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Green Business Council: GreenerByways Program in Nebraska offers certificate and Mar 31 webinar for tourism industry!

Green Omaha Coalition

GreenerByways Program in Nebraska offers certificate and Mar 31 webinar for tourism industry!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Who knew about the Greener Byways Program?  What looks to be a good initial effort is available for many Nebraska businesses tied to the travel industry.  Tourism is the third largest industry in Nebraska. The certificate is available to destinations and all hospitality services.  The Greener Byways certificate http://ow.ly/1osOw is in place, offering an on-line sign-up form that I presume is reviewed and evaluated prior to receiving the certificate, window cling, press release form, and informational booklet.  Participation in the program is free and voluntary.  I can't tell from the site if this is a self-certification only, or if there is some review of the reporting mechanism. Or a public reporting of the score.  It looks like a great start!  There's also a facebook page, http://ow.ly/1oti8

The March 31 webinar appears to be more geared to answer "Why?" and provide benefits from a couple of green facilities.  I wonder how they have scored on the certification? From their description of the webinar:  

"Wondering whether green is the way to go for your business? Find out how organizations within Nebraska's tourism industry have taken advantage of environmentally friendly practices during our free webinar, "Green Matters: How going green can benefit your business."  Listen as representatives from Ponca State Park and the Arbor Day Foundation discuss why they chose to go green and how it has affected their bottom lines. You'll also get a chance to ask questions and get firsthand advice from these industry experts
Wednesday, March 31 | 2 p.m. CST."

posted by P2RIC @ 9:33 AM

Mission

Create a network of businesses interested in sharing sustainable practices and recognize leading green businesses in Omaha.

Background

In support of the Green Omaha Coalition (GOC),  an alliance of organizations pursuing a common goal of a “Green Omaha,” the Green Business Council (GBC) will establish a collaborative network of businesses implementing sustainability programs to improve the environmental performance of their operations.

Focus

The GBC will engage interested businesses from all industries to improve the sustainability of their operations.  The GBC will address a wide variety of environmental programs, including but not limited to: procurement, resource efficiency (energy and water), waste reduction (solid and hazardous), climate change, and green building.

The GBC seeks to involve two business groups: (1) those already implementing sustainability programs and (2) those interested but lacking the resources to pursue and implement sustainable strategies.  Ultimately, the GBC will become a centralized resource for businesses to share, learn, and promote sustainable business practices.

Alliances

The GBC recognizes the importance of collaborating with existing organizations to more effectively and efficiently reach businesses to provide educational and networking opportunities. The following provides a preliminary list of strategic alliances the GBC will pursue:

  • Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce (GOCOC)
  • Neighborhood Business Associations
  • Flatwater Chapter, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
  • WasteCap of Nebraska (WasteCap)
  • Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA)
  • International Facility Management Association (IFMA)
Objectives

The GBC has identified four primary objectives to establish a coalescing network of sustainable businesses to share environmental best practices and assist emerging green businesses in identifying better environmental strategies through education and networking with other businesses. A detailed description of the objectives described below are including on the following pages.

Interested in joining or learning more about Green Business Council email: greenbusiness@greenomahacoalition.org

Green Business Council Brochure (PDF)

Figure 1 | Objectives of the Green Business Council

Short Term Long Term
Objective 1
Establish a Framework for Ongoing Leadership of the Green Business Council. 		Objective 2
Provide Networking and Education Opportunities to Businesses. 		Objective 3
Develop, Maintain, and Distribute a Green Business Directory. 		Objective 4
Establish an Awards Program to Recognize Green Businesses.
Establish a leadership team and organizational guidance to manage day-to-day functions of the GBC Collaborate with alliance organizations to provide networking and training opportunities to Omaha-area businesses.  Compile a directory of individuals responsible for managing sustainability programs for Omaha-area businesses. Establish a framework for recognizing businesses for exceptional environmental performance.