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.

Complete the online registration form or call EcoSmart on 1300 326 669 (limited places available).

Businesses within the Cities of Wanneroo and Joondalup wishing to participate in the EcoSmart Business Program will be offered a 50% discounted rate. The only costs incurred will be your time and those associated with any energy saving changes implemented as a result of the program.

For example, your Energy Action Plan may recommend installing energy saving light globes or offsetting any unavoidable energy use (Refer to ‘What are offsets?’).

The EcoSmart Business Program has the following eligibility criteria:

• For-profit and Not-for-profit businesses
• 30 employees or less (some flexibility may be considered)

The Cities of Wanneroo and Joondalup have accessed funding to subsidise the cost of the program in 2008-2009. Therefore, 225 businesses were audited for free prior to 30 June 2009.

Past that date, participants will have to be self-funded.

Businesses that participate in the EcoSmart Business Program receive an Energy Action Plan, which provides a suite of actions to enable your business to reduce or offset the greenhouse gases it generates (resulting from waste, travel and the use of electricity, gas and water). The EcoSmart Business consultants will support you to implement these actions and arrange a time to evaluate your achievements.

Your business will then be rated based on the level of greenhouse gas that is reduced or offset and awarded an EcoSmart Business rating (bronze, silver, gold or platinum). For example - if your business reduces its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% and offsets a further 50% it will achieve an EcoSmart Business gold rating of 75%. Such a business could also be known as 75% carbon neutral.

Energy consumed by your business (electricity, gas, water, waste and travel) results in greenhouse gas emissions being emitted into the environment (i.e. Carbon Dioxide).
By reducing your energy consumption you can reduce these emissions and your resulting impact on climate change. However, there are likely to be functions of your business that are necessary for its ongoing operation that cannot be eliminated.

Carbon offsetting provides a way to reduce the environmental impact of this mandatory energy use. Essentially, carbon-offsetting works by paying for a certain amount of emission reduction to take place elsewhere. Typically this is achieved through an accredited organisation, such as Carbon Neutral, that in turn plants trees, supports renewable energy production or energy conservation.

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:

EcoSmart Programs, supported by the City of Joondalup, delivers the EcoSmart Business Program. EcoSmart Programs is a group of expert consultants specialised in energy, water and waste efficiency. They bring award winning expertise and a proven track record in helping businesses become more sustainable.

The program has been running since the financial year 2006/2007. The initial Phase had 105 participating businesses. At that time, it has identified annual cost savings of over $200,000 and annual greenhouse gas emission reductions of up to 7,974 tonnes. The program has identified annual average cost savings for each business of $2,087. This relates to a possible average annual greenhouse gas reduction of up to 75 tonnes per business.

You are able to access further information by going to the About section of this web site, by contacting EcoSmart on 1300 326 669 or by attending one of many information sessions that will be held throughout the program.

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.