The first Reno Startup Week was a big success! BEP Director Chris Lynch was joined by speakers from Patagonia, Sol-Up Solar, Full Circle Compost, and nZero for the Sustainable ROI: Maximizing Business Success with Climate Responsibility panel. We were pleased to have about 30 attendees come to learn strategies and innovative practices that allow businesses to grow while minimizing their environmental impact.
Chris Lynch, BEP Director, will be moderating a panel about low and zero emission boats tomorrow at the Lake Tahoe Electric Transportation Forum in South Lake Tahoe. The forum’s goal is to bring together local, regional, and national leaders who share a vision of making the Lake Tahoe Basin a world-renowned model of clean transportation. The forum is sold out, but you can still participate by live Zoom stream. Register here.
The U.S. EPA is hosting the Partner of the Year Awards Ceremony on October 2, recognizing the 2023 Safer Choice Partners of the Year for their outstanding achievement in the design, manufacture, selection, and use of products that meet the program’s stringent health and environmental standards. The Stakeholder Summit from October 3-4 will include informational sessions, panelist discussions, and networking opportunities. The events are free and hosted in Arlington, Virginia. Registration is required.
PowerShift by NV Energy can help business customers reduce their monthly energy consumption. Saving energy means helping the environment and it means saving money. The business case is strong. Small business owners can tap into the program if they use less than 400,000 kWh of electricity per year. One small business in southern Nevada replaced exterior lighting with LED lighting and is saving over $10,500 per year with an estimated payback of just one year on the upfront investment! Similarly, a …
WATER SMART LANDSCAPES REBATE PROGRAM IT’S THE LAW Did you know that beginning in 2027, Nevada law AB 356, will prohibit the watering of nonfunctional grass at southern Nevada businesses? What is nonfunctional grass? Streetscape turf: grass location along public or private streets, sidewalks, driveways, and parking lots, including business streetscape frontage areas Frontage, courtyard, interior and building-adjacent turf: grass in front of, between, behind, or otherwise adjacent to a building or buildings on a property not zoned exclusively for single-family residences, including …
Do you have ideas for expanding the scope of the Safer Choice Program beyond cleaners and disinfectants? The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a 45-day public comment period on a proposed expansion of its Safer Choice to include certification of additional product categories. Safer Choice is a voluntary EPA program that helps consumers, businesses, and purchasers find products that perform and meet stringent EPA criteria for effects on human health and the environment. EPA will hold a listening session webinar …
Submit Comments by July 31st EPA recently developed the draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution to shift toward a restorative circular approach to plastics management, with objectives to: Reduce pollution during plastic production Improve post-use materials management Prevent trash and micro/nanoplastics from entering waterways and remove escaped trash from the environment The EPA is seeking comment from organizations engaged in post-consumer materials management and infrastructure. Read the draft strategy and submit your comments by July 31st here.
2023 Partner of the Year Awards The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is calling for submissions for the 2023 Partner of the Year Awards. The Awards recognize the leadership contributions of Safer Choice partners and stakeholders who have shown achievement in the design, manufacture, selection, and use of products with safer choice chemicals that furthers outstanding or innovative source reduction. For more information on how to apply, CLICK HERE.
Check out the calendar of events! On Tuesday, April 4, 2023 the Clark County Board of Commissioners approved the All-In Clark County Community Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. This is the first-ever regional sustainability and climate action plan for Southern Nevada. The plan was created through one of the most inclusive processes in county history and included BEP director, Chris Lynch, who was a member of the Clark County All-In Sustainability and Climate Advisory Group that assisted in the development of the plan. …
Read MoreAll-In Clark County Community Sustainability and Climate Action Plan Approved
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public input on new programs focused on lower carbon construction materials made possible by a $350 million investment from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The Agency will hold three public webinars and will accept written feedback on establishing new grant and technical assistance programs, and a carbon labeling program for construction materials with substantially lower levels of embodied greenhouse gas emissions. March 2, 2023, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. EST: Reducing Embodied Greenhouse …