What if buildings could function as ecological structures in addition to being places to live, work, learn, or relax? In other words, what if buildings could function as a part of nature: filtering air and water, providing habitats for plants, animals and birds, reducing carbon content, retaining storm water, or even having therapeutic effects on people? It doesn’t stop there—what if buildings could be constructed so that they are better insulated, reducing utility costs? The reality is that they can, and the answer is simpler and more effective than one might think: green roofs and living walls.

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This white paper reviews the most important sustainability-related standards and certifications and provide a concise description of the standards, their reporting requirements, and their advantages and deficiencies of each.

Specifically, the white paper identifies and provides a complete analysis of ten certifications/standards that are the most relevant and important in the industry. It also provides a direction to begin your efforts and resources to learn more about the standards. The white paper also provides concise descriptions of 20 additional standards that are important and relevant, with links to additional resources.

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The objective of this paper is to help you, the small business owner, take advantage of the incen- tives available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in the energy sector. In signing this act into law President Obama allocated approximately $790 billion to getting the American economy back on track. A significant portion of these funds are directed towards the energy sector, specifically to enhance the development and use of clean energy technologies such as alternative energies and energy efficiency.

This paper aims to help you through answering a series of questions. The first question you will learn the answer to is why the stimulus package is “green”. This question will be answered via several arguments that attempt to explain why we need to invest in clean energy and how the ARRA is doing just that.

The next question this paper will answer is where the money is located in the energy sector. This will be done by depicting an overview of how the ARRA has allocated its funds for energy development.

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The green building label is not reserved for only new buildings; it is just as plausible to turn the millions of existing buildings into environmentally friendly structures. Green buildings are proven to reduce water and energy use and costs, create greater worker productivity and satisfaction, improved brand image, and better community relations. Renovations to a building include improving energy efficiency, improving the heating and cooling system, creating a more sustainable site, improving water efficiency, installing renewable energy, and using eco-friendly materials. There are many projects that can be completed on a smaller budget, while others require a larger commitment. Even though there tends to be a high upfront cost, the average return on investment for a green retrofit is two to five years and there are substantial incentives that can reduce on the initial cost.

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This white paper seeks to educate small and medium size businesses about carbon offsets. Specifically, it examines the way a carbon offset it measured, verified, and traded – including identification of the key players in the carbon offset market. Because this market is voluntary and unregulated by the government, a tremendous amount of confusing information about carbon offsets is generated from a variety of sources and disseminated to the public. It is important for potential purchasers to be aware of the best practices in the industry. This paper will help you to identify the crucial issues and explain how to make sure they are addressed so that you are well-prepared to purchase carbon offsets of the highest quality. In this way, you will be able to truly neutralize your climate change impacts.

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This paper will provide an overview of what employees at any business can do to work toward sustainability. Examples are given for employees starti ng from the general office associate, to middle management, and lastly, CEOs and company heads. It will also help you understand sustainability efforts that you can take and help to create ideas for developing a sustainability goal for your business. Lastly, it will provide you with the resources needed to make sustainability part of the main business plan for your company.

The paper provides information on:

• Forming a green team
• Proper communicati on of sustainability issues 
• Working to improve office and energy waste 
• Sustainable purchasing 
• Taking on personal and business sustainability goals 
• Rewarding sustainability 
• Sustainable buildings

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Companies are looking to go green and be sustainable businesses of the future.  This white paper will explore the steps in which a company can engage their employees and successfully implement sustainability into their business operations.  
 
By the end of the paper you should be able to answer these important questions:

• How do I assess my company’s environmental impacts?
• How do I gauge my employees’ awareness?
• What can I do to education my employees about the environment?
• How do I create my company’s sustainability plan?
• Where do employees help in creating the company’s sustainability plan?
• How do I successful engage my employees in the plan?

This paper is written for small-to-medium-sized U.S. businesses that are looking for guidance on the topic of renewable energy credits (REC). In this paper, you will learn what RECs are and how you can purchase them, what types of companies are investing in them and what their experiences have been. Also, this paper will describe the benefi ts of pursuing RECs. After reading this white paper you should be able to make an informed decision and perform a cost-benefit analysis of whether Renewable Energy Credits are a smart investment for your company.

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This paper aims to clear up the murkiness related to sustainable food purchasing practices by taking you through each step of the food shopping process, in order to help you understand how to make practical, eco-friendly, and socially just shopping decisions—from the plastic versus paper bag debate to what kind of organic produce and meat you should buy, right up to online grocery shopping tips and eco-friendly cooking solutions.

After reading this paper, you will have an understanding of the following areas: what shopping bags to use, how to consume sustainably and how to green your cooking. The paper concludes with an overview of supermarkets’ sustainability profiles.

This paper will give you a broad overview of the current water situation by highlighting the major issues and trends surrounding water scarcity and quality in the context of business risk. It will also help you understand water trends and how to measure your organization's water footprint. It will provide you with practical tools for reducing water and saving money, plus a guide to smart water use based on your industry type! All of this will position your business for a prosperous future to stay ahead of your competition.