Government agencies at all levels work with businesses and other organizations in voluntary partnership programs that revolve around different environmental themes. Your environmental partner can be a business or organization that voluntarily participates in a program that addresses a particular theme or goal. Some environmental partnerships feature a narrow focus and pertain to a specific activity or industry, while others address broader issues and are applicable to a wide range of businesses.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a key player in the field of partnerships, offering an assortment of national and regional partnering programs, including Energy Star and the Green Power Purchase program.

If the idea of teaming up with the federal government piques your interest, peruse EPA’s list of partnership programs to select something that fits your business’s goals and interests (see Appendix B). In addition to EPA partnerships, various other government agencies and organizations offer environmental-themed partnership programs.

The Carbon Trust (a government-funded independent company) is an organization whose mission is to accelerate the move to a low-carbon economy by working with organizations to reduce carbon emission and develop commercial low-carbon technologies. It partners with multiple organizations, both for-profit and nonprofit, and offers resources including information, monetary assistance, and referrals to consulting firms that can help you calculate and reduce your carbon footprint. It has recently expanded from the United Kingdom to the United States and is offering carbon labels for its products (see Appendix B).

Another organization, The Vermont Business Environmental Partnership, asks participants to meet a set of environmental standards before they are designated an Environmental Partner. The standards involve efforts in such areas as recycling, energy efficiency, and promoting the partnership program. From there, participants may work on additional standards to achieve the next level status of Environmental Leader.

Local governments and community organizations are getting involved in supporting environmental initiatives, too. The Silicon Valley Environmental Partnership is a nonprofit organization that works on local environmental issues. The Bay Area Green Business Program in California is a partnership of government agencies and utilities that work with businesses and public agencies on achieving a higher standard of environmental performance.

Partners in the EPA Green Power Partnership program agree to buy green power. Green power is electricity from renewable sources such as sun, wind, and water. Also, green power is produced in ways that are less air polluting than standard energy.

To maintain the green power partnership status, a participant is required to buy green power in an amount based on a percentage of its annual energy consumption. The percentage guidelines are outlined in the program.

The participating business may install green power directly at the facility, such as setting up solar panels on the roof, or it may buy green power from a utility provider. Another way to participate is by purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs). The REC does not provide the purchaser with electricity, but is a certificate verifying the money went to support a green power producer elsewhere. For more about RECs, see Chapter 6.

See Appendix B for contact information for the Green Power Partnership program.

Going Green

The EPA offers an online tool that’s useful in showcasing the environmental value of green power purchased. The Green Power Equivalency Calculator translates the purchase into an equivalent amount of avoided carbon emissions. To quantify the amount of emissions avoided, the calculator puts the amount in terms of familiar references, such as greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles. The tool is available via www.epa.gov/greenpower/pubs/calculator.htm.

Various partnerships offer awards or other types of acknowledgment for jobs well done. Those official pats on the back can be parlayed into marketing and PR efforts when dealing with business partners and customers and perhaps even the media. Some partnership programs send out press releases when a business wins an award or earns another level of recognition.

A listing on the sponsoring organization’s website is another form of recognition. The Energy Star Awards, for example, showcase winning businesses’ pursuits in energy efficiency. Information about the winners is featured online.

Timberland, a retailer that sells outdoor products, earned recognition from the 2007 Green Power Leadership Awards. At the distribution plant in California, an on-site solar energy system provides about 60 percent of the energy. The company also buys wind-based renewable energy credits, and the retail stores promote the wind power concept through brochures and a web link.

Another winner that year was Staples, which sells office supply products. The company purchased green power equivalent to more than 20 percent of purchased electricity in the United States, an amount that qualified it for the EPA Top 25 list.

The EPA’s various partnership programs attract thousands of businesses, schools, and organizations. The more companies that work toward saving energy, the better it will be for the planet. The Green Power Partnership states that its top 10 retailers buy green power that’s the equivalent of enough electricity to power more than 161,000 average American homes in a year. Among the top 10 retailers for 2008 were: Whole Foods, Kohl’s Department Stores, Starbucks, Lowes, Office Depot, and REI. Smaller companies can study the sustainability plans of these larger examples to learn more ways to save energy.

Energy use in commercial buildings and manufacturing plants accounts for nearly half of our country’s greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 50 percent of energy consumption nationwide.

Another partnership program, Energy Star, stated that the accomplishments of its industrial partners in 2006 avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from more than 4 million vehicles.

Energy Star has partnership programs applicable to a broad assortment of partners.

The objective, according to EPA information, includes energy management that protects the environment and saves money. Various types of partnership programs are offered based on the type of business applying.

For manufacturers, it allows the use of the Energy Star certification logo. For retailers and e-tailers (companies that conduct business over the Internet), the program offers participants networking opportunities with other partners and access to resources, such as staff training materials. Partnership commitments include specific guidelines about how the Energy Star logo is used and how the products are promoted.

Among the noteworthy practices of the Energy Star program is that occasionally businesses promote energy-saving products by offering credits, rebates, or sales tax exemptions on qualified products. Interested customers can type their zip code into the Energy Star website to determine if such offers are available in their community (see Appendix B).

Going Green

To become an Energy Star Partner and qualify for the Energy Star award, visit www.energystar.gov and click on the “Go to Partner Resources” tab on the right-hand side of the page. This will redirect you to a page where you can download an application form. Fill out and e-mail the form, and you are on your way to becoming an Energy Star Partner.