Certified wood and paper products come from responsibly managed forests – as defined by a particular standard. With third-party forest certification, an independent organization develops standards of good forest management, and independent auditors issue certificates to forest operations that comply with those standards.
The Rainforest Alliance is a non-governmental organization (NGO) working to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. Based in New York City with offices throughout North and South America, Asia, Africa and Europe, it operates in more than 70 countries. It was founded in 1987 by Daniel Katz, who serves on its board of directors, and is currently led by CEO Han de Groot.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), co-founded by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi in 1993, is a private 501(c)3, membership-based non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in building design, construction, and operation. USGBC is best known for its development of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating systems and its annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. USGBC was one of eight national councils that helped found the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC). The current president and CEO is Mahesh Ramanujam who acquired this role in January 2017 after co-founder Rick Fedrizzi.
The North American Development Bank (NADB) is a binational financial institution capitalized and governed equally by the Federal Governments of the United States of America and Mexico for the purpose of financing environmental projects certified by the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC).
The National Pest Management Association (NPMA), is a non-profit trade association founded in 1933 that represents the interests of the professional pest management industry and pest control professionals in the United States.
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is a North American 'forest certification standard' and program of SFI Inc., a non-profit organization. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative is the world’s largest single forest certification standard by area.The SFI is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario Canada and Washington D.C. USA.
The Cambodia Project (CPI) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop secondary education opportunities for underserved children in rural Cambodia. The Cambodia Project, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization recognized under the Internal Revenue Code of the United States, Public Charity Status 170(b)(1)(A)(vi).
The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The department is headed by Commissioner Sheila Oliver, who is also serving as Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey.
This article includes information about environmental groups and resourcesthat serve K–12 schools in the United States and internationally. The entries in this article are for broad-scope organizations that serve at least one state or similar region.
The Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) is an independent, tax-exempt, nonprofit organization whose primary work includes finding community-based solutions to reducing climate pollution in the U.S. and China, building the capacity of civil society in the Balkans, and helping communities along the U.S. Gulf Coast and China recover from disasters. ISC provides training, technical assistance and financial support to communities, nonprofits/nongovernmental organizations, businesses and local governments.
The GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE (GEI) was founded in the U.S. in 2003 and was registered as an independent non-profit organization in the State of Delaware. GEI's mission was to design and implement market-based models for solving environmental problems in order to achieve development that is economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable. GEI was dissolved in October 2011. GEI's sister organization, the independent Beijing Chaoyang District Sustainable Global Environmental Institute in China (GEI-China) remains active.
Stewardship Partners is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Seattle, Washington, United States with a mission to help private landowners restore and preserve the natural landscapes of Washington State. They have programs that promote incentive-based tools to encourage landowners and businesses to participate in voluntary conservation practices. The goal is to restore fish and wildlife habitat, improve water quality, and protect open space while maintaining the working landscape of farms, forestland, and communities throughout the state.
Marin Organic is a non-profit 501(c)(3) association of organic producers headquartered in Point Reyes Station, California. Founded in 1999 with the goal of creating the first all-organic county, Marin Organic staff and board work with government officials, community groups and organizations, fellow ranchers and farmers to advance the practice of sustainable, organic production. The organization has become an internationally recognized model for building economically viable, community-based local foodsheds.
Ecology Action is a non-profit environmental organization and consultancy founded in 1970 under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)3 in Berkeley, California. The organization has since moved its headquarters to Santa Cruz, California with satellite offices in San Jose, California and Sacramento, California, where it employs approximately 100 people and operates a variety of energy saving, water, waste reduction, and greenhouse gas emission reduction programs. The organization assists businesses, governments, and utilities in designing and implementing programs in efficient energy use, water conservation, and sustainable transportation.
The Freeland Foundation is an international NGO headquartered in Bangkok which works in Asia on environmental conservation and on human rights. The organization intends to stop wildlife and human trafficking.
Green Action Centre is an environmental organization based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It works to promote greener living through environmental education for households, workplaces, schools, and communities. It also develops and advocates environmental policies for Manitoba communities. Its primary areas of activity include green commuting, composting and waste, sustainable living and resource conservation.
Sustainability organizations are (1) organized groups of people that aim to advance sustainability and/or (2) those actions of organizing something sustainably. Unlike many business organizations, sustainability organizations are not limited to implementing sustainability strategies which provide them with economic and cultural benefits attained through environmental responsibility. For sustainability organizations, sustainability can also be an end in itself without further justifications.
Sustainable products are those products that provide environmental, social and economic benefits while protecting public health and environment over their whole life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials until the final disposal.
Environmental certification is a form of environmental regulation and development where a company can voluntarily choose to comply with predefined processes or objectives set forth by the certification service. Most certification services have a logo which can be applied to products certified under their standards. This is seen as a form of corporate social responsibility allowing companies to address their obligation to minimise the harmful impacts to the environment by voluntarily following a set of externally set and measured objectives.
Built Green Canada is a non-profit organization with third-party green building certification programs for residential builders.
