Sustainability–Z

GreenBizCheck

All businesses are under increasing pressure to become more sustainable and constantly rising energy prices further call for effective solutions.
Certify Your Business

We are keen to explore the options of collaboration with your organisation with the view to offering GreenBizCheck certification to you and your clients. Our program is a world-first and the only viable green business certification alternative to the much larger ISO 14001 program. It could really help you and your clients stand out in an increasingly competitive marketplace
GreenBizCheck's online, best-practice 260+ point annual assessment has been heavily researched and comprises the latest European and Asian environmental best practice standards. Once the assessment is completed, clients are provided with an in-depth report containing a wide range of practical measures to reach Bronze, Silver or Gold certification.
The assessment encompasses the following sections:

• Energy conservation
• Water consumption reduction
• Waste reduction and recycling
• Transportation & travel
• Supply chain sustainability
• Voluntary Carbon Compensation

The Benefits of GreenBizCheck Certification

• Save thousands of dollars at the office and at home
• Attract and retain staff
• Create new revenue opportunities
• Independent verification of green credentials
• Utilise for PR and Marketing
• Create a healthier work environment
• Take the lead and help protect our planet

Levels of GreenBizCheck Certification



Bronze                           Silver                   Gold

Certification Steps

1. 1.Choose your annual certification package
2. 2.Register your company and complete payment
3. 3.Complete online assessment - every question is weighted relative to its environmental impact
4. 4.You will instantly receive your comprehensive report
5. 5.Review proposed measures and implement and/or commit
6. 6.You will then receive a PDF certificate and GreenBizCheck Certification logo

Certification Inclusions

• Assesments & interactive reports
• Ongoing support and extensive free materials
• Certification logos for stationary and website
• Annual review/audit
• Green credentials marketing guide
• Reciprocal weblinks and inclusion on preferred suppliers list
• Consultancy also available

What does GreenBizCheck certification mean?

A. GreenBizCheck's world-leading, online, high impact annual certification program has been heavily researched and comprises the latest European and Asian best practice standards. It covers energy, water, waste and recycling, transportation and travel, and supply chain sustainability. Clients complete an online assessment and receive a comprehensive environmental report containing their score and practical, high-impact actions to reduce their footprint. Depending on how many eco-actions are implemented, clients reach Bronze (70% of total points score), Silver (80%) or Gold (90%) GreenBizCheck certification.
At this point in time there is no official certifier of the certifiers as corporate sustainability is such a new industry. We have ensured that our standards are very rigorous and that our certification thresholds are set at high, yet achievable, levels. Our three tiered certification standard also allows you to progressively become more sustainable. We are sure that our standards will meet prospective future regulatory requirements. Our clients and partner list includes: British Standards Institution (inventors of ISO9000 and ISO14000), Corporate Express, Harvey Norman, NSW Government - Department of Premier and Cabinet, Mediterranean Shipping Company, NRMA, Australasian Compliance Institute (ACI), Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI), Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA), NSW Business Chamber, Chamber of Commerce and Industry QLD, CitySmart, Climate Friendly, other industry associations and many SME's.

Environment Facts

Global Warming

• Climate change to date has had a relatively small impact on our standard of living. But it will only take a CO2 induced 6°C rise in average global temperature to wipe out the human race.
• We are producing 30 billion tonnes of CO2 p.a. and only 50% is absorbed by our fast disappearing forests and increasingly polluted oceans. The rest is accumulating in our atmosphere and warming the planet.

The Atmosphere

Global atmospheric concentrations of CO2 have increased markedly as a result of human activities since 1750 and now far exceed pre-industrial values over the past 650,000 years. .

Water

• 97% of the planets water is undrinkable salt water, 2% is trapped in ice caps and glaciers; only 0.003% of all the earths water is available as fresh water in the form of surface water.
• The global bottled water market is growing at 12% per year (2005: $35bn); most bottles are made from PET a petroleum based plastic (of which only a small percentage is recycled).

Biosphere

• Around 30% of the worlds fish stocks have collapsed.
• Planet Earth could lose 50% of its species by 2050.
• Approximately 27,000 species disappear each year……

Waste & Recycling

Paper

• Paper makes up to 70 per cent of office waste.

Landfill Waste & Recycling

• We produce and use about 7 trillion plastic bags per year (these bags last anything form 20 to 1,000 years).
• The Styrofoam cups used every year would circle the planet at least five times; they are not biodegradable and are rarely recycled.
• Recycling an aluminium can uses only 5% of the energy required to make a new one. Recycling glass uses 26% of the energy. Every tonne of paper recycled saves almost 13 trees, 4,100 kilowatts of electricity and more than 30,000 litres of water.
• Daily worldwide sales figures of biros exceed 14 million: A plastic pen in landfill will still be there in 50,000 years.

Cigarettes

• Contain some 3,900 chemicals (many of which are dangerous to humans and living organisms). Filters are designed to trap some of the more dangerous by-products making the butt a poisonous pellet.

Little Known Facts

• Standard plastic bags last for thousands of years in the environment
• Glass bottles can take one million years to biodegrade
• A disposable nappy can take 300 million years to decompose naturally
• A plastic bottle or ink cartridge can last indefinitely
• Mobile phones and iPods are made from metals that do not biodegrade at all

Home and Office

• An unplugged mobile phone charger wastes 95% of the energy used doing nothing.
• Leaving the lights on, combined with computers left on standby, can double a companys energy bill. Lights left on generate unnecessary heat, requiring the air-conditioner to work overtime, using even more electricity.
• An ordinary incandescent bulb converts most of the energy into heat not light. An energy efficient bulb can use up to 80% less energy and lasts about 8 times longer. Although it costs about 10 times more than an ordinary $1 bulb it will save over $80 in electricity.

Transportation & Travel

• If you commute for 2 hours every day, in 40 years you will have spent 2.3 years commuting.
• The aviation industry generates 2% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Boeing alone is expected to deliver more than 27,000 aircraft over the next 20 years (doubling the existing worldwide fleet).