CASE STUDY: Economic Growth Through Sustainability: The Reno + Sparks Green Business Certification Program

Providing thought leadership in the new energy economy

Overview

Set against the backdrop of Northern Nevada’s rapidly growing tourism and business landscape, the Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce’s (NV) Green Business Certification program is driving economic growth by helping businesses be more sustainable and profitable. Complete with training, tools, and support, the Green Business program enables businesses to reduce costs, enhance profitability, and attract eco-conscious customers and employees. By positioning the region as a leader in the new energy economy, the Chamber strengthens its role as a business advocate and makes the Reno metro area more attractive to investors.

Context:

• Reno and Sparks (NV) population: 538,000 (2024 estimate, Macrotrends)

• Reno + Sparks Chamber membership: 2,200+ businesses 

• Green Business Certification program launched 2022

Opportunity

With the increasing importance of sustainability in both consumer preferences and regulatory landscapes, the Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce recognized an opportunity to provide significant value and thought leadership. In partnership with Chamber member GreenUP!, the Chamber developed comprehensive training that includes metrics, tools, and processes, and is open to all businesses, to achieve Green Business Certification. Recognizing the significant economic contributions of the tourism and restaurant industries in the region, the Chamber also leads the specialized Green Dining Nevada Initiative. 

How the Program Works

Upon registration, a green business coordinator is assigned and offers a site assessment, technical assistance, and connections to incentive programs, recommending low-and no-cost solutions to help businesses save money.  The coordinator also provides useful resources, and evaluates certification criteria across seven categories: including energy, pollution prevention, solid waste, transportation, wastewater, and water. The Chamber covers all associated costs.

Vision

The Chamber’s commitment to innovation and sustainability positions the region at the forefront of the new energy economy.  Per Chamber CEO Ann Silver’s recent opinion piece in This is Reno, “At the Chamber, we’re convinced that dedication to innovation and investment in grid modernization, energy storage diversification, and advanced transportation options are crucial to ushering our local economy into the new energy economy. This commitment will unlock countless opportunities for businesses to thrive and create a pipeline of great jobs for future generations and for homeowners to reduce costs and conserve energy.” 

Economic Development Benefits

Reno + Sparks Chamber CEO, Ann Silver, sees significant economic benefits from the program for the Chamber, its members, and the community:

For Businesses: 

• Cost Savings: Businesses save money through waste and energy reduction, including the option to generate solar energy onsite—possibly even selling it back to the grid for passive income.

• Enhanced Competitiveness: Practices such as installing EV chargers or electrifying vehicles, save money and attract eco-conscious customers and employees, particularly in the competitive tourism and restaurant sectors.

• Increased Profitability: Sustainable practices, including the knowledge and tools to run a more sustainable business, lead to long-term profitability, positioning businesses to thrive in the evolving energy economy.

For the Chamber: 

• Membership Growth: The program draws new members, attracted to the Chamber for the Green Certification Training, and strengthens ties with non-member businesses, engaged as thought leaders.  Once engaged, these thought leaders often become investors.  

• Policy Influence: By engaging with policymakers on this program, the Chamber deepens relationships and solidifies its role as a business leader and advocate for regional economic growth.

• Regional Attractiveness: The Chamber’s leadership in sustainability strengthens area businesses and industries and makes the Reno-Sparks region more attractive to investors.

For the Reno + Sparks Community:

• Tourism Protection: The program safeguards the valuable tourism economy by increasing environmental stewardship.

• Meeting Consumer Expectations: Businesses that adopt sustainable practices meet growing consumer demands for recycling, composting, and reduced plastic use.

Results

• Growth: Over 200 businesses are certified, with numbers steadily increasing.  

• Program Expansion: Chamber partner GreenUp! is looking to expand and add a level 3 certification.

• Media Recognition: The program has garnered positive media attention for the Chamber. 

• Competitive Edge: Certified businesses are gaining an advantage in recruiting staff, particularly during peak seasons.  A restaurant, for example, hiring students for the busy summer season, will have a leg up in attracting prospective employees as a green certified business.  

