New Year, New You
What if your 2023 New Year’s resolution was to cut fossil fuels, in a big way?
We all make promises to ourselves this time of year. About getting more healthy exercise. Spending less time on our phones. Calling family members more often. Things that are good for our wellbeing, but really tough to get in the habit of doing.
What if your New Year’s resolution this year involved more than a gym membership? What if you resolved to make a plan or a purchase that would significantly reduce your organization’s carbon footprint, and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable community?
Here are some of the ways how.
Purchasing EVs
We believe 2023 will be the year of the electric vehicle. In 2022, EVs made it onto Superbowl commercials and secured a massive spot in the Inflation Reduction Act passed. There are more available models than ever, with a wider range of prices and features. And electric vehicles are showing up in unexpected places: from pizza delivery to public safety.
Here are some questions to mull over as you picture what your organization will look like in 2023 and beyond:
How many of my employees would consider buying an electric vehicle if they had a place to charge at work?
Will top talent be satisfied with my organization’s track record when it comes to sustainability?
How would my operations be different, if our vehicles were powered by clean, efficient electric?
What would my constituents think about seeing electric vehicles associated with our brand?
Have I crunched the numbers to understand the total cost of replacing gas-powered vehicles with EVs?
Job seekers, voters, and consumers are looking to organizations to take big steps in reducing their use of fossil fuels and stepping up to fight climate change. Taking the first step towards your New Year’s resolution could be diving in to the financial incentives or scheduling a conversation with Greater Rochester Clean Cities to talk about electrifying your vehicles.
Taking Your Building All Electric
Are you tired of hearing about heat pumps, yet? We won’t tire of talking about them until the Genesee-Finger Lakes region is full of healthy, efficient buildings. Our case studies celebrate just a few of the local leaders committed to slashing building emissions and creating spaces we can be proud of, from an ultra efficient library, to an eco-friendly luxury hotel, to a sustainable development of restaurants and lofts.
Much of our housing stock is aging. Every year, old boiler systems and furnaces are coming to the end of their long lives, or becoming a drain on resources. Leaders in a variety of industries have complex decisions to make about when to upgrade, and what technology to use. Going with the fossil fuel power that you know can feel so much easier, especially when electric technologies and their costs feel like a big unknown. But the technology has been around for decades, the engineering, architecture, and contracting industry has embraced it, and early adopters have already paved the way. Incremental costs can be offset by rebates, tax credits, and depreciation if you do your homework. And we’re here to help.
So if you’re thinking about the future of your facilities, ponder this:
How will my facilities costs be impacted by fluctuation or escalation in gas prices?
Am I satisfied with my building’s current carbon footprint?
Will my organization be proud of the climate action decisions we made in 2023?
How many times in my career am I going to make a decision that lasts for decades?
Do the leaders in my organization have the information they need to advocate for a clean building?
What cost are we willing to bear in ensuring cleaner air and healthier conditions for our community’s most vulnerable?
Those are big questions, and may take you well into January to think through. Maybe you want to start by forwarding your team these 5 myths about electric buildings or setting up a time to talk to an Energy Advisor about your unique situation. Whatever the new year brings for you and your organization, we hope you take some time to rest, regroup, and recommit to a fossil-fuel free future.
