Mayor Annise Parker kicks off Houston's green office challenge spearheaded by Sustainability Director, Laura Spanjian (left). |
The City of Houston, in partnership with ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, is launching the City's first annual Green Office Challenge. To significantly reduce Houston's greenhouse gas (GHG) and criteria air pollutant emissions, the City is creating realistic strategies and programs, particularly in the building and transportation sectors (which combined contribute over 85 percent of the City's GHG emissions).
"The Houston Green Office Challenge is an unprecedented opportunity to bring citizens into the city-wide sustainability strategy to make Houston a greener, cleaner and healthier place for ourselves and the future Houstonians who will inherit our great city," said Mayor Annise Parker. "The City of Houston is eighth in the country for the number of LEED certified buildings and sixth in the country for the number of Energy Star buildings. We want to be #1 in both. The Green Office Challenge will help us get there."
To date, six management districts have signed on for the challenge: Downtown, Greenspoint, Upper Kirby/Greenway, the Energy Corridor, Westchase and Uptown (Galleria). Participants' milestones and successes will be measured throughout the year of the challenge culminating in recognition and awards for progresses made. The Challenge invites commercial office owners/managers and tenants in Houston's business districts to increase their environmental and economic performance in the areas of energy conservation, waste reduction, water efficiency, cleaner transportation choices and property management/tenant engagement. "It is part of the City's strategy to help improve the environmental and economic performance of our commercial buildings by engaging at all levels of influence from individual office employees to major commercial property owners and managers," said Laura Spanjian, Mayor Parker's Director of Sustainability.
The Houston Green Office Challenge officially begins October 15th. Online registration has begun. The results will be announced during an awards ceremony in October, 2011.
Enroll in the Houston Green Office Challenge and announce your commitment to a cleaner, greener Houston! Properties that successfully meet the Houston Green Office Challenge goals will be publicly recognized for their success by the City at a concluding awards ceremony. The four Base Goal achievement criteria are feasible for nearly any existing commercial property, and those who reach the Stretch Goals will receive additional assistance and recognition.
The points required to reach the following tiers are Platinum (76-100); Gold (51-75); Silver (26-50); Bronze (15-25). To complete the challenge an initial baseline score will be evaluated for each participant. There are 100 points total. This program is the best way to understand and engage in both introductory and high performance green building practices.
Becoming a Bronze, Silver or Gold Level Sponsor will drive this important initiative and the City of Houston's sustainability vision. The sponsors also have unique opportunities to network with participants, speak at events, present awards and have their company name/logo on all press releases, program materials and the website.
The First Annual Houston Green Office Challenge is sponsored by Centerpoint Energy, Choice Energy Services, Greenstar North America, Hines, Shell, Siemens, Calpine, Crescent, NRG EV Services, Waste Management, Xerox, Metro and HOK Houston. For more information and to register for Houston's Green Office Challenge, please visit www.houstongoc.org or www.greenhoustontx.gov.
"The Houston Green Office Challenge is an unprecedented opportunity to bring citizens into the city-wide sustainability strategy to make Houston a greener, cleaner and healthier place for ourselves and the future Houstonians who will inherit our great city," said Mayor Annise Parker. "The City of Houston is eighth in the country for the number of LEED certified buildings and sixth in the country for the number of Energy Star buildings. We want to be #1 in both. The Green Office Challenge will help us get there."
To date, six management districts have signed on for the challenge: Downtown, Greenspoint, Upper Kirby/Greenway, the Energy Corridor, Westchase and Uptown (Galleria). Participants' milestones and successes will be measured throughout the year of the challenge culminating in recognition and awards for progresses made. The Challenge invites commercial office owners/managers and tenants in Houston's business districts to increase their environmental and economic performance in the areas of energy conservation, waste reduction, water efficiency, cleaner transportation choices and property management/tenant engagement. "It is part of the City's strategy to help improve the environmental and economic performance of our commercial buildings by engaging at all levels of influence from individual office employees to major commercial property owners and managers," said Laura Spanjian, Mayor Parker's Director of Sustainability.
The Houston Green Office Challenge officially begins October 15th. Online registration has begun. The results will be announced during an awards ceremony in October, 2011.
Enroll in the Houston Green Office Challenge and announce your commitment to a cleaner, greener Houston! Properties that successfully meet the Houston Green Office Challenge goals will be publicly recognized for their success by the City at a concluding awards ceremony. The four Base Goal achievement criteria are feasible for nearly any existing commercial property, and those who reach the Stretch Goals will receive additional assistance and recognition.
The points required to reach the following tiers are Platinum (76-100); Gold (51-75); Silver (26-50); Bronze (15-25). To complete the challenge an initial baseline score will be evaluated for each participant. There are 100 points total. This program is the best way to understand and engage in both introductory and high performance green building practices.
Becoming a Bronze, Silver or Gold Level Sponsor will drive this important initiative and the City of Houston's sustainability vision. The sponsors also have unique opportunities to network with participants, speak at events, present awards and have their company name/logo on all press releases, program materials and the website.
The First Annual Houston Green Office Challenge is sponsored by Centerpoint Energy, Choice Energy Services, Greenstar North America, Hines, Shell, Siemens, Calpine, Crescent, NRG EV Services, Waste Management, Xerox, Metro and HOK Houston. For more information and to register for Houston's Green Office Challenge, please visit www.houstongoc.org or www.greenhoustontx.gov.
