The Heat! Is! On! Now, typically in our climate-change-fueled work, this would not be a great phrase to hear. However, for our 2020 Finger Lakes Enterprises for Climate Action campaign (FLECA), it’s music to our ears. This fall, we launched our very first local business-focused offsetting campaign for our Finger Lakes Climate Fund. Equipped with our nifty carbon calculator, local enterprises are invited to identify their biggest source of carbon emissions and pollution in their operations. As close to net zero as they try, there’s always some to be offset!
We are delighted to already celebrate donations from our partner contractor, Halco, and Beck Equipment, Paddle-N-More, the new Odyssey Bookstore in town, and Rogues’ Harbor Inn as our earliest members of FLECA!! We thank these businesses for their generosity and commitment to a sustainable and equitable future. With their $3,050 offset to get us started, we are already more than 20% of the way to our goal of 100 tons CO2 offset. The funds raised through our local carbon offsets are distributed in grants to regional low-income families to help them install high efficiency heat pumps and insulate and air seal their homes.
Businesses have a unique role to play in these changing times: showing leadership and investing in the progressive, essential changes that will keep our communities alive and thriving are more important than ever. They are also enjoying the opportunity to align even more closely with the values of their clientele, as customers are increasingly demanding that their favorite businesses walk their talk in the sustainability realms. In this campaign, we are offering Tiers of Giving to provide opportunities for various avenues of promotion. We are also happy to consult with business leaders on expanding our partnership through website landing pages and assisting their clients in offsetting emissions from their purchases.
Does your organization want to help Finger Lakes families stay warm this winter? Email marisa@sustainabletompkins.org for more information, including benefits of joining.
