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Delta Go Navigator
The Green Economy is full of exciting opportunities, but the path isn’t always obvious or easy. Delta knows, because we have been there since the beginning, and we have the experience and know-how to get you from where you are to wherever you want to go. This navigation tool was developed to help businesses, government entities, communities, and individuals identify pertinent green opportunities and take the next steps toward success by connecting them with Delta’s programs and services that can help them succeed.
The Green Economy offers businesses opportunities to cut costs, enter new markets and become more competitive in the global marketplace. Click on the tabs below to explore many ways to grow with the Green Economy and find out how Delta supports Business.
Commercial and industrial facilities consume approximately 56% of the total energy used in Illinois. The U.S. Department of Energy calculates that, on average, 30% of energy used by facilities is either used inefficiently or wasted. Energy efficiency measures can significantly reduce consumption and save thousands of dollars a year for businesses. The development of renewable energy sources, such as on-site wind, solar and geothermal, offer business and industry additional ways to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, further reducing energy costs, protecting against price volatility and potentially creating new income streams through sale of power back to the grid.
How Delta Can Help
Delta has the experience and expertise to help businesses take advantage of energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies. We can provide:
• Investment Grade Audits: Delta can help identify energy-saving opportunities while pinpointing capital costs and payback periods associated with implementation.
• Retrofits: Delta can help implement changes in lighting, heating and cooling, office systems and other major components to achieve energy-efficiency goals.
• Commissioning: Delta can provide independent third-party inspection and planning to ensure that all building systems (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) are operating consistent with the design intent.
• Financing Assistance: Delta can help obtain grants for retro-commissioning and direct installation services, as well as access to funding for energy efficiency projects through Delta’s revolving loan program.
• Green Building: Delta offers comprehensive planning and implementation assistance up to and including LEED certification.
• Renewable Energy: Delta can recommend on-site or off-site renewable sources, such as solar electric, solar thermal, wind and geothermal systems, to reduce costs and fossil fuel emissions. We can also help ensure your business participates effectively in utility-sponsored programs.
Contact
Abby Corso, Senior Director
(312) 554-0900 x25 or acorso@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• Cook County Energy Efficiency Program
• More about Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Green Building is rapidly becoming the norm for commercial building, remodeling and renovation. It is well documented to produce energy savings, improve operations, reduce waste and disposal costs, conserve water and reduce carbon emissions. Green building also increases property values and produces positive public relations. Although an initial upfront investment can be required, sustainable building techniques can reduce operating costs 8-9% and typically pay for themselves in three years with an estimated annual return on investment of 25-40%.
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED® certification is an important strategy for achieving green building goals. Since the inception of LEED® in 2000, there has been an increase of more than 700% in the number of LEED®-certified buildings.
How Delta Can Help
Delta Institute can help you maximize the benefits of green building from every angle -- economic, environmental and social. With specialized expertise in green operations and management of existing buildings, Delta is working to green everything from Class A office towers to affordable housing. Our services include:
• Assessment: We can start with an energy audit to assess current usage and recommend energy saving strategies or conduct a comprehensive sustainability assessment to identify overall environmental improvements.
• Planning: Delta can develop a green building strategy and help direct you to green-building related financing, rebates and incentives to support targeted improvements.
• Implementation: Certified and experienced Delta staff can provide hands-on technical assistance to implement greening strategies.
• Certification: LEED® certification is a key strategy for achieving green building goals. Delta can manage the process from beginning to end, with particular strengths in existing buildings and facilities.
• Operations Guidance: We provide customized green operations guides and help institutionalize the program by educating staff, occupants, vendors and community residents.
• Purchasing Assistance: Delta can assist with the purchase of verified green products needed to implement and maintain green programs at discount prices through www.BuyingBetter.org.
• Measurement: Delta helps measure energy, water, waste and other environmental savings associated with the green building program and can provide a dashboard for ongoing management or LEED® points. Carbon footprinting can be included in this process.
Contact
Abby Corso, Senior Director
(312) 554-0900 x 25 or acorso@delta-institute.org.
More Resources
• More about Green Building
Carbon management isn’t just about subtracting greenhouse gas from the atmosphere – it is also about adding business value. Carbon measurement, reduction and offsets can improve your business climate by uncovering hidden energy savings, helping streamline the supply chain, optimizing competitive position, satisfying investors, reducing risk and building reporting and management capacity.
