Home » Articles GREEN BUSINESS CHALLENGE EVENT THURSDAY EXPECTED TO DRAW REPRESENTATIVES FORM LOCAL COMPANIES [ Back to Articles ]
February 15, 2012
More than 200 local businesses of all sizes are participating in the Westchester County Green Business Challenge, a private-public partnership between Westchester County and The Business Council of Westchester to help companies operate in a more sustainable way while saving money. Many of these business will be on hand tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 16, from 8 to 10 a.m. at Antun’s of Westchester in Elmsford, at an event that features a panel of experts from the hotel, building and restaurant associations in the county sharing advice on how industry associations can help members “go green.” Enhancements to the Green Business Challenge Web site maintained by the county will also be announced. (See: www.westchestergov.com/greenchallenge.) “The Westchester Green Business Challenge is a grassroots effort by our local companies to reduce energy costs and protect our environment,” said County Executive Robert P. Astorino. “An event such as this is part of our ongoing efforts to help companies share information and learn from each other.” Marsha Gordon, president & CEO of The Business Council of Westchester, said, “Associations are major players in helping get information out to their members.” The challenge, made possible with a corporate grant from Con Edison, is a friendly competition for all businesses, a way to “keep score” of their efforts towards environmental sustainability, and, in some cases, towards third-party green building certification through the ENERGY STAR and LEED™ rating systems. Scott Fernqvist, a special assistant to the chief information officer for Westchester County, said the Web enhancements include new interactive features for members that make it easier to keep track of their progress. Laurence Gottlieb, director of the county’s Office for Economic Development, said, “The Westchester Green Business Challenge is finding innovative ways to push sustainable development to the next level. This expansion to our digital outreach will help the team pinpoint specific challenges facing our partner companies when it comes to implementing green business practices, so in return, we can offer detailed advice customized to overcoming their individual issues.” |
