A new survey of Connecticut businesses finds that many businesses have decided to try going green despite, or perhaps because of, the economic recession. More and more businesses are choosing to give sustainable strategies a shot because they boost employee morale, attract new customers, and simply make good business sense.

Join the growing number of green businesses in America. Let Green Irene help your business take the first steps to going green and in  the process earn at least a base level of Green Business Certification through the Green Business Bureau, in person verified by Green Irene. In the mean time, check out this study.

—Green Irene

(Extracted from EnvironmentalLeader.com)

“Lack of knowledge is the  primary challenge businesses face in their efforts to implement ‘green’ initiatives, with the gap widening significantly since last year, according to the Connecticut Business & Industry Association’s (CBIA) fourth annual Sustainability and Connecticut Business Survey, reports EastCourier.com.

Twenty-nine percent of survey respondents said the greatest barrier to going green is a lack of knowledge, compared to 10 percent in 2009. Other barriers cited by respondents include cost (24 percent), a lack of clear business case for sustainability (21 percent), combination of several areas/other (16 percent), lack of company leadership (5 percent), and lack of tools and resources to implement and integrate sustainability (5 percent).

According to a study by MIT Sloan Management Review (MIT SMR) and The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a lack of understanding of what sustainability is and what it means to an enterprise, difficulty modeling the business case, and flaws in execution, even after a plan has been developed are three major barriers to decisive corporate action.

The CBIA survey finds that 74 percent of survey respondents have adopted sustainable strategies, up from 47 percent in 2007, 59 percent in 2008, and 73 percent in 2009.

Yet, an estimated 20 percent of respondents admit that they are not sure if their companies engage in sustainable business practices.  Other key findings show that 9 percent are not sure if their businesses have adopted green business practices in the products and services they purchase or use, and 7 percent are not sure if their businesses have adopted green practices in the products and services they produce or provide.

The survey indicates that the primary goal for implementing green measures is to reduce operating costs, according to 64 percent of respondents. This is followed by their commitment to environmental and social responsibility, say 57 percent of respondents.

Other reasons for going green include enhancing company image (38 percent), responding to customer requests (20 percent), anticipating or preempting future regulation (14 percent), growing market share (13 percent), and earning government grants, loans, or rebates (11 percent).

The report also shows that energy represents the largest area of green business activity among companies surveyed, with 71 percent already engaged in energy efficiency/conservation and another 16 percent getting started. The most common measures include upgrades to lighting (95 percent), HVAC (47 percent), occupancy sensors (33 percent), furnaces/boilers (32 percent), motors (25 percent), air compressors (24 percent), process equipment (21 percent), and refrigeration (13 percent).

Only 15 percent of businesses report an increase in revenue from going green. Thirteen percent says it has hurt their bottom line, and 18 percent say it has helped. Yet, 45 percent of respondents indicate that green initiatives have had a positive impact on their client/customer relationships, public image (41 percent), employee morale (39 percent), and supplier/vendor relationships (23 percent).”

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New York’s new $132 billion budget includes provisions for a “Bigger, Better Bottle Bill” that tacks on a 5-cent refundable deposit to bottles containing water and other non-carbonated beverages.

The state has had a 5-cent deposit on soda, beer and other carbonated beverages since 1982.

Another key feature of the measure allows 80 percent of unclaimed deposits on beverage bottles — a projected $115 million annually — to go into the state’s general fund. Previously all unredeemed deposits were kept by the beverage industry.

Environmentalists cheered passage of the “Bigger Better Bottle Bill.” Thirty groups that had campaigned for the expanded bill jointly issued a statement hailing the new law on April 3.

“This is a huge victory not only for the environment, but for the people of New York,” said Laura Haight, senior environmental associate with New York Public Interest Research Group, in the statement.

Bottled water represents 70 percent of non-carbonated beverage sales in the state, and the discarded bottles are among the items most frequently found in litter cleanups in New York, according to the Container Recycling Institute.

“As a result of this law,” Haight also said, “we will have noticeably cleaner communities and far more recycling. At the same time, the money from the public’s unclaimed nickels will go to work for us, not for Coke and Pepsi.”

The 5-cent deposit on bottles of water and other non-carbonated drinks goes into effect June 1.

More information on New York’s bottle bill and legislation in other states is available from the Bottle Bill Resource Guide, www.bottlebill.org.

Excerpted from GreenerDesign.

Commentary: You can begin capitalizing on these funds immediately by first getting a Green Office Makeover (GOM). A GOM will help you identify what kinds of improvements you can make in your office. Green Irene will provide specific recommendations that you can implement with the help of government funds and save money while reducing your footprint. This is the time to GO GREEN. Get a Green Office Makeover today! Contact your Local Green Irene Eco-Consultant for more information.

Excerpted from The Daily Green:

The Obama Administration is dolling out $3.2 billion for energy efficiency and energy conservation projects in states and cities across the U.S., moving that portion of the economic stimulus money a bit closer to your office.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program will fund new and existing programs in states to promote home and office energy audits, weatherization, energy efficiency upgrades, replacement of outdated appliances and other similar initiatives. The Department of Energy had previously estimated that the average qualifying home or business could benefit from $6,500 in improvements. Each program differs by state and city, so look to your local agencies or energy.gov/recovery for details. While home improvement initiatives are likely to help individuals most directly, the grants cover a broad array of potential initiatives:

“The funding will support energy audits and energy efficiency retrofits in residential and commercial buildings, the development and implementation of advanced building codes and inspections, and the creation of financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements. Other activities eligible for use of grant funds include transportation programs that conserve energy, projects to reduce and capture methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, renewable energy installations on government buildings, energy efficient traffic signals and street lights, deployment of Combined Heat and Power and district heating and cooling systems, and others.”

