Corporate America is Already Part of the Green Movement

Preserving the natural beauty of our planet is more important than ever. Even major corporations are doing their part to reduce their carbon footprints and become more environmentally friendly. It all starts with the design of the manufacturing plants, office spaces and other buildings that companies and organizations use to do business.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a nonprofit organization based in Washington D.C., sets standards for new construction and remodeling projects that are designed to make commercial buildings and private homes environmentally friendly. Their mission is to educate builders and contractors and encourage sustainability through green building initiatives.

The Green Building Council achieves this goal through their LEED certification program. Companies can earn the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification by heeding USGBC’s advice and implementing many of their suggestions. Examples for an actual structure include using certified materials, taking advantage of natural light and smart landscaping. The use of energy efficient heating and cooling systems, starting water conservation efforts–including harvesting rainwater and using greywater to irrigate the grass–and switching to a green lighting solution also help reduce a corporation’s environmental impact.

Apple, one of the biggest corporations in the world, is a leader in reducing carbon emissions, improving the eco-friendliness of their packaging and products. Apple has taken advantage of rapidly improving technology over the years to reduce their carbon footprint. The latest generation Apple products not only perform better than their predecessors, they also use far fewer resources in their construction. Screens are thinner and there have been significant reductions in the amount of packaging needed to ship and sell all of the items they produce. An Apple TV manufactured in 2011 produces only about 10 percent of the carbon emissions of the 2007 model.

Florida Power & Light, a major subsidiary of NextEra Energy in Juno Beach, Florida, is the largest utility company in the state. NextEra’s headquarters received gold level certification in the LEED program. The company, including FPL, is a leader in the production of wind, solar and nuclear energies, producing clean electricity that powers a majority of Florida. NextEra did many things to earn LEED certification, including paying close attention to energy-efficient lighting. They installed LED lighting in their parking lots, used sensors to automatically turn off lights when rooms were not occupied and used natural sunlight to illuminate lobbies and large interior spaces.

FPL has a BuildSmart program that helps save customers up to 30 percent on their energy bills. Homeowners can have an energy audit performed and receive tips from FPL on how to make their home more energy-efficient.

Hilton Worldwide is one of the most environmentally conscious hotel companies in the world. Long ago, management recognized the trend of green hotels and realized that it good for business as well as the environment. Their LightStay program in 2010 produced a 6.6 percent decrease in energy use, a 3.8 percent decrease in water use, a 7.8 percent reduction in carbon output and a 19 percent drop in waste output over 2008 figures.

In a time when many people are making changes in their everyday lives, reducing their energy use and purchasing environmentally friendly products, many companies have already proven they’re willing to take steps to aid in saving our planet. Often, people focus on perceived corporate greed or tragedies caused by corporations, yet gloss over their positive impacts. While we have a responsibility to keep businesses, particularly the larger ones, accountable for their actions, we should also remember to show our support when they do things right.