The EcoSmart Business Program is a three stage program that incorporates Assessment, Implementation and Continual Improvement:
- Assessment: An EcoSmart Business consultant performs an on-site assessment of your operations and produces an Energy Action Plan.
- Implementation: Your business is then mentored through the implementation of this Plan, which includes phone support and a follow-up on-site evaluation of your achievements.
- Continual Improvement: Support is provided to your business through a best practice information seminar. Running alongside the program is a community awareness campaign and rating system, which is designed to generate support for EcoSmart Businesses. This provides further incentive to maximise your achievements.
The EcoSmart Business brand comes in several forms that relate to your reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through the program. The EcoSmart Business brand is effectively a logo your business can place on all marketing materials. This branding associates your business with the messages conveyed through the EcoSmart Business community awareness campaign, and allows your business to be easily identified and differentiated from non-EcoSmart Businesses.
The brand also relates to your achievements through the program. This allows consumers to recognise you for your achievements in the program (Refer to ‘How is my business rated?’ for more information). Examples include:
There are significant benefits for both your business and the environment when you become carbon neutral, including:
- Increasing the efficiency of your business,
- Having access to a great marketing tool,
- Differentiating your business from your competitors,
- Demonstrating your environmental commitment to your customers,
- Be confident that you are emitting no greenhouse gases.
A key component of the EcoSmart Business Program is the community awareness campaign. This promotes environmental messages to the community and generates demand for EcoSmart Businesses in the local area. Supporting effectiveness of this campaign is the EcoSmart Business branding and rating logos.
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The information seminars, organised by Local Councils, give you the opportunity to ask questions of professional sustainability experts as well as to create a network with fellow EcoSmart Businesses. Furthermore, the information seminars will double as a graduation event where your will receive an EcoSmart Business certificate and be formally recognised for your achievements.
These milestones will also be promoted by the EcoSmart Business Program.
There needs to be available position and they need to fulfill the following eligibility criteria:
- For Profit and Not-For-Profit small businesses
- 30 employees or less
Until 30 June 2009, this program was a joint initiative of the Federal Government, the Cities of Wanneroo and Joondalup and EcoSmart. The program was made available through the generous support of the Federal Government, through its Building Entrepreneurial Small Business funding initiative. This funding, along with funding support from the two Cities, means that the program could be fully subsidised for businesses located within these areas.
Your EcoSmart Business rating is valid from your initial rating assessment (second on-site visit) as a recognition for action you took within the program. EcoSmart encourage the use of this logo wiht no time restriction. Please note this logo includes a year of assessment.
If your company wish to have an up-to-date logo after a year, a quick reassessment of all emissions can take place over the phone. After evaluating your past 12 months emissions, confirming current usage of GreenPower electricty and / or carbon offsets, EcoSmart can deliver a new rating logo.
All costs associated with subsequent assessments and ratings are the responsibility of your business.
All the assessors are experienced professionals within the sustainability industry and have degree-level education in related fields such as engineering, sciences and EcoDesign. This experience and skills allow them to provide an efficient and effective assessment of your business.
