BC-based social enterprise TB Vets Charitable Foundation, publisher of Green Zebra guide, is now accepting sustainable businesses to feature in Green Zebra’s 2011 edition.  From now until June 18, local businesses can apply to benefit from 16 months of exposure throughout the Greater Vancouver area. Green Zebra, the Lower Mainland’s only sustainability-themed coupon book, offers exclusive savings on a vast range of products and services.  The book’s broad distribution generates awareness and sales for well-known champions of sustainability like Mountain Equipment Co-op and MarketPlace IGA, as well as newer or smaller businesses that rely on Green Zebra as their primary source of advertising. “Green Zebra is our most reliable and redeemed promotional option,” says Doug Smith of Commercial Drive’s East ... continue reading.

May 3, 2010 (Victoria, BC) - At a recent awards ceremony, the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce presented City Green Solutions with two awards recognizing the organization's positive business growth, commitment to quality, and innovative new services. City Green received the Innovation Award, sponsored by the University of Victoria, and the Business of the Year Award (26-75 employees), sponsored by the Greater Victoria Development Agency. The only organization to receive two awards this year, City Green is an enterprising non-profit providing tools, resources, services and inspiration to improve the energy efficiency of homes and buildings in BC. "Being a social enterprise, we use the profits from our fee-for service work to fund our energy saving programs for affordable housing and ... continue reading.

BC businesses take action on global warming as Province shows leadership in Copenhagen. VANCOUVER, BC (Dec. 17th) -- Climate Smart announced today that about 52,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions have been tracked by over 160 BC small businesses as part of its program to help them reduce costs by cutting greenhouse gas emissions. That's equivalent to annual emissions from more than 9,450 passenger vehicles or 4,700 homes. "A growing number of businesses see a competitive advantage in greening their operations," says Elizabeth Sheehan, President of Climate Smart, a leading provider of carbon tracking tools, raining and technical support for small- and medium-sized enterprises. "They want to build brands that customers can trust and respect. In these tough economic times, ... continue reading.

Burnaby is one of the latest venues for Green Drinks, a monthly informal gathering for people in the environmental field to discuss new developments, issues, and ideas, often over beer and snacks. Green Drinks Burnaby Their meetups are held the 2nd Tuesday of every month. First gathering is... Date: Tuesday September 8, 2009 Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Location: Great Bear Pub, 5665 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC Map: see here Organizer: Damian Kettlewell Email to RSVP: damian.kettlewell [at] gmail.com Website: http://www.greendrinks.org/index.php?city=Burnaby&country=Canada For anyone who is unacquainted with the organization, Green Drinks International got its start in the UK by Edwin Datschefski, some of his colleagues, and environmentally-minded acquaintances.  Datschefski, who specializes in sustainable product design, created the official website in 2001 ... continue reading.

METRO VANCOUVER, Aug. 31 /CNW/ - Port Metro Vancouver today unveiled its new shore power facility at the Canada Place cruise ship terminal. The port is the first to install shore power for cruise ships, and only the third in the world to do so. The shore power installation at the home port of the Vancouver-Alaska cruise - one of the world's most popular cruises - is the result of a $9-million cooperative initiative between the Government of Canada, the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, BC Hydro and Port Metro Vancouver. Representatives from each of the participating organizations gathered at Canada Place today to formally launch the project. Shore power is a highly effective way ... continue reading.

How can a Green Construction Site Coordinator help on a green building project? A Green Construction Site Coordinator is a valuable addition to all green building projects as they ensure that the green site operations are managed safely and efficiently. They also train all trades as they arrive on site to ensure consistent communication of the green building project's goals and requirements. A two-day training program has been designed for participants to learn about green building basics for a site along with safety orientation. Who is the program for? Primarily: site superintendents, supervisors, project coordinators, site safety officers, and manager of trades. Possible others: organizations planning to expand their operations; owners of office buildings who are about to renovate for ... continue reading.

Learn more about career opportunities in B.C.'s growing "green" sectors.The Burnaby Employment Resource Centre, in conjunction with the B.C. Labour Market Report, has brought together representatives from leading environmental companies, organizations, associations, and training programs to discuss:green jobs in fields such as architecture, utilities, engineering, construction, manufacturing, waste management, management consulting, and public awarenesscertification and training requirementshow to get started on a green career pathwho's hiring and what skills are in demand  Date:  Thursday, October 1, 2009Time:  1:00 to 3:00 p.m.Location:  Michael J. Fox Theatre, 7373 McPherson Ave., Burnaby, B.C.Map:  View hereCommute:  500 metres from Royal Oak skytrain stationParking:  free limited parking at Michael J. Fox TheatreAdmission:  FreeRegister with Training Innovations at:  http://www.training-innovations.com/register-for-gc  For more information, contact: Training Innovations, Inc. ... continue reading.

The two terms sound like an oxymoron. But they need not be. Nadine Gudz answered, in part, some of the questions that I initially posed for green job seekers in my posting early last week, 'Green Job Search in a Carbon Economy', covering the World Changing Careers symposium. This dynamic manager of Sustainable Strategy for the prominent carpet manufacturer, InterfaceFLOR, hit all the high notes in her presentation, 'The InterfaceFLOR Model of Business Sustainability'. Two key items that one must look for when conducting due diligence on a potential "green" employer are: Confirm that your prospect's values meet your values of environmental responsibility and, by extension, social responsibility; Identify and separate the greenwashing from authentic sustainability. Sound vaguely familiar? ... continue reading.

The World Changing Careers symposium, held at UBC from July 23 - 27, sought to sharpen the picture of a fragmented industry for green job seekers. Issues and optics covered: Where does one's skill set and credentials fit in with the sustainability sector? How does a job seeker find his/her entry and beget change in a carbon economy, based on 20th century political and economic power bases and mindsets? How does s/he deal with the root causes of unsustainable businesses, government policies, and lifestyles? The event was chock full of insightful keynote speeches, thought-provoking panel debates, and sobering career workshops spanning various "dark to light green" career paths. The five-day event offered something for both: (1) university grads armed with ... continue reading.

Whole Foods Market announced, last week, its commitment to the Non-GMO Project's Product Verification Program (PVP) for its private labels. The majority of these non-GMO-certified products will hopefully be offered in the Canadian stores -- currently in B.C. and Ontario -- of this natural and organic foods retailer.Call your nearest Whole Foods to inquire.--------Press Release from Whole Foods Market:Whole Foods Market® Partners with Non-GMO Project to Label Company's Private Label Food Products Using New Third-Party StandardWhole Foods Market Encourages Other Retailers & Branded Product Manufacturers to Make Similar Commitment to Non-GMO Food Supply ChainAUSTIN, TX (July 7, 2009) -- Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFMI), the leading natural and organic grocer, today announced a commitment to the Non-GMO Project -a non-profit ... continue reading.