ABOUT
The Illinois Green Business Association (IGBA) is a Champaign non-profit organization that assists businesses in reducing their ecological foot-print by attaining green certification. IGBA staff provides three distinct services: green business certification, personalized business services, and public education.
Currently, the IGBA is in the pilot phase of a Champaign-Urbana green business certification program. Thirteen local businesses are participating in the pilot program and are scheduled to be certified in the first quarter of 2010. In the first phase of the program, IGBA staff has been gathering feedback from participating businesses to improve the future effectiveness of the program. We are discovering the barriers, both perceived and actual, that may interfere with the adoption of green management practices. Lessons from the pilot phase will create a more successful program. It is our intent that a partnership with the University and involvement with the Champaign-Urbana community will become a model for other college communities within the state.
Certification
IGBA will primarily serve small to medium sized consumer-oriented businesses located in Champaign-Urbana. Certification will be site-specific. To be certified, a business must demonstrate that its practices and operations at a particular location meet IGBA standards. The assessment process will employ industry-specific checklists. IGBA will not certify manufactured products, professional qualifications, or quality of service.
Through the green business program, IGBA will offer technical assistance to businesses, implementing the improvements needed to become certified. Staff will work with businesses and local agencies to verify and ensure compliance with any applicable environmental regulations; this could include site visits from waste water, storm water, hazardous materials/waste, and air quality regulators. We will work to offer businesses the assistance and support businesses need to prevent waste at its source, maximize conservation opportunities, and make sustainability a primary focus in the community.
Our mission is to demonstrate environmental responsibility to our community through leading by example and committing to the following goals:
- To work with businesses and coordinate with local, state, and federal regulators to achieve the objectives of the green business program.
- To agree to a common set of green business program environmental standards for the business community.
- To provide businesses with environmental compliance information and technical assistance to achieve these standards.
- To develop progressive strategies and useful information for resource conservation, pollution prevention, and sustainable community-development.
- To develop public recognition programs for environmentally responsible businesses and to inform the public about IGBA.
We help establish constructive relationships between businesses and public agencies so that both can reach their shared goal of sustainability in the community.
Community Building
Networking businesses in the program with the University of Illinois and other organizations throughout the community will play an important role for the pilot program. A more streamlined assistance process will be constructed through community bridging and networking. In the pilot program phase, we plan to recognize businesses in public forums by coordinating with media and other local agencies. After a business has been successful in meeting the goals necessary in order to become green business certified, the business can carry our logo of certification and post a fact sheet in their store highlighting their sustainable changes and cost savings to inform customers of their efforts.