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12 October 2012Rocky Mountain Institute NSC membership
Posted by David Burns

Whoisgreen recommends RMI and joining the National Solutions Council (membership) to network and learn about sustainability, efficiency, and renewables in the following market sectors: industry, transport, buildings, and electricity generation.

Photo Credit: Official RMI NSC logo.

The Whoisgreen founder, David Burns, has been featured today in the Rocky Mountain Institute newsletter 'Outlet'. The Rocky Mountain Institute is the world's leading organisation advancing design, super efficiency, affordability in renewables, and public information to help the world become sustainable.

The Rocky Mountain Institute's style is non-adversarial and trans-ideological, emphasizing integrative design, advanced technologies, and mindful markets. RMI employs 80+ scientists and technologists working extensively with the private sector, as well as with civil society and government, to create abundance by design and to apply the framework of natural capitalism.

Read why Whoisgreen founder David Burns chose to join RMI's NSC - featured in RMI Outlet. Reinventing Fire is RMI's blueprint for the United States to define achievable pathways for running a 158%-bigger economy by 2050 without oil, no coal, and zero nuclear energy.

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28 May 2012Acceptable Types of Certification for Products & Services
Posted by David Burns
Photo Credit: iStockphoto.

External Certification tells customers a lot about your business and your products. The following Certification Labels (green products) and Certification Systems (business services) are suitable examples of third party certification to obtain the maximum level of Green Credentials (4th Green Star) required to optimize search results on Whoisgreen. Green Credentials help consumers identify authentic claims made by business offerings.

A. Suitable Certification Labels for green products include (requires a valid certificate and expiry period) -


1. Various Providers - ISO14023 (Environmental labels & declarations, including testing & verification),

2. Various Providers - ISO14044 (LCA environmental aspects and potential impacts of a product throughout its life cycle),

3. Various Providers - Environmental Product Declaration (transparent information label combining data from ISO14025 & ISO14040-Series),

4. Various Providers - ISO14051 (material flow cost accounting which includes stock, energy & water inputs and outputs),

5. LEED Certification - USGBC (residential & commercial buildings).

6. Marine Stewardship Council certification for sustainable seafood products.

7. Forestry Stewardship Council certification for sustainable timber products.


Other external third party certifications may be eligible to participate as an acceptable certification label or system by submitting a request to info@whoisgreen.com.


B. Suitable Certification Systems for business services include (requires a valid certificate and expiry period) -

1. Various Providers - ISO9001 (Quality Management System),

2. Various Providers - ISO14001 (Environmental Management System),

3. Various Providers - ISO18000 (OH&S Management System).

Other external third party certifications may be eligible to participate as an acceptable certification label or system by submitting a request to info@whoisgreen.com.
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28 May 2012Understanding the Seven Stages of Sustainability
Posted by David Burns
Photo Credit: iStockphoto.

Most organizations navigate through Seven Stages of Sustainability over an extended period (planned or unplanned) in an effort to achieve optimal performance. The initial stages form the Awareness Phase, whereas the latter stages combine to represent the important implementation or Action Phase, that deliver business outcomes such as reduced operational costs, improved environmental performance, and support for & from employees & customers.

A. The Awareness Phase is characterized by Opinions & News, Skepticism, and Greenwashing. The duration of each stage within the Awareness Phase is dependent upon access to education, affordability, and acceptance of finding better ways to improve a business's opportunities.


Stage-1: Exposure to Opinions and News.
Opinions and News are powerful influences of people. The Evening News, Newspaper, and Social Media generally provide most people with their sources of information which can be biased or limited to the journalist's local knowledge and persuasion.

Typical duration: Years.


Stage-2: Skepticism.
Skeptics are people who tend to require more information or may object to a specific response. Skepticism is an essential part of scientific method commonly referred to as scrutiny. Skeptics, however, must be willing to accept facts once there is overwhelming evidence beyond reasonable doubt. Without collaboration from two sides, scaled outcomes are rarely achieved, which is why I believe skeptics shall eventually be persuaded to adopt outcomes driven by economics, as the actions of climate change adaptation and business performance are mostly identical.

Typical duration: Years.


Stage-3: Greenwashing.

Greenwashing is undoubtedly the most controversial stage that all businesses transition through. Mature businesses having established efficiencies, environmental management systems, certified green products, and who may monitor sustainable performance metrics shall find it difficult to accept that others are still deciphering what sustainability means and how to develop their own sustainable response. However, once business leaders realize that uneducated claims do not translate into success, businesses are likely to either refrain from making unfounded claims, or initiate a sustainable transformation so that future claims can be supported by third party certified facts.