The legislative and regulatory environment related to carbon continues to be uncertain and complex, but investors, banks, customers, employees and regulators are looking for documentation of environmentally responsible business practices. A number of large, multinational corporations such as Walmart are taking a leadership role in the voluntary market by reporting their annual carbon footprints to the Carbon Disclosure Project and pushing their suppliers to do the same.
How Delta Can Help
• Reporting: Carbon footprinting is becoming the standard gauge to measure overall environmental impact. Carbon footprinting is used by businesses to report to stakeholders on environmental compliance and to evaluate potential suppliers and partners. But Delta understands that reporting isn’t just an end unto itself. It’s also an essential step on the path to a more competitive, sustainable business.
• Reducing: Delta identifies practical strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, many of which save money and streamline operations. We can even help document actions you may already be taking that can contribute to a smaller carbon footprint. Simple recommendations can include reducing paper use, increasing local purchasing to cut shipping distances and increasing green practices for business meetings and events.
• Offsetting: Emissions that can’t be reduced can be offset by funding activities that remove them from the atmosphere. Examples include planting trees, creating green space, or trapping methane emissions from animal manure. Businesses can develop their own sequestration activities, or they can purchase offsets generated by others. Delta Carbon provides high-quality, verified offsets from local farmers, landowners and project owners.
Contact
Ryan Anderson, Director
(312) 554-0900 X 14 or randerson@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More about Carbon and Climate Change
Businesses influence the development of environmentally preferable products and change the practices of their suppliers through their purchasing decisions. But what is a “green” product? How do you know if you are working with a "green" company? How do you determine if your own products and practices meet your industry’s standards or your customers' expectations – how do you avoid "greenwashing"? Can you afford to purchase green? Can you afford not to purchase green, with major retailers such as Walmart setting the bar ever higher for their suppliers? Sorting out these questions can be difficult, with so many claims and certifications entering the market on a regular basis.
How Delta Can Help
Delta Institute is making green purchasing easier, more affordable and more credible with www.BuyingBetter.org, an online resource designed to help business purchasers quickly and easily locate verified green products and services at significant discounts. Membership in www.buyingbetter.org gives users access to a selection of verified green products such as office supplies, LED exit signs, environmentally friendly deicers and green cleaning products.
The program also provides detailed information about each product’s environmental attributes and how they satisfy various sustainability standards, including LEED® credits. Members are also able to track their “green spend” to help determine the percentage of their purchases that meet sustainability criteria. New products are being added on a regular basis, including expanded lighting products, water efficiency plumbing devices, fair trade gift baskets and food products, sustainable packaging products, and more.
Buying Better.org offers a unique opportunity for vendors of green products and services to reach a large group of potential buyers in one easy step, reducing the time, effort and expense associated with marketing and sales. Vendors can reach customers who are sophisticated about sustainability, looking for the green products, have significant buying power and make institutional purchases on a regular basis. Products are selected for the site through a RFP process that rewards environmental responsibility, transparency and flexible pricing. Through our rigorous review process, vendors can learn how their product stacks up against competitors and gain insight about their product’s marketability.
Contact
Abigail Corso, Senior Director, Sustainability Services
(312) 554-0900 x 25 or acorso@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More about Green Purchasing
Putting people back to work by accelerating economic growth is a top priority for American business. The Green Economy is full of opportunities to do just that. In fact, investment in sustainability is being viewed as a source of innovation needed to revive the American economy. Corporations of all sizes and across numerous industry sectors are recognizing that sustainability is a key to becoming leaner, more cost-effective and therefore more competitive. Others are moving into new markets created by emerging green industries, such as renewable energy, alternative-fuel vehicles, waste and water management, sustainable food systems and others.
How Delta Can Help
Delta's Green Business Development Center was designed to help businesses navigate the green economy, helping them get and stay on the best path to success. The Center leverages Delta Institute's vast experience to help businesses spot opportunities, streamline the process of bringing them to market and expedite the return on investment. We offer:
• Business Development: Preparing feasibility studies, financial proformas, grant requests, business and marketing plans and other essential business development services to businesses in high-growth sectors, such as renewable energy, waste recycling and urban agriculture.
• Financing: Offering low-interest loans to finance sustainable initiatives and developing a Seed Capital Fund for green businesses.
