is proud to have earned a certification from Green America!
Member Screening Process Criteria The companies we approve are the social and environmental leaders, representing the best practices of the top ten percent of their industries.
We consider each company's impact on its four major stakeholders: their customers, their employees (including workers in their supply chain), the environment, and the communities in which they do businesses and where their business has an impact.
For each applying company, we first consider the following factors: � Is the company "values-driven;" i.e., is there a focus on using the business as a tool for positive social change?
� If the applying company is a subsidiary of or is significantly owned by another company (over 30% ownership), the applying company must be extraordinary in its social and environmental responsible performance and the parent company must pass our negative screens, which generally means that the parent company cannot be involved in any activities deemed by us to be significantly harmful to people or the planet.
� If the applying company is a representative or distributor of products manufactured by another company, the applying company must be extraordinary in its practices and policies and the product itself must have socially and environmentally sound qualities.
Since Green America's Green Business Network attracts companies from many diverse industries, and of varying sizes, our screening criteria vary from applicant to applicant. Our criteria also evolve over time in order to stay on the cutting edge of what we consider to be "extraordinary" practices in any specific industry at a given time.
To determine a company's commitment to social and environmental responsibility, we look for many indicators of that commitment.
Below are the types of indicators currently examined by our Screening Committee to determine eligibility for approved membership in Green America's Green Business Network.
The specific questions we address in each category depend somewhat on such factors as business size, industry, length of time in business, and the location of the business. � Product quality � Promotion and support of consumers' health and safety � Organically grown contents � Cruelty-free production � Energy usage, efficiency, and promotion/use of renewables � Waste reduction � Promotion of positive education and social values � Environmental impact and protection of the biosphere � Minimal/reusable packaging � Social and environmental responsibility of third-party producers � Employee safety and healthy working conditions � Fair labor practices � Decision-making, ownership, and financial equity within the company � Workplace ecology � Transparency and openness in communications with stakeholders � Community impact and commitment to Fair Trade
