A Guide for Business Leaders
As “Green” businesses grow and green-washing creates confusion for mainstream public, the need for organizations that evaluate and certify green businesses is growing. Problem is, how do you,the business leader choose which certifier to recommend to your organization’s board? This blog should help you start the process of evaluating certification organizations. It will give you questions to ask and items to consider.
Many business leaders find the certification processes lacking in clarity and limiting in scope. The organizations that provide the certification may not have a lot of practical experience related to your work. After all, green businesses are a relatively new phenomenon. All certifying bodies learn as they go and as new information is available, same as any other company or process. However, some certifications have more to learn than others when their criteria are built solely on ideology and not practice. They may not be ready for you. Some certification strata exclude “valid” organizations in benchmarking. There is a tremendous effort going on now by SFI to be accepted by LEED, for example. And there is the ever present “shiny big box companies” that canblind certifiers to the needs and importance of small businesses. Large companies have larger marketing departments, get more free press, have more economic strength and offer larger contracts to certifiers. Of course consumers who wish to maintain the power of their purchase can ultimately choose to develop their own criteria to evaluate the merit of a green business. Ultimately, the very consumers that you are trying to attract, may not know about the certification you are evaluating, or even care.
The first item to consider is whether the certification is a good fit for your company and your goals. You may want to gain more credibility or recognition for the uniqueness of your company’s product or service. Others may want to differentiate themselves from competitors, or improve performance. When contemplating the reasons for green certification, it is important to decide which of the three green piers (environmental, social or economic) a particular certification will evaluate your company on. Some cover more than one as noted below. Conversely, it is just as important that you evaluate how the certifications enhance and support these areas for you. In other words, what are the benefits to your company when you receive the certification? As a business leader, you want it all, but not all certifications offer that. Some are more transparent than others and some work harder than others to maximize your benefits.
Independent – many see this as a critical point for green certifications or otherwise. Any certification body must be totally independent from influence by any other organization. The certification organization must be able to impartially and without influence, examine and award certification to only those individuals that meet the requirements.
A second item to evaluate is how the certification can improve your operations. The only certainty is that you will be updating your company manuals. If your company already performs well, it’s entirely possible that you will not have to change how you do things in practice. If you’re not certain of your performance, then the certification process can help you improve that area, and thereby improve your company, creating a win-win situation. Some certifiers are more holistic in their ideology, such as Cradle to Cradle. They evaluate issues such as water consumption, energy usage and recycling that occurs during product manufacturing. When trying to improve operations, you may decide to go outside of specialized green certifiers to more mainstream programs such as OSHA to assist with core issues such as health and safety in your workplace. There is nothing like going through a third party auditing process to get an objective perspective on how you may need to improve, and what you are already great at.
Every business is concerned with the bottom line. Issues such as cost of certification and marketing value will weigh in on your decision making process. There will be surprises along the way, so prepare. Some certifications have multiple levels and each level can mandate additional third party certifications, adding time and expense. If a certifier states they will “help you celebrate your successes” ask for a specific plan and examples of what they have done in the past. Pay close attention to certification organization’s websites. Is the list of certified companies easy to find or are they hidden behind multiple links? Certifiers such as B Corp promote certified businesses B to B, in the media and at open forums such as trade shows 4. Remember that your community and internal staff are potential marketing agents for you. Going through a certification process provides opportunities to educate both on what’s important about what you’re doing. Ask them to share your story. Of course, celebrate your own successes with an event or reception, do a press release and go to trade shows. Update marketing literature to showcase your distinguished designations. Have a press kit ready so when local or national media want to feature you in a story, you’ll be ready. Financial benefits from certifications can also be direct. Buyers, professional more than non-professional are requiring chain of custody that validates product sourcing thereby opening markets and increasing sales for companies that hold these certifications. Your bottom line can be improved by the marketing strength of the certifying organization, your marketing plans and direct sales opportunities. Consider all these as possibilities.
The structure of the certifying organization may be the last thing on your list, but it could be the most important of all the criteria you consider. That’s because they are not all created equal. One scenario is that the certification is not transparent and has legal tactics such as tight fisted non-disclosure agreements. These can prohibit you from discussing any disagreements in open forum and limit your ability to contest their decisions. Don’t assume that because a certification represents itself as holistic and forthright, that it is. Read the fine print. The following excerpt is adapted from an article written by Richard Rudd for the National Board of Certified Pastoral Counselors. The information that is applicable for that specialty field is applicable here as well.
Independent – many see this as a critical point for green certifications or otherwise. Any certification body must be totally independent from influence by any other organization. The certification organization must be able to impartially and without influence, examine and award certification to only those individuals that meet the requirements.
Standards for certification or re-certification are determined without requiring the approval of any other organization. Ideally, the governing body and/or certification body will include individuals from the discipline being certified and the composition of the body should address the needs of the users. This will ensure self-determination by those receiving and using the certification, but for broader certifications is not always possible.
Credible – It should be fairly easy for you to research the credibility of the certification organization. Always remember that you are tying your professional, and sometimes personal, credibility to this organization. For individual certifications, evaluate the educational, experiential and testing requirements of the organization.
Information about the certification program should be easily accessible by the public. This should include a description of the organization; its purpose, goals, objectives and responsibilities. The eligibility requirements, a summary of skill and knowledge areas, and information regarding certification activities should also be available. The organization should have clear policies and procedures for its members and the public.
• Code of Ethics or Code of Conduct
• Grievance procedures
• Consumer compliant procedure
Research any organizations that the certification body belongs to. The organization is tying its reputation to these organizations in a similar fashion that you are tying your reputation to it.
Non-profit – Public- this is not a necessity, but it will give you an idea, beyond the stated goals, about the purpose for the certification organization. This also will ensure oversight regarding the business practices of the organization, and will provide you with an additional, formal grievance process. Privately owned companies could be more cloak and dagger than publicly held organizations.
Checking references is a standard practice in any business and should not be overlooked here. Although there are many oversight programs that set quality standards for certification programs, there are currently none that are doing this for the green building industry. The US Green Building Council states that their members determine the direction of their certification programs. Examples of such oversight programs can be found in the healthcare system which has been long established and highly regulated. So, as a member of a young profession, the green business movement leaders may have to rely on old fashioned research. Call the businesses listed on the certifying organization’s website and ask them about the benefits of certification.
Making an investment in green certifications is an important consideration. In the words of our pastoral writer, Richard Rudd “Make sure that the certification organization, with which you choose to align your professional reputation, can accept this responsibility.”
About the Author
Chris McCurry is a founder and current owner of Highland Craftsmen Inc. This business has received a number of green certifications, including Cradle to Cradle Gold Certification. HC was founded in 1990 when green was still a color. Since that time, their mission has been to decrease the impact of construction and harmonize with nature. Chris’s experience began as a “wholistic nurse” where she received educational preparation in systems theory. Product designer, corporate strategist, social entrepreneur and cultural advocate, she is also the coauthor of Bark House Style, Sustainable Designs from Nature.