• Training and Education: Offering frequent education sessions, publications and tools to hone business skills and enhancing the ability to compete in a developing marketplace.
• Real Estate: Matching green growth sector businesses with suitable brownfield sites, placing them among the growing list of sustainable reuse prototypes across the region.
Contact
Kindy Kruller, Director of Community Development Program
(312) 554-0900 X28 or kkruller@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• Green Business Development Center
• More about Green Economy and Green Jobs
Despite the global economic downturn, private investment in green growth sectors such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, green building, green business development and green workforce development have remained steady or grown in recent years. The 2009 federal stimulus gave these emerging industries an additional boost. With government funding expected to taper off while private credit markets remain tight, obtaining financing for green projects is likely to remain challenging.
How Delta Can Help
Delta understands the opportunities and challenges facing green business development and brings together the right people to obtain the necessary capital to support projects in emerging industries. Delta can help businesses finance sustainability initiatives through:
• Direct Investment: Delta provides seed money for green start-ups and facilitates investment in growing green businesses. These efforts help fill a gap left by traditional financing structures that are often unwilling to take risks on green ventures with a long-term payoff.
• Funding Application Assistance: Delta helps manufacturers and other businesses analyze their green financing needs, identify appropriate government investment opportunities, and pursue funding through complicated applications for tax credits, loans, and/or grants. Our staff provides a realistic assessment of potential green upgrades, costs, predicted paybacks, and environmental and economic impacts.
• Sustainable Financial Models: Delta works with partners to create sustainable financial models to facilitate the implementation of energy conservation and renewable measures.
• Loans: Delta can help businesses access revolving loan funds and other government incentives to help get worthy projects off the ground.
Contact
Abigail Corso, Director, Sustainability Services
(312) 554-0900 x 25 or acorso@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More about Funding and Financing
Living in the land of plenty means that practically anything a person wants or needs is readily available. The availability of resources, technology and cheap manufacturing has resulted in a culture of overconsumption and disposal that is filling up landfills, depleting the supply of clean water and natural resources, polluting the air and contributing to climate change. U.S. landfills are closing at the rate of one per day, and more than 40% of the waste in landfills is comprised of building materials.
American industry generates 7.6 billion tons of solid waste annually. Although in many places landfill fees are relatively low, disposal can represent a significant cost factor, especially for businesses that handle hazardous or regulated waste. Businesses can save money, reduce pollution and even develop new revenue streams by looking for ways to "reduce, reuse and recycle."
How Delta Can Help
• Audit: Delta can conduct a waste stream audit to identify opportunities to reduce waste through source reduction, reuse, and recycling. An audit can cover typical office waste, such as paper, glass, and plastic, as well as chemicals, byproducts and growing categories, such as electronics.
• Reduce: Delta can help businesses eliminate materials from the waste stream, procure less-wasteful alternatives and eliminate waste from a product’s entire lifecycle (raw materials to processing and packaging to delivery to disposal) and show how to save money while also reducing pollution.
• Deconstruction and Reuse: Delta is a leader in the growing deconstruction and building material reuse industry. Delta's ReBuilding Exchange diverted 1,500 tons of construction and demolition waste in its first full year of operation, and the organization provides a reliable supply of high-quality wood, cabinets, lighting fixtures, doors and other building components that can be incorporated into new construction, renovations and remodeling.
• Byproduct Matching: One business' waste may be another's inexpensive feedstock or input. Delta can help businesses look at their post-industrial waste and help make byproduct matches that can result in new revenue streams.
• Recycled Products: We can show businesses how to make useful products and reduce the cost of raw materials through commercial and industrial recycling and composting. Some of these products can open up new markets in rapidly growing segments of the Green Economy.
Contact
Elise Zelechowski, Executive Director, ReBuilding Exchange
(312) 554-0900 x20 or ezelechowski@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More about Deconstruction and Reuse
• More about Waste
Leading green me
ans exceeding expectations, making sustainability part of your business' DNA, and setting the standard for your community, region or industry. It involves incorporating sustainability into your vision and mission, having a sustainability plan, setting measurable goals and reporting progress – and requiring your partners and suppliers to follow suit. Ultimately you reap the rewards in the form of cost savings, smart use of resources and improved public relations.
