Is there such a thing as a green business; While terms such as environmentally friendly, sustainable business and social responsibility are commonly used, there are as many different definitions for these as there are shades of green in the colour spectrum. Further confusion arises from the wide range of green certifications that exist each with their own slightly differing criteria.

The term green business can cover the full range from businesses with no negative impact on the environment or society (a tall order) through to those in the process of reducing their negative impacts. So how important is the definition of green?

For each business the definition is vital. However in the absence of global agreement, the first step for any business considering going green is to define what green means for them. While there are a number of organisations who can advise in this area, only those within the business can determine its strategic direction and how green practices will fit. Before a business can create their definition of green, they need to be clear on how green they want to be and what resources they can invest in the process.

How green a business decides to be will largely depend on why they want to implement green business practices. Is the move simply to support the greater good or is there an objective to reduce operating costs, improve market perception, meet environmental regulations or obtain a particular certification. Each of these different objectives will look slightly different in implementation.

The other consideration is that nothing worthwhile is achieved without some form of resource investment whether it is time or money. Many people underestimate the time that it can take to gain the knowledge to go green or examine current business practices. There may also be a financial cost in implementing new strategies or hiring the required knowledge if it doesn’t exist (and cannot be obtained) internally.

Determining the reasons for going green and the resources that can be committed to the process is the first step in defining what green will look like for an individual business.

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