The Burnaby Board of Trade (BBOT) wants businesses to show off their green street cred — and has created a new website to help them do just that.
The initiative, called the Pledge for a Sustainable Community, has proved so popular that BBOT is planning to license the concept to other boards of trade and chambers of commerce.
"It took a long while for us to establish the structure of the program," said Paul Holden, president of BBOT.
"We wanted it to be meaningful, we wanted it to have impact, we wanted it to have depth and breadth … but we also wanted it to be very easy for people to take part in."
Businesses that decide to take the pledge fill out a form on the program website, www.bbotpledge.ca. Participants can enter up to 10 sustainability initiatives they are planning to put into place, as well as a list of things they already do.
For instance, Business in Vancouver's sister publication, the Burnaby Now, has committed to:
- replace paper towels in washrooms with blast air dryers;
- develop a formal 'green team' of employees;
- inform and educate the staff on those green measures already in place;
- reprogram set-back thermostats for maximum eco efficiency; and
- replace leaking windows.
The website includes a directory of participants and case studies. It also links users to organizations that have developed tools to track energy use (BC Hydro, Fortis BC) or measure greenhouse gas emissions (Climate Smart).
The site offers information in a wide range of categories: energy, water, travel, waste and purchasing.
"The beauty of the pledge is that it crosses all those resource areas," said Tessa Vanderkop, marketing manager of BBOT, "and it has the potential to be the one-stop shop for businesses who want to improve their environmental footprint."
Holden said many of Burnaby's largest corporate citizens, like Telus, Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers and Pacific Blue Cross, were among the earliest pledge-takers. The BBOT has also been able to sign up sponsors for each of the categories to help finance the project.
"For a lot of our members — especially for small or medium-sized businesses — a lot of this is quite new to them," said Holden. "They need a little bit of help and guidance to help them take these steps."
Ritchie Brothers already has a well-established sustainability program, but taking part in the pledge has given the company fresh ideas about how to engage employees.
"We should have a formal green team," said Lily Cheng, manager of environment, health and safety at the company.
"There are quite a few interested employees around the world who would like to form a green team," she said. "We know this would be another milestone we could hit."
BBOT initially hoped to have at least 100 pledge-takers by the end of 2013, but with 92 businesses and non-profits already signed up, Holden expects to surpass that goal.
The pledge has also helped BBOT gain new members.
"A number of people who have taken the pledge weren't initially members … and a great number of them have become members," said Holden, "because they have seen the type of initiative we take."
Holden said the BBOT plans to improve the website, and also partner with organizations like Climate Smart to help companies measure the effectiveness of their pledges.
"[Measurement] is not something we can do ourselves … so we'll be doing it through collaboration with other organizations who are expert in these areas," said Holden.
A business advocacy organization like BBOT can help speed the uptake of sustainability programs, said Christine VanDerwill, client relations manager at Climate Smart.
"They have the existing network and they're looked at as a trusted source," said VanDerwill. "They also have the capacity to reach a wider audience above and beyond the early adopters."
