Mayor Walsh kicks off 9th annual Greenovate Boston, bike-friendly business awards

 Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that the City of Boston is now accepting applications for the 2015 Mayor’s Greenovate Boston Awards and the Bike Friendly Business Awards. These two awards recognize residents and businesses helping Boston achieve its climate and cycling goals. Applications are available online and and the deadline to apply is March 31, 2015.

“Boston’s residents, businesses, and organizations are critical to reaching Boston’s climate action and cycling goals,” Mayor Walsh said. “Many of them are doing outstanding work on sustainability and alternative transportation, and I look forward to recognizing their efforts through both of these awards.”

The Greenovate Boston Awards, which are in their 9th year, recognize businesses, community organizations, and individuals committed to helping Boston meet its climate and sustainability goals. The Bike Friendly Business Awards, in their 8th year, recognize companies that incorporate bike-friendly practices, encouraging their employees or customers to ride their bikes.

“These awards are an important means of thanking all of those who are helping Boston become a greener, more bike-friendly city,” said Austin Blackmon, Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space. “We could not reach our goals without these trail blazers.”

Boston's Bike Friendly Business Awards offer four levels of awards as well as a special award for the “Most Bike Friendly” organization. The awards are distributed according to the number and scope of bike friendly practices a company undertakes. Basic practices include participation in bike events, installation of outdoor bike racks, financial incentives for bike commuters, allowing bikes in the building, and more. Additional steps are recognized at a higher level, such as providing secure covered bike parking, offering shower facilities for commuter employees, or making Hubway corporate memberships available. Businesses that win an award are invited to attend a special ceremony with Mayor Walsh where they receive a “Bike Friendly Business” certificate to display in their business.

Greenovate Boston Award applications may be submitted on behalf of a business or community organization, or an individual. Applications should focus on a recent project or practice that demonstrates leadership in climate action. Projects or practices should be closely tied to the citywide climate goals laid out in the 2014 Greenovate Boston Climate Action Plan. Large buildings or institutions are also encouraged to participate in the Mayor’s Carbon Cup, a program that recognizes building portfolios of over one million square feet, which have achieved or committed to a 35% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. The application deadline is March 20, 2015.

The Greenovate Awards will be a part of the second Greenovate Boston Community Summit, which will be held in late spring. The Community Summit is a day-long gathering that brings together residents, businesses, and organizations to help Boston reach its climate goals by sharing best practices and connect them to each other, to the City and to other resources and information.

To learn more about the Greenovate Boston Awards and submit an applications, please visit www.cityofboston.gov/EEOS/GreenAwards. If you have any questions, please contact 617-635-3850.

To learn more about the Bike Friendly Business Awards and submit an application, please visit: https://www.boston.gov/departments/boston-bikes If you have any questions, please contact 617-918-4343.

Greenovate Boston is the City's initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 and prepare for the impact of climate change. It is a community-wide movement that seeks to engage all Bostonians in achieving these goals, while continuing to make Boston a thriving, healthy, and innovative city.

Boston Bikes is part of Boston’s vision for a vibrant and healthy city that benefits all its citizens. It seeks to make Boston a world-class bicycling city by creating safe and inviting conditions for all residents and visitors. Boston Bikes focuses on improvements in all six universal bike planning areas: Equity, Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation.