The 2020 Better Business Challenge Launches!
This month the Charlottesville Climate Collaborative is thrilled to launch the fourth round of the 2020 Better Business Challenge!
The Challenge assists local businesses and nonprofits in taking actions that reduce their climate impacts. Last year nearly 100 businesses achieved energy savings totaling over half a million dollars; engaged their workforce; and demonstrated their environmental and social responsibility.
This year we’re excited to roll out an even bigger suite of actions that businesses can take including waste and transportation. Whether you’re a small nonprofit, house of worship, school or large business, we want to support you in reaching your sustainability goals. Joining the Challenge puts you ahead of the game!
Five Reasons Why Your Business Should Join
Reduce Energy Use and Cut Costs
Our Energy Scorecard is a roadmap to saving energy. From low-cost actions that engage your workforce to medium investments in motion sensing technology that reduces lighting waste to capital projects like rooftop solar, we can help by putting you in touch with the right service providers.
2. Save Time
We’ve done the homework for you -- created provider list, templates, networking opportunities to share best practices, and great lineup of workshops that will save you valuable time (and therefore money).
3. Stand Out Among Your Peers
Did you know that over half of consumers consider environmental impact when choosing which businesses to patronize? A recent Goldman Sachs study* showed that businesses who are considered leaders in environmental, social, and governance policies outperform the average stock market by 25%.
4. Gain Positive Recognition
We want to tout your success throughout the year through interviews with local news, success spotlights on our website, and elevating our top performers at our final Awards Night. Last year, we gave nearly 800 shoutouts on social media throughout the course of the Challenge.
5. Support Your Community and Environment
Last year’s participants saved enough emissions to power 500 homes for an entire year. The Challenge has had a real impact on our shared environment, starting with the smart choices of our own local businesses.
What’s new about the 2020 Challenge?
Expanded Suite of Actions
The Challenge has expanded to include four categories beyond energy: waste, water, transportation, and community leadership. The adoption of a new and easy-to-use online platform allows businesses to easily log and compare their completed actions in all five categories.
2. Tenant and Owner Track
We understand that tenants have limited control over what they can do to their buiding space. So this year we’ve leveled the playing field even further by introducing two distinct tracks for tenants and owners.
3. New Core Actions
This year, our steering team put their heads together to choose ten core actions that are required for our award winners. That doesn’t mean you have to complete these actions before getting started on the easy stuff like joining our social media platforms or putting a green team together!
We hope you’ll join the 40+ businesses who have signed on this year, including returning participants like Woodard Properties and High Tor Gear Exchange, and newcomers like Free Country School and Swett Dentistry. Other Charlottesville businesses that have joined are CFA Institute, Carter Myers Automotive’s Colonial Nissan and Volvo Cars of Charlottesville, Custom Ink, Firefly Restaurant, Region Ten, Sigora Solar, Swett Dentistry, Westminster Presbyterian Church, and Willowtree.
2020 Participants So Far:
* Averill, Dennis (2011). Lean Sustainability: Creating Safe, Enduring, and Profitable Operations. CRC Press.