The Port of San Diego recently launched its first ever Green Business Challenge. The program, launched through the Green Port Program, aims to increase the energy efficiency of businesses around the Bay and reduce environmental impacts. The ultimate goal of the Green Port Program is to achieve long-term environmental, societal and economic benefits through resource conservation, waste reduction and pollution prevention.
So far, nearly 60 businesses are participating including the USS Midway Museum, San Diego International Airport and General Dynamics NASSCO. Additionally, the hotels on the Port’s property are already making great strides in their efforts to reduce waste.
The California Green Lodging Program certifies lodging facilities that demonstrate water and energy conservation, waste minimization, recycling, environmentally friendly purchasing, program sustainability, and pollution prevention. The program is committed to demonstrating the highest standards of integrity and environmental ethics for the state of California. The California Green Lodging Program encourages state and local government travelers to seek out and give preference to these certified green hotels. By traveling green, government travelers divert waste from landfills, and conserve energy and water as they conduct business for the government entities; thus, reducing the carbon footprint for travel and supporting California’s green initiatives.
Learn the Steps to Achieving Certification:
- Each property must first apply by completing and submitting the hotel application.
- Once the application and payment are received, DGS staff contacts the property to provide them with the field survey.
- When the property completes the field survey and returns it with requested documentation, DGS staff completes a program evaluation and scoring.
- DGS staff will then reach out to the property to schedule a Microsoft Teams meeting to review.
- If the property qualifies for the certification, it is given a rating of one of three levels, Participant, Leadership, or Environmentalist.
- There is a membership fee of $500 for a three-year period. Each property will need to show an active initiative of sustainability improvements to be eligible for a re-certification.
This is the second highest level of program participation. Leadership Level hotels achieved a field survey score of 325 to 349 points. They may have an environmental policy in place and meet most of the seven of the program’s criteria, and has three-years from their date of enrollment to demonstrate continuous improvement and elevate their rating to the Environmentalist Level. This is the entry level for the program. Participation level hotels are building their environmental green lodging programs. They achieved a field survey score of 250 to 324. Participation level hotels meet some of the seven program criteria, and has three-years from their date of enrollment to demonstrate continuous improvement and elevate their rating to the Leadership Level.
