ESA is proud to partner with CGBN (Colorado Green Business Network) to help businesses in our community become more efficient and sustainable.  CGBN is a voluntary program that was established to aid and guide businesses that want to be more environmentally friendly. The program provides an opportunity for businesses to assess their environmental and social impacts

with technical assistance for areas that the business wants to improve. CGBN also provides mentor / mentee opportunities for environmentally- and socially- minded organizations that are either leaders or are just getting started on their sustainability journey.

While many people may see sustainability practices as a luxury for businesses to participate in, there are several ways that businesses can SAVE and MAKE money through sustainability:

• • Save on electricity, water, natural gas, and propane bills
  • Save by switching from disposable to reusable materials
  • Keep your most talented employees longer
  • Attract more customers

Once the sign-up process is complete, each business is assigned points based on things like environmental or social policies, energy saving practices, implementation of operational efficiency projects, and so on. CGBN then categorizes the businesses into Bronze, Silver, and Gold categories based on how many points the business has earned.

As a statewide program, the CGBN aims to encourage, support, and reward organizations leading in environmental performance. Rewards from CGBN come in the form of statewide recognition including: window signage indicating leadership in the Network, in-Network recognition at an annual event, promotion on CGBN’s ‘green’ business lists, promotion on ESA’s website, and more!

ESA is excited to provide free assistance for businesses that want to sign up for CGBN through the GreenBizTracker. To get started, visit the GreenBizTracker website and click ‘Take the Green Business Assessment’. From there, ESA will receive a notification that a business in our area has expressed interest and we will reach out to you. You’re welcome to complete as much of the GreenBizTracker as you can upon creation of your account, but certain areas of the assessment might require assistance.

Once the business has completed the GreenBizTracker, the information is submitted for review and compliance checks. A final score is developed after compliance checks and site assessments (if needed) are completed. During application review and / or site assessment, the representative will look for opportunities for improvement as well as areas in which the business excels in their sustainability efforts. CGBN will provide technical assistance and guidance for businesses that are interested in implementing the recommendations throughout the entire process of implementation.