Best Practices Paying for It Sonoma County Business Environmental Alliance | Sonoma County Business Environmental Alliance |
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City: Santa Rosa, CA The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors first began the Environmental Business Task Force in 1995 in light of growing concerns about sustainable and green development in the Sonoma County Area. Members of this original task force included representatives from businesses, environmental organizations, and government. In December 1995, this Task Force recommended that a permanent Business Environmental Alliance be created, which would formulate a voluntary program of responsible environmental practices for local businesses to follow. The focus of the Business Environmental Alliance is to implement business-to-business communication to encourage the adoption of environmentally responsible practices by businesses. One of the main principles behind the Business Environmental Alliance is the belief that "green begets green," or that sound business environmental policies can benefit a business financially. The Alliance educates local businesses about environmentally responsible policies in several ways. At their annual "$traight to the Bottom Line" conferences, attended by many Sonoma County business leaders, they teach strategies on how to increase profitability through environmentally responsible practices. The Alliance also holds several other annual conferences addressing specific issues in the area of environmental and conservation practices. The Bottom Line is the Business Environmental Alliance’s newsletter, which keeps businesses informed on the latest developments in environmental practices. One of the latest projects of the Alliance is the Business Water Project, which seeks to assist businesses in decreasing their water use, as well as their waste water production. The Project provides businesses with water conservation plans tailored to their needs. In addition, the Alliance produces several publications, including a guide of business environmental best practices, which serve as informational models for other businesses seeking to adopt innovative environmental practices. The Business Environmental Alliance receives its funding from the Sonoma County Water Agency. For the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the Water Agency provided $128,000 to fund the Agency. The Steering Committee for the Alliance is made up of representatives from businesses across the county, from all areas of business ranging from technology groups to law firms. Because the members of the Steering Committee come from a broad array of businesses, each brings a unique perspective on business practices. This Steering Committee meets once a month to share strategies and information, and to decide upon the Alliance’s agenda. While the Alliance does not have a set member base, they target the 350 leading businesses across all sectors in Sonoma County, and send out their materials, newsletters, and surveys to these businesses. The Alliance has one staff person, who works through the Economic Development Board and coordinates the efforts of the organization. The most important aim of the organization is to show that environmentally sound business practices and profitability are not mutually exclusive concepts.
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