Online Tools

BEA How-to Guides - The How-To Guide series, produced by Business Environmental Alliance staff, is designed to help local businesses of all sizes improve their bottom lines by improving their environmental performance. The page is a resource for 8 PDF tutorials on the steps to greening a business.

Best Practices Database - This online database offers a collection of innovative waste reduction practices for businesses and public agencies. Each Best Practice includes: Description, Case Study, Vendors (when applicable), and Payback Analysis. Site is not interactive.

Carbon Calculator for Businesses
Carbon Calculator for Travel
Carbon Calculator for Events

Tool is from Bonneville Environmental Foundation. "The data used in our Event Mini Calculator to determine the number of Green Tags needed to green your event is from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (1999)." Results are presented in lbs of CO2 emissions. The site focus is on the number of Green Tags you would need to purchase to offset your CO2 emissions (1 Green Tag offsets 36 lbs. of CO2 at a cost of $20). Interactive Java forms.

Conducting an Environmental Audit - A guide to environmental audits from EcoLogical. Focus is on the physical environment. This site gives an explanation of EMSs, offer flow charts, and offers several case studies in PDF format. Users must register to receive information on creating an EMS for the hospitality industry.

Corporate Self-Assessment Survey - An online checkbox form for large corporations. "This survey will help you gauge your company's current sensitivity to climate change issues, and will suggest actions you might take." Interactive Java form from GEMI.

Ecological Footprint - Interactive Java form for individuals. Estimates how much productive land and water you need to support what you use and what you discard. After answering 15 easy questions you'll be able to compare your Ecological Footprint to what other people use and to what is available on this planet. Results are presented in terms of acre per person. "The average US footprint is 24 acres per person: an area roughly comparable to 24 football fields without their end zones." "If everyone on Earth lived like the average American, we'd need at least four more Earths to provide all the materials and energy to sustain that level of consumption."

Electronic Environmental Reporting (EER) - Checklist of Environmental Reporting activities that can be printed out (not interactive).

Emissions Calculator - Somewhat interactive tool (form page) from Abraxas Energy Consulting. The Emissions Calculator will transform electricity energy usage into likely emissions amounts. Interactive Java form that gives no tips on emissions reductions.

Emissions Calculators - Interactive Java form from Cleaner and Greener in Madison, WI. "Pollution from Electricity Use" Calculator gives rough estimate of pollution based on monthly electric bill. The Emissions Reduction Calculator estimates amount of money saved through energy conservation.

Energy Star - Energy intensity is reported as the amount of energy used per square foot of space using Interactive Java forms. This measurement indicates energy usage of a facility relative to buildings that have similar space usage.

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing - A large suite of online tools such as Flash tutorials, a database of environmental information for products and services, EPA program information, and links to other resources from the US EPA.

GHG Emission Calculation Tools - Tools are in MS Word and Excel format. "The GHG emission calculation tools offer step-by-step guidance on calculating GHG emissions data. Each tool comprises a guidance section and automated worksheets. To receive information on updates, revisions and new tools, please email any of the contacts listed below to be added to our quarterly newsletter email list." Pollution can be calculated for aluminum, ammonia, cement, HCFC-22, iron and steel, lime, office-based organizations, cooling equipment, etc.

Paper and Pulp/ Wood Produce Manufacturing Facilities Greenhouse Gas Calculators - Greenhouse gas (GHG) calculation tools for estimating emissions associated with the forestry industry. Documents are in PDF and Excel format. From National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. (NCASI) in collaboration with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and the World Resources Institute.

SafeClimate - A business/organization carbon calculator (Interactive Java form) from the World Resourced Institute. Financial information is available here. A list of other World Resourced Institute projects is also online here.

Conferences and Meetings

Blue Green Meetings How Green is Your Meeting? Quiz - Site includes destination selection, food & beverage, accommodation selection, and transportation guidelines (mostly Word files). Developed in partnership with and funding from the EPA. Interactive Java form.

