Climate Showcase Communities
   Local Climate and Energy Program
                                Effective Practices  for Implementing Local
                                Climate  and  Energy  Programs:
                                Working with Corporations
 Lessons Learned by Communities for Communities
 The views expressed in this document are those of the Climate Showcase Communities grant recipients. U.S. EPA does not endorse any
 products or commercial services mentioned.
WHAT IS IT?
Programs can work with corporations to reduce companies' greenhouse gas emissions and
energy use, as well as create partnerships to reach employees and the community with local
sustainability program offerings.
WHY DO IT?
•   Engaging the corporate community is often helpful in making significant progress in
    reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding clean energy use.
•   Corporations may be willing to contribute resources.
•   Corporations can be a key channel for reaching employees.
•   Corporations may have success stories that they can share with employees and peer
    companies to generate interest in a program.

WHAT WORKS?
•   Use examples of successful public-private partnerships to demonstrate the value of
    continued corporate engagement and to generate ideas for additional projects.
•   Identify one or more champions in the corporate structure (such as a corporate
    sustainability director).
•   Convene a "Green Business Council" to bring together corporate leaders interested in
    promoting sustainability through outreach and partnerships.
•   Be sensitive to a company's situation. The time may not be right for a business to
    engage now, but it may in the future.
•   Provide opportunities for recognition and exposure, and promote corporate leaders as
    community partners.
WHAT SHOULD YOU WATCH OUT FOR?
•   Focus on building relationships and trust overtime if corporations are wary of working
    with government agencies.
WHAT RESOURCES HAVE PROJECTS FOUND TO BE USEFUL?
•   Green Business Solutions from Seattle's Resource Venture Program:
    www.seattle.gov/util/ForBusinesses/GreenYourBusiness/
•   StopWaste Business Partnership: www.stopwaste.org/Partnership
•   Home Energy Affordability Loan  Program—Supports employee energy efficiency
    through an employer-based program:
    www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/local/showcase/littlerock.html
                                                                   "Corporations can increase
                                                                   the reach of programs
                                                                   through their customer
                                                                   and supplier networks."

                                                                   StopWaste.org, Use Reusables
                                                                   Campaign, Alameda County,
                                                                   California
ŁEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
                                         April 2015
EPA-430-F-15-010

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