A year ago, in December 2022, Canada new electric car sales were 10% of total car sales.

Next year, the Canadian government will be allocating car sales against a 20% electric car target, double the December 2022 percentage. 

Then, by 2035, just 11 years from now, Canada plans to have eliminated fossil fuel new car sales – 100% electric cars.

Think of the ripple effect across the Canadian economic landscape, of this singular government action – everything from manufacturing to dealership layout to the design of ‘gas’ stations to your local mechanic.

Then, think of those businesses that were proactive and prepared for this; versus those businesses that have resisted the change.

Then think of your business. 

Is your company environmentally certified sustainable and promoting same to your prospects or are you waiting for all of this to blow over?

There are going to be winners and losers.  If you would like to improve your odds, watch this master class and contact us.

Unlimited Auto Wash of West Palm Beach, FL, is part of the seven-location Unlimited Auto Wash Club that serves South Florida.  Unlimited Auto Wash is a 100% Full Service Hand Car Wash with over 170 employees.  It cares deeply about the environment and the community it serves, and has pursued and attained the Edenark Group ISO 14001 environmental sustainability certification for 2024.

The Edenark Group ISO 14001 is the world’s premier environmental sustainability certification program and allows SMEs (small to mid-sized enterprises) the ability to attain the world’s most popular environmental certification standard via a program designed and priced specifically for them.  This allows an organization to validate, via 3^rd party audit against the world’s top standard, its environmental / sustainability / green / eco-friendly actions.

The program, which allows companies to progressively improve at a pace that works for their needs, helps the organization define how it interacts internally, externally, and with the environment.  It incorporates energy/waste/water, employee health and performance enhancement, community involvement, procurement and suppliers, compliance and regulations, emergency/security, and stakeholder engagement.  Benefits include creating a culture of continual improvement, stakeholder engagement, lower costs, higher revenues and profits, improved employee performance, and…… doing the right thing for the environment for current and future generations.   

“We wanted to be the first certified sustainable car wash in the region as we are a leader in our industry,” says Kevin Dalton, CEO of Unlimited Auto Wash.  “Many organizations, looking to cash in on consumer demand, claim to be environmentally friendly, but most practice greenwashing by self-auditing or self-certifying or using non-globally-recognized programs.  We decided we were going to pursue environmental sustainability the way we run our business – the right way.  The Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification program provides us that opportunity.  This will be wonderful for all our stakeholders; our customers, our employees, our company and our community.” 

“When an organization pursues, and attains, the Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification, they are not just doing it to see their costs go down and revenues and profits go up.  They are setting a higher bar for their organization and sending a message to all those around them that may be claiming to be environmentally-supportive, but are in truth greenwashing by not validating their actions under a global 3^rd party certification,” says David Goodman, CEO of Edenark Group.  “Companies who are agreeing to adhere to the world’s Gold standard for sustainability certification are allowing their actions to be reviewed; are choosing to be a leader and part of the solution, not the problem; and are joining an elite fraternity of over 400,000 organizations, in over 150 countries, that have committed to continually improving in every way.”

Unlimited Auto Wash can be reached at +1 561-WASH-ME-2

Edenark Group can be reached at +1 561.512.2257     

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This article discusses the below trends that will impact sustainability, and you and your business, in 2024

• Heightened call to protect workers amid latest wave of AI innovations – With 300 million jobs potentially at risk due to AI, a strong moral thread to protect humans will emerge

• Sales of EVs will increase and governments will support the transition away from traditional vehicles

• Scope 3 disclosure demand and the impact on vendors will grow dramatically

• Movement away from greenwashing – More companies will take the necessary steps (3^rd party validation / certification) to become credible with their sustainability claims

• With 40 national elections across the world in 2024, voters will have a major voice in the expansion of environmental sustainability across the world.

Safran Oil Systems, a 36,250 SF manufacturer of commercial airline oil tanks, located in Fort Myers, FL, and operating as a subsidiary of Safran Aero Boosters, a $1B, Belgian-based global leader in lubrication units, oil tanks, heat exchangers, and special valves, has continued its environmental sustainability commitment by renewing and extending its Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification through 2024.

