ICLEI Works with Local Governments on Green Business Challenges

For many local governments, the commercial sector presents a significant opportunity to achieve many of their environmental goals, and, likewise, many companies aspire to demonstrate their environmental leadership and to be recognized as “green” businesses. The Chicago Green Office Challenge was launched by former Mayor Richard M. Daley in 2009 as a strategy of the Chicago Climate Action Plan. The program was developed in partnership with the City of Chicago and ICLEI as a means to address greenhouse gas emissions from the commercial sector, which accounts for 39% of Chicago’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The Green Office Challenge garnered significant interest by local governments throughout the country as an innovative tool to inspire environmental awareness and friendly competition within the business community, and as a means to quantify the results of their climate actions. The program evolved into the Green Business Challenge as a result of these local governments’ desire to be more inclusive of the broader business community. While each program is unique, the model remains essentially the same.

The Port of San Diego Green Business Challenge officially launched the first west coast program in January of 2011.

In February 2010, ICLEI launched a pilot program to provide guidance and technical support to help four communities set up their Challenge programs: Charleston, SC; Houston, TX; Arlington County, VA; and City San Diego, CA. In August 2010, the Charleston Green Business Challenge was launched. Shortly after the Charleston launch, the Arlington County Green Games and Houston Green Office Challenge kicked off their programs.

Beyond these pilots, other communities have also launched their own programs. Westchester County, NY, and the St. Louis, MO, region both have successful programs in place.

On April 21, 2011, ICLEI and Office Depot announced the expansion of the Green Business Challenge to four additional ICLEI members, including the Port’s member city, Chula Vista.

Austin, Texas, Bellevue, Washington and Triangle J Council of Governments in North Carolina were selected to receive guidance from ICLEI financial assistance from Office Depot towards the development of their proposed Green Business Challenge programs.