Green business is good business, with more entrepreneurs, industry and tech leaders looking to make cost-effective changes that not only saves them money, but are ultimately good for the environment.
Nevada Green Business Network — through a partnership with Western Nevada College and greenUP! — notes 30 businesses that were certified green for the state of Nevada in 2021, and that there are 70 other businesses in the process of becoming green certified for the state.
As part of the green business program process, each business receives a free-and-confidential scorecard so it can improve upon its environmental performance year over year.
“Since the passage of the Pollution Prevention Act 30 years ago, industry, government and the public have been focused on reducing the amount of pollution through cost-effective changes in production, operation and raw materials use,” said greenUP! Board President Donna Walden. “WNC, greenUP! and the program partners of the Nevada Green Business Network are committed to helping Nevada make strides in becoming a leader in green operations.”
Businesses that are certified to date are: Aroma Retail LLC; Arts For All Nevada; Baker Hughes Bently NV; Brand Geek/Law Office of Lara Pearson Ltd, PBC; CARE Chest of Sierra Nevada; Comstock Farm; Continuum Packing; Davidson’s Organics; D’terra Law, LLC; Extremely Emollient, Harley-Davidson Financial Services; JP Copoulos Architect; Katherine Winans, CMP; Las Vegas Professional Organizers LLC; Merchology; My Reno Computer Tutor; Mills Roofing Inc.; Nevada Roots; North Sails Nevada; Outsiders Hair Studio; Patagonia Reno Outlet; Professional Dog Mom, LLC; Reno+Sparks Chamber of Commerce; Simple Power Solar; So Juicy; Space Cadet; Strange Bikinis, LLC; The Nest; Vital Bee Buds LLC; and Wayfarer Vans LLC.
The Nevada Green Business Program is made possible through funding provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection. For details on how to become a certified green business, visit: https://nv.greenbiztracker.org.
The environmental outcomes can be found in the Impact report can be found here.
For 30 businesses certified through the end of calendar year 2021, the following aggregated savings are documented:
• 276,355 pounds of carbon emissions: That’s the equivalent of planting 429 Acres of Urban Trees.
• 638,987 kilowatt/hour of electricity: That’s the equivalent of powering 58 houses for an entire year.
• 12,389 therms of natural gas: That’s the equivalent of heating 476 homes for an entire year.
• 2,018,908 gallons of water: That’s the equivalent of 5 bathtubs of fresh drinking water per hour.
• 378,447 pounds of solid waste: That’s the equivalent of 23 Garbage Trucks Worth of Diverted Waste.
• 363 gallons of hazardous waste: That’s the equivalent of 6 Fifty-five Gallon Drums of Hazardous Waste.
This resulted in total aggregated cost savings for businesses to date of $109,165.
“The Nevada Climate Strategy is clear: reducing Nevada’s greenhouse gases and laying the groundwork for a climate-resilient economy is going to take effort from all economic sectors,” said David Bobzien, Director of Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy. “We are thankful to businesses that are committed to reducing their greenhouse gases through energy savings and doing their part to help reach our state’s climate goals.”
The program utilizes the GreenBizTracker database to collect outcomes that measure the impact certified businesses are having toward resource conservation, pollution prevention and environmental protection goals.
Through education, networking and collaboration, the Nevada Green Business Program and Network assists in finding new ways for businesses to be more efficient, healthy and attract new customers.
“I’m working every day in the Senate to help build a sustainable future for Nevada. The Nevada Green Business Network has been an incredible partner to the Silver State as we work to build our clean economy, create jobs, help businesses become more energy-efficient and combat the climate crisis,” said Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. “I’m eager to see the continued success of this coalition and will keep pushing to help Nevada small businesses go green, save money and create good-paying jobs.”
GreenBizTracker is a web-based and mobile tool that motivates businesses to make voluntary behavior and facility changes that net positive and measurable environmental outcomes.
Easy-to-use resources and tools, as well as one-on-one assistance from program partners, are provided to the businesses to help them along the way. Once businesses are green certified and added to an online, searchable directory, the public can use it to find and patronize these businesses.
“Western Nevada College is an honored member of Nevada’s Green Business Network expanding partnerships through the network and certified businesses,” said Georgia Kenyon White, PhD, WNC Director of Professional and Applied Technology. “NVGBN’s impactful role in Nevada’s workforce ecosystem provides recognition of businesses, employees and stakeholders allowing significant contributions to healthy, vibrant future for Nevada.”
“The way Nevadans do business matters — I applaud our Green Business Network partners for opening doors for more businesses to go green and be part of the solution to create a more sustainable, equitable, climate-resilient future for the Silver State,” said Bradley R. Crowell, Director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “From conserving water and energy, to utilizing cleaner technologies that reduce greenhouse gas pollution, to recycling and cutting waste, Nevada’s green businesses shine the light on how protecting our planet can go hand-in-hand with a strong economy, satisfied employees and happy customers.”
The Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce is one of Northern Nevada’s leading advocates for the transition to a clean energy economy.
“We are supporting the Nevada Green Business Network by offering green business certification training to educate our members. It is one of the many ways we inform and educate members on the opportunities in clean energy — from creating good-paying jobs for our community to how green business practices can help to improve their bottom line,” said Ann Silver, Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce CEO. “Making these changes in our business shows that we really care, we’re not just in it for a buzzword. We want our customers to follow our lead as we try our hardest to minimize our impact on the planet.”
