Two years ago, as our organization was doing the groundwork for what would eventually lead to our Environmental Stewardship & Management Initiative (which I discussed in my previous column for GreenBiz, Small Business, Big Results) we asked the question, "what are some new, unexplored ways to move the greening of business from exception to norm?"

One of the answers came from an unexpected place: Henrietta, New York. This community, just outside of Rochester, had been one of the first municipalities to join Audubon International's Sustainable Communities Program -- an education and assistance program geared towards fostering environmental planning and action within the local government and community. While the participation of this community of 30,000 was unique, even more unique was the inspiration for the partnership -- the local Chamber of Commerce.

After seeing an presentation on environmental stewardship by businesses by an Audubon International staffer at a Chamber meeting, someone asked -- why can't we do all of these environmental things in the community? That question prompted the Chamber to sponsor enrollment of Henrietta in the program, and, two years later, Henrietta is on the cusp of earning the Audubon Green Community Award for a whole host of environmental improvements, programs, and actions in the community.

Yet, it was the local Chamber of Commerce that initiated this; which led us to ask another question -- how do we in the environmental community do a better job working with these community-based business groups. Think about it: Chambers are found in every community. They serve as the local economic catalyst, community service group, and small business support group. Why not local eco-champion?

To help explore this question further, a survey was sent to the leaders of the 3,000-plus Chambers across the United States in an effort to assess their environmental attitudes, awareness, current programs, and needs of the associations and their members. Roughly 5 percent -- about 150 -- of the chambers we sent the survey responded.

Highlights from the survey are telling: First off, roughly 70 percent of Chambers of Commerce do not offer training, education, or programs to help members learn about environmental management, environmental stewardship tools, or the business value of environmental stewardship. Yet, 81 percent of respondents stated an interest in providing tools to members to help them reduce costs, manage risk, and improve business operations through eco-friendly actions.

Clearly, there is a need and an opportunity to partner with Chambers. Yet, any "training" at a Chamber level must be accompanied by bagels, coffee and jokes, and must be less than 20 minutes. So, environmental advocates and educators have to find a new way to connect with Chambers and their members-as friends, confidants, entertainers, and cooperative partners.

Likewise, 83 percent stated they would be interested in providing their Chamber's business members with environmental management information -- anything from advice to resources -- through some type of low-cost medium like a web newsletter. The emphasis is on low-cost and easy. Small business owners and operators lack time and money. At the same time, research continually stresses the importance of using local assistance providers in any environmental change program.

Obviously, with Chambers and their members, changing attitudes and actions towards the environment has to be accomplished in a new way. Maybe the Cooperative Extension can partner with Chambers and define a new and improved role for both entities? Part of the creation of our Environmental Stewardship and Management Advisory Council is the further exploration of this issue, and certainly Chambers, as the local resource-provider for community, family-owned, smaller businesses, should play a role.

Our survey also found that more than 50 percent of Chambers believe that their business members would be interested in earning credit for their positive environmental actions from an environmental organization. As an organization, we have been doing just this for twenty years through a set of education and certification programs. Get businesses to walk the walk, and then celebrate those accomplishments.

There are a number of other programs like ours, from the San Francisco Bay Area Green Business Program (thank you to Advisory Council member Susan Sasaki and the Sustainable Earth Institute for providing that information) to the green hotel or marina programs run by state-agencies and non-profits. Yet, the uptake and participation, even in those mostly-matured voluntary environmental programs, falls well short of that 50 percent belief: at best, we see 10-15 percent involvement by sector.

There may be an interesting paradox here -- one I experienced fifteen years ago as a university researcher and editor for the Corporate Environmental Strategy Journal. At that time, an executive from a prominent multinational corporation said to me, "we're willing to stick our neck out (on environmental issues), but the further it sticks out, the easier it becomes for someone to try to take an ax to it." Indeed, even today there are businesses in various voluntary environmental programs that are doing good things, but would rather not have anyone know about it to avoid the attention.

This "business environmentalism anonymity disorder" is built on forty years of distrust and the sometimes antagonistic rigidity of the environmental movement. Although the atmosphere in the United States is changing, there is still a need for improved relations -- an environmental détente of sorts -- between the private sector and environmental groups in order to have incentives for environmental stewardship that keep everyone's neck safe.

Finally, according to our 2006 survey, 67 percent of Chambers of Commerce are interested in gaining credit or recognition from a nonprofit environmental organization for actions they take to promote greater environmental awareness. Put simply, Chambers of Commerce, like any other group, look for the chance to celebrate their success and gain recognition for those efforts.

As a result, in the coming months we will be launching a "Green Chamber Award" -- designed to help identify and highlight those local chambers affecting environmental change with their members and in their communities. Leaders, models, and examples have to be identified and should be recognized for their efforts, and this, hopefully, will be one way to help do just that.

In the end, to truly find a way to break the barriers that continue us down a path of "creeping environmentalism," and instead, embed environmental stewardship and sustainability into every facet of life, we need to look at every facet of life. And as the survey tells us, Chambers of Commerce are partners for the environmental movement just waiting to be asked. We're now asking. Perhaps others will as well.

Kevin Fletcher is the Executive Director for Audubon International.