8/7/2019 The Green Certification Process-Eliminating Green Washing and Ensuring Credibility

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The Green Certification Process: EliminatingGreenwashing and Ensuring Credibility

Businesses should be awarded green certifcation based on verifable per ormance againstestablished standards, rather than entry ees and membership requirements

By R. Michael Richmond, Green Business League Inc.

The dilution of certi cation

requirementsWhile the leading edge of the business community is ready to comply with LEED or ISO requirements, the rest of the business world is languishing behind, still mired invarious levels of “greenwashing.” Tis statement is sureto raise eyebrows, because some businesses have foundsemi-respectable forms of greenwashing to be a source of pride and would not appreciate the questioning of theirintegrity. In the desire to press forward an environmentalagenda, integrity and quality have been quietly set aside;and none dare point this fact out to the public. Questionsof assessment, veri cation and certi cation are all too oftencompromised in order to gain greater participation.

Tere is no question that low standards will increase

participation, but this may not bring the solutionsrequired to address the credibility of environmentalimprovements within the c ompany. “ oken green” isjust what the name implies. It allows businesses to feigncompliance without a serious commitment to needfulchanges. Instead of stepping up their e orts to operate asa truly sustainable company, there is a s ubtle invitationto pretend that minimal e orts are as meritorious as fullcompliance. Oddly enough, there is little objection tothis form of greenwashing because it is widespread andprovides excellent coverage for companies looking for amore cost-e ective solution.

But diluting the requirements for green certi cationthreatens the integrity of the whole environmentalmovement. While hearing clarion calls for companiesto adopt new and necessary business practices, many programs o er only shallow quali ers that do little morethan require the completion of online questionnaires. Teability to quickly discern the di erence between the fa keand the genuine programs isn’t that di cult. Aside fromthe glowing rhetoric of environmental intent, the methodof certi cation is a sure sign of whether the program isworthless or worthwhile. Low-level quali cation is thegiveaway for any of the various forms of greenwashing.

A short history of greenwashingTe history of greenwashing is relatively short. When thegreen trend was in its earliest stage, businesses turned to

their marketing depart ments and developed a promotionthat might have included an o cial-looking logo. Tis stillhappens, but there came a de sire to have greater authority behind the certi cation. Self-promotion was followed by third-party certi cations that ranged from totally worthless tomildly appreciable. Te eventual emergence of independentaudits meant that the movement was nally ready to beaccountable for participation in meaningful change.

Various investigative projects demonstrate that expedience hasbecome far more popular than compliance. Te erraChoiceproject reported that 98 percent of self-proclaimed “green

products” were greenwashed in some manner. Te lack of standards and controls had opened t he door for rampantgreenwashing. While no one approves of this practice, thoseinvolved in the deception strongly argue that they are noblein their e orts to control the environmental impact of theirpractices and products. Going green has a marketable value,and there is now su cient evidence of a growing market forenvironmentally friendly and socially responsible products andservices. Tis is actually more than a trend, because it showsno sign of decline and has good reasons for becoming a way of life for every person, family and business. Terefore, businesseswill respond to this perceived trend with various forms of reluctant or enthusiastic compliance.

Te F C began an investigation into greenwashing in 2008and found ample evidence that the practice was rampant,purposeful and generally employed to deceive the buyingpublic. Te resulting green guidelines were not meant forenforcement, but rather for voluntary compliance. Terefore,the oodgates remain open except for advertisement thatcrosses over into other enforceable violations.

Veri cation competencyTe compliance issue has been compounded by the factthat there has also been a veritable explosion of greencerti cation programs. Tese o erings range from citiesand communities promoting voluntary compliance toonline services selling logos with no requirement otherthan completion of an unaudited form. Greenwashinghas graduated from embellished self-promotion to imsy certi cation programs that o er an o cial green status forcompanies that have never been audited or reviewed foraccuracy of compliance.

Expedience does rule when there is no standard andmixed value in the “greening process.” Perhaps the lowestcommon denominator for “Easy Green” programs ismerely the display of i nterest rather than i mplementationof a serious green business program. Te perception of green certi cation is often more important than thepolicies of the company being considered for certi c ation.Expedience, therefore, is the default process of overstressedbusinesses that cannot endure the full-blown CSR remakeof the corporate mission.

Tere is an obvious gap of compliance between the auditedand un-audited certi cation programs. Te “Easy Green”programs have seen an opening to exploit; for their part,expedience-driven businesses have been all too willing

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to take this easy path, because the elite programs areunattainable for the majority of businesses not in theFortune 500 category.

