Smiling businessman working with computer and table in green meadow

Corporations, governments, and pro-environmental organizations are increasingly focused on what can be done in the workplace to protect the environment, according to an article on the Corporate Wellness website.

Going green involves changing the paradigm in work and workplace design to ensure we leave the environment robust and healthy, the article said. Going green in the workplace not only benefits the environment, it also benefits the businesses and organizations themselves with, among other things, lower operational costs.

For instance, Apple recently opened a $5 billion headquarters with solar panels that can generate 4 million watts of energy, potentially saving the company billions of dollars in energy costs.

The government offers additional incentives — including tax breaks and credits — at local, state, and federal levels to business owners who follow the bare minimum environmental regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

For instance, the federal government offers a green energy tax reduction of $1.80 per square foot to companies that reduce energy consumption by at least 50 percent. The use of energy-efficient products such as lighting and cooling systems also attracts a tax reduction of $0.60 per square foot for business owners.

In addition, many government procurement are selecting business owners with green initiatives as their suppliers and business partners.  And it’s not just the government that looks for green efforts in supplies and contractors.

Adopting environmental-friendly policies and green initiatives can improve customer and potential employee perception.

Read the full article here.