GreenBiz Leaders is a compendium of leadership practices, compiled from dozens of sources. All of the initiatives in this database have received recognition from a credible third-party organization or government agency. All organizations in this database meet some established environmental criteria or merit recognition for their environmental achievements set by these programs. Simply joining an organization or endorsing a set of principles does qualify for inclusion in GreenBiz Leaders.

Are "leadership practices" the same as "best practices"? That is for you to decide. It is likely that some of the initiatives you find will be new and innovative, while others may seem less so. It depends a lot on your own organization's environmental programs and commitment.

Some frequently asked questions:

Why Did We Do This?
As companies of all sizes and sectors try to align environmental responsibility with business success, there is a need for information about what other companies have done. At present, there is no comprehensive, searchable, and regularly updated database that can enable users to find leadership examples of environmental initiatives that are relevant to their size, sector, and specific interests. We hope GreenBiz Leaders will begin fill this gap.

Why Hasn't This Been Done Before?
Several reasons. Putting together a comprehensive database is time- and labor-intensive. Equally vexing is the issue of what's really a "leadership" practice; what is cutting-edge for one firm may be old hat for another. The task of picking the good practices from the not-so-good ones is forbidding, to say the least. The challenge of keeping the database current is also formidable.

How Is This Different?
Rather than attempt to identify "leadership practices" ourselves, we have collected information about organizational initiatives and commitments recognized by independent, third-party organizations. Therefore, we are not the judges; rather, we rely on the criteria of each individual award and recognition program. It is not up to us to define (and continually re-define) what constitutes a "leadership" practice.

Who's Behind This?
GreenBiz Leaders is produced by Green Business Network, a program of The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that also produces GreenBiz.com. Green Business Network's mission is "to provide clear, concise, accurate, and balanced information, resources, and learning opportunities to help companies of all sizes and sectors integrate environmental responsibility into their operations in a manner that combines ecological sustainability with profitable business practices." It is supported by grants from forward-thinking corporations, foundations, and government agencies. GreenBiz Leaders is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information, e-mail us at leaders@greenbiz.com.