The Green Business Program, which certifies businesses based on water, energy, waste and pollution prevention work above compliance, actually began in Sonoma County. W00t!
It was a Haz Mat program run by a firefighter to reward regulated businesses such as printers, auto shops, and wineries for not dumping their crap in the rivers (more complex, but that's how I like to think of it). Since beginning in 1996, more than 1,000 businesses have been certified green in the Bay Area. It was expanded and taken up by Associated Bay Area Governments (aptly acronymed "ABAG"), and now all nine Bay Area counties have Green Business programs (Solano and Sonoma are again in pilot phase):
Sonoma
Alameda
Conta Costa
Marin
Napa
San Francisco
San Mateo
Santa Clara
Solano
Monterey, Santa Barbara County, San Diego, Hawaii (and one through the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce), Arizona, Alaska, New Mexico, Idaho, Montana, Michigan, Oregon, Georgia, South Carolina, Vermont, King County, WA, the City of Sacramento, the City of Kirkland, WA, the City of Boulder, CO, the City of Orlando, and even Cocoa Beach, Fla. have also sprouted their own programs... soon to be joined by programs in exciting locales such as LA or New York, I hope!
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