Get Certified

The Sonoma Green Business Program is a partnership of government agencies and utilities that assists, recognizes, and promotes local organizations that demonstrate a commitment to higher environmental performance. To be certified green, participants must:

• Be in compliance with all applicable environmental regulations
• Meet program standards for conserving resources, preventing pollution, and minimizing waste.

The Bay Area Green Business Program has developed a series of sector-specific checklists of environmental best practices, providing an easy-to-use framework to help businesses meet program standards.

Businesses Served

The Sonoma Green Business Program serves local organizations, focusing on small- to medium-sized consumer-oriented businesses. We currently have checklists for the following sectors: office and retail operations (including home offices), architect and remodelers, cleaning and janitorial services, small manufacturers, hotels, restaurants, wineries, auto body, auto repair, small schools, printers, dental offices, solar electric designers and installers, garment cleaners (wet or CO2 systems only), landscape design and maintenance and painters. If your business does not fall into these sectors, you may still be eligible to apply. Please contact the Green Business Coordinator who will enroll you if you are eligible and direct you to other programs if you are not.

At this time, the Sonoma Green Business Program is unable to certify salons, virtual offices, large-scale manufacturers and large construction companies.

Certification Process

Step 1: Apply

To enroll in the Sonoma Green Business Program, please visit the California Green Business Program webpage and fill out an enrollment form. Additionally, please sign and return the program release form to the Program Coordinator, sonomagreen@sonoma-county.org or (707) 565-7231 (fax).

If you are a tenant and do not have control over your building’s irrigated landscape, please have your landlord complete a landlord release form. All businesses are required to have a landscape assessment regardless of whether or not they are responsible for maintaining it.

Once enrolling in the program, the Green Business Program Coordinator will verify that your business is in compliance with all applicable environmental regulations. If your business is not in compliance with these regulations, you will be notified immediately.

Step 2: Complete Online Checklist

Once you fill out the enrollment form, you will receive an email from noreply@greenbusinessca.gov with a link to an online checklist. This checklist is sector-specific and highlights your business’ requirements for green certification. Please fill out the checklist using the directions below. If you do not receive an email within one day of completing the enrollment form, please contact your Program Coordinator.

Completing the checklist:

1. Click on the link labeled “Checklist Detail”
   • The checklist is broken down into 6 main areas: Solid Waste, Energy, Water, Pollution Prevention, Wastewater and General. To view the measures in each of the sections, click on the up /down arrows next to the section name.
   • Within each of 6 sections (Solid Waste, Energy, Water, Pollution Prevention, Wastewater and General), there is a long list of measures, including a required minimum that your business must adopt in order to be certified.
2. Please select one option for each listed measure; your selection should reflect your current business practices. The options include:
   1. NA = Not applicable
   2. Completed Pre-enrollment = Something your business is currently doing
   3. Pending = Something your business is in the process of implementing, but has not yet completed
   4. Completed Post-enrollment = Something your business will have completed after Green Business enrollment and prior to certification
3. As you are working through the sections, be sure to click the "Save" *** button at the bottom of each section to save your data.
   ***Note: "Save" vs. "Submit" buttons: Use the "Save" button to save your work and return to it at any time using the URL you've already been emailed (contact program staff if you can't find your URL). Only hit "Submit" when you're completely done with the checklist.
4. If your business has implemented green practices not included on the checklist, please include them in the section titled "Other Green Things Your Business is Doing."
5. To upload supporting documentation (such as invoices showing purchase of an eco-friendly product), use the document upload feature. You do not need to upload documents for each measure.

Need help? Checklist looks daunting? Call or email your Program Coordinator, (707) 565-6455

Step 3: Onsite Conservation Assessments

After submitting the online checklist and release form, your business will receive a series of free onsite assessments. These assessments are designed to help your businesses better understand its environmental impact. Auditors provide businesses with a customized set of recommendations to conserve natural resources and lower operating costs.

Experts in the areas of energy and water conservation and waste and pollution prevention will contact you within one month of enrollment to schedule assessments.

Step 4: Reap the Benefits of Being Green

Once it is verified that your business meets the Green Business standards, you will be recognized by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and receive a packet with your award certificate, window decal, and completed checklist. You will have access to the Green Business logo to use on your web site and on your marketing materials. We will also provide free marketing on your behalf and post your business in our Green Business Listings. Green business certification is valid for three years, and then you may apply for re-certification. Additionally, Green Business certification is site-specific so it will not transfer if you change your business location.

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