How Delta Can Help
• Planning and Implementation: Over the past decade, hundreds of U.S. corporations have developed comprehensive sustainability plans and invested in specific strategies to implement them across their operations. Delta can help assess current practices, set goals, establish action plans, develop performance metrics, and assist with implementation.
• Reporting: More than 3,000 corporations issue annual sustainability reports, and hundreds of others submit information to various indices, such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, the Global Reporting Initiative and the Carbon Reporting Project, to name a few. Delta can help businesses compile data and metrics in a way that optimizes your potential benefits.
• Certification: Third-party certification by a credible standard is a way of signaling that a measured, recognizable level of sustainability has been attained. Delta helps businesses assess and achieve certifications that provide the greatest competitive advantage within their respective business and industry.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Delta helps increase engagement in sustainability by stakeholders by coordinating green teams, providing employee education and developing sustainability communications programs.
Contact
Abby Corso, Senior Director
(312) 554-0900 x25 or email acorso@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More about Sustainability and Certification
The public sector has historically been a strong supporter of environmental responsibility. With tightening budgets, government agencies are recognizing that environmental improvement is also a way to operate more cost-effectively, retain and create jobs, enhance the quality of life, promote public welfare and reduce health and safety risks. Click on the tabs below to see how government can navigate the Green Economy.
Public facilities, fleets and other government operations use significant amounts of energy and are a major source of greenhouse gases. Public opinion and budgetary pressures are prompting local, regional and state governments to invest in energy efficiency measures, embrace renewable energy technologies and take other steps to reduce fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
How Delta Can Help
• Audits: Delta can help identify energy-saving opportunities in municipal operations while pinpointing capital costs and payback periods associated with implementation.
• Retrofits: Delta can help implement changes in lighting, heating and cooling, office systems and other major systems to achieve energy-efficiency goals.
• Building Commissioning: Delta can provide independent third-party inspection and planning to ensure that all building systems (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) are operating consistent with the design intent.
• Financing and Incentives: Delta can help obtain grants and financing for municipal energy efficiency efforts as well as help develop local incentives and programs for financing weatherization and commercial/industrial retrofits.
• Green Building: Delta offers comprehensive planning and implementation assistance up to and including LEED certification for public buildings.
• Renewable Energy: Delta can recommend on-site or off-site renewable sources, such as solar electric, solar thermal, wind and geothermal systems, to reduce costs and fossil fuel emissions. We can also help your municipality participate effectively in utility-sponsored programs.
• Alternative Transportation: Delta provides guidance on strategies for reducing consumption of fossil fuels, increasing use of alternative-fuel vehicles and designing effective public transportation that includes bike- and pedestrian-friendly development.
Contact
Abby Corso, Senior Director
(312) 554-0900 x25 or acorso@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More about Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Green building practices have been shown to save energy, make operations more efficient, reduce waste, conserve water and deliver other benefits at many different types of buildings, including public facilities. Although an initial upfront investment can be required, sustainable building techniques can reduce operating costs 8-9% and typically pay for themselves in three years with an estimated annual return on investment of 25-40%. State and local governments across the country are adopting LEED® certification for public-owned and public-funded buildings, and there are LEED® initiatives in numerous federal agencies.
How Delta Can Help
Delta Institute can help governments maximize the benefits of green building from every angle -- economic, environmental and social. With specialized expertise in green operations and management of existing buildings, Delta can help green many types of public buildings. Our services include:
• Assessment: We can start with an energy audit to assess current usage and recommend energy-saving strategies or conduct a comprehensive sustainability assessment to identify overall environmental improvements.
• Planning: Delta can develop a green building strategy and help direct you to green-building related financing, rebates and incentives to support targeted improvements.
• Implementation: Certified and experienced Delta staff can provide hands-on technical assistance to implement greening strategies.
• Certification: LEED® certification is a key strategy for achieving green building goals. Delta can manage the process from beginning to end, with particular strengths in existing buildings and facilities.
• Operations Guidance: We provide customized green operations guides and help institutionalize the program by educating staff, occupants, vendors and community residents.
• Measurement: Delta helps measure energy, water, waste and other environmental savings associated with the green building program and can provide a dashboard for ongoing management or LEED® points. Carbon footprinting can be included in this process.
