The Charleston Green Business Challenge (GBC) is wrapping up it’s second year and is now taking sign ups for 2013. As part of the steering committee, I’ve recently been assisting with the scoring of about 50 businesses’ 2012 scorecards. Green Business Challenges and similar programs have popped up around the country and are a great way to educate and really scale up city sustainability. The Charleston program has helped a total of 135 businesses meet their goal of providing a healthier and more sustainable work environment. In the first year, businesses averaged over $6,000 in financial savings as they achieved their green business goals. All participants are a part of a unique team of almost 7 million square feet of offices and businesses in the Lowcountry who each offer inspiring contributions to what it means to operate a green business. Collectively the GBC as a whole implemented about 600 new green strategies throughout the year.
The goals of the voluntary Charleston’s Green Business Challenge are to improve environmental performance of commercial and institutional buildings and their operations. Three key elements are reducing energy, waste and water. Going green is not just the right thing to do for the community and the planet; it has many good financial and health benefits as well. Many building owners and companies have noted significant bottom line financial savings from their environmental and energy efficiency initiatives. Participating in the GBC will allow businesses, institutions and Charleston, to get a head start on these savings and these environmental benefits.
The GBC is led by the City of Charleston. The primary interest for the City is to continue to assist businesses with ways to save money through practices that will both benefit their business and the community as a whole. The idea is to offer a program that provides an easy path to improvement that is both measurable and achievable. The twelve month program allows businesses to see results throughout the process. It rewards not only reducing waste and consumption, but also incentivizes community involvement and stewardship. The program is managed by the Planning, Preservation and Sustainability Department at the City of Charleston.
From the GBC Team:
On March 1st we start our new GBC year. We hope your team will join us.
Here’s what we know.
- The Green Business Challenge is a great way to get your team behind energy, water and waste reduction strategies as well as buying local.
- Your team will make your own goals.
- We’ll have trainings that will help connect you with resources as well as learn from each other.
- And we’ll have fun celebrating everyone’s successes-more on that in another paragraph.
To get started in this year’s GBC, click here to sign up for your businesses password and login.
The Sir Geoffrey Blog 