The Colorado Green Business Network of the Yampa Valley (CGBN-YV) is a Regional Partner of the Colorado Green Business Network (CGBN) – a state initiative created through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. We are a free, voluntary program that provides technical assistance to, and promotion and recognition of, local businesses and organizations in the Yampa Valley pursuing sustainability goals.

Our role is to provide an accessible, Yampa Valley-based team with the knowledge and tools to walk you through the CGBN registration and application process. Our goal is to make it easy to connectwith funding, resources and skills that make sustainability attainable across business sector and size.

The first step to joining the Colorado Green Business Network of the Yampa Valley is registering your business or organization in CGBN’s GreenBiz Tracker. This simple (and quick) step of signing up will get you connected to the CGBN newsletter, which includes information about upcoming events and educational and funding opportunities. All freely available.

Once registered and depending on your sustainability goals, CGBN-YV freely supports you through three approaches:

1) Conducting off-site coaching and on-site technical assistance to any business that requests it. These assessments are a valuable way to identify opportunities for environmental and social performance and resource savings, and to target areas businesses want to improve such as energy, water, waste and transportation.

2) Providing businesses with a report of recommendations and connections to rebates, grants, additional technical assistance and ongoing coaching and support in the form of trainings, newsletters, workshops, events and networking opportunities.

3) For businesses or organizations that choose to pursue Bronze, Silver or Gold-level certification, recognizing and awarding businesses for exemplary practices that lead to resource reduction. Certified businesses are recognized in a public, searchable CGBN directory and receive a CGBN press kit including a window decal for storefront marketing, logo and governor signed certificate. Additionally, certified businesses receive priority permitting within the CO Department of Public Health and Environment, support with regulatory assistance, and letters of recommendation for grant and program applications.

There are a LOT of reasons, and it just depends on what your business or organization is most interested in.

Resource and financial savings

By just registering for the Colorado Green Business Network of the Yampa Valley, businesses have access to free technical assistance and operational assessments. Assessments are about identifying and evaluating opportunities that produce resource and financial savings. These can lead to the reduction of input costs, disposal costs, compliance issues, worker exposure, risk and liability, while increasing performance, customer preference, product differentiation, worker satisfaction and retention.

Funding opportunities

Another highly noted benefit of registering with CGBN is notification of new and upcoming funding and financing opportunities. Right now we are seeing more federal and state funding put toward sustainability than ever before. This is helping businesses reduce the upfront costs of installing resource reduction equipment and incentivizing efficiency investments. Most businesses don’t have the time to invest seeking out these opportunities, but through the CGBN newsletter and communications with our team, businesses can learn of new funding opportunities early on.

For certified businesses, CGBN also writes letters of support for grant applications and provides priority permitting and regulatory assistance. All members can currently apply for CGBN mini-grants regardless of recognition status.

Legislation

Legislation, such as single use plastics bans, emissions reporting and polystyrene foam restrictions, are either in place or coming down the pipeline. In 2023 alone, Colorado passed seven bills to assist the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and improve public health and the environment. Our members are the first to hear about these, so they won’t be scrambling later.

Consumer demand

According to the 2022 Sustainable Market Share Index, the demand for sustainability-marketed products grew and accounted for 17.3% of total purchases, and continues to grow despite inflation. The report also found that products marketed as sustainable accounted for nearly a third of the growth in consumer packaged goods from 2013 to 2022, growing approximately two times faster than conventionally marketed products. Sustainable products also enjoyed a higher repeat customer rate.

In 2024, this trend is expected to continue as more and more consumers demand products and services that are good for the environment, supportive of local communities, and produced by companies that treat their employees and people in their supply chains fairly.

Certification matters

Consumers, particularly Gen Z and Millenials, are getting wise to greenwashing, and are seeking out businesses that are verifiably demonstrating a commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.  A 2023 Harvard Business Review report found that Gen Z and Millenials are 30% more likely than older generations to spend more money on highly transparent brands and 20% more likely to choose it over its competitors. Come 2030 when Gen Z and Millennials surpass the purchasing power of Baby Boomers, this could add up to a $68 trillion dollar transfer of wealth. 

Certification also creates a marketing edge over your competitors. According to the California Green Business Network, 42% of certified businesses reported an increase in business since receiving their recognition. CGBN offers that third party certification at no additional cost.

Read more about why credibility counts for eco-conscious consumers.

Community

The most common benefit CGBN hears from all of its members is the element of community, and the expertise being in the community provides — both from CGBN-YV teams and also from other like-minded businesses. Members are willing and happy to share best practices. Businesses have so much support from us and others like them, that they don’t have to reinvent the wheel or start from scratch learning what projects to take on. This really reduces the time commitment needed.

The time for climate action is now

Globally, 2023 was the hottest year on record, and reducing carbon emissions is important now more than ever. A recently released assessment of Colorado’s climate out of the Colorado Climate Center finds that the state has already warmed by 2.3 degrees since 1980 with a prediction of an additional 1 to 4 degrees warming by 2050. 

We know that climate change is happening here and now in the Yampa Valley with hotter and drier conditions year on year, earlier and more rapid snowpack runoff, increased frequency of river closures due to high water temperatures and low flow, and elevated severity of wildfires. 

We also know the majority of people, particularly younger generations, are very concerned about the state of the environment. Green purchasing is one way consumers can feel empowered. By grasping the competitive advantage that comes with differentiating your business as truly responsible, you can do good for business, the planet and the community.