CHICAGO, Ill. (September 2, 2014) – Today Delta Institute CEO Jean Pogge announced the launch of the Chicago Green Office Challenge, an impact-driven competition that encourages Chicago businesses
to adopt sustainable practices that promote efficiency, save money, and reduce environmental impacts.
“We’re excited to partner with the City of Chicago and Office Depot to make the 4th Green Office Challenge the best round yet,” said Pogge. “Through galvanizing business leadership in sustainability, the Challenge reduces our collective impact on the environment through reductions in energy, waste and water, while increasing the efficiency of our economy.”
The Challenge will run from September 2014 through Earth Day, April 22, 2015. During this time, Challenge participants will earn points by completing activities, like tracking energy use, conducting a waste audit, and recruiting peer businesses to play. Last year, over 1,000 individuals from 250 Chicago businesses played the Challenge, completing over 4,800 sustainability activities.
“It has been inspiring to see the Chicago Green Office Challenge grow from a simple idea of a friendly competition to engage Chicago businesses, into a meaningful driver of environmental footprint reduction in cities across the U.S,” said Yalmaz Siddiqui, Senior Director of Environmental & Supplier Diversity Strategy for Office Depot. “By starting a fourth round, Chicago is showing that the green office challenge is a sustainable concept in both senses of the word”.
“The Green Office Challenge builds on Chicago’s leadership in sustainability and helps us achieve citywide environmental goals,” said City of Chicago Chief Sustainability Officer Karen Weigert. “This year’s competition will provide businesses and organizations of every size with easy-to-use tools to become more efficient, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and engage their employees around sustainability.”
By participating in the Challenge, businesses and organizations can meet sustainability goals, achieve resource efficiencies, engage their employees, network with peer organizations, and earn recognition for their leadership.
The Challenge is a collaboration by Delta Institute, the City of Chicago, founding sponsor Office Depot, and technology provider Green Per Square Foot. Originally launched in 2008 in partnership with ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, this citywide competition has expanded in participation year after year and has served as a model for over a dozen similar sustainability competitions across the country.
To learn more and sign up to participate in the 2014 Chicago Green Office Challenge, visit ChicagoGOC.com, Facebook.com/ChicagoGreenOfficeChallenge, and Twitter @ChiGreenOffice. Also, read about the past Green Office Challenge winners.
# # #
About Delta Institute: Delta Institute is a nonprofit organization that works to catalyze environmental sustainability and economic development throughout the Great Lakes region. Delta works in partnership with business, government and communities in the Great Lakes region to create and implement innovative, market-driven solutions that build environmental resilience, economic vitality and healthy communities. This work supports Delta’s strategic objective to catalyze ecosystem stewardship in the Great Lakes region. Visit online at https://delta-institute.org.