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| Green Business Bureau | |
|---|---|
| Name | Green Business Bureau |
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Key people | Joel Makower; Hunter Lovins; Amory Lovins |
| Focus | Sustainability certification; corporate social responsibility; environmental performance |
| Methods | Assessment, certification, consulting, online tools |
Green Business Bureau
Green Business Bureau is a sustainability certification and membership organization that provides assessment tools and certification for small and medium-sized enterprises, nonprofits, and institutions. The organization offers an online platform, benchmarking resources, and guidance intended to support environmental performance, energy efficiency, and corporate social responsibility initiatives across sectors. Its work intersects with standards, advocacy groups, certification bodies, and academic research institutions focused on sustainability and climate action.
The Green Business Bureau operates as a membership-oriented sustainability verifier engaging with businesses, Small Business Administration, United Nations Global Compact, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, B Lab, and other organizations involved in corporate responsibility. Its platform parallels efforts by ISO 14001, LEED, ENERGY STAR, Green Seal, and Forest Stewardship Council in promoting environmental management, while also connecting to initiatives like Carbon Disclosure Project, Science Based Targets initiative, Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, and Global Reporting Initiative. The bureau’s tools are employed by firms interacting with regulators and markets influenced by institutions such as Securities and Exchange Commission and European Commission environmental policy, and by companies that seek recognition akin to awards from CDP and Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
Founded in 2009, the organization emerged amid increased attention to sustainability following events like the Kyoto Protocol discussions and the run-up to the Paris Agreement negotiations. Early development overlapped with nonprofit and corporate actors including World Resources Institute, Natural Resources Defense Council, Rocky Mountain Institute, The Nature Conservancy, and consulting practices associated with figures like Amory Lovins and Joel Makower. Growth of the bureau corresponded with broader movements such as the rise of sustainable supply chain frameworks championed by Walmart and Unilever, and the mainstreaming of standards promoted by ISO and certification schemes used by firms like Patagonia and IKEA.
The bureau’s certification and membership programs are structured around tiered recognition similar in intent to protocols from B Lab and accreditation schemes like Green America and Certified B Corporation assessments. Members undergo online assessment to attain levels of recognition that parallel practices used by entities such as US Green Building Council for LEED certification and programmatic approaches from ENERGY STAR and Green Seal. These programs are marketed to clientele including small retailers, service providers, and franchises comparable to chains like Starbucks, Whole Foods Market, and McDonald’s pursuing sustainability credentials.
Assessment methodology integrates criteria addressing energy, waste, water, procurement, transportation, and employee engagement, drawing conceptual similarity with frameworks used by Global Reporting Initiative, SASB Standards, CDP, and ISO 14001. Scoring and verification processes resemble third-party assurance models of organizations such as PwC, KPMG, and Ernst & Young when providing sustainability assurance services. Criteria reference best practices observable among corporations like Apple Inc., Google, Microsoft, and Walmart in energy management and supply chain emissions reduction, as well as NGO recommendations from World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International.
Services include online self-assessment, benchmarking dashboards, improvement roadmaps, and consulting support comparable to offerings by McKinsey & Company sustainability practices, Boston Consulting Group climate strategy teams, and software products from companies like Sphera and Enablon. Tools emphasize metrics tracking akin to platforms used by Salesforce for CSR reporting and monitoring tools referenced by CDP participants, and offer templates and training similar to resources from EPA programs and academic curricula at institutions like Harvard Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business.
The bureau has collaborated with regional chambers of commerce, trade associations, and nonprofits similar to Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Business, Sierra Club, and local organizations. Its industry impact is visible where businesses leverage certification in supply chain procurement and customer communications, intersecting with procurement policies of corporations such as Amazon, Target Corporation, and Procter & Gamble. The bureau’s work also informs municipal sustainability programs analogous to initiatives by City of New York, City of Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon.
Critiques mirror those levelled at many third-party certification schemes, including concerns about the rigor and comparability of online self-assessments versus on-site audits performed by accredited bodies like ISO certification bodies, and debates similar to controversies around LEED and commodification of sustainability labels. Observers referencing watchdogs and investigative reporting outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and ProPublica have raised broader questions about greenwashing and the effectiveness of voluntary standards, a discussion also seen around firms certified by B Lab and programs certified by Green Seal. Some industry commentators and academic analysts from institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University have debated the role of membership-driven platforms versus regulatory approaches adopted by entities such as the European Union and national environmental agencies.
Category:Environmental organizations in the United States