Contact the City for free support to reduce waste, save energy and water, and become a certified Green Business.
Local business owners can get free consultation to reduce waste, lower energy and water use, and meet environmental standards.
With support from the Alameda County Green Business Program, the City of Berkeley provides free consultations, audits of organizations’ trash and recycling practices, and step-by-step guidance to help businesses complete certification.
Staff help businesses understand requirements, make changes, and access rebates and utility programs.
Common actions include switching to LED lighting, installing low-flow fixtures, and using non-toxic cleaning products, as seen in green certified businesses like GU Energy and La Peña Cultural Center.
Sign up, meet with a coordinator, review a checklist for your industry, and begin making improvements to get started. Get Green Business Certified.
Request support for your business
Register your business to begin the certification process. After you sign up, a coordinator will contact you to guide you through each step.
If you have questions or need help getting started, you can contact the Office of Economic Development.
Staff can help you:
- Understand certification requirements for your business type
- Complete a Zero Waste audit at no cost
- Review your current operations and identify ways to reduce waste
- Connect to rebates for energy and water upgrades
- Navigate City services and permitting questions
Regardless of the official recognition, businesses can also lower operating costs by saving energy and water while sending less waste to the landfill.
Green Business certification is typically completed within six weeks to six months.
Local and regional partners help your business go green
The City provides local guidance, support, and connections to help businesses complete certification. A coalition of City and County agencies funds and oversees the program. Environmental Innovations, our local implementation partner, runs the program, and the California Green Business Network sets statewide standards.
The program is free, and many improvements involve simple operational changes. While some recommended upgrades may have costs, rebates may be available.
Once certified, businesses can use the Green Business logo and receive marketing materials, including signage, a window decal, a framed certificate, and a listing in the Green Business directory.
Select businesses may also be recognized by the City at community events, and included in local outreach highlighting their sustainability efforts, such as a recent City-funded #DiscoveredInBerkeley article, “From solar rooftops to straw bale walls and beyond: Berkeley firms turn sustainability into reality”, and advertisement in Berkeleyside.
In Berkeley, 170 businesses have enrolled in the program and 97 are currently certified, recertifying, or pending recertification. In 2025 alone, 13 new businesses were certified and 11 recertified. These certified businesses helped:
- Save about 2.9 million gallons of water
- Conserve 2.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity
- Divert over 235,000 pounds of solid waste from landfill
- Save about 1,100 gallons of fuel
Take the next step to reduce your business’ environmental impact. Get guidance and support to get green business certified.
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