Eight Boston companies will be certified as "Sustainable Business Leaders" on May 6th 2010, having completed the Sustainable Business Leader Program (SBLP) -- a comprehensive certification program of the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) that that supports local businesses in improving their environmental practices and reducing their carbon footprint.

The eight graduating companies were partly funded by the Air Pollution Control Commission and will receive their official "Sustainable Business Leader" certification from James Hunt, the Boston Chief of Environmental and Energy Services.

Beacon Hill Athletic Club, City Feed and Supply, Economy Hardware, Fornax Bakery, Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc., New Boston Fund, Inc., State Room and Tarlow, Breed, Hart & Rodgers, P.C. have earned the SBLP certification by completing the rigorous six-step SBLP process and reducing their collective carbon footprint. Measurable and significant changes were identified and implemented in areas including Energy Efficiency, Water Conservation, Waste Reduction, Transportation Management, Pollution Prevention, and Sustainability Management.

"SBLP has gotten our employees and management to think differently about their behavior and purchasing decisions at both work and home," says Carolina Pabon, Marketing & Web Coordinator of Economy Hardware. "We know this is just the beginning but we feel motivated and eager to continue with this project."

Participating companies saw both tangible and intangible benefits of the program. Many companies saw financial savings as a result of lowering consumption of energy and water and diverting their waste stream into recycling and compost. "Participating in the SBLP program has laid a sound foundation for HSH's in-house sustainability efforts," says Nathaniel Cabral-Curtis, Transportation Planner & Public Involvement Specialist, Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates. "Through this work, HSH has become more environmentally proactive as a company, while at the same time seeing savings in energy costs and waste reduction."

With over sixty participating companies, the SBLP continues to grow and assist small to medium sized businesses "green" their operations, collectively reducing their carbon footprint in Boston, Cambridge and Somerville.

The Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston (SBN) launched the Sustainable Business Leader Program (SBLP) in 2008 through a partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA). The objective of the SBLP is to provide guidance, support, and technical assistance to facilitate the 'greening' of small and medium-sized locally owned businesses in Massachusetts. Through a six-step process the SBLP identifies and helps implement affordable and actionable changes in six areas including Energy Efficiency, Water Conservation, Recycling and Waste Reduction, Transportation, Pollution Prevention, and Sustainability Management.
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Sustainable Business Leader Program

Sustainable Business Leader Program

The objective of the Sustainable Business Leader Program is to provide guidance, support, and technical assistance to facilitate the 'greening' of small and medium‐sized locally owned businesses in Massachusetts. Through a six-step process the SBLP identifies and helps implement affordable and actionable changes in six areas including Energy Efficiency, Water Conservation, Recycling and Waste Reduction, Transportation, Pollution Prevention, and Sustainability Management.

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