Partnership and Technical Assistance Programs
Many suppliers, especially smaller ones, are unaware of programs that could help them reduce emissions; suppliers would benefit from learning about such programs from their customers. Various voluntary EPA programs that support companies in reducing GHG emissions have seen suppliers join after being encouraged to do so by their customers who are also active participants. Programs that provide suppliers with public recognition for their achievements in reducing GHG emissions can spur continuous improvement by promoting healthy competition among organizations to differentiate themselves from their competitors based on their environmental performance.
- ENERGY STAR Exit: Through its partnerships with more than 20,000 private and public sector organizations, EPA's ENERGY STAR program delivers the technical information and tools that organizations and consumers need to choose energy-efficient solutions and best management practices.
- EPA's Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to use green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use.
- EPA's SmartWay provides tools, data, and standards for measuring, benchmarking, and improving environmental performance in freight supply chains and shipping.
- E3: Economy, Energy, Environment is a technical assistance framework helping communities, manufacturers, and manufacturing supply chains reduce pollution and energy use.
- The Green Suppliers Network conducts customized technical assessment of production processes and small and medium-sized manufacturing facilities to help reduce waste and operate more efficiently.
- EPA's Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Partnership seeks to reduce emissions from electric power generation by increasing the use of CHP. CHP is on-site electricity generation that captures the heat that would otherwise be wasted in conventional generation to provide useful thermal energy—such as steam or hot water—that can be used for space heating, cooling, domestic hot water and industrial processes.
- The Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office Exit provides a variety of programs that identify opportunities for integrating energy-efficiency measures into industrial facilities.
- EPA’s Center for Corporate Climate Leadership serves as a resource center for all organizations looking to expand their work in the area of greenhouse gas (GHG) measurement and management. The Center organized the Climate Leadership Awards from 2012-2017, which recognized exemplary corporate, organizational, and individual leadership in addressing climate change by reducing carbon pollution and implementing adaptation planning initiatives.
- CDP provides recognition for suppliers and companies who disclose GHG emissions through the Climate Change A-List (PDF) (38 pp, 3.9MB) Exit and the Supplier A-List (PDF) (36 pp, 2.5MB) Exit.
In addition, many states and local utilities offer rebate programs that allow suppliers to recoup some of the upfront costs associated with improving energy efficiency and reducing GHG emissions. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency Exit provides a clearinghouse for many of these programs.