Green Building
Salt Lake City Airport Department
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In the fall of 2020, the Salt Lake City Airports Department (SLDA) opened the first phase of the new SLC Airport—the first major new hub airport in the United States to be built in the 21st century. The new SLC was designed and built to provide a more flexible, right-sized design for the future, more efficient, sustainable and cost-competitive. It also aims to establish benchmarks for environmentally responsible airports. Sustainable design strategies aimed at minimising the airport’s environmental footprint include high-performance glazing, daylighting, energy-efficient machinery and lighting systems, and efficient configuration of terminal and gate locations to reduce fuel use and aircraft emissions. SLLDA’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, and in 2021 it achieved LEED Gold certification. Phases 2 and 3, currently under construction, are also expected to receive LEED Gold.
Novva data center
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With sustainability at the forefront of every decision, Novva’s flagship store in West Jordan is designed to run year-round without water, use solar energy, and use ambient air for cooling. As a result of these green practices, the facility has received LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the facility’s highest honor for sustainability efforts. The flagship facility’s most unique feature is the waterless cooling system, which operates using a combination of air and heat exchange coils surrounding the raised floor. Additionally, the facility is equipped with countless green design features, including artificial grass that reduces unnecessary water use, refillable water bottle stations, electric vehicle charging stations, and recycling containers that foster an overall green mindset among employees. Data centers are an example of how thoughtful design can go a long way when creating greener facilities.
Green Business Leadership
like New
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Nu Skin is committed to environmental protection through its business practices and community leadership. By 2030, the company is committed to making all product packaging recyclable, renewable, recyclable, reusable or reduced. In 2021 alone, Nu Skin’s repackaging and sustainability program saved 118.2 tons of plastic and 33.1 tons of paper. Nu Skin is the first beauty company to use the Eco-Pac, which is made from 100% Bio-pe, a bio-based plastic resin derived from sugar cane, and reduces carbon emissions by 83% per product, with an average plastic 10% reduction. Nu Skin’s designated product recycling bins at global headquarters recycled 179.8 tons of material in 2021 alone. Nu Skin leads Utah’s sustainability efforts by forming with Adobe and Young Living and leading the Utah Sustainable Business Alliance, which leads businesses and communities to improve the world. Within five years, the coalition has grown to more than 300 members statewide.
Shop SLC
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Shop SLC, the co-working space of choice for creative professionals, made history by opening the city’s first carbon-neutral co-working space. Here, teams large and small come together under one roof to share furniture, technology, coffee machines and ideas. The Shop advocates for sustainability beyond the building itself through a range of partners and initiatives, including relationships with Momentum Recycling and Atlas Disposal for proper recycling, as well as a sponsorship of a nearby GREENBike station. Workspaces are getting deeper roots as eco-oriented nonprofits like the Green Cities Lunchbox and the Utah Sustainable Business Coalition promote. These partnerships reinforce The Shop’s role in the surrounding community by promising local products for purchase in the workspace’s marketplace.
social influence
Utah Clean Energy
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What started as a small group of enthusiastic volunteers around the dinner table working on climate issues has become one of the most influential and trusted clean air and climate change organizations in Utah, Clean Energy Utah. When it was founded in 2002, wind and solar farms did not exist in the state, nearly zero households had solar power, and talking about climate change in the halls of Utah’s capital required walking a political tightrope. Utah now has enough renewable energy to power nearly 700,000 Utah homes, energy efficiency is a priority, and Utah party leaders are discussing climate change risks and solutions. For the past 20 years, Utah Clean Energy has been recognized as the state’s foremost expert on climate, clean energy and air quality solutions. The organization’s mission is to “lead and accelerate the clean energy transition with vision and expertise” and supports dozens of impactful initiatives including solar, electric vehicles, healthy homes, energy and equity, climate policy and more these ideals.
zero target
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A global leader in clean, consumer power solutions, Utah-based Target Zero created the portable power station category more than a decade ago with a humanitarian mission to provide sustainable energy to those in need. From emergency power outages to camping and off-grid projects and activities, Target Zero solar panels, power stations and accessories enable people to keep their gear charged in any situation. As an NRG company, Goal Zero was born out of a desire to empower people around the world and is committed to changing the way people think and use electricity by pioneering smarter energy solutions.