Contact
Abby Corso, Senior Director
(312) 554-0900 x25 or acorso@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More about Green Building
States, city and regional governments are taking action to become more climate-friendly by measuring and reducing carbon emissions. Chicago and other metropolitan areas have long vied for recognition as “the Greenest City in America” and Chicago’s Climate Action Plan has been widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading urban initiatives. Despite legislative and regulatory uncertainty at the federal level, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the Midwestern Governors Association, the Chicago Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and other local groups are continuing to support carbon mitigation strategies at the regional and local levels.
How Delta Can Help
• Climate Action Plans: Delta helped develop Chicago’s Climate Action Plan and can transfer that planning knowledge and experience to a variety of public settings.
• Carbon Footprinting: Measuring carbon emission is rapidly developing as an indicator of environmental progress. Delta is helping numerous government entities develop carbon footprints across specific geographic areas and is participating in regional efforts to establish standards and benchmarks for municipal carbon emissions.
• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Delta consults regularly on the development and implementation of green building, energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives for public-owned and public-funded facilities.
• Local Carbon Offset Funds: Delta works with government agencies to set up local carbon offset funds that help stimulate local reinvestment with conservation practices.
Contact
Ryan Anderson, Director
(312) 554-0900 x14 or randerson@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More about Carbon and Climate Change
• Delta Carbon Services [pdf]
• ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
• US Conference of Mayors
• Midwest Governor’s Association
• Metropolitan Mayors Caucus
• GreenTown
The large-scale buying power of government agencies and other public institutions can help transform the market for environmentally preferable products, make green purchasing a mainstream practice and drive down the price of greener goods and services. Government entities can realize significant financial and environmental benefits, including pollution prevention and CO2 reduction, by changing their purchasing practices to promote sustainable products and services that are locally sourced. Public sector buying power can also promote local economic development and help create green jobs among a wide variety of local suppliers – from lighting and energy-saving equipment to food, waste management and water conservation, to name a few.
How Delta Can Help
• Policy Development: Delta helped develop the City of Chicago’s green purchasing ordinance and consults with other government bodies about how to create policies, programs and incentives that promote local, sustainable purchasing options.
• Technical Assistance: Delta works with public entities to review and evaluate purchases across the supply chain, linking purchasing with other municipal sustainability efforts, such as LEED® certification, sustainability planning or energy efficiency projects.
• Group Purchasing: Delta develops and administers purchasing consortia and works with existing buying groups to pool purchasing volumes, provide technical assistance on green product selection and negotiate joint-purchasing agreements that ultimately save participants time and money.
Contact
Abigail Corso, Senior Director, Sustainability Services
(312) 554-0900 x25 or acorso@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• West Michigan Sustainable Purchasing Consortium
• www.BuyingBetter.org
Cities, states and regions can build on existing assets and take advantage of incentives and funding to support the growth of new industries and businesses linked to cleaner energy, transportation, buildings, and products. The Great Lakes region in particular has potential to build on its manufacturing base to support greener transportation, alternative fuel and vehicle production and components for renewable energy equipment. There are also extensive assets in the form of natural resources, such as wind and water, as well as brownfield properties and agricultural land that can support biomass production, waste recovery and related operations.
How Delta Can Help
• Economic Development Planning: Under a four-year grant from the US EPA, Delta is developing Green Economy Action Plans for weak markets throughout the region. Delta can leverage this experience to help other communities develop strategies for growing green businesses and supporting the greening of their existing business base.
• Brownfield Redevelopment: Delta can help identify vacant, underutilized properties and the tactics to sustainably redevelop them, often creating a springboard for emerging green businesses -- such as wind power developers, recycling and composting facilities, deconstruction and reuse centers and green business incubators -- increasing local business activity and creating local jobs.
• Community Food Planning: Delta has experience helping establish urban farms, farmers markets, food production businesses and food distribution centers that can enhance local economic development, provide job training opportunities and address food security and health issues at the local level.
• Education and Tools: Delta offers a variety of live and online educational opportunities, publications and tools to help city planners, economic development professionals and business development groups understand the Green Economy and develop strategies for harnessing opportunity.
Contact
Kindy Kruller, Director, Community Development Program
(312) 554-0900 x28 or kkruller@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More about Green Economy and Green Jobs
• More about Brownfield Redevelopment
The Federal stimulus is giving public sector sustainability efforts a boost as dollars flow to and through government agencies to stimulate economic activity and create jobs. How governments invest those dollars today will have a significant impact on the vitality of the Green Economy tomorrow. Governments sometimes focus on improving the environmental performance of public facilities and operations. But for the Green Economy to advance, government must use its power to influence businesses, residents and other stakeholders to take steps that have significant long-term impact not just environmentally, but economically as well.
