Comment Log Display

The California Green Business Network members, who are the local
and regional coordinators for the local - government operated
Programs in the San Francisco Bay Area, Monterey Bay Area and in
Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and Thousand Oaks, respectfully request
that Green Business Programs that serve small  businesses be
eligible for funding from auction proceeds.   

Green Business programs make a substantial, direct, and documented
contribution towards meeting AB 32 ghg emissions reductions
objectives.  They capture metrics that quantify their conservation
successes and convert them to ghg emissions reductions. They help
businesses conserve energy, reduce waste and prevent pollution. 
They connect the businesses they serve with local, regional and
state resources, such as utility company and water agency rebate
programs, and CARB's Cool California website.   

By helping businesses become more efficient, local Green Business
Programs save them money that contributes to their overall success,
thus strengthening  local economies.   Successful small businesses
are job creators and provide the vital services and character that
define healthy neighborhoods and communities. Most businesses
served in the Green Business Program are located in low-income
communities; their green practices make them better neighbors in
these often disproportionately pollution-impacted neighborhoods,
while providing green jobs opportunities for these same areas.

Small businesses served by the Green Business Program are
significant centers of innovation and show a high degree of
adaptability to new, greener practices. Introducing small
businesses to greener practices, and encouraging them to do
business with other green businesses has a multiplier effect in the
community.  Businesses are encouraged by local green business
programs to recruit and mentor others who aspire to become green
businesses.    Local businesses who implement green practices at
work are able and likely to take those practices home.  

Business demand in many local Green Business Programs is
outstripping staff capacity.  That demand has occurred absent a
robust recruiting effort. Additional funding from auction proceeds
would help local Green Business Programs meet current needs and
aggressively recruit and serve additional businesses.  That funding
could also support ongoing maintenance and enhancements to the
statewide database - the essential tool that serves the entire
CAGBP - to improve the user experience and ensure that the metrics
are accurate and keep pace with new program requirements.

Thank you for considering these comments.

Pamela J. Evans, Coordinator
Alameda County Green Business Program
(member of the San Francisco Bay Area Green Business Program and
the California Green Business Network)