| The U.S. commercial sector (offices, institutions, | | | | expenses - get your local transit authority to help |
| stores, entertainment venues, etc.) is responsible | | | | you calculate the benefits to the climate |
| for 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas output | | | | 6. Hire an energy efficiency consulting firm or an |
| annually. Add to that the 1.6 billion tons coming | | | | Energy Service Company (ESCO) - experts can |
| from the industrial sector and another 900 million | | | | guide you to savings well beyond their fees - |
| tons generated by commuters and trucking and | | | | don't try to re-invent the wheel |
| American businesses are responsible for 3.5 billion | | | | 7. Create strategic alliances with vendor partners |
| tons of carbon dioxide and other hothouse gases | | | | committed to energy efficiency - vendors |
| -- over half the energy related emissions annually. | | | | investing in reduced energy and transportation |
| Every company in America, then, can make a | | | | costs, zero waste packaging, and strategic |
| significant contribution to the war on global | | | | planning are partners who will be there for the |
| warming by cutting energy use. Here are some | | | | long-haul |
| tried and true ways of doing that: | | | | 8. Set recycling goals approaching Zero Waste - |
| | | | through recycling, composting and waste reduction |
| 1. Develop a company policy for telecommuting - | | | | planning, most businesses can now get serious |
| commuting with a second family car can cost | | | | about eliminating waste altogether |
| employees over $5,000 a year | | | | 9. Buy recycled-content products, supplies and |
| 2. Retrofit all lighting with compact fluorescents | | | | materials - recycled content materials and supplies |
| and other high-tech offerings - 20% of all | | | | use half the energy of non-recycled. |
| commercial electricity goes to lighting | | | | 10. Track your energy use intelligently and |
| 3. Buy Energy Star equipment (new standards will | | | | communicate this regularly company-wide - if you |
| be out in 2009) - buying cheap can sometimes | | | | don't measure it, you aren't managing it |
| mean high energy costs | | | | Remember, energy savings and other |
| 4. Maintain heating and cooling equipment properly | | | | conservation measures like recycling should |
| - building engineers will tell you that no one gives | | | | always mean reduced costs. If your bottom line |
| them a decent budget for maintenance | | | | matters to you, fighting global warming should be |
| procedures | | | | a no-brainer. |
| 5. Contribute to employee public transportation | | | | |