The Edenark Group ISO 14001 is the world’s premier environmental sustainability certification program and allows SMEs (small to mid-sized enterprises) the ability to attain the world’s most popular environmental certification standard via a program designed and priced specifically for them.   Edenark Group also helps clients pursue carbon neutrality and ESG compliance, using the Edenark Group ISO 14001 as a foundation for long term compliance.

The program, which allows companies to progressively improve at a pace that works for their needs, helps the organization define how it interacts internally, externally, and with the environment.  It incorporates energy/waste/water, employee health and performance enhancement, community involvement, procurement and suppliers, compliance and regulations, emergency/security, and stakeholder engagement.  Benefits include creating a culture of continual improvement, stakeholder engagement, lower costs, higher revenues and profits, improved employee performance, and…… doing the right thing for the environment and current and future generations.   

“We are best of class in aircraft engine oil tanks development and production and accept the responsibility of leading this effort that will make a global impact,” said Jean-Pierre Posset, General Manager of Safran Oil Systems.  “Our organization, including our employees in Florida and the rest of the world, cares deeply about the environment and sustainability.  We are excited to receive this certification and join the others around the world that have chosen to be part of the solution.  In 2023, the team was able to expand its use of paperless software tools that reduced wood, water, carbo and waste.  The team was also able to reuse and/or donate packaging materials from suppliers; and was able to extend the sorting of trash in the shop.  Further, we were able to also plan a broad list of 2024 projects that our Green Team is excited about tackling this coming year.”

“Safran Oil Systems is a pleasure to work with and is an example of what the world needs more of – an organization that produces a superior product, supports its current stakeholders, shows it cares about future generations via its commitment to sustainability certification, and makes more money due to its sustainability programs,” said David Goodman, CEO of Edenark Group.  “When an organization executes the Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification, as Safran Oil Systems is doing, it not only benefits the environment, but it also benefits its own operation,” added Goodman.

Safran Oil Systems can be reached at https://www.safran-aero-boosters.com/

Edenark Group can be reached at +1.561.512.2257     

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Per a study of 16,000 businesses discussed in this article

• 58% are making statements and commitments to stakeholders about their sustainability performance
• But only 8% have formal reporting programs that document that performance

The gap between those two – making claims you cannot support – is greenwashing.

Taking the above to the next step, even if you document your own performance internally (ie, self-certify), you are at risk, as you are not using a 3^rd party to validate.

There are many greenwashing activists and they love finding organizations that make sustainability claims without being certified under a globally accepted program with 3^rd party validation. 

Don’t take the risk.  If you are not certified via a globally-respected program that uses 3^rd party validation, don’t promote/hype your sustainability efforts.

This Forbes article makes five sustainability forecasts for 2024 and we comment on each.

1.  The market will transition from managerial to entrepreneurial sustainability

• The author is correctly stating that for the past two years many organizations have been focused on building their internal reporting responses to the new regulatory requirements going into effect around the world.

• But what about SMEs? The majority of SMEs have not given this any thought.  We believe 2024 will bring the impact of lack of action to many SMEs.

2)  From net zero to solutions agenda

• The author is suggesting that individual companies cannot achieve net zero pledges without help from others.

• We completely agree and have been beating the Scope 3 drum for some time. Tied to the above point about SMEs not being ready for their clients’ regulatory demands, we are going to see SMEs receive Scope 3 letters and learn that their clients are reviewing vendors based on the ability to satisfy net zero requirements.

3)  From purpose marketing to honest products

• The author highlights that many companies have been called out for greenwashing, causing an immediate pull back (ie, greenhushing). Going forward, acting responsibly, respecting diversity and reducing environmental impact will not win medals.  It is table stakes.  Honesty and verified performance will be required.

• We agree. The days of making claims without a legitimate 3^rd party validation against a recognized program are gone.

4)  From social impact to justice

• The author suggests we are moving into a period where the S in ESG will require tangible, verifiable, performance.

• Again, we agree. Lip service on climate, gender, pay, race will have a harder time not being exposed.

5) From business case to personal case

• The author suggests that to maintain support for sustainability within a company you need to make it personal. She states that people with green skills are offered 29% more money at hire than their peers with no green skills.

• Again, we agree. We create a Green Team in every organization we certify.  Employees are allowed to participate on the Green Team and improve their green credentials.