It has been sa id that we cannot prove what we did notmeasure. Measurement is the c ommon method of provingany fact. What is not measured can only be ca lledspeculation at best, and spurious at worst. In the case of an issue that is non-controversial, such as the choice of which gas station to frequent, measurement may seemsuper uous. Te environmental issues are extremely controversial, meaning that compliance cannot default tomerely making an e ort.

While everyone looks upon greenwashing with disdain,there has been a lack of willpower to adopt the one

unquestioned solution to this growing green hoax. Anindependent audit is the obvious process to keep any program honest. Te oxymoronic concept of voluntary compliance or self-auditing only demonstrates a stubborndesire to avoid scrutiny, as well as a penchant towardcorner-cutting.

Certi cation standardsRespected compliance and certi cation programs provide aclear path for green cert i cations to follow. We know theremust be a standard of compliance and an independentreview of compliance before a certi cation can be awarded.Anything less begs for the expedient-minded rm to cutcorners, bypass systems and ultimately ignore all butmandatory requirements.

Certi cation must include an established standard of performance rather than the transitional and disjointedprograms that have lled the void until now. A nationally recognized standard that includes audit compliance is thesure solution to the “Easy Green” conundrum. As seen inthe LEED and ISO programs, assessment and veri cationmust precede a genuine certi cation. Tis is the logicaland necessary progression that other programs endeavorto skirt in artful ways.

“Te eventual emergence ofindependent audits meant that themovement was nally ready to beaccountable for participation inmeaningful change.”

chapter 1 measure: Carbon FootprintS White PaPer

8/7/2019 The Green Certification Process-Eliminating Green Washing and Ensuring Credibility

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About the AuthorR. Michael Richmond is the Director of Development for the Green Business League and primary trainer for the Certi ed Sustainability O cer program that trains in-house Green or Sustainability o cers. TeGreen Business League o ers a national certi cation for green business that has been broadly received as a leadingstandard for environmental compliance. As an avid proponent of green and sustainable business programs, Mr.Richmond is also the co-founder of the Green Clean Institute, a training and certi cation organization thatspecializes in janitorial and c leaning professional certi cation.

Te rise of a new green kind of professional service providespart of the solution. A Certi ed Green Consultant is atrained professional without a veiled product to sell. As atruly independent veri er, a Certi ed Green Consultantcan accomplish several objectives:

1. Establish a baseline of present performance(assessment);

2. Verify compliance though a live audit; and3. Certify the achievement of existing standards.

Tese three elements are the key ingredients forcerti cation of any type. Short of these critical pieces,any certi cation is e ssentially unproven and not credible.Te sheer presence of a certi cation infers that a standardexists and that the company holding this certi cation hashonestly earned the right to display the cer ti cation. Tepublic trust is engendered because the overt implication isthat a review has been done as part of the process.

Without a baseline assessment and audited performance,any certi cation resembles more of a membershipprogram. urning a membership program into acerti cation, however, will not work because the criteriashould not be about the entry fee or membershiprequirements. Certi cation is not merely an association,but an award based on veri ed performance against anindustry standard.

As we emerge from the infancy of corporateenvironmental standards, the next critical step iscredibility at the public level. Years of ignorance,carelessness and pretense must be overcome by somethingmore than just token e orts. Te problems are pervasive

and immense, and require commitments that transcendwhat has previously passed as compliance.

Programs o ering seals and certi cations must now require serious due diligence on the part of the certi cationprovider. If the c erti cation is functionally a membershipprogram requiring a buy-in and sign-up process, it ca nnotbe accepted as an endorsement of environmental assurance.

A few years from now, many of these certi cationswill cease to exist because they cannot be accepted asa business standard. Terefore, any credible programmust demonstrate the elements that are seen in othercerti cations, such as ISO, LEED or even HERS.

Tis review serves as a warning to all regarding themerits of certi cation. Most green certi cations cannotbe accepted at face value. Neither should the presenceof a slick website su ce as proof of value. Knowing thatassessment, veri cation and certi cation are the mandatory elements of a green business certi cation means thatnothing less should be accepted in the marketplace.

Environmental degradation is a universal problem thatrequires universal participation to solve. Tat participationcannot be relegated to voluntary compliance, websiteshams or self-assessed reviews stemming from varyingregional standards. Tere should not be a desire to remainin the infancy stages of compliance. It is time for maturity and responsibility on the part of those claiming to beparticipants in the creation of reputable environmental andsustainability solutions.

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White PaPerchapter 1 measure: Carbon FootprintS

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