platinum
2,550
Points Earned
Completed Initiatives
Initiative Description
Points
100% of your power supply is from on-site renewable energy solutions
120
Implement and share the results of your energy use and conservation plan quarterly, both within your organization and publicly
90
Implement and share the results of your comprehensive water use and conservation plan quarterly
90
Become a completely remote company, requiring no office space or regular transportation to/from work
75
Ensure all suppliers/vendors adhere to your company’s environmental commitments and standards and do not engage in any practices that are environmentally or socially harmful
75
Install or lease from a building with a heat recovery system that converts waste heat to energy
60
Purchase 50-100% of products and services from green-certified or Green Business Benchmark vendors
60
To reduce emissions, 75-99% of your workdays are either remote or employees use public transportation, walking, or biking to get to work
55
Your home is powered by on-site renewable energy
50
25-74% of company vehicles are electric
48
Own/lease a business space that has a green building certification such as LEED, BREEAM, Green Globes, WELL, Energy Star, Green Star, or another standard in your area.
40
Source 100% of energy from a third-party renewable power provider
40
Use a tankless or otherwise highly efficient home hot water heater
40
Upgrade from older fluorescent T12, T8 and T5 lamps to LED alternatives
36
Purchase 25-49% of products and services from green-certified or Green Business Benchmark vendors
36
Rent or purchase a building that is close to public transportation stops and bike paths
36
Compost your home food waste
36
Use an alternative/natural refrigerant (non-HFC) with a global warming potential less than or equal to 10 for your home refrigerators, freezers, and HVAC systems
35
Have a composting program for your business food waste
30
Implement a green procurement policy
30
To reduce emissions, 50-74% of your workdays are either remote or employees use public transportation, walking, or biking to get to work 50-74% of workdays
30
Implement a comprehensive recycling program including education, proper sinage, and monitoring
27
Implement a sustainability process and standard for all meetings, conferences, and events
25
Opt-in to receiving 100% renewable energy from your power provider
25
Track and measure your company’s impact on the environment along your supply chain
25
Optimize your on-premise servers and business systems by ensuring the hardware is up-to-date and energy efficient
24
Create a pathway program for local youths to intern and eventually become employed at your company
24
Create an executive leadership team with women, minorities, and people from underrepresented communities in top leadership roles
24
After completing the energy audit/assessment, develop a comprehensive energy use and conservation plan
20
Install or choose a building with electric charging stations on site
20
Develop a comprehensive water use and conservation plan with measurable goals to optimize water usage
20
Implement home performance and efficiency improvements based upon your home energy assessment
20
Buy home office electronics that are energy efficient, ENERGY STAR, EPEAT, ROHS, etc.
20
Use a hybrid personal vehicle
20
Meet if not exceed Federal and State regulations for your industry
20
Eliminate all single-use paper, styrofoam or plastic cups, plates, and utensils in the kitchen area. Use reusable mugs, dishes, and silverware instead
18
Schedule regular maintenance on company vehicles to ensure each vehicle is operating as efficiently as possible to reduce emissions
18
Perform a yearly assessment of all suppliers/vendors’ environmental and social practices in comparison to your company’s commitments
18
Provide a product or service, as part of your company’s core strategy, that delivers a social or environmental benefit and/or focuses on an underserved part of the community.
18
Provide a living wage for all employees, at all levels of the organization including both full time and part time workers
18
Carve out a “no meetings” day during the work week
18
Have a four-day work week
18
Properly recycle all household waste according to your local regulations
18
Create a detailed risk management plan for projects and programs
18
Identify and manage risks related to your suppliers’ sustainability performance
18
Purchase and serve 75-100% local, organic, and fair trade food and drink
16
Prioritize working with business partners, service providers, etc. that are women-led, minority-owned and local small businesses
16
Define, institute, and clearly communicate a policy to prioritize employee diversity, equity, and inclusion
16
Install a programmable thermostat to automate your home HVAC or A/C system
16
Use chlorine-free and FSC-certified paper products
15
Switch to low-pressure and highly efficient showerheads and faucets
15
Create a supplier code of conduct that all vendors and suppliers must abide by
14
Purchase all office paper products made from 50-100% recycled materials
12
Arrange the workspace to take advantage of areas with natural sunlight
12
Purchase offsets for the travel emissions and in-person work days that can’t be reduced
12
Purchase or lease used or recycled office equipment and furniture
12
Philanthropically donate a percentage of your revenue or profits and/or company time to an environmental cause
12
Reserve at least one day a year when your company volunteers for local environmental or community projects (e.g., Habitat for Humanity, Earth Day, Save a Tree)
12
Purchase ENERGY STAR qualified or similarly highly efficient appliances
12
Have a clearly defined policy that specifies how you will screen partners and vendors to ensure that their business operations are socially responsible and eco-friendly