Additional Lessons Learned

According to CEO Ann Silver, “It’s important to get ahead of the curve and not wait until something is legislated or inevitably becomes the sensible choice.  If you wait, you miss an opportunity to be viewed as a leader.”  

This proactive approach not only reinforces the Chamber’s role as a leader, but also helps attract and retain members by providing value upfront and driving long-term economic growth in the region.

To learn more about the program, check out the website. Or reach out to CEO Ann Silver at: asilver@thechambernv.org

CASE STUDY: Winter Park Prosperity Scorecard

OVERVIEW

The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce (FL) produced the Winter Park Prosperity Scorecard, an online dashboard that tracks and measures key indicators of Winter Park’s economic strength.

• Winter Park, FL population: 26,307

• Winter Park Chamber membership: 750 businesses

• Timeline: 6-9 months

• Launched: March 2022

OPPORTUNITY

As communities across the country struggled in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, chambers of commerce played a crucial role in revitalizing local economies by providing essential support and resources. The Winter Park Chamber partnered with the city, forming an Economic Recovery Task Force to assess opportunities to revitalize the local economy.

SURVEY

The task force decided to conduct a survey of its residents in order to determine the most important factors contributing to Winter Park’s economic landscape.

In order to ensure that their efforts were representative of the entire community, the chamber consulted a wide array of stakeholders in addition to chamber members. Holding more than twenty presentations with diverse community groups, the chamber worked to build community awareness, confidence, and investment in the project. 

To ensure thorough methodology and minimize bias, the chamber hired Janelle Zurich Analytics to provide specialized survey development and was supported by Rollins College in gathering and analyzing the survey data. Over the course of several months, they conducted interviews with 616 Winter Park residents on the most important factors to stimulate the city’s economic revitalization.

“We became aware of needs that we didn’t traditionally look at, like poverty and food insecurity,” says the chamber’s President/CEO, Betsy Gardner, IOM. “Afterward, we thought we needed to create a tool measuring total prosperity where everyone could plug in and see the factors that create prosperity.”

SCORECARD

Following the survey, the chamber conceived of the Winter Park Prosperity Scorecard—an online dashboard reflecting the key indicators of the community’s economic and regional health. Informed by the survey data, the scorecard would lay a framework for assessing and directing economic recovery efforts.

With data visualization provided by eImpact and Lightcast and funding by the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, the scorecard features traditional prosperity metrics such as employment, industry, workforce, and housing, as well as measures of sustainability and clean energy, specifically:

• Public electric vehicle charging units

• Percentage of city fleet that is electric

• Breakdown of renewable/clean energy mix under city utility portfolio

• Number of annual solar permits (residential and commercial)

Screenshot from Winter Park Prosperity Scorecard. Source: Winter Park Chamber of Commerce (FL)

ROLLOUT

The chamber developed a multichannel communications strategy—including digital, earned, and traditional media—to ensure both survey engagement as well as coverage for the scorecard’s eventual release.

More videos with the chamber’s partners are available here.

RESULTS

The Winter Park Prosperity Scorecard was a resounding success, shaping community conversations and chamber programming as the economy rebounded. 

• The Winter Park Chamber received positive media coverage, including articles in the Orlando Sentinel and The 32789, and TV and podcast features. The release of the scorecard was covered in an episode of the Talk of the Town podcast.

• The Prosperity Scorecard website has tracked over 16,000 lifetime visits, with 316 unique users and 477 visits in Q1 of 2024 alone.

• The survey highlighted diversity in decision-making as a key metric, which served as the foundation of Winter PAC, the chamber’s political committee formed in January 2024. Winter PAC’s first endorsed candidate was elected to the city commission three months later.

• With members of the Winter Park City Commission stating their desire to partner with the chamber on several aligned tenets featured in the scorecard—especially sustainability—the chamber is pleased to continue leading the community conversation on economic resilience.