EPA's Green Power Partnership
Posted by Kelly Smith on Mon, Apr 05, 2010
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promotes the use of green power in the United States through its Green Power Partnership. The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary group of businesses and organizations who purchase green power as a means of reducing their carbon footprint. Purchasing green power is a step towards sustainable business practices, and it also can be a good way to boost business.
The
EPA program materials explain, "Addressing climate risk is increasingly recognized as an important strategic issue for businesses and other organizations. Green power purchasing can reduce your organization's climate risk and identify your organization as an environmental leader to important stakeholder groups, such as customers, Wall Street analysts, shareholders, investors, government officials, and employees."
There are a few stipulations for membership in the Green Power Partnership. Green Power Partners must purchase a certain percentage of green power within a few months of joining the Parnership. Partners must purchase between 2% and 10% of their organization's annual power usage as green power, depending on their level of usage. Green Power Leaders must purchase green power starting at 20% of annual usage for smaller organizations.
Purchasing green power is an easy method for a business to increase its sustainability and reduce its carbon footprint. Many other sustainability strategies involve a process of cultivating change in employees and customers and buildings and business practices, but a purchase of green power is an easy investment which can be even easier with a little expert help.
The EPA program is beneficial in many ways. The Green Power Partnership offers advice to organizations about which green power purchase will best meet their specific needs. The Partnership offers a credible means of purchasing green power and differentiating from the competition. The Green Power Partnership also offers publicity and awards to boost recognition of participating companies. It is hard to go wrong with such a resource at hand.
Photo via placbo.