12
Provide an annual public report or update on your company’s environmental and social responsibility efforts, initiatives, and improvements
12
Evaluate your company’s social and community footprint including diversity of supply chain, demographic of suppliers, and physical and financial impact of operations on local community
12
Use a carbon calculator tool to measure your current carbon footprint. Reassess quarterly as you meet energy use goals
12
Install bike racks outside of the office or choose a building with ample bike racks on-site to support the amount of employees
12
Develop an office thermostat policy that maintains internal air temperature within the recommended temperature range, and eliminates A/C and heating usage when the building is not occupied
12
Provide equitable opportunities to ensure women have equal access to employment, leadership roles, and pay
12
Provide fair and appropriate breaks for workers based on hours worked and enforce a strict policy that they must take them
12
Institute a policy for providing training, certification, and professional development opportunities to employees
12
Ensure all windows in your home are double pane, low-E, and energy efficient
12
Use washable home electrostatic furnace and air conditioning filters
12
Use your personal, fossil-fueled vehicle less than 75 miles a week
12
Purchase produce in-season from local farmer’s markets or co-ops
12
Establish a process for the board to oversee and assess the company’s performance in sustainability issues
12
Pay top executives no more than the minimum compensation necessary to ensure productive and effective performance
12
Determine executive bonuses based company success in areas such as diversity, goal-meeting, stakeholder engagement, and long-term sustainability
12
Create and implement a human health and safety policy
12
Adhere to labor, child labor, forced labor, and reasonable working hour laws and practices
12
Disclose any risks to the environment or the public created by your company’s products or operations timely and publicly
12
Keep corporate accounting accurate and up-to-date, enabling operation decisions to be made about investing, hiring, and project management
12
Install water catchment systems to collect rainwater for use in home garden irrigation
10
Lower the max temperature of your hot water heater from 140 to 120
10
Properly dispose of all hazardous waste materials including batteries, paint and chemicals, lightbulbs, aerosol cans, and electronics
9
Properly dispose of all household hazardous waste materials including batteries, paint and chemicals, lightbulbs, aerosol cans, and electronics
9
Create a supply chain map to gain understanding of the origins of your products
9
Install a filtered water tap or water bottle refill station that provide high-quality drinking water
8
Become an annual sponsor, making a substantial contribution to a meaningful event promoting sustainability in your area
8
Encourage employee carpools
8
Significantly limit the amount of physical marketing materials you produce
8
Complete a consumption and waste audit to help identify and quantify the items your business acquires, uses, and discards
8
Use environmentally-friendly, non-toxic, bio-based cleaning products
8
Replace regular light bulbs with LED bulbs
8
Establish a paperless billing program for your customers
8
Use concentrated cleaning products
8
Use recycled and environmentally preferred office supplies such as pens, notebooks, etc.
8
Purchase carbon offsets to become net zero for all emissions
8
Buy electronics that are energy efficient, EPEAT, ROHS, etc.
8
Have accessible green space somewhere onsite or in close proximity to grounds
8
Weatherize your home by ensuring all windows and doors in your home are properly installed, functioning, maintained, weather-stripped, etc.
8
Use a drip irrigation system for watering your home landscaping
8
Go completely paperless
8
Use concentrated home cleaning products
8
Purchase home trash bin liners made from 100% bio-based or 50-100% recycled materials
8
Use an eco-friendly home pest control service that minimizes the use of toxic pesticides
8
Establish company-wide local community volunteer days and create a company-wide challenge to see who can volunteer in the community at a green event the most throughout the year
8
Conduct multiple quality checks on your products and/or services before distributing to consumers to ensure highest possible quality
8
Conduct investigations of ethical violations, and when substantiated hand out fair and reasonable consequences
8
Choose paperless billing with vendors, business partners, and suppliers when possible
6
Eliminate unnecessary paper usage as much as possible including forms, contracts, meeting agendas and materials, proofs, and drafts
6
Administer company-wide employee training on sustainability efforts both at work and at home
6
Conduct exit interviews to gain insights on company culture and operations and make improvements based on feedback
6
Give opportunity for all employees to provide feedback of any kind and feel secure and empowered to do so
6
Replace all traditional bulbs with LED bulbs throughout your home work space
6
Use reusable cleaning products such as sponges or towels instead of paper towels throughout your home
6
Stop using all single-use plastic kitchen utensils, plates, bowls, and cups
6
Use reusable bags instead of plastic bags when shopping
6
Purchase home paper towels and toilet paper made from 50-100% recycled materials
6
Administer company-wide employee training on sustainability efforts related to home offices and general life practices
6
Create a company-wide challenge to eat the least amount of takeout for a month
6
