Chamber of Commerce

State of Massachusetts

The 495/MetroWest region is one of the most economically productive in the state of Massachusetts and is still growing. Between 1980 and 2006, the region experienced a 59 percent increase in employment; during the 1990s alone, the region experienced a 12.1 percent increase in the local population. Though this trend is immensely beneficial to the area’s economic health, it also places a great strain on existing infrastructure and water supplies. More than 40 acres of open land per day, or nearly 300 acres every week in Massachusetts are converted into residential, commercial, or industrial land, putting local resources and biodiversity at risk. As a public/private association dedicated to the sustainable economic and physical growth of the region, the 495/MetroWest Partnership provides local businesses and governments with an effective strategy to ease burdens on local resources and ensure their future vitality through the Green Infrastructure Toolkit.

Southwest, IN

With a steadfast commitment to bringing cutting-edge economic and development issues to their members, the Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana hosted the Regional Sustainability Conference on October 28th, 2009 in collaboration with the Wesselman Nature Society. Participants of the conference gathered in downtown Evansville to engage in interactive panel discussions featuring representatives of regional firms participating in sustainable business practices, attend breakout sessions that explored issues from waste stream reduction to marketplace trends, and hear from a number of keynote speakers focusing on “big picture” issues.

Grand Rapids, MI

After witnessing the myriad of green business programs spreading across the country, it did not take long for the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce to establish itself as a leader in the movement. Though the Chamber has been a participant and supporter of local sustainability campaigns for some time, it now boasts a strong program of its own for the benefit of its members and that of the region. Officially launched on January 6th, 2010, the Greater Grand Rapids Partnership for a Sustainable Community provides participating businesses the tools to become more energy efficient, reduce operating costs and boost their bottom lines.

Asheville, NC

Though countless businesses around the country are implementing new practices to reduce their environmental impact, the carbon-emitting necessity of travel is often beyond their control. Even the greenest of employees find themselves towing briefcases filled with recycled paper onto an airplane that burns nearly a gallon of fuel every second. Those individuals traveling to Asheville, North Carolina, however, can fly through clean skies with a clean conscience. Thanks to the innovative Asheville Offset program of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, visitors have the opportunity to counteract carbon emissions produced from their travel. Through this program, Asheville can continue to protect the great natural amenities that have supported a tourist economy for decades.

North Myrtle Beach, SC

One would be hard-pressed to find a region rich in oil with untapped wells or accessible coal unscathed by a miner. It does not take long, however, to find a powerful natural energy source literally blowing past American cities, unharnessed. Current technology is able to capture nearly 60 percent of wind’s energy. This potential power in the wind flowing over the United States in one year is more than the country’s total power needs for those same 365 days, yet wind power currently makes up less than one percent of our energy supply. This number is likely to grow in the not so distant future, however, as communities around the world are working to capture this free and renewable resource. One such community is North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Through alliances with a number of local economic and academic institutions, the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce is taking steps not only toward local energy independence but toward the establishment of a powerful economic cluster.