BlueGreen Meetings - A multi-stakeholder initiative spearheaded by Oceans Blue Foundation. Created in 1996, and with offices in Vancouver (Canada) and Seattle (USA), Oceans Blue Foundation is an environmental charitable organization with the mandate of conserving coastal environments through environmentally responsible tourism.  It is the first charity in North America to focus on developing environmental 'best practices' for all sectors of the tourism industry. Interactive Java form and Word documents.

Eco Meetings - An online article published by Smart Meetings Magazine. Smart Meetings "sets the standard for the West . . . Our pages feature the latest in meeting industry trends, emerging technology, personality profiles, and updates on the best venues and destinations throughout the Western U.S., Canada and Mexico."

GreenerPrinter - Commercial site (not interactive) about printing services provided by TulipXPress, a 15-year-old printing company based in Berkeley, California, with a strong commitment to environmental and social responsibility. GreenerPrinter.com uses exclusively New Leaf Paper, and the climate impact of shipping finished print jobs is offset 100% through investments in WindBuilders and Green Tags and is certified as Climate Cool by the Climate Neutral Network as having a net-zero impact on the earth’s climate.

Green Event Management Solutions

Waste Reduction Ideas for Meetings and Conferences - An article by the State of California Homepage (not interactive). Users can sign up for a free subscription to Smart Meetings and to receive a Smart Meetings Action Kit.

Green Meeting Industry Council - Informational site (not interactive) on improving meeting management by supporting collaboration and the development and dissemination of resources and opportunities that improve the environmental performance of meetings and events.

Holding a Green Conference - An advice article from sustainablebusiness.com.

How to Plan A Sustainable Event - A free PDF publication going through:  Choosing a site, Presenters, Publicity and Registration, Event Materials, Food Service, Logistics, and more.

National Recycling Coalition's Green Meetings Policy - A PDF document of hints and actions steps for holding a green meeting. Includes a recycling and waste prevention checklist, a checklist for exhibitors, a Best Practices survey, and additional resources (online).

Hotels/Transportation

CERES Green Hotel Initiative - Focuses on "educating purchasers of hotel services, particularly large buyers such as corporate meeting planners, about what they can ask from lodging providers; creating vehicles for these purchasers to express their demand for these services; and providing mechanisms for hotels to communicate their environmental performance." Includes a hotel fact sheets and resource guides in PowerPoint and PDF.

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Gets the Green Light - An article (2002) from CleanLink online magazine.

The Case for Green Hotels - An informative resource for hotel builders and managers compiled from A Master's Degree Project to be submitted to the Faculty of Environmental Design University of Calgary. Site is cluttered, hard to navigate, and not interactive.

Environment Guide for Hotel Managers - Tools and information for hotel managers in PDF format. Provided by Accor.com Group

"Green" Hotels Association - Bringing together hotels interested in environmental issues by adding "Drinking water served on request only" to the menu to installing new HVAC systems, and with every measure in between. "Green" Hotels Association encourages, promotes and supports the "greening" of the lodging industry (site not interactive).

Green Resources for Hotels - PDF documents such as Hotel Survey Instructions, Field Survey, comment cards, and Waste Reduction in Hotels and Motels.

Green Resources in the Green Mountain State - Environmentally preferable purchasing tips and Word/ PDF documents on how to achieve environmental sustainability in the hospitality industry. Although hosted in Vermont, these resources are useful for any state.

GreenSeal - Green Seal is an independent, non-profit organization that strives to achieve a healthier and cleaner environment by identifying and promoting products and services that cause less toxic pollution and waste, conserve resources and habitats, and minimize global warming and ozone depletion. The hotel program includes a purchasing and operations guide, as well as a certification program. Not interactive.

International Hotels Environmental Initiative - Created in 1992, as a non-profit organization, IHEI focuses exclusively on hotels and how to improve their environmental management. This has been done through the development of industry specific tools such as Benchmark Hotel, publications and a quarterly magazine called Greenhotelier. Users must register to use the interactive Java tool.

Metasite for Green Hotel Links - Sites are categorized by geographical location.

Staying Green, Saving Green - An article about Huston's Green Hotel Association.