Create a company-wide challenge to use the least single-use items for a month
6
Fairly compensate board members or their time and effort based on yearly total hours of meetings and expectations for engagement
6
Use natural light throughout 75% of the day instead of overhead lights
5
Locate home office in room with ample windows to take advantage of daylighting
5
Place a company employee on the organizing committee for a sustainability event
4
Become an active member, either by serving on the board, donating or volunteering time for an organization that continually works to improve the environment
4
Recycle or sell your used toner cartridges
4
Purchase recycled or remanufactured toner cartridges
4
Develop a paper reduction policy that clearly defines when and how items should be printed
4
Reduce junk mail by removing your organization’s name from national direct marketing databases
4
Eliminate the use of disposable batteries and switch entirely to rechargeable
4
Use reusable cleaning products such as towels and sponges, eliminating paper towels
4
Print and copy double-sided only
4
Make your business’ sustainability efforts a central part of your message by filling out and linking to your GBB Public Profile and publishing your sustainability commitment on your website
4
Choose bio-based, reused, recycled, recyclable, or FSC certified boxes and bags for shipping
4
Reuse, sell, or donate used or unneeded furniture, equipment, and office supplies
4
Use virtual meeting platforms to replace travel when possible
4
Communicate your social responsibility initiatives with customers and other stakeholders in a way that clearly defines your company values, policies, objectives and actual performance
4
Eliminate all physical marketing materials, rely only on digital methods
4
Add shades/window covering to reduce heat gain
4
Provide regular formal review, linked to a comprehensive development plan, with clear and constructive feedback to all employees
4
Require all business leaders to be trained in, maintain current knowledge of, and commit to complying with the company’s environmental, social and employee wellbeing policies and practices
4
Add shades/window covering throughout your home to reduce heat gain
4
Change your home HVAC or A/C filters every 90 days-6 months maximum as is recommended by your filter thickness and type
4
Reduce vampire loads by unplugging non-essential electrical appliances when not in use
4
Use smart power strips throughout your house in areas of high plug loads
4
Plant native, region-friendly plants in your home garden
4
Opt out of receiving home junk mail
4
Stop purchasing single-use plastic waterbottles. Install a water filter if necessary
4
Use a shared or centralized printer
4
Create a board that is diverse and inclusive, made up of members with differences in thought, perspective, cultural and geographical background, age, ethnicity, race, gender, knowledge & skills–representative of the community and stakeholders
4
Appoint a majority of board members that are independent from the company
4
Uphold your company’s responsibility to shareholders through shareholder meetings
4
Establish a clear governance and decision-making structure, including the composition of the board of directors, board committees, executives, and shareholders
4
Create and implement a policy for protecting sensitive information
4
Conduct regular cyber/data security checks
4
Include a specific commitment to a positive social and environmental impact in your corporate mission statement
4
Accept and evaluate employee’s feedback about violations of your corporate ethics and conduct policy
4
Create and implement an employee code of conduct
4
Create and enforce a whistleblowing policy
4
Create and enforce a policy for preventing and addressing discrimination and harassment
4
Establish and implement a shareholder rights policy
4
Minimize air conditioning usage through natural ventilation by opening windows
3
Train employees on your cyber/data security policies and what to do in case of a potential breach
3
Assess your current vendors’ procurement practices
3
Purchase trash liners made from 50-100% recycled materials
2
Use ceiling fans in place of air conditioning when possible
2
Reduce “vampire loads” by unplugging appliances when not in use
2
Assist at least one other business in learning about sustainability, social responsibility, and green business efforts and encourage them to join GBB
2
Commit to inviting, receiving and acting upon customer and community feedback in a welcoming and constructive way at all times.
2
Use ceiling fans and windows in place of air conditioning
2
Donate used clothing and furniture
2
Document board meetings with minutes and final write-up/reports and distributed to all essential members
2
Implement a conflict of interest policy for your board of directors and senior management
2
Write and implement a policy and procedure for board member nominations and elections
2
Write and implement a policy for removing board members who are not fulfilling their duties
2
Communicate pricing and services transparently, authentically, and consistently to all customers
2
Disclose information about political contributions and lobbying activities
2
Organize a sustainability committee to lead your organization’s sustainability program
1
Complete the GBB getting started steps
1
Develop a sustainability mission statement for your business and define your company’s core commitments
1
Populate your company’s sustainability accomplishments in your profile
1
Announce your commitment to GBB to all employees
1
Use natural odor elimination
1
Relax the office dress code to allow for attire that doesn’t require dry cleaning
1
Eliminate the use of disposable batteries throughout your home and switch entirely to rechargeable
1