Businesses going green: 5+ mistakes and how to avoid them

Common mistakes businesses make in attempting to navigate the path toward sustainability

Jill Fehrenbacher, CEO of Inhabitat.com, recently posted "5 Mistakes Businesses Make Trying to Go Green" in which she raises some interesting points for businesses to consider before "going green."

In 2010 sustainability is no longer a buzzword—it has become the leading edge of business thought. In fact, I believe that understanding sustainability is the single greatest investment that any business can make towards its future success.

So I agree with Jill: by taking a bit of time to learn the principles of sustainability and then figuring out how to apply them to your business in a meaningful way, you can increase your bottom line by improving staff morale, differentiating your company, saving resources, creating new opportunities and doing business in a more satisfying way.

The path toward sustainability is like a journey—you will discover beautiful things along the way and you will also encounter obstacles. So let’s re-examine some of those pitfalls, as Jill outlines, that prevent some companies from taking the first steps of the journey.

Mistake 1: Assuming that “going green” is going to be expensive

For many businesses, cost concerns are the roadblock that prevents them from taking the first steps. In some cases, if you’re considering big infrastructure investments, this might be true—but there’s no need to start this way.

There are lots of low cost ways to get started: going paperless, turning off lights and computers, printing on both sides of paper, switching to filtered tap water instead of water delivery, using natural light, or switching to 100 percent green energy through a provider like Bullfrog Power. These are simple greening options that will save you money, while allowing you to dip your toes into the sustainability waters.

It’s also important to remember that eventually you can (and should) market your sustainability initiatives to help create value and differentiate your company. At Eclipse Awards, we’ve turned our sustainability commitments into our primary marketing message through Regenerative Marketing.

Mistakes 2 + 3: Underestimating your customers’ ability to smell BS and assuming that all you need is beige packaging

Here is the part where understanding sustainability is important. You can’t simply use a new logo or green-coloured packaging or the word “eco” as today’s informed customers will see right through this. Similarly, people are getting overwhelmed with the glut of green leaf logos and eco-certifications. These are the kinds of superficial changes that have led to the creation of the term greenwashing.

Customers want to see that you’ve thought about sustainability and applied it in meaningful ways. Have you reduced or eliminated packaging? Have you developed new green products? Have you stopped making some products because they aren’t environmentally sensitive? Have you drastically reduced the waste your business produces? Have you changed your operations in some substantial way to conserve resources?

If you can’t be bold in your sustainability commitments, wait until you can and then incorporate them into your brand and mission.

Mistake 4: Overestimating your customers’ time and attention spans

Jill makes another good point here—although today’s customers are more informed and intelligent, they are also more pressed for time. This means that it’s up to you to thoughtfully communicate your green initiatives so that your clients understand what you’ve been up to.

As with any well-crafted marketing message, you need to do this in a way that makes sense and resonates with your clients. In many cases, this means simplifying your message for the masses (i.e., “we’re carbon neutral”), but then supporting these claims with more in-depth information on your website or blog for people that want to understand more (i.e., “these are the steps we took to become carbon neutral”).

Mistake 5: Thinking that unless you make everything 100 percent, then there’s no point in calling attention to your green credentials

This is the biggest sticking point of all because, ironically, it means that the greater the backlash towards greenwashing, the more reluctant companies will be to start down the path toward sustainability. Essentially, consumers who are trying to prevent false claims of sustainability by accusing companies of greenwashing may actually be preventing companies from embarking on legitimate sustainability initiatives.

From a company perspective, it’s important to remember that the benefits of pursuing sustainability are far greater than not pursuing it. If your efforts are legitimate and thoughtful, your staff and clients will support you. As you gain confidence in your sustainability initiatives, be sure to communicate them honestly and transparently. It’s okay to admit that you’re not perfect and it’s a process— and that’s perfectly fine. Start on the path toward sustainability with conviction and it will lead you to amazing places and revitalize your business.

From a consumer perspective, don’t be too quick to jump on a company for green efforts that you feel are inadequate—choose your battles wisely. Yes, there are companies that need to be called out for misleading claims. But remember, no one can go from 0 to 100 overnight. The journey toward sustainability can be a messy process—and we are all learning as we go. Do we want to encourage a toddler’s first steps, or discourage them?

[Bonus] Mistake 6: Green is for companies that are already green

Many companies think that green is for “other companies” or companies that already have a green product or mission. In fact, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Every company stands to gain by learning about sustainability and how to apply it to their business. Whether you’re a chemical producer, a forestry company or a heavy industry—the principles and benefits of sustainability are the same for everyone, so don’t let this opportunity pass you by.

