Arlington County Applauds Local Businesses at Inaugural Green ...
For Immediate Release March 22, 2012
Contact: Myllisa Kennedy, Communications [email protected], 703-228-3152
Arlington County Applauds Local Businesses at Inaugural Green Games Awards $2 million saved in energy and water costs 10,000 tons of CO2 release prevented Restaurant, retail businesses’ Green Games competitions to launch in May ARLINGTON, Va. – Arlington County today recognized businesses representing more than 100 buildings and offices for their year-long participation in the County-sponsored Green Games competition to reduce waste, energy and water use and set other environmental goals. By deploying energy-efficient, no- to low-cost, and sustainable practices, Green Games participants realized a collective savings of $2M and prevented the release of 10,000 tons of CO2, or the equivalent of taking 1,996 passenger vehicles off the road for one year. “Green Games participants are true leaders in our community. They have shown us that Arlington’s goal of a sustainable future makes good business sense,” said Arlington County Board Vice Chairman J. Walter Tejada. “The efforts of Arlington property managers and office tenants show that with a little competitive spirit and a fun, resultsdriven approach, we can make our community a better place to live, work and play.” Playing the Green Games Green Games is part of the County's Fresh AIRE (Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions) program, and is one of many programs Arlington County has developed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The year-long competition designed for the commercial office sector kicked off in January 2011. Participants in Fresh AIRE’s inaugural Green Games competition: Included 100+ buildings and offices Represented roughly 15 million square feet - or one third - of Arlington’s office space Saved more than $2 million in avoided energy and water costs Fresh AIRE guided each business and provided ongoing support to reduce building emissions and their operating costs, including: An initial environmental awareness analysis An energy efficiency improvement checklist A robust, interactive training program For the full list of winners, visit the County website. Simple actions yielded results Participating offices committed to and undertook sustainability actions, which ranged from simple actions like setting printers to default to double-sided printing and powering down computers, to more involved efforts like conducting energy and waste audits or developing a green purchasing policy. Companies that showed the greatest achievements across areas such as energy and water use, waste diversion and transportation choices over the year were honored by Arlington County during the ceremony. Expanding to Restaurants and Retail Businesses Due to the success and popularity of this program, Fresh AIRE is expanding the Green Games to two other sectors of the community. Green Games Retail and Green Games Restaurants will kick off this summer. Fresh AIRE also plans to review and re-launch the office sector program in January 2013. Details will be available on the Green Games web site soon. About Fresh AIRE Fresh AIRE began in 2007 with the goal of reducing GHG emissions across government operations 10 percent below 2000 levels by 2012. The County is also developing a Community Energy Plan that explores energy generation, distribution, storage, and use in Arlington over the next 40 years. About Arlington County Arlington, Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the “10 miles square” parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital. It is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and received the Environmental Protection Agency's highest award for “Smart Growth” in 2002. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world— including the Pentagon—Arlington stands out as one of America's preeminent places to live, visit and do business.
Contact: Myllisa Kennedy, Communications [email protected], 703-228-3152
Arlington County Applauds Local Businesses at Inaugural Green Games Awards $2 million saved in energy and water costs 10,000 tons of CO2 release prevented Restaurant, retail businesses’ Green Games competitions to launch in May ARLINGTON, Va. – Arlington County today recognized businesses representing more than 100 buildings and offices for their year-long participation in the County-sponsored Green Games competition to reduce waste, energy and water use and set other environmental goals. By deploying energy-efficient, no- to low-cost, and sustainable practices, Green Games participants realized a collective savings of $2M and prevented the release of 10,000 tons of CO2, or the equivalent of taking 1,996 passenger vehicles off the road for one year. “Green Games participants are true leaders in our community. They have shown us that Arlington’s goal of a sustainable future makes good business sense,” said Arlington County Board Vice Chairman J. Walter Tejada. “The efforts of Arlington property managers and office tenants show that with a little competitive spirit and a fun, resultsdriven approach, we can make our community a better place to live, work and play.” Playing the Green Games Green Games is part of the County's Fresh AIRE (Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions) program, and is one of many programs Arlington County has developed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The year-long competition designed for the commercial office sector kicked off in January 2011. Participants in Fresh AIRE’s inaugural Green Games competition: Included 100+ buildings and offices Represented roughly 15 million square feet - or one third - of Arlington’s office space Saved more than $2 million in avoided energy and water costs Fresh AIRE guided each business and provided ongoing support to reduce building emissions and their operating costs, including: An initial environmental awareness analysis An energy efficiency improvement checklist A robust, interactive training program For the full list of winners, visit the County website. Simple actions yielded results Participating offices committed to and undertook sustainability actions, which ranged from simple actions like setting printers to default to double-sided printing and powering down computers, to more involved efforts like conducting energy and waste audits or developing a green purchasing policy. Companies that showed the greatest achievements across areas such as energy and water use, waste diversion and transportation choices over the year were honored by Arlington County during the ceremony. Expanding to Restaurants and Retail Businesses Due to the success and popularity of this program, Fresh AIRE is expanding the Green Games to two other sectors of the community. Green Games Retail and Green Games Restaurants will kick off this summer. Fresh AIRE also plans to review and re-launch the office sector program in January 2013. Details will be available on the Green Games web site soon. About Fresh AIRE Fresh AIRE began in 2007 with the goal of reducing GHG emissions across government operations 10 percent below 2000 levels by 2012. The County is also developing a Community Energy Plan that explores energy generation, distribution, storage, and use in Arlington over the next 40 years. About Arlington County Arlington, Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the “10 miles square” parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital. It is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and received the Environmental Protection Agency's highest award for “Smart Growth” in 2002. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world— including the Pentagon—Arlington stands out as one of America's preeminent places to live, visit and do business.