Typical duration: Years.

Third party certifications such as ISO certifications & Environmental Product Declarations based upon product specific life-cycle assessment is the only way to differentiate product claims to consumers. We must remember that consumers are not engineers nor scientists, so complex environmental labeling needs to be communicated to 'Mums & Dads' in simple terms.


B. The Action Phase is characterized by Education, Efficiency, Sustainability, & Restorative Sustainability. These are the transformational stages that provide a business with the skills and ability to become resilient and respect resources, people, and biodiversity.

Stage-4: Education.

Identifying internal and external business skills to drive transformational change within a business is the most important aspect that business leadership undertakes. Very few businesses shall possess the necessary skill set required to manage a sustainable transformation. The Rocky Mountain Institute's National Solutions Council is a great way to connect to the experts and other companies that have initiated sustainability initiatives. Formal education, collaboration with external organizations and consultants comprise the many options available, however, having access to one central group to refer ideas with can provide a fantastic reference point, and for me this organization is the Rocky Mountain Institute.

Typical duration: 12 Months & Ongoing.


Stage-5: Efficiency.

Efficiency refers to energy and resources. Businesses and organizations that are considered to be efficient possess systems, designs, materials, employees that are not wasteful, nor over-engineered. Eliminating wasteful consumption is the first active step of sustainability, requiring little more than behavioral changes to be initiated.

Typical duration: 2-5 years.


Stage-6: Sustainability.

A Sustainable business has reached the position where all business units and departments have a detailed understanding of all consumption metrics which are fully offset by an internal capacity to regenerate resources at the same level that are consumed by the business operation. Regenerative resources may include, but not limited to rainwater harvesting, renewable energy creation, and inventive supply chains such as closed-loop recycling.

Typical duration: 5-20 Years, (depending upon the size of the business).


Stage-7: Restorative Sustainability.

A Restorative business is an aspirational position to pursue, noting that only a few businesses shall achieve such a benchmark in the current economic climate.

As compared to a Sustainable Business described above, a Restorative Business regenerates more renewable resources than they consume during their business activities. A Restorative Business would be expected to rely heavily on upfront design, biomimicry, green chemistry & sustainable engineering principles to achieve functionality.

Typical duration: Timeless Commitment.

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29 August 2011New York Startup WhoIsGreen.com Invites Businesses To List Now
Posted by WIG PR

~ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ~

August 29, 2011

New York Startup Whoisgreen.com Invites Businesses To List Now

Photo Credit: Whoisgreen. David Burns CEO Whoisgreen (left), Lauren Aichinger Whoisgreen (right) photographed with Amory Lovins.

NEW YORK: New York startup WhoIsGreen.com has today launched a unique online directory that will help consumers find sustainable businesses and green products.

WhoIsGreen.com is inviting businesses that uphold the values of sustainability, from accountants and architects to plumbers and farmers, to list their profiles free at the website and gain a vanity URL for their business.

WhoIsGreen.com, which is part of the KAYWEB Angels portfolio of startups, integrates features found on social networks, providing an interactive platform for businesses to reach environmentally conscious consumers.

“Everybody wants to live greener lives, but it’s often difficult to find green solutions online,” the Chief Executive of WhoIsGreen.com, David Burns says.

“Fan pages on general social networks are not the solution to this serious global problem and search engines do not take into account a business’s sustainability credentials when displaying results,” Burns says.

“WhoIsGreen.com solves these problems.”

A WhoIsGreen.com profile contains a business’s contact information, an overview of their services, an explanation of why they consider themselves green, Facebook and Twitter widgets, and a Bulletin Board, where businesses can list messages, articles, discounts, photos and videos.

“It was critical to us that WhoIsGreen.com was social and interactive, allowing bulletin board entries to be broadcast to a user’s Twitter and Facebook page, helping to spread the sustainability message,” Burns says.

Listing on WhoIsGreen.com beta 1 is free and now available. The founders are inviting businesses and individuals to login register their profiles now, in time for the launch of the whoisgreen.com search engine interface in coming weeks.

For further information please contact:
Lauren Aichinger - Business Development Director
lauren@whoisgreen.com ~ 917.359.7867

About Whoisgreen.com
Whoisgreen.com is an online directory of businesses that uphold the values of sustainability. Founded by renowned sustainability expert David Burns, WhoIsGreen.com provides consumers with an easy way to find sustainable businesses and green products. WhoIsGreen.com is a portfolio business of New York angel developer KAYWEB Angels see: www.kaywebangles.com.

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About WhoIsGreen

whoisgreen.com is socializing sustainability with an interactive online directory of green businesses and individuals.

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