Going Green is Big Business in Greater Philadelphia

Going green is big business in Philadelphia and throughout the region.

Greater Philadelphia is emerging as a model for other regions on how to reduce environmental impact while maintaining dynamic neighborhoods, a strong workforce, and a vibrant cultural environment.

Philadelphia is ranked eighth out of the 50 largest U.S. cities for overall sustainability, according to a 2006 ranking by SustainLane, an independent company that issued an environmental report card for the nation's largest cities.

Throughout our region, companies, government agencies, citizen groups, and academic institutions are reviewing their current procedures and adopting new practices for the use of renewable resources.

The process of businesses “going green” has brought significant changes to Greater Philadelphia’s workforce. Green-collar jobs, which are positions in the environmental sector of the economy, have expanded to nearly every industry, including alternative energy, health care, construction and manufacturing.

It is essential for companies to increase their investments in sustainable initiatives in order to maintain our region’s economic competitiveness in today’s environmentally-conscious marketplace and continue to create new jobs.

That is why the Chamber is committed to programs that educate companies about how to integrate sustainable practices into their daily business operations and why “going green” is not only responsible but can also improve their bottom lines.

Our Annual Region on the Rise program, on Wednesday, May 28, will explore critical topics in Greater Philadelphia’s development and construction sectors. It will include a special workshop about sustainability.

Changing the way we design, assemble and operate buildings can have a profound environmental and economic impact. A recent report by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council found that in the United States, buildings account for 76% of all electric consumption. Additionally, nearly half of the greenhouse-gas emissions that contribute to global warming come from building construction and operations. It is clear that there is much room for improvement. There are also financial benefits to green building construction- on average, green building strategies have a 20 to 1 return on investment, said the same report.

Prominent organizations and individuals in our region have emerged as national environmental leaders by building awareness of sustainability issues.

For instance, the Philadelphia Phillies recently unveiled a new environmental strategy, “Red Goes Green,” under which the team will buy enough renewable energy to offset all energy costs at Citizens Bank Park.

Mayor Michael Nutter has also pledged his commitment to the green movement and expressed confidence that Philadelphia can become the greenest city in the country. His massive citywide neighborhood cleanup on April 5 was said to be the largest, single-day, citywide cleanup on record in the United States. An estimated 15,000 volunteers removed 2.56 million pounds of trash. The Mayor is also planning to create an Office of Sustainability to coordinate environmental initiatives throughout the city.

Growing green initiatives like reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, increasing renewable energy and alternative fuel use, and constructing more environmentally friendly buildings is necessary to keep Greater Philadelphia competitive. As sustainable operations become even more important, remaining at the forefront of the green movement will create opportunities for us to market our region as a desirable location to live and work.