This Memorial Day, Embrace Strategic Sustainability

As Americans think about military service this week, let’s consider one lesson that the military stands to teach our companies: sustainability is a strategic imperative.  The U.S. military has been embracing green technologies for years, and more private companies should follow suit.

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SXSW Panel Provokes the Uninspired Part 2: What is Your Ask?

Death, Sustainability, and Taxes (or lack thereof)

I read a figure from Ernst & Young last week that shocked me.  In a recent survey, nearly 40% of tax department respondents inside of companies that have a sustainability strategy were completely unaware of any green tax incentives that may be available to them.  To me, this says two major things:

One: sustainability departments are insufficiently aware of the many federal, state, and local tax incentives that are available to them.

And two: sustainability is good business, even without tax savings, for many companies.

To address that first point, I encourage you to take a look at the following resources, which may help you find incentives that are relevant to your business:

• Energy.gov – a federal listing of energy savings incentives
• DSIRE – The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency
• EPA Funding Opportunities – though not directly tax-related, this is a list of resources for getting funding for green facilities projects

Additionally, there are far too many local incentives to list, but you should look to see what is available in your own city.

And on that second point, I’m somewhat encouraged that such a large group of companies realize that sustainability is a vital key to their success, even without governmental help.  Though I hope that more businesses take advantage of what is available so that they will continue to grow.

What incentives does your company enjoy?  And do you know of any more resources to help other businesses find them?  If so, please share with us in the comment section below.