kWh/yr)
115,454
1955
15,343
16,405
34,759
10,297
39,688
9,754
23,683
1,876
228,907
40,287
Total
Water
Saved
(gal/yr)
16,727
19,319
13,193
n/a
n/a
Total
Mercury
Recycled
(mgs)
n/a
4,000
40
n/a
n/a
Total
Lead
Recycled
(lbs)
20
56
40
100
n/a
49,239
4040
216
Synthesis
From the research, it was clear that most of the initial 72 businesses certified by the SFGBP
would be considered innovators or early adopters to the field of sustainability. Using Zadek’s
business case categorization, these businesses employ either the “strategic rational” where
sustainability is clearly aligned and relevant to the business strategy, such as SMWM, Bite
Communications and the Orchard Hotel or the “new economy rationale” where sustainability
is at the core of its mission, such as New Resources Bank.
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Figure 4: Rogers Innovation Adoption Curve
Thinking of green business within the context of the Innovation Adoption Curve, (see Figure 4
below), part of the challenge ahead for SFDE is to make the SFGBP attractive to not just the
innovators and early adopters, but also the majority of businesses in San Francisco. An
increased public relations and marketing campaign communicating the business case and the
quantitative and qualitative successes of certified green businesses would be great first step
towards attracting and engaging the majority.
With large corporations such as Wal-Mart, Xerox and Google investing time, money and energy
into green endeavors, greening will no doubt transition from a trend to common place
business practice. California- and San Francisco in particular- is known throughout the United
States as an innovator in the field of environmental sustainability. The SFGBP continues to
exemplify San Francisco’s environmental leadership, engaging government, businesses and
the community around the issue of climate mitigation. With more staff, funding and
marketing, the SFGBP would be able to save additional taxpayer funds through increased
efficiency within the city, encourage dialogue among all stakeholders and assist the city in
reaching its target of 20% GHG emissions reduction from 1990 levels by 2012.
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Resources
“Barkley Goes Green.” Barkley Court Reporters. 2007. 3 Dec 2007
<http://www.barkley.com/green>.
Baranowski, Mitch and Raphael Bemporad. “Conscious Consumers Are Changing the Rules of
Marketing. Are You Ready?” BBMG. Nov 2007. 3 Dec 2007
<www.bbmg.com/pdfs/BBMG_Conscious_Consumer_White_Paper.pdf>.
Dowers,Danielle. “Climate Action Plan for San Francisco: Local Actions to Reduce Greenhouse
Gases.” San Francisco Department of the Environment and San Francisco Public
Utilities Commission. Sep 2004. 3 Dec 2007
<www.sfenvironment.org/downloads/library/climateactionplan.pdf>.
IPCC, 2007: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2007: Mitigation. Contribution of
Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change [B. Metz, O.R. Davidson, P.R. Bosch, R. Dave, L.A. Meyer (eds)],
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
Larson, Mark. “The Orchard Hotels: Trusting Workers to do Their Best.” San Francisco
Business Times. 3 May 2007.
“LOHAS Background.” LOHAS. 2007. 1 Dec 2007 <http:/www.lohas.com/about>.
“Metropolitan Statistics.” US Census Website. n.d. 3 Dec 2007
<http://www.census.gov/econ/census2/guide/02EC_CA.HTM>.
“Our City’s Programs.” San Francisco Department of the Environment. n.d. 3 Nov 2007
<http://www.sfenvironment.org/our_programs/topics.html?ssi=6&ti=13>.
Salsmann, et al. “The Business Case for Corporate Sustainability- Review of the Literature and
Research Options.” IMD Forum for CSM.
San Francisco Green Business Program. n.d. San Francisco Green Business Program. 9 Sep 2007
<http://www2.sfenvironment.org/greenbiz/index.htm>.
Zadek, Simon. “The Civil Corporation: The New Economy of Corporate Citizenship.” London:
Earthscan Publications (2001).
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Appendix
The following is a sample spreadsheet for calculating environmental metrics.
Green Business Metrics for Offices
NAME OF BUSINESS:
DATE OF CERTIFICATION:
CONTACT:
Questions
No.
Input
Unit
0
lbs
Recycling
CO 2 conversion
How much office paper does your business recycle per week?
1
Unit
Savings
2a
Purchasing
CO2 (lbs/yr)
reams/yr
% recycled content
0
Purchasing : How many reams of unbleached paper do you buy annually?
