The Sure Cure for Greenwashing

Greenwashing is widely practiced today at every level of business.  Audited certification is frankly only one sure-cure for Greenwashing. Certification, however, is avoided by those who perpetuate a system whereby certification is ignored, circumvented, and converted to cursory review are frankly condoning Greenwashing although they would never admit to it.

Examples of LEED, ISO, Underwriters Laboratories, and similar respected certifications would never allow clandestine programs to mimic or substitute for an audited review of the business or product.  Green Seal or even Goodhousekeeping would not simple allow website approval or imitation by ad hoc groups on a local basis. 

Product certification or product qualification is the process of certifying that a certain product has passed performance and quality assurance tests or qualification requirements stipulated in regulations such as a building code and nationally accredited test standards, or that it complies with a set of regulations governing quality and minimum performance requirements.

Earning a certification mark involves an entirely different regime.  First of all, a submitter (usually a manufacturer of a product) is required to turn over his entire process standard to the certification organization. 

In other words, the certification is most often done by a third party and in accordance to known standards of compliance.  Otherwise, certification is little more than unfounded boasting, which would qualify as Greenwashing.  LEED has established a standard in the building industry although this is not a governmental organization.  To achieve LEED certification, the building must pass verified review of compliance. 

ISO has very in-depth review processes that are done by a trained verifier.  ISO is not a governmental program either, but has become recognized as a legitimate standard for international verification.

To keep gas stations playing fair, you will see that an inspector checks all gas pumps so that a gallon of gas actually means a gallon of gas.  His seal appears on the put to PREVENT the PUBLIC FROM BEING DECEIVED by gas station owners who would cheat their customers.

These and many other examples of certification by audit or live verification make the case for what we can expect in the future of Green businesses.  The public cannot trust in self-assessment, self-promoted claims, or complete integrity in the marketplace.  The checks and balances must be in place before claims of certification have any merit. 

Certification, therefore, is the only clear solution to Greenwashing.  Certification, however, cannot be perverted to include self-assessment, completing website forms, or a "stop-by" by some local, untrained community Green committee representative. 

Neither can so-called, "Eco Consultants" who use Green certification as an excuse to sell their products call their program certification in good faith.  The real goal is thereby designed to uncover sales opportunities for the placement of products.  Green assessments and certifications are foils for the true effort to sell products to the customer. 

The Green Business League stands apart from nearly every other Green certification because it does have trained Certified Green Consultants in every part of the the United States and Canada.  Their national standard is one that cannot be cheated and can be respected throughout any industry.