How Delta Can Help
• Funding Application Assistance: Delta helps government agencies analyze their green financing needs and potential economic and environmental paybacks. We then identify funding mechanisms that may be available through grants, loans, bonds or partnerships with utilities or vendors.
• Program Administration: Delta acts as an administrative facilitator for complex public incentive programs such as home weatherization grant programs and revolving loan funds for energy efficiency building retrofits.
• Loan Administration: Delta has a strong track record of ensuring that the government’s green investment dollars flow efficiently and effectively to the highest-priority projects. For example, Delta is administering Cook County’s $1 million investment in energy efficiency improvements to commercial and industrial facilities, working to ensure that this limited funding goes to the most socially responsible, environmentally impactful, and economically viable projects.
• Sustainable Financial Models: Delta creates sustainable financial models to support large-scale energy conservation and renewable energy initiatives. We recently worked with partners to develop an on-bill energy efficiency financing program for the State of Michigan.
Contact
Abigail Corso, Senior Director, Sustainability Services
(312) 554-0900 x25 or acorso@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More on Funding and Financing
• Cook County Energy Efficiency Program
• Delta Weatherization Program
• U.S. Department of Energy’s Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE)
Local governments and other public agencies are in an excellent position to reduce waste and conserve water and other scarce resources by developing policies and incentives that encourage public officials, business owners and local residents to “reduce, reuse and recycle.” For instance, since nearly 40% of the material that ends up in landfills consists of construction and demolition debris, governments can promote deconstruction and reuse through the permitting and planning process. Public subsidies or loans can be created to encourage the development of waste-reuse businesses or business-to-business waste matching programs.
Because of growing concerns about water quality and scarcity in our region, a significant amount of federal stimulus money has been directed toward water and water-related issues. Municipalities can use some of these dollars to reduce their own “water footprint” by investing in green infrastructure such as green roofs, green spaces, rain gardens, porous pavement and sustainable solutions to combined sewer overflows, stormwater discharges, and other wet weather water quality problems.
How Delta Can Help
• Waste Audits: Delta conducts waste stream audits for public, private and residential programs to identify opportunities to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills through source reduction, reuse, and recycling.
• Solid Waste Planning: Delta is currently updating Cook County’s Solid Waste Plan to enhance regional strategies for reducing source pollution, increasing the amount of commercial, industrial and residential recycling and create opportunities for reclamation and reuse of useable materials and components. Delta can develop similar plans for local, county and regional governments.
• Water Management Plans: Delta can help cities and towns optimize water management policies and practices, including water use and metering, water recycling and stormwater management.
• Deconstruction and Reuse: Delta is a pioneer in this field and consults with federal, state and local governments on reducing barriers and creating policies that grow the market and develop the workforce for the growing deconstruction and building material reuse industry.
Contact
Elise Zelechowski, Executive Director, ReBuilding Exchange
(312) 554-0900 x20 or ezelechowski@delta-institute.org
More Resources
Prompted by federal funding and public opinion, many local governments are taking isolated steps to be greener, such as conducting a lighting retrofit, building LEED® -certified buildings, adding bike lanes or experimenting with renewable energy. Being a green leader involves vision, planning, accountability, public education and communication, and setting goals that address the full spectrum of environmental impacts and are transparent and measurable. Communities that “walk the talk” stand the best chance to reap the economic benefits of growing, retaining and attracting new green businesses.
How Delta Can Help
• Baseline and Benchmarking: Delta has experience establishing baseline data to measure environmental impacts and benchmarking them against leaders across a wide variety of industries and sectors. We are currently working with a small group of mayors to set out regional benchmarks for their communities.
• Sustainability Planning: Delta can help develop sustainability plans that address the full range of issues, including energy, waste, water, purchasing and carbon, and provide realistic and achievable goals for environmental improvement.
• Technical Assistance: Delta provides technical expertise to implement various sustainability initiatives for government entities.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Delta has a history of convening stakeholders, establishing coalitions to support major public-private initiatives, identifying barriers and developing actions plans for overcoming challenges on behalf of cities, towns and other public agencies.
