Many organizations establish a green team or taskforce to oversee sustainability planning efforts. Executive support and proper training for these teams is crucial for their success.

Senior management and / or corporate executive support for the green team are first and foremost. One-third of the firms surveyed for an Economist Intelligence Unit study place responsibility for sustainability performance directly with the CEO; another 26% place it with the board, representing 60 percent of the total respondents. This support can sometimes come in the form of a new corporate position, such as Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO). A Corporate Responsibility Officer Magazine survey indicated that, as of January 2008, fully 25 percent of Fortune 500 companies expected to appoint a CSO. (Of course, the Great Recession may have postponed some of these hires.)

Training and education are important parts to any new initiative, so green teams in the electrical distribution industry should consider seeking green building or renewable energy certifications. The Green Building Certification Institute recently launched a new designation for professionals that want to demonstrate general, green building knowledge – the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate. Solar Energy International offers a number of workshops, both online and in person, on green building technologies and renewable energy.

Sources:
Kielstra, Paul. Doing Good: Business and the Sustainability Challenge. The Economist Intelligence Unit, February 2008: http://www.eiu.com/site_info.asp?info_name=corporate_sustainability&rf=0