Bottom line, the world is changing and companies need to change with it if they want to remain competitive.  If you want to learn more, watch this master class and contact us.

Unlimited Auto Wash of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, is part of the seven-location Unlimited Auto Wash Club that serves South Florida.  Unlimited Auto Wash is a 100% Full Service Hand Car Wash with over 170 employees.  It cares deeply about the environment and the community it serves, and has pursued and attained the Edenark Group ISO 14001 environmental sustainability certification for 2024.

The Edenark Group ISO 14001 is the world’s premier environmental sustainability certification program and allows SMEs (small to mid-sized enterprises) the ability to attain the world’s most popular environmental certification standard via a program designed and priced specifically for them.  This allows an organization to validate, via 3^rd party audit against the world’s top standard, its environmental / sustainability / green / eco-friendly actions.

The program, which allows companies to progressively improve at a pace that works for their needs, helps the organization define how it interacts internally, externally, and with the environment.  It incorporates energy/waste/water, employee health and performance enhancement, community involvement, procurement and suppliers, compliance and regulations, emergency/security, and stakeholder engagement.  Benefits include creating a culture of continual improvement, stakeholder engagement, lower costs, higher revenues and profits, improved employee performance, and…… doing the right thing for the environment for current and future generations.   

“We are a leader in our space and wanted to be the first certified sustainable car wash in the region,” says Kevin Dalton, CEO of Unlimited Auto Wash.  “Many organizations, looking to cash in on consumer demand, claim to be environmentally friendly, but most practice greenwashing by self-auditing or self-certifying or using non-globally-recognized programs.  We decided we were going to pursue environmental sustainability the way we run our business – the right way.  The Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification program provides us that opportunity.  This will be wonderful for all our stakeholders; our customers, our employees, our company and our community.” 

“When an organization pursues, and attains, the Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification, they are not just doing it to see their costs go down and revenues and profits go up.  They are setting a higher bar for their organization and sending a message to all those around them that may be claiming to be environmentally-supportive, but are in truth greenwashing by not validating their actions under a global 3^rd party certification,” says David Goodman, CEO of Edenark Group.  “Companies who are agreeing to adhere to the world’s Gold standard for sustainability certification are allowing their actions to be reviewed; are choosing to be a leader and part of the solution, not the problem; and are joining an elite fraternity of over 400,000 organizations, in over 150 countries, that have committed to continually improving in every way.”

Unlimited Auto Wash can be reached at +1 561-WASH-ME-2

Edenark Group can be reached at +1 561.512.2257     

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Hinkle, Richter & Rhine, LLP, CPAs, a 40+ year old, full-service accounting firm, serving clients in South Florida and across the country, has continued its environmental sustainability commitment by renewing and extending its Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification through 2023.

The Edenark Group ISO 14001 is the world’s premier environmental sustainability certification program and allows SMEs (small to mid-sized enterprises) the ability to attain the world’s most popular environmental certification standard via a program designed and priced specifically for them.   Edenark Group also helps clients pursue carbon neutrality and ESG compliance, using the Edenark Group ISO 14001 as a foundation for long term compliance.

The program, which allows companies to progressively improve at a pace that works for their needs, helps the organization define how it interacts internally, externally, and with the environment.  It incorporates energy/waste/water, employee health and performance enhancement, community involvement, procurement and suppliers, compliance and regulations, emergency/security, and stakeholder engagement.  Benefits include creating a culture of continual improvement, stakeholder engagement, lower costs, higher revenues and profits, improved employee performance, and…… doing the right thing for the environment and current and future generations.   

“We care about the current and future needs of our clients, our employees, our vendors, and our community,” said Darryl Hinkle, Founder of Hinkle, Richter & Rhine.  “We have been certified for four years and are pleased with how it has impacted how we approach decisions.  We are a stronger company because of it; along with being able to do our part for the environment.”    

“In 2024, I personally hope to spend more time as an advocate for sustainability in order to help other organizations see the value of pursuing this course for the environment and their own operation,” added Hinkle.

“Edenark Group has a 25+ year relationship with Hinkle Richter & Rhine and they are a wonderful example of what the world needs more of – an organization that produces a superior product, supports its current stakeholders, shows it cares about future generations via its commitment to sustainability certification, and makes more money due to its sustainability programs,” said David Goodman, CEO of Edenark Group.  “When an organization executes the Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification, as Hinkle, Richter & Rhine is doing, it not only benefits the environment, but it also benefits its own operation,” added Goodman.