Don’t wait for the money to find you. Check out existing Home Energy Tax Credits available this year.

Overview

The Green Irene Guide to the Stimulus Packages provides you with information about federal incentives that can help businesses go green. The Stimulus Packages, officially known as the Economic Recovery Act of 2008 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, were signed by Presidents George Bush and Barack Obama to address the economic recession. We want our clients to capitalize on these incentives as much as possible. If there ever was a time for homes and small businesses to go green, this is the time. The federal government will help our clients go green much more easily and cost-effectively. Make sure you take advantage of this opportunity!

Below are the provisions of the Stimulus Packages by category that are applicable to small businesses. For more information about incentives that apply to homes, click here.

Energy Efficiency Deployment ($2 billion over ten years)

*      Tax credits (not deductions) for energy efficient business improvements (same as for homes) are extended through 2010 and increased from 10% to 30% of qualified expenses paid for efficiency upgrades (up to $1,500). Efficiency upgrades include:

- Energy-Star central air conditioners and heat pumps;
- Energy-Star furnaces and boilers;
- Energy-Star windows, doors, and roofing;
- Code-appropriate insulation and sealing;
- Energy-Star ground-source heat pumps; and
- Solar water heaters and biogas or biomass stoves.

Public Transportation, Alternative Fuels and Efficient Vehicles ($2.3 billion over ten years)

*      Business and individual tax credits for alternative fuel pumps and refueling infrastructure is temporarily increased from 30% to 50% of qualifying costs for 2009 and 2010, with the exception of hydrogen fueling pumps, which remain capped at 30%.
*      Increases tax credit for purchase of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, allowing larger credits for vehicles with larger batteries. The base amount of the credit is $2,500. If the qualified vehicle draws propulsion from a battery with at least 5 kilowatt hours of capacity, the credit is increased by $417, plus another $417 for each kilowatt hour of battery capacity in excess of 5 kilowatt hours up to 16 kilowatt hours. The amount can go up to $3,500 for non-plug-ins and to $7,500 for plug-ins.
*      Parity is provided between the employer tax credit for fringe benefits for transit and parking offered to employees. Previously the credit for transit benefits was lower than for parking benefits. The bill sets maximum credit for fringe parking and transit benefits at $230 per month. Expected cost is $192 million over ten years.

Clean Energy Deployment ($2.5 billion over ten years)

*      Provides a full 30% credit for small wind and solar generators aside from the home improvement provision. This is in addition to state and local tax credits.
*      Authorizes $1.6 billion for Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs Bonds) to help finance the construction of new renewable energy facilities owned/operated by non-profit entities, including public power providers, state/municipal/tribal governments, and electric cooperatives.

What do I need to do to get the tax credit?

You will need to file IRS Form 5695 with your taxes. In addition, you will need to keep at least receipts proving that you purchased the improvements and a copy of the manufacturer’s certification (or the ENERGY STAR label for windows). Accountants and tax advisors should also be able to provide more guidance.

To learn more, please visit the following resources:

Alliance to Save Energy: http://www.ase.org/content/article/detail/2654

Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency: http://www.dsireusa.org/

Department of Energy: http://www.energy.gov/recovery/index.htm

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: http://www.eere.energy.gov/

Energy Star: http://www.energystar.gov

NJ Clean Energy Program (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy): http://www.njcleanenergy.com/

Pennsylvania Keystone Home Energy Loan Program: http://www.keystonehelp.com/

PSE&G Solar Loan Program: http://www.pseg.com/customer/solar/index.jsp?WT.mc_id=solarloan

Tax Incentives Assistance Project (Includes IRS Forms): http://www.energytaxincentives.org/

Weatherization Assistance Program: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/weatherization/

So you are ready to begin greening your office! You should know that greening your office can also have substantial financial benefits as you reduce expenses and create a green image that may attract new customers or clients. This alone is good reason to go green, on top of the fact that doing so reduces your environmental footprint. But there is another great reason why your business should go green. To help you take action more quickly, the government is providing critical incentives in the form of tax credits. Green Irene can help you find out more!

Green Irene can help you learn more about requirements to qualify for small business incentives to go green. These incentives involve improvements you can make in energy efficiency and green energy, which can help your business substantially reduce operating costs. Green Irene offers substantial information about such incentives, many of which were given through the federal bailout of 2008 or are upcoming through the federal stimulus plan.

To learn more about these incentives, ask your local Green Irene Eco-Consultant to find out how you can gain access to our Ask Green Irene service, our comprehensive green knowledgebase.

With green becoming mainstream in the operations of thousands of businesses, you may be wondering what else you can do to further green up. Most offices tend to organize regular events for various reasons. Ever thought your event had a significant environmental impact? Have you ever considered not only greening your event, but cutting event costs at the same time as you green up? You don’t have to think too much any longer; we’re here to help.

Green Irene offers a Green Office Event Checklist. The Checklist allows you to identify aspects of your office’s event that have a significant environmental impact based on categories, such as choosing a venue accessible by public transportation, sending e-mail invitations, and using reusable silverware, and then prepare for them in advance by following the specific recommendations for those items you identify.

Whether your event is in your office or in a large venue, you can identify specific targets for which you can prepare in advance to help you achieve real measurable results. The Checklist provides recommendations to help you reduce energy use and carbon emissions, cut on waste and save resources, and educate your guests, all while reducing your overall costs.

Green Irene believes that greening your event is not just responsible, but also saves you money by eliminating unnecessary costs and sets you apart as a green leader. To find more about the Green Office Event Checklist, ask your Local Green Irene Eco-Consultant.