Get started

We are at an interesting time in the world of business. For the sake of our planet, it’s imperative that we change how we do business, but how do we start this change?

We have to understand that it won’t be easy and it won’t necessarily be neat, but it will be rewarding both financially and on a personal level.

They say a journey of a 1,000 miles begins with just one step. How will you take your first steps down the path toward sustainability?

   

City councillor's bike accident coincides with opening of new protected bike lane

Dunsmuir Viaduct protected bike lane opens one day after Councillor Geoff Meggs hit by a car while cycling along South Vancouver bikeway

Vancouver City Councillor Geoff Meggs, a prominent member of the majority Vision Vancouver party, and an avid bike commuter and cycling advocate, is in hospital after being involved in a collision with a car on Tuesday, March 9, while cycling in a bike lane on Angus Drive, near 51st and Granville.

City Councillor Geoff Meggs has
been a strong advocate for the
new Dunsmuir Viaduct bike lane.
(Image courtesy GeoffMeggs.ca)

News of the incident was released the next day, just as Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson announced the grand opening of the new protected bike lane on the Dunsmuir Viaduct, which links the Adanac Bikeway from East Vancouver to Dunsmuir and Beatty streets downtown.

While it looks like Meggs won’t have to undergo spinal surgery, the incident puts into perspective just how important separated bike infrastructure is for ensuring cyclists’ safety—and in promoting wider adoption of cycling for transportation.

“We know from the Burrard Bridge that when we separate bike lanes from cars with protective barriers, more people cycle and it reduces the risk of injury or accidents,” said the mayor, himself a bike commuter.

The new two-way bike lane was created from a lane that had already been removed from traffic several years ago for the construction of the nearby Costco and had remained unused ever since. And few drivers seemed to notice.

Cement pylons were added to separate car traffic from the bike lane to the tune of $300,000—an investment hoped to increase cycling traffic through the downtown core.

“We saw during the Winter Games that if we provide convenient alternatives to vehicle travel, people will use them,” said the mayor. During the Olympics Vancouver proved him right: Cyclist volumes across the Cambie and Burrard bridges met summertime levels with an average of 5,000 cyclists riding to and from downtown every day.

Evidence of whether the new bike lane is effective in encouraging more city residents to get out of their cars and onto two wheels will be available when the city releases statistics on the Dunsmuir Viaduct at the end of the six-month trial period.

   

Renovating Vancouver, one challenge at a time

From private residences to small businesses, Light House's latest green building initiative is making a difference

Vancouver’s Light House Sustainable Building Centre is an enterprising non-profit dedicated to advancing and catalyzing sustainability in British Columbia's built environment. They offer a range of free and fee-based programs and services out of their newly renovated resource and exhibition centre at 2060 Pine Street.

One of Light House’s current initiatives is the 2010 Green Building Challenge. Focused on 10 projects ranging from family homes to strata councils and small businesses, these groups have received free technical assistance over the past year to help green their buildings. This has included five days of technical assistance from a green building professional and 240 hours of research and assistance from professional interns like me. A few of these projects have focused on new construction while others have centred on renovations to existing buildings. The overall aim has been for the projects to meet a stringent set of energy, water and waste reduction targets.

This month, to mark the end of the Green Building Challenge and highlight some of the many successes, the Light House Sustainable Building Centre will host tours, workshops and feature case studies from the challenge. The public is invited to come and see the achievements of the challenge projects and learn how these groups reached their targets.

The site tours and workshops start this weekend and run all month. For a full schedule of the workshops, visit the 2010 Green Building Challenge website.

Sneak peek: 2010 Green Building Challenge

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the renovations and new buildings constructed through the challenge. Tell us what you think of the projects in the comment section below.

Kerchum Residence, Vancouver

A newly constructed home with a passive solar design and orientation that allows for minimal heating requirements in the winter and no cooling system in the summer.

Kerchum Residence, Vancouver

An inside shot of the passive solar home. The newly built living room features locally sourced and built millwork (e.g., window bench, wall cabinets, TV surround, etc.) made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood. The orange couch is also FSC certified.

Babicki-Moore Residence, North Vancouver

This green roof was installed on an existing family home that was gutted and rebuilt. In addition to creating a pleasant space for the residents, the green roof will help reduce energy costs for cooling the home, assist with storm water management, increase the lifetime of the roof membrane and provide some sound insulation.

Babicki-Moore Residence, North Vancouver

These rooftop panels are part of a solar hot water system, which takes advantage of the clean, renewable and free energy from the sun to provide domestic hot water.