Contact
Abby Corso, Senior Director
(312) 554-0900 x25 or acorso@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More on Sustainability and Certification
• ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
• Midwestern Governor’s Association
The Green Economy holds great promise for a healthier and more vibrant future, but many disadvantaged and at-risk communities may not be able to fully participate, due to gaps in information, education and funding. But these challenges can be overcome if community-based organization and civic institutions, supported by foundations and other charities, help local residents and businesses learn about the Green Economy and come together to improve the local environment.
Schools, religious institutions, healthcare centers, housing organizations, museums, community centers and other local institutions use significant amounts of energy and contribute to CO2 emissions. These organizations are increasingly aware of their role in climate change and are embracing energy efficiency, researching renewable energy technologies and taking other steps to reduce fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
How Delta Can Help
• Audits: Delta can help you identify energy-saving opportunities while pinpointing capital costs and payback periods associated with implementation.
• Retrofits: Delta can help you implement changes in lighting, heating and cooling, office systems and other major systems to achieve energy-efficiency goals.
• Building Commissioning: Delta can provide independent third-party inspection and planning to ensure that all building systems (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) are operating consistent with the design intent.
• Financing and Incentives: Delta can help community groups and other institutions obtain grants and financing for energy efficiency efforts.
• Green Building: Delta provides comprehensive planning and implementation assistance up to and including LEED certification.
• Renewable Energy: Delta can recommend on-site or off-site renewable sources, such as solar electric, solar thermal, wind and geothermal systems, to reduce costs and fossil fuel emissions. We can also help ensure your community participates effectively in utility-sponsored programs.
• Alternative Transportation: Delta provides guidance on strategies for reducing consumption of fossil fuels, increasing use of alternative-fuel vehicles and designing effective public transportation that includes bike- and pedestrian-friendly development.
Contact
Abby Corso, Senior Director
(312) 554-0900 x25 or acorso@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More about Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• About Delta's green economy work in weak-market communities
Green building isn’t just about office towers and factories – community institutions such as hospitals, schools, museums, neighborhood centers and even affordable housing developments are using green building technologies to save energy, improve operations, reduce waste and disposal costs, conserve water and reduce carbon emissions. In fact, this is a growing area of LEED® certification.
How Delta Can Help
Delta Institute can help maximize the benefits of green building from every angle -- economic, environmental and social. With specialized expertise in green operations and management of existing buildings, Delta can adapt its services to the specialized needs of schools, hospitals and other community institutions. Our services include:
• Assessment: We can start with an energy audit to assess current usage and recommend energy-saving strategies or conduct a comprehensive sustainability assessment to identify overall environmental improvements.
• Planning: Delta can develop a green building strategy and help direct you to green building-related financing, rebates and incentives to support targeted improvements.
• Implementation: Certified and experienced Delta staff can provide hands-on technical assistance to implement greening strategies.
• Certification: LEED® certification is a key strategy for achieving green building goals. Delta can manage the process from beginning to end, with particular strengths in existing buildings and facilities.
• Operations Guidance: We provide customized green operations guides and help institutionalize the program by educating staff, occupants, vendors and community residents.
• Purchasing Assistance: Delta can assist with the purchase of verified green products needed to implement and maintain green programs at discount prices through www.BuyingBetter.org.
• Measurement: Delta helps measure energy, water, waste and other environmental savings associated with the green building program and can provide a dashboard for ongoing management or LEED® points. Carbon Footprinting can be included in this process.
Contact
Abby Corso, Senior Director
(312) 554-0900 x25 or acorso@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More about Green Building
• About Delta's green economy work in weak-market communities
Climate change and carbon pollution are both global and local issues. In many ways, local action by motivated groups is the foundation for creating the kind of large-scale impact needed to address climate change. For instance, inspired by the Chicago Climate Action Plan, the Energy Action Network, a network of 21 nonprofits serving ethnically diverse, economically disadvantaged communities, is providing energy and weatherization assistance, developing climate action leaders and promoting environmental stewardship by residents, businesses, government agencies and other community institutions.
How Delta Can Help
• Climate Action Plans: Delta helped develop Chicago’s Climate Action Plan and can transfer the knowledge and experience to neighborhood and community initiatives.
• Carbon Footprinting: Delta can help a variety of community institutions measure and reduce carbon emissions associated with buildings, transportation programs, food service, waste disposal and other aspects of their operations.
• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Delta consults regularly on the development and implementation of green building, energy-efficiency and renewable energy initiatives for commercial, industrial, residential and public buildings.
• Local Carbon Offset Funds: Delta can set up local offset funds that help local people invest projects that mitigate carbon in a specific geographic area, such as planting trees, creating green spaces or initiating renewable energy projects.
Contact
Ryan Anderson, Director
(312) 554-0900 x14 or randerson@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More about Carbon and Climate Change
• About Delta's green economy work in weak-market communities
Urban agriculture is gaining popularity as a strategy to improve public health, engage and educate underserved populations, and provide opportunities for job training and economic development. The strategy is targeted particularly toward the urban poor living in food deserts and those who are at risk of food insecurity, malnutrition and obesity leading to long-term health impairment. Urban farming is one of the most viable reuse strategies for brownfield redevelopment and can transform abandoned parcels into productive Green Economy enterprises providing job training opportunities for needy populations, such as formerly incarcerated individuals, the homeless, marginalized communities, and disadvantaged youth.
How Delta Can Help
• Business Development: Delta helps urban farming ventures create business plans, develop programs, organize teams, and negotiate land purchases.
• Brownfield Redevelopment: Delta can help with site design, environmental assessment and clean-up of brownfield sites and development of resources (financial and in-kind) to fund urban agriculture enterprises.
• Food Policy Consulting: Delta participates in networks and advises funders on market barriers and gaps, economic incentives and policies required to advance sustainable local food systems.
Contact
Ryan Anderson, Director
(312) 554-0900 x14 or randerson@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More about Urban Agriculture
• About Delta's green economy work in weak-market communities
• Comer Educational Foundation
• Growing Home
• Growing Power
• Windy City Harvest
• Chicago Botanic Gardens
• Chicago Advocates for Urban Agriculture
• Family Farmed
Communities may have underutilized assets that could spawn innovation, reviving local economies and helping create new green jobs. Many small businesses in existing niches are differentiating themselves by going green, and entrepreneurs are creating new types of businesses serving many different populations. For instance, Chicago’s older buildings are ripe for deconstruction and reuse, which reduces pollution by diverting construction debris from landfills. It also opens the door to a variety of economic opportunities for building contractors and job training opportunities for people in disadvantaged communities. Social entrepreneurs are looking to open reuse centers in low-income communities to promote community rebuilding.
How Delta Can Help
• Economic Development Planning: Under a four-year grant from the US EPA, Delta is developing Green Economy Action Plans for weak markets throughout the region. Delta can leverage this experience to help local communities develop strategies for growing green businesses and supporting the greening of their existing business base.
• Brownfield Redevelopment: Delta can help identify vacant, underutilized properties and the tactics to sustainably redevelop them, often providing a springboard for emerging green businesses -- wind power developers, recycling and composting facilities, deconstruction and reuse centers and green business incubators -- increasing local business activity and creating local jobs.
Contact
Kindy Kruller, Director
(312) 554-0900 x28 or kkruller@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More about Green Economy and Green Jobs
• About Delta's green economy work in weak-market communities
• More about Brownfield Redevelopment
The economy of the future is here today. Communities that understand the opportunities and challenges and help their citizens gain the appropriate knowledge and skills will have the best chance of success. There are a wide variety of sources for information about developing employment sectors, including training organizations, universities and professional associations. But for some communities, these resources are out of reach. Government funding and charitable support has been focused on helping hard-to-employ workers and ensuring that everyone shares in the potential of the growing green economy.
How Delta Can Help
• Workforce Development: Delta is partnering with a variety of educational organizations to help develop the workforce for the Green Economy. This involves creating curricula and presenting training programs in developing fields such as weatherization and deconstruction, as well as helping build business skills among green entrepreneurs and emerging green businesses.
• Workshops and Webinars: Delta offers workshops designed to help participants understand the green economy, get practical advice on funding and implementing sustainability efforts, and learn what really works from experts and peers.
• Educational Resources and Tools: Delta is developing publications and tools that leverage our long experience as Green Economy trailblazers to help communities learn how to develop green economy strategies and establish successful green enterprises.
Contact
Kindy Kruller, Director
(312) 554-0900 x28 or kkruller@delta-institute.org
More Resources
• More about Green Economy and Green Jobs
• About Delta's green economy work in weak-market communities
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