Waste Reduction Tips for a Green Conference or Event - An article by The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

General Business Links

Business Waste Reduction Kits - The "business kits" contain publications that local governments can use to educate businesses in their communities about waste reduction. The Integrated Waste Management Board will assemble a kit for you after a phone or email conversation determining your needs. The kits might include guidebooks, brochures, and fact sheets on subjects such as waste reduction in offices, hotels, retail stores, print shops, at meetings and conferences, the food service industry, landscape industry, property management, and hospitals. There is also information available on materials exchanges, reduced packaging, motivating employers and employees, awards programs, and strategies for getting businesses involved in waste reduction.

Climate Analysis Indicators Tool - CAIT is an information and analysis tool (Excel tables) on global climate change developed by the World Resources Institute. CAIT provides a comprehensive and comparable database of greenhouse gas emissions data (including all major sources and sinks) and other climate-relevant indicators. Pick your own country or region, start and ending years, and different indicators and display any combination of sources and greenhouse gases for any country or region. Or view all data and indicators in CAIT for two countries or regions, side by side. Users must register to access this tool.

Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) - DSIRE is a comprehensive metasite of information on state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy. Links are searchable by location, sectors, incentive types, technology type, and more. Includes a glossary, a library, and "schools going solar."

Environmental Evaluation of Suppliers - PDF checklist from NTM that allows businesses to document energy use and pollution of transportation related to their suppliers. PDF gives no analysis or suggestions - it is simply a method of recordkeeping.

Environmental Management Tool Box - Links to PDF downloads from International Network for Environmental Management (INEM). Must register at site before downloading.

GreenBiz.com Greening Your Business: A Primer for Smaller Companies - A PDF document tips and resources for small and mid-size companies, though many larger firms likely will benefit also. The links in this document are culled from the more than 2,000 resources found on GreenBiz.com.

GreenBiz.com Toolbox - A metasite of resources to "help you assess your company, calculate your impact, locate software, and do many other useful things." Categories include: Communications, Facilities, Operations, Product Life-Cycle, Strategy, and Other. Some links on this site are out-of-date.

How to Conduct a Waste Audit - Includes weight/volume conversion tables and waste audit checklist worksheets (in PDF). From the City and County of Honolulu's Refuse Division.

The Mentoring Handbook: A Guide to Environmental Mentoring for Companies, Nonprofits, and Regulators - This PDF guide offers an overview and tools to help create or enhance programs that mentor companies on improving their environmental and financial performance. While the emphasis is on mentoring small and midsized companies, the guide may be useful for companies and organizations of any size. The 60-page guide includes a "Mentoring Toolkit" containing hands-on help and sample forms on developing a strategy, designing the program, selling the program, identifying and training mentors, being an effective mentor, and other aspects of the process. Also included are case studies of companies and other organizations that have established mentoring programs, along with additional resources.

Regional Progress - This report from Redefining Progress displays the results of projects that measure regional sustainability across the United States. Data is based on the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) and the Ecological Footprint. Site is not interactive.

World Business Council for Sustainable Development - News source for topics relating to sustainable business.

Managing Environmental Resources Guidance and Evaluation (MERGE) - "MERGE allows consumer product developers to quickly and easily factor the environment into the design and chemical and material composition of products they are developing or redesigning. MERGE provides a comprehensive environmental profile of a product's formulation and packaging, and can be used to screen and compare alternative designs." MERGE is a PC-based software application and a project of the environmental staff at SC Johnson, in alliance with the Environmental Defense Fund.

Texas Engineering Experiment Station Energy Calculators - This Microsoft .Net Calculator is found at eCALC, the Energy Systems Laboratory Emissions & Energy Calculator site from Texas Engineering Experiment Station (Texas A&M University).  Tool allows users to calculate energy use for commercial, single family, multifamily, municipal water, lighting, and Renewables projects (solar PV, solar thermal, wind). This calculator will allow you to estimate a facility's energy intensity and the potential energy and cost savings you could realize by implementing energy efficiency upgrades.  Results are based on data for counties in the state of Texas.