0.00
reams/yr
0
0.7
lbs/KW
How many incandescent lamps have you replaced with fluorescent lamps?
0
lamps
0.057
kW/lamp
148
kWh/lamp/yr
CO2 (lbs/yr)
0
lamps
0.033
kW/lamp
86
kWh/lamp/yr
0
0
lamps
0.012
kW/lamp
31.2
kWh/lamp/yr
0
fluorescent signs
0.0273
kW/sign
239.148
kWh/sign/yr
0
lbs paper
11
CO 2 conversion
How many optical reflectors or diffusers did your business install?
How many T-12s have you replaced with T-8s or T-5s after replacing with
5
electronic ballasts?
How many energy efficient exit signs does your business use?
6
What type of lighting controls has your business installed?
7
Occupancy sensors in spaces of variable occupancy, such as restrooms,
7a
private offices, storage, etc.
0
sensor
---
---
213.76
kWh/unit/yr
7b
Photocells for exterior lighting and/or areas with significant natural daylight
0
photocell
---
---
106
kWh/unit/yr
7c
Time clocks for large banks of lights on circuit breaker that generally
operate during off hours
0
timeclock
---
---
474.24
kWh/unit/yr
Energy Conservaiton
Energy (KW/yr)
0
How many energy Star rated office equipment does your business use?
8
8a
Copier/Printer
0
units
---
---
327
kWh/unit/yr
8b
LCD Monitor
0
units
---
---
181
kWh/unit/yr
8c
Refrigerator
0
units
---
---
72
kWh/unit/yr
0
monitors
0.037
kW/comp monitor
455
kWh/unit/yr
0.1725
2723.3
27233.3
22733.3
kWh/CPU/yr
kWh/CRT/yr
kWh/LCD/yr
How many items use hardware programs that save energy by automatically
turning off idle monitors & printers?
CO 2 conversion
10
11
12
Recycling
0
30%
4
9
lbs/lbs
Total Savings
Indicate recycled content amount
Energy
3
2.48
6.2
1.6
CO 2 conversion (30% recycled)
Purchasing : How many reams of paper do you buy annually/monthly?
Unit
CO2 (lbs/yr)
0
CO 2 conversion (100% recycled)
2
Annual
Savings
How many EPEAT CPUs have been purchased?
How many EPEAT CRTs have been purchased?
How many EPEAT LCDs have been purchased?
0
0
0
CPU
CRT
LCD
CO2 (lbs)
0
Water Conservation
CO2 (lbs)
Water Conservation
toilets
1.9
gal/toilet
0
gal/unit/yr
0
visitors
1.9
gal/minute
0
gal/unit/yr
How many customers ustilize your facilities per day?
0
customers
1.9
gal/minute
0
gal/unit/yr
How many aerators or low-low faucets has your business installed?
0
faucets
0.4
gal/minute
0
4
How many toilets has your business replaced?
0
Number of Male employees
0
Number of Female employees
0
14
How many visitors ustilize your facilities per day?
15
16
13
Water Saved (gal)
Pollution Prevention
Hg (mercury) Recycled
17
How many mercury fluorescent lamps do you use and recycle?
0
T 8 lamps
18
How many pounds of batteries do you use and recycle per year?
0
lbs batteries
19
How many pounds of electronic devices do you dispose and recycle per year?
0
lbs electronic
devices
20
How many CRT screens have you safely disposed of?
0
monitors
21
How much hazardous material (waste latex paint, cleaners, etc.) was safely
disposed of?
0
gallons
22
Do you encourage employees to bring in their household universal waste?
No
23
Is business a new CESQG customer?
No
Transportation
24
What are the vehicle miles not driven?
25
26
New Spare the Air Enrollee?
New Commuter Benefits program Enrollee?
0
Pb (Lead) Recycled
4
lbs of
lead/monitor
CO 2 conversion
0
0
mg Hg/lamp
0
20.7
lbs/gal-fuel
Transportation
miles/yr
Yes
CO2 (lbs/yr)
N
0
Total CO2 Reduced (lbs/yr.):
0.00
Total Energy Saved (kWh/yr.)
-
Total Water Saved (gl/yr.)
-
Total Mercury Recycled (lbs)
-
Total Lead Recycled (lbs)
-
19