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Green Port Program Setting Green Office Example

Monday, 20 April 2009

There's never been a better time to start thinking about going green. Earth Day 2009 will be recognized on Wednesday, April 22, but the Port of San Diego has adopted a Green Port Program that is in effect every day of the year.

The Green Port Program was developed to support the goals of the Green Port Policy that was approved by the Board of Port Commissioners in 2008. The program unifies the Port's environmental sustainability goals in six key areas: water, energy, air, waste management, sustainable development and sustainable business practices. It continues the Port's existing environmental efforts and expands these efforts through new programs and initiatives.

Green Office Projects.org recently featured an article on the Green Port program, citing it as a good example of what happens when a business or organization is "flexible, open to change and willing to work with like-minded businesses."

Kelly Makley, Associate Environmental Specialist in the port's Environmental Services Department, explained to Green Office Projects.org what it took to get the program off the ground and how the Port is continually looking for new ways to go even greener. (Read the article.)

A new addition to the program came in March, when the San Diego Board of Port Commissioners entered into a memorandum of understanding with San Diego Gas and Electric on an "Energy Road Map." The goals of the partnership are to identify opportunities to deliver net energy savings, peak demand savings and greenhouse gas reductions through implementation of energy efficiency activities in Port operations.

Recommendations from SDG&E that the Port plans to implement include facilities retrofits to improve energy efficiency and outreach to educate Port employees, Port tenants, and the public on energy efficiency and related opportunities. The next steps in this Partnership are to develop a Climate Protection Plan to supplement the Port's Master Plan, create a Sustainable Energy Plan to explore opportunities to use renewable energy on tidelands, and explore opportunities for acquiring electric vehicles and equipment.

The Port also publishes environmental tips and lists green resources that are useful to the general public.