Climate Action Pathway for Businesses

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About the Climate Action Pathway

The Climate Action Pathway is a levelled program that helps businesses assess their current practices and receive expert coaching to identify new steps they can take to go green and take climate action. The goal of the program is to drive measurable emissions reduction actions and advance environmental stewardship through the promotion of energy efficiency, water conservation, low-carbon transportation, waste reduction, ecosystem restoration, and other climate action initiatives, along with meaningful social impact actions.

“Did you know that businesses can reduce energy costs by up to 75%, reduce waste, water and material costs by up to 20%, increase revenues, and improve profitability by taking strategic actions on sustainability?”

What you get

Enhanced credibility

Verification of your efforts to enhance credibility and demonstrate climate leadership.

Customized action plan

A certification logo and marketing toolkit to promote your achievements.

Marketing resources

Pathway logo and marketing toolkit to promote your achievements.

Resources and guidance

Access to tools, resources, and expert guidance to support your continued journey and stay ahead of rising costs and changing regulations.

How it works 

To get started, set up a call with our team to learn more. Once you’ve signed up, our team will send your membership agreement, instructions for your assessment, and an onboarding package.

The 5 Steps of the Pathway Program:

Step one:

Complete the self-assessment and book a virtual call with an assessor.

The self-assessment and booking links are provided in the program onboarding package.

Step two:

Attend the virtual call with your assessor.

Your assessor will review and discuss how your business is implementing actions across each assessment category, as reported in your self-assessment. Evidence may be requested for specific actions.

Step three:

Receive expert coaching and an action plan.

After the assessment is complete, your assessor will provide 1:1 coaching and provide a list of recommended actions focused on quick wins that can help you to increase your score and your positive impacts.

Step four:

Implement actions.

You will have four weeks to provide any additionally requested evidence and implement recommended actions, at which time your assessor will finalize your assessment score.

Step five:

Receive your final report and marketing toolkit.

Receive your final report and marketing toolkit. Your final report will help you to see how you have scored in each section. The marketing toolkit will include your digital logos and badge if you have met the minimum 35% threshold to achieve a levelled score.

Pricing

Climate Action Pathway Program businesses pay an annual membership fee, to maintain status and continue receiving the benefits associated with membership. Prices vary depending on the size of your business. Renewal of assessment is required every three years.

Membership fees are based upon the number of full time equivalent employees (FTEs).

Small Business

FTE’s: 1-25

$799/year

Medium Business

FTE’s: 26-75

$999/year

Large Business

FTE’s: 76-100+

$1,299/year

Need a little more information?

Book a free consultation to ask questions about the program, share information about your business, and learn more about how we can help you achieve your climate action goals.

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Climate Action Cohorts

For Municipalities & Regional Partners

The Climate Action Pathway can be delivered in partnership with municipalities, regional districts, and economic development agencies to support local climate action.

By launching a cohort of businesses within your community, you can:

  • Advance your Climate Action or Net Zero strategy through measurable emissions reduction initiatives
  • Engage local businesses as active partners in climate leadership
  • Track community-wide progress across key sustainability categories
  • Strengthen economic resilience through cost-saving efficiency measures
  • Position your region as a sustainability leader
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Climate Action Pathway FAQs

Customers increasingly seek sustainable spending options. Research indicates that companies addressing social and environmental issues not only retain employees better but also cultivate a more loyal customer base, leading to higher returns by benefiting people, the planet, and profit.


GreenStep Pathway celebrates your environmental achievements and offers guidance and support for continued climate action. Displaying the GreenStep Pathway badge signals to customers, employees, and peers that you are committed to making a positive impact.


Additionally, aligning with the assessment and implementing GreenStep Pathway recommended actions will improve your energy efficiency leading to significant cost savings with proactive measures that can reduce the financial impact of carbon taxes and rising prices.

The GreenStep Pathway assessment consists of 37 questions related to various areas of climate action and environmental sustainability. Each question of the assessment has been assigned a specific point value based on the impact of the particular action. A minimum score of 35% is required to achieve Pathway level 1, and a grading level is awarded based upon the score as follows:

GreenStep Pathway Grading Levels:

  • Level 4: 90%+
  • Level 3: 75-89%
  • Level 2: 55-74%
  • Level 1: 35-54%

The time required to gather evidence and prepare for your assessment may range depending on your current level of sustainability performance and existing tracking systems. For some well organized businesses, assessment preparation may take less than an hour. For others, a more in-depth time commitment may be required if the lead contact on the assessment needs to reach out to their peers to find and gather information.

Assessments vary depending on the size of your business. Most businesses will require a 90-minute assessment.

In order to maintain your grading level and status, you will need to pay an annual membership fee which includes a reassessment every two years to ensure that you are continuing to meet the GreenStep Pathway standard.

Members are strongly encouraged to include representatives from each department of their organization. Departmental managers, including those in charge of purchasing and building managers (or liaisons to the building manager), often have the best insight into current actions, practices, and equipment.

The assessment call should include you or your Green Team leader, and any other staff you feel are important to attend.

Aligned Strategies

City of Kelowna

BC Energy Step Code

Canada’s Net-Zero Challenge

Are you a tourism business or destination?

GreenStep also offers programs specifically tailored to businesses in the tourism industry. GreenStep’s Sustainable Tourism Pathway helps businesses and destinations communicate their sustainability efforts with credibility, based on globally recognized standards.

For DESTINATIONS FOR TOURISM BUSINESSES