Institute to Recognize a ‘Green Plus City’ in 2011 in Partnership with Next American City

In partnership with Next American City and Partners for Livable Communities, the Institute for Sustainable Development will make its first Green Plus City Award for a U.S. or Canadian town or city that has demonstrated exemplary leadership in making its community more sustainable. The Institute for Sustainable Development is a non-profit partnership of university and business leaders with the mission of aiding smaller enterprises and their communities become more sustainable, fostering a new generation of sustainability leaders, and promoting dialogues about the theory and practice of sustainability across cultures. Green Plus, the Institute’s flagship program, exists to educate, network, and reward small enterprises in their triple bottom line efforts.

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“There’s a great deal of work to be done to connect sustainability efforts between business and government,” said Chris Carmody, Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development. “Help me help you,’ is often the message we hear from responsible businesses to city, state and federal governments,” Carmody concluded. “Many governments are strong particularly at making their own operations and public infrastructure environmentally friendly but haven’t figured out how to engage, encourage, or get out of the way when it comes to sustainable business efforts. We’re looking for cities that have made their local businesses active partners in their sustainability movements,” Carmody concluded.

“This award takes a broad view of social, economic, and environmental sustainability,” adds John Cary, President & CEO of Next American City. “Together with the Institute for Sustainable Development, we’re looking for innovative approaches, new models, and measurable impact in cities of all kinds across the country.” Next American City is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting socially and environmentally sustainable economic growth, examining how and why our built environment, economy, society, and culture are changing. The organization’s quarterly magazine, interactive website, emerging leaders program, events, and other initiatives are all creatively focused on the future of cities.

Deadline for Nominations: February 7, 2011 (Midnight)

Award Finalists Announced: February 26, 2011 at the North Carolina Research Triangle Park Foundation

Award Winner Announced: May, 2011 in Washington, D.C.

Nomination Guidelines

Green Plus is not only a ‘green’ (environmental) program — it is an effort to encourage a balanced commitment to the triple bottom line – People, Performance, and Planet. Through Green Plus, the Institute strives to help smaller enterprises learn across regions from one another as well as from academic experts. Through Green Plus, the Institute also aides business and public sector leaders in understanding how they can help smaller enterprises improve their communities – through education, revisions in regulation, access to capital and other means.

The Institute for sustainable development is looking for examples of cities that have gone above and beyond current best practices – institutions that have not only made their operations sustainable or their environment better, but have actively reached out to a) smaller enterprises and b) other public and non-profit partners to create a community-wide commitment to triple bottom line sustainability.

Rules

• Any legally incorporated town or city in the United States or Canada may be nominated for a Green Plus North American Sustainable Enterprise Award.
• Any individual or organization may nominate a town or organization for the award, and an entity may nominate itself.
• There is no fee to be nominated.
• There is no required membership in any organization to be nominated.

We educate, motivate, and recognize smaller enterprises for their efforts towards becoming more sustainable. We’re here to offer tangible, practical tips and expertise in sustainability.
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