Houston Green Office Challenge announces 2016 winners—and we’re one!
2017-01-12
For the 2016 challenge, the city of Houston engaged corporations, local businesses and nonprofit organizations through a variety of workshops and networking opportunities to help increase their environmental and economic performance in the workplace. Workshop topics ranged from how to launch a food-composting pilot and greening the supply chain to implementing sustainable procurement practices and vanpooling options for employers. Field trips allowed participants to tour LocalSun Energy’s community solar farm in Sealy and a greywater reuse development in Fulshear. Participants had 10 weeks to report their office’s sustainable activities, which focused on energy and water efficiency, waste reduction and cleaner transportation, as well as property management and employee engagement.
Businesses and nonprofits were encouraged to share best practices and experiences through the challenge, highlighting the program’s focus on peer learning and peer exchange. The 2016 recognized participants included:
Tenant Winners:
First Place: Walter P. Moore
Second Place: METRO
Third Place: Asakura Robinson Company
Nonprofit Winner:
Houston Zoo
Property Management Winner:
NASA’s Johnson Space Center
JSC took in the top property manager spot for sustainably tending to more than 4.2 million square feet of buildings and Earth on campus.
“Johnson Space Center leads sustainability with teams such as the Green Team and various collaborations across the center,” said Stacy Shutts, JSC’s program specialist for Sustainability. “NASA’s sustainability policy is to execute NASA’s mission without compromising our planet’s resources so that future generations can meet their needs. The goal is to build a culture where sustainability becomes commonplace and accessible.”
An area where JSC continues to excel is through transportation with extensive “free-range” bikes, employees opting to vanpool and an ever-growing fleet of electric vehicles.
“We received points for these initiatives in the Houston Green Office Challenge and ideas for others, such as an employee transportation survey,” Shutts said. “Sustainable building policies will continue to be applied; an efficient office lighting retrofit is ongoing across the center, and all new NASA construction is required to meet LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] silver certification.”
The Houston Green Office Challenge offered new insights in implementing sustainable efforts to make the workplace a better environment for employees.
“We are thrilled to be recognized and proud to be a part of a more sustainable Houston,” Shutts said.
Houston is dedicated to promoting initiatives that improve air, land and water quality and support and expand renewable energy, energy efficiency, green buildings, recycling and composting, active and clean transportation options, local food production and more livable and vibrant neighborhoods.
For more information about the Houston Green Office Challenge, visit: www.houstongoc.org or www.greenhoustontx.gov
The sustainability program functions across directorates at Johnson Space Center. Contributors to the sustainability program jump to celebrate the award. From left: Syreeta Watkins, Stacy Shutts, Chris Gerty, Mary Halligan, Dave Hanson and Joel Walker. Image Credit: NASA
Businesses and nonprofits were encouraged to share best practices and experiences through the challenge, highlighting the program’s focus on peer learning and peer exchange. The 2016 recognized participants included:
Tenant Winners:
First Place: Walter P. Moore
Second Place: METRO
Third Place: Asakura Robinson Company
Nonprofit Winner:
Houston Zoo
Property Management Winner:
NASA’s Johnson Space Center
JSC took in the top property manager spot for sustainably tending to more than 4.2 million square feet of buildings and Earth on campus.
“Johnson Space Center leads sustainability with teams such as the Green Team and various collaborations across the center,” said Stacy Shutts, JSC’s program specialist for Sustainability. “NASA’s sustainability policy is to execute NASA’s mission without compromising our planet’s resources so that future generations can meet their needs. The goal is to build a culture where sustainability becomes commonplace and accessible.”
An area where JSC continues to excel is through transportation with extensive “free-range” bikes, employees opting to vanpool and an ever-growing fleet of electric vehicles.
“We received points for these initiatives in the Houston Green Office Challenge and ideas for others, such as an employee transportation survey,” Shutts said. “Sustainable building policies will continue to be applied; an efficient office lighting retrofit is ongoing across the center, and all new NASA construction is required to meet LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] silver certification.”
The Houston Green Office Challenge offered new insights in implementing sustainable efforts to make the workplace a better environment for employees.
“We are thrilled to be recognized and proud to be a part of a more sustainable Houston,” Shutts said.
Houston is dedicated to promoting initiatives that improve air, land and water quality and support and expand renewable energy, energy efficiency, green buildings, recycling and composting, active and clean transportation options, local food production and more livable and vibrant neighborhoods.
For more information about the Houston Green Office Challenge, visit: www.houstongoc.org or www.greenhoustontx.gov
The sustainability program functions across directorates at Johnson Space Center. Contributors to the sustainability program jump to celebrate the award. From left: Syreeta Watkins, Stacy Shutts, Chris Gerty, Mary Halligan, Dave Hanson and Joel Walker. Image Credit: NASA