Contact:
WI Sustainable Business Council
Jessy Servi Ortiz
Executive Director
414.861.1177
[Milwaukee, Wis. February 2019] – The Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council is excited to announce the opening of the 2019 Green Masters Program. With almost 150 businesses from across Wisconsin participating last year, we have high hopes for this 10th year of the program!
The Green Masters Program is a completely free, objective, points-based recognition and assessment program that enables Wisconsin businesses of all sizes and from all sectors to receive recognition for the sustainability work that they have been doing. Developed by the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council and Wisconsin businesses, in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Green Masters Program highlights & supports Wisconsin’s sustainability leaders. Any business that has taken at least one action in each of nine key sustainability areas: energy, carbon and other emissions, water, waste management, transportation, supply chain, workforce, governance and community and educational outreach, is eligible to apply. The Program is a free tool that helps identify opportunities for improvement, something that consultants charge thousands of dollars for.
2018 was an incredible year for Wisconsin businesses interested in sustainability, and the Green Masters Program reflected the broader interest and increased activity. Last year, the average score for participants was 464 compared to an average score of 448 in 2017. To put that into perspective, the average score was only 70 in 2009! Last year alone, we welcomed nearly 25 new applicants, and expect to double that number of new companies this year. According to Kevin Banas, Program Director of the Green Masters Program, “We are excited and grateful for this growth towards a better, more sustainable future for Wisconsin.”
Over the past two months, we’ve been busy updating and improving the Green Masters application and have made some significant improvements to both the application and the program.
Successful applicants receive a certificate of recognition, use of the logo, a dashboard graphically showing how your performance compares against others in your sector (free for all new applicants) and the opportunity to network and share best practices with other companies and industries. We also distribute a press release celebrating the accomplishments of any company that asks.
The Green Masters application is updated every year to reflect the most relevant and up-to-date opportunities and trends in sustainability. The questions are meant to provide Wisconsin business with the ideas and inspiration to be as sustainable as possible. Your application is good for 2 years in the program, but, because we update the application every year, we suggest that businesses apply annually in order to stay up-to-date with the latest best practices. As previously mentioned, the program is completely free to all new applicants. In addition, the program remains free to all returning companies who apply before September 1st. For participants that miss the September 1st deadline, but apply before October 1st, there will be a $100 charge. For participants that wait until between October 1st and October 31st, there will be a $250 charge.
If you have any questions about the program please feel free to reach out to us at jessy@wisconsinsustainability.