Babicki-Moore Residence, North Vancouver

Dual-flush and low flow toilets like this one help reduce a household’s annual water consumption considerably. A standard toilet uses 13 litres per flush while the average for a dual flush model is 4 litres per flush.

McGill Street Laneway Home, Vancouver

A rendering of one of Vancouver’s first laneway homes, which is nearly complete. Another project in the 2010 Green Building Challenge managed to achieve enough energy, water and waste reductions to make the addition of a laneway home to their property a net-zero residence; the renovations to reduce resource consumption in the existing home will make up for the resources used by occupants of a laneway house. (Image: Lanefab Design/Build)

King House, Squamish

This newly constructed home was built with pre-fabricated wall and roof panels that are highly energy efficient. A benefit to having the panels built off-site is reduced construction waste at the building site. (Image: Rao/D Cityworks)

Strandberg-Legg Residence, Burnaby

This new home features limited lawn area and drought-tolerant plants—an innovative design and effective way to reduce water use.

Station Place, Vancouver

In multi-family complexes, organizing at the strata council level is an effective way to reduce resource consumption and waste levels. The documents shown here were created by a Sustainability Committee to help residents recycle more effectively. The strata also introduced a by-law that assigns monetary fines to residents that don’t abide by the waste diversion rules. Energy conservation measures in common areas and private residences were another component of this Challenge project.

Norman Residence, Vancouver

This kitchen renovation features new Energy Star appliances, in-floor heating (paired with a high efficiency boiler), double-glazed Energy Star windows and increased wall insulation.

Rain barrels in East Vancouver

Installing rain barrels is an easy and effective way to reduce water consumption. The barrels trap and hold stormwater from the roof, which can later be used on the lawn or garden.

Smart thermostats in East Vancouver

Digital programmable thermostats can help reduce energy use and costs by automatically changing the level of heating or cooling in a building at different times of day depending on usage patterns.

Radha Yoga and Eatery, Vancouver

There are plenty of green improvements that small businesses can make. Among the renovations by Radha Yoga and Eatery were the installation of an air source heat pump, construction of a green roof, increased exterior insulation, the installation of solar light tubes and washroom occupancy sensors, as well as finishing floors and walls with low-VOC paints and coatings.

Wood Co-op Gallery, Vancouver

Another small business, the Wood Co-op Gallery, replaced their single-paned windows and doors with double-paned models. They also replaced the forced air heating system with more efficient baseboard heaters.

What do you think of the 2010 Green Building Challenge?

Will you be attending a tour or workshop at Light House this month? Have you already? What did you think? Leave a comment below.

Leah Nielsen works in online communications and production at Fairware. She also consults with small companies and organizations looking to grow their online presence. She specializes in environmental and social sustainability and operates LeahLink.com, a central hub for her work and blog. Off-line she can be found riding her bike and engaging in creative endeavours around Vancouver.

Blog | Twitter.

   

Green building incentives and grants for small BC businesses

Guest blogger series: Crawling Toward Sustainability

This is the thirteenth in a series of guest blog posts in which Emma will track the progress of her office in becoming more sustainable.

It often takes more than a few new light bulbs and a recycling station to green your office. The empty shell that 715 East Hastings started out as and the still unfinished basement is a testament to that. A full, sustainable renovation can take a lot of time, effort and, most significantly, money.

We’ve been renovating slowly and on the cheap, blessed with a boss that likes to get his hands dirty, but not all businesses have the luxury of time (nor free labour!). Sometimes renovations need to be done quickly in order to get everyone back working as soon as possible, which can mean hiring help and increasing costs.

Luckily, there a number of incentives and offers out there that can help you complete your own office renovation.

ecoENERGY Retrofit Incentive for Buildings

A recent grant I came across (thanks to a heads-up from the Strathcona BIA) is Natural Resources Canada’s ecoENERGY Retrofit Incentive for Buildings. This offer can get you either $10 per gigajoule of energy savings, 25 percent of your total project cost or $50,000 per project in incentives from the federal government.

But there are a few catches. Firstly, you can’t have yet started your project (so BCA is out. Sad face!). Secondly, you have to complete a pre-project energy audit to qualify, but this is probably something BC Hydro can help you with. Thirdly, applications are due March 31! So if you’re already planning on a green renovation of your building, get cracking, and you could get some significant help from the government!

This incentive is just one of many, and new ones are introduced often.

Other grants and incentives for building green

Light House Sustainable Building Centre has a comprehensive list of grants and incentives for a variety of green building projects. Hopefully one of these opportunities will get you motivated to start your own sustainable office renovation.

And if all you want to do is replace the light bulbs, BC Hydro might be able to help you with that, too.