We have some news for Ottawa’s green businesses.

Last year the City of Ottawa committed to ambitious climate reduction targets, including reaching zero emissions by 2050, and dropping community emissions by nearly 70% by 2030.  That means that as a region, we are entering a decade of climate action, and we want Ottawa businesses to both lead the way and benefit from the move toward a greener local economy. 

With this in mind, here at EnviroCentre, we know our Green Business Hub, Carbon 613, needs to grow and become a loud, clear voice for green business in Ottawa.  To this end, we are making two big changes in 2021. 

First, we are changing EnviroCentre’s Green Business Hub name to Ottawa Green Business.  We want Ottawa businesses to know we exist for them, we represent green economy here in town, and that joining is joining a local movement for greener business practices.  And we want folks to get all that, right in the name.  We want our members to be able to place a logo on their website, a sticker on their door or a sign on their property, and know that every customer, client, partner, colleague or neighbour who sees it will know what they are working toward.  We thought long and hard about this change, tested, debated and strategized, and we are confident this is the name for the coming decade of change. 

Visit our website at ottawagreenbusiness.ca.

Second, we are thinking big.  Did you know that when 25% of a given group or community unites in collective action for change, a tipping point is hit, and real, cross-community change begins?  In Ottawa, our business community is nowhere near that level of engagement today, but we are determined to see that change.  To start to move toward our 2030 and 2050 goals, Ottawa Green Business has set our own target.  We want to see 5% of local businesses engaged in local climate action by the end of 2021, and we want to work with our friends, neighbours, colleagues, members and community to make that happen.   

That’s around 1000 local businesses engaged for action by year end, joining local leaders like the Shaw Centre, Angela’s Bed and Breakfast, Carleton University, IKEA, and the NAC, in committing to action and becoming one of the Ottawa 1000.  Together, Ottawa business can help Ottawa go green. 

Green business is good business.