Supporting locally owned and

independent businesses in
improving their environmental
business practices, reducing their
carbon footprint, and saving money.
A Program of the Sustainable Business Network
of Greater Boston
www.sustainablebusinessleader.org
 Sustainable Business Leader Program Overview
Launched in 2008 in partnership with the
Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection and the Boston
Redevelopment Authority, the Sustainable
Business Leader Program (SBLP) is a practical
and affordable certification program that
helps businesses “green” their business
operations and practices while saving
valuable natural resources and money!
Through personalized technical assistance
and guidance, the SBLP helps business
owners and staff identify areas for
environmentally sustainable change,
connects them to information and resources
to help them do so, and provides them with
hands-on support throughout the process
to make “going green” easy, rewarding, and
fun! Businesses who successfully complete
the program become certified as Sustainable
Business Leaders and are widely recognized
for their achievements and commitment to
environmental sustainability.
What is good for the planet is now
good for business too!
The Sustainable Business Leader
Program helps busy business owners
identify environmental changes &
connect to cost effective solutions.
The Sustainable Business
Leader Program takes a
comprehensive approach
to sustainability, covering
seven key categories:
Energy Efficiency
Water Conservation
Waste Management
Pollution Prevention & Safe
Alternatives
Transportation
Local Purchasing & Local Food
Sustainability Management
SBLP showed us the right, organized
way to go about greening the store.
Having a systematic way to do it
saved us time and money. We're
already seeing savings with our
energy bills and supply orders!
Megan Sullivan
Harvard Bookstore
How Do I Become a
Sustainable Business Leader?
Contact us! Send us an e-mail at
sblp@sbnboston.org and we’ll set up a time to
talk with you about the program and address
any questions you may have.
Tell me more… SBLP’s
6-Steps to Certification
The Sustainable Business Leader Program
follows a comprehensive six-step process,
detailed below. While these steps are standard-
ized and undertaken by every company, the
recommendations generated and action plan
developed are customized to the needs and
situation of each specific business.
Each business is assigned a dedicated SBLP
Coordinator to lead them through the program
process and provide guidance and support.
STEP 1 Complete the Sustainability Assess-
ment Form. The Sustainability Assessment Form
is a questionnaire that covers SBLP’s seven key
sustainability categories and assists the SBLP
Coordinator in understanding the businesses
current operations and areas for improvement.
STEP 2 Initial Site Visit. After the assessment is
completed, the SBLP Coordinator will schedule a
meeting with the business to review the form in
detail and answer any and all questions. In
addition, the Coordinator will conduct a
thorough walk-through of the business space,
verifying measures listed in the form and taking
additional notes to inform the recommenda-
tions.
STEP 3 Recommendations & Green Team
Meeting. Based on the Sustainability Assess-
ment Form and site visit, the SBLP Coordinator
will create a list of recommendations and
associated resources for the business to
consider. The SBLP Coordinator will then
schedule a meeting to review the recommenda-
tions in detail and address any questions or
concerns. Businesses are encouraged to engage
staff members in the development and imple-
mentation of the SBLP.
STEP 4 Develop a Sustainability Action Plan.
The business will use the recommendations
provided by the SBLP Coordinator to collabora-
tively develop a Sustainability Action Plan.
STEP 5 Implementation and Ongoing
Assistance. The participating company imple-
ments the Sustainability Action Plan, working
closely with the SBLP Coordinator who provides
guidance and support throughout the process.
STEP 6 Sustainable Business Leader Program
Certification. To be certified by the SBLP, a
company must meet specific and quantitative
criteria. When a company finishes implementing
its Sustainability Action Plan, the SBLP Commit-
tee will evaluate and measure the results of the
work completed. If 80% or more of the Action
Plan has been achieved, the participating
business will be certified as a Sustainable
Business Leader and will be recognized at the
SBLP graduation ceremony. At this time the
business will be issued a certificate of gradua-
tion, a window decal, and a logo for use on their
website and in printed promotional materials.
The newly certified business will then receive
from the Sustainable Business Network of
Greater Boston and the SBLP the benefit of
multiple methods of promoting its good work to
the public, local government agencies, and
fellow businesses!
 Benefits of Being a Sustainable
Business Leader
The Sustainable Business Leader Program assists participating
businesses in reducing their environmental impact and has
the following benefits: The Sustainable Business Leader Program is a program of the
Sustainable Business Network (SBN) of Greater Boston, a
Reduce your carbon footprint local not-for-profit organization with the mission to build
Save money by reducing energy, water and waste economies that are local, green, and fair.
Connect with incentive programs and local green vendors
Develop a competitive advantage through enhanced SBN gratefully acknowledges the support of its SBLP partners:
business image
Receive public relations benefits from SBLP graduation Absolute Green Energy Cambridge Local First
ACCION USA City of Boston Environment
and certification including recognition for pioneering
Arrow Paper Company Department
efforts by City officials and acknowledgement through Barr Foundation LittleFoot Energy
SBLP social media platforms Boston Public Health MassDEP
Receive 1-year complimentary membership to the Commission, Safe Shops & New Generation Energy
Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston Safe Nail Salon Project SoChange
($125-$500 value!) and member discounts to all SBN Boston Redevelopment Somerville Local First
Authority ThinkLite
events
Cambridge Energy Alliance Worcester SBLP
Get featured as a Sustainable Business Leader on SBN’s
Local Green Business Directory and listed on SBLP’s website
Access ongoing support and education on sustainable For more information about SBN, SBN programming, and SBN
business practices membership, visit: www.sbnboston.org. SBN is a member of
Network with other SBLP participants and graduates the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE):
Generate a sense of pride and camaraderie among staff www.livingeconomies.org/

Sustainable Business Leader Program

186 Hampshire st., #6, Cambridge, MA 02139 www.sustainablebusinessleader.org
STEP 1 sblp@sbnboston.org www.facebook.com/sustainablebusinessleader

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