Tools for Business

Buildings

Green Globes - Environmental Assessment of Buildings
Green Globes is an online building and management audit that helps property owners and managers measure the environmental performance of their buildings against best practices in areas such as energy, water, hazardous materials, waste management and indoor environment.

Impact Estimator for Buildings
The ATHENA® Impact Estimator for Buildings is a software tool that evaluates the environmental implications of building designs.

Energy

Energy Related Tools

The Office of Energy Efficiency of Natural Resources Canada offers the following tools:

The Purchasing Tool Kit
Assists in buying ENERGY STAR qualified equipment including office equipment, heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning equipment, commercial and industrial products, lighting and signage as well as appliances and windows.

The Simple Savings Calculator
Is designed to compare the costs of purchasing ENERGY STAR qualified models with the costs of conventional models.

Transportation related tools
Includes, The Fuel Consumption Calculator, The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Guide, The Vehicle Life-Cycle Information Tool and the Idling Impact Calculator.

RETScreen(R) International / Renewable Energy Project Analysis Software
RETScreen International is managed under the leadership of Natural Resources Canada's CANMET Energy Technology Centre - Varennes. The software, provided free-of-charge, can be used to evaluate the energy production and savings, life-cycle costs, emission reductions, financial viability and risk for various types of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies (RETs).

Greenhouse Gas Emissions
This Environment Canada site features a variety of information on GHGs, data tables of Canada's GHG emissions, and tools for measuring, verifying and reporting facility GHG emissions.

Green Procurement

Green Procurement: Environmental Awareness Tool Kit
This Tool Kit is made available by Public Works and Government Services Canada. It provides information on green procurement tools, the development of specifications for environmentally preferable goods and services, green product certification programs and standards, purchasing guides, checklists, and related federal government information.

Eco-S.A.T.: A Green Purchasing Self Assessment Tool
The Eco-S.A.T., the North American Green Purchasing Initiative’s Self-Assessment Tool consists of a 2-part best practices guide as well as a corresponding checklist. The intention is for professional purchasers to evaluate their own organisation’s overall environmental purchasing initiatives and identify opportunities for improvement.

Manufacturing, Processing & Service Industries

Eco-efficiency Self Assessment: Three Steps to Eco-efficiency
This tool was developed to assist small and medium-sized manufacturers in Canada to develop an eco-efficiency program that is custom tailored to their business needs. The process involves the following three steps: 1) Self-Assessment 2) Strategic Planning and 3) Benefit-Cost Analysis.

Eco-efficiency Learning Module
The World Business Council For Sustainable Development has developed the eco-efficiency module. It is a compilation of learning materials and exercises, from which the user may pick-and-choose, to raise awareness and foster implementation at different levels within their organization.

Environmental Accounting Online Training Tool
This training tool is made available by the Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention. Its purpose is to familiarize participants with the steps and tools available for identifying and estimating the costs and benefits associated with pollution prevention options.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Product Evaluation Tool
The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) has produced an evaluation tool and guidance document to assist decision-makers across Canada in the prioritization of candidate products for an EPR program.

Industrial Design and Assessment Tools
The National Research Council’s Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technology (ICPET) develops PC-based design and assessment tools for modeling new and existing industrial processes, products and technology to improve their environmental performance.

Pollution Prevention for Small Business
This site from the Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention delivers access to information, tools and networks for the purposes of improving the environmental performance of small businesses.

SmartSteps
SmartSteps is a program of tools, technical assistance and information offered by Metro Vancouver to help your business become more eco-efficient and competitive. It includes sector specific guides for manufacturing and service industries.

Sustainability Tool Kit
This Toolkit will assist you in learning more about sustainability reporting, assessing the need to report and creating an effective report.

The Environmental Management Tool Kit
This site contains a series of downloadable tools that can help a company improve its environmental performance while reducing waste, water, energy and other costs.

The Global Environmental Management Initiative
This business sponsored site has created tools and provided strategies to help business foster global environmental, health and safety excellence and economic success.