Hinkle Richter & Rhine can be reached at +1.954.941.2312

Edenark Group can be reached at +1 561.512.2257     

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Let’s end the year with a toast to Mother Earth and have a laugh or two from these two climate crisis videos

 – Kiri Pritchard-McLean translates Professor Bill McGuire for all of us.

 – Jonathan Pie translates Professor Joanna Haigh for all of us.

Mother earth link

The world needs all the environmentally-supportive programs it can get.

That said, this article on the struggles of a small program (approximately 1% as large as our standard) is a good backdrop for us to re-state what we believe in and deliver.

Per this master class, there are 8 components of a sustainability program thta will be successful and make you happy:

• It MUST include Employee Performance / Health
  • Sustainability is not just about energy savings or ‘Greening Up’, it is about people
  • For most businesses, the employees are one of the biggest costs, one of the biggest risks (mistakes, insurance, law suits) and one of the biggest opportunities (new ideas, collaboration, product knowledge)
  • Every organization suffers from the Big 5 – insomnia, stress, anxiety, physical pain, mental acuity
  • You are losing 5% of your corporate profit/year to the Big 5
  • It takes a lot of LEDs to make up for one worker comp or workplace violence case
  • Make sure your program has a ‘people piece’ that addresses employee performance, health and happiness

• It MUST certify the business not the box
  • People care about things that involve people
  • Most building (ie, ‘Box’) certifications only care about building energy
  • Building certifications are expensive and hard to market (poor ROI)
  • You want to say, “Buy more of my product because we are a certified sustainable business”
  • You do not get much value from, “Buy more of my product because we are in an energy efficient building”
  • You want the certification on your business, not the building your business is in

• It MUST have a 3^rd party audit component
  • Oversight delivers credibility and trust
  • From passing your driving test, to getting your college diploma, to passing a bar exam, we use 3^rd parties to ensure compliance
  • There are many sustainability programs that deliver a certification based on your ‘word’…..and your payment
  • Don’t do it!
  • Make sure the program you choose uses a 3^rd party to validate your work

• It MUST follow a respected and integrated global standard
  • The sustainability industry is maturing and coalescing around few standards
  • The UN has created its SDGs (17 sustainability development goals)
  • 50% of the world’s economies require sustainability reporting
  • Greenwashing lawsuits are growing
  • Don’t pick a program that is not globally respected by, and integrated with, the world leadership groups; and that does not have the ability to integrate the other three legs of the stool – carbon neutrality, ESG and net zero
  • No reason to spend the time and money, then find you are not following the same programs and protocols that the leadership groups have adopted

• It MUST include promotion of the certification
  • Historically, sustainability has been a cost-side play
  • Most programs and providers have been 100% trained and focused on cost-side measures – energy reduction, carbon reduction, waste reduction, water reduction, travel reduction (ie, engineering)
  • But we know consumers are searching for certified sustainable companies
  • If you don’t talk about being certified sustainable they will never know you are (ie, marketing)
  • You want a program provider that is built to do the cost-side work AND the revenue-side work; and helps you promote your certification

• It MUST pursue continual improvement
  • Sustainability is not finite. It requires long-term commitment
  • But…change is hard for all of us
  • If the bar is set too high, we can get frustrated and give up
  • You want a program that lets you come as you are and allows you to continually improve
  • This will keep everyone happy and committed year after year

• It MUST require annual updates
  • Current = credible
  • Sustainability is not finite; we need to continually improve
  • You don’t want a program that does not have a date attached to its certification
  • You want to continually improve, see your success, and annually update your certification to show you are current and credible in your actions

• It MUST be at a price you can afford and produce a positive ROI
  • We could have started with cost but you need the above seven components at a price you can afford
  • It needs to show a positive and rapid ROI
  • The cost includes both money and time and covers everything – the certification, the 3^rd party audit and your work to become certified

As stated, we deliver all eight components mentioned above to our clients.

We enjoy a 100% client renewal rate – every year, every client has a decision to make and every year, every client has renewed.

If you use a program that delivers all of the above, you will probably be happy too.