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.

Rent or purchase a building that is close to public transportation stops and bike paths

Have a composting program for your business food waste

Implement a green procurement policy

50-74% of your workdays are remote

Implement a comprehensive recycling program including education, proper sinage, and monitoring

Create a pathway program for local youths to intern and eventually become employed at your company

Provide transit passes or funds to employees as part of the benefits package to encourage public transportation usage

Create an executive leadership team with women, minorities, and people from underrepresented communities in top leadership roles

Install or choose a building with electric charging stations on site

Meet if not exceed Federal and State regulations for your industry

Eliminate all single-use paper, styrofoam or plastic cups, plates, and utensils in the kitchen area. Use reusable mugs, dishes, and silverware instead

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.

Create a detailed risk management plan for projects and programs

Prioritize working with business partners, service providers, etc. that are women-led, minority-owned and local small businesses

Use chlorine-free and FSC-certified paper products

Purchase all office paper products made from 50-100% recycled materials

Arrange the workspace to take advantage of areas with natural sunlight

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)

Purchase ENERGY STAR qualified or similarly highly efficient appliances

Use a carbon calculator tool to measure your current carbon footprint. Reassess quarterly as you meet energy use goals

Install bike racks outside of the office or choose a building with ample bike racks on-site to support the amount of employees

Create and implement a human health and safety policy

Properly dispose of all hazardous waste materials including batteries, paint and chemicals, lightbulbs, aerosol cans, and electronics

Install a filtered water tap or water bottle refill station that provide high-quality drinking water

Encourage employee carpools

Complete a consumption and waste audit to help identify and quantify the items your business acquires, uses, and discards

Establish a paperless billing program for your customers

Use recycled and environmentally preferred office supplies such as pens, notebooks, etc.

Buy electronics that are energy efficient, EPEAT, ROHS, etc.

Have accessible green space somewhere onsite or in close proximity to grounds

Regularly evaluate employee satisfaction through interviews, surveys, or calculation of employee net promoter score

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

Choose paperless billing with vendors, business partners, and suppliers when possible

Eliminate unnecessary paper usage as much as possible including forms, contracts, meeting agendas and materials, proofs, and drafts

Administer company-wide employee training on sustainability efforts both at work and at home

Give opportunity for all employees to provide feedback of any kind and feel secure and empowered to do so

Recycle or sell your used toner cartridges

Develop a paper reduction policy that clearly defines when and how items should be printed

Designate carpool, hybrid, and EV parking spaces that are in preferred areas of your parking lot (e.g. closer to the building entrance or covered)

Eliminate the use of disposable batteries and switch entirely to rechargeable

Use air-filtering plants throughout the office

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

Use a sustainable web hosting service

Reuse, sell, or donate used or unneeded furniture, equipment, and office supplies

Use virtual meeting platforms to replace travel when possible

Evaluate customer and community satisfaction with your company through calculating your net promoter score (NPS)

Add shades/window covering to reduce heat gain

Provide regular formal review, linked to a comprehensive development plan, with clear and constructive feedback to all employees

Use a shared or centralized printer

Establish a clear governance and decision-making structure, including the composition of the board of directors, board committees, executives, and shareholders

Create and implement a policy for protecting sensitive information

Conduct regular cyber/data security checks

Accept and evaluate employee’s feedback about violations of your corporate ethics and conduct policy

Create and implement an employee code of conduct

Create and enforce a policy for preventing and addressing discrimination and harassment

Designate an employee as community engagement leader or create a community engagement team

Train employees on your cyber/data security policies and what to do in case of a potential breach

Commit to inviting, receiving and acting upon customer and community feedback in a welcoming and constructive way at all times.

Donate used clothing and furniture

Organize a sustainability committee to lead your organization’s sustainability program

Complete the GBB getting started steps

Develop a sustainability mission statement for your business and define your company’s core commitments

Populate your company’s sustainability accomplishments in your profile

Announce your commitment to GBB to all employees

Relax the office dress code to allow for attire that doesn’t require dry cleaning