DAVID GRAHAM
CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER
CITY OF CARLSBAD
As the nation’s workforce becomes more diverse and complex, attitudes toward addressing the challenges of the future of our planet become more important. Cities and companies are recognizing that their approach to doing business has to account for much more than the bottom line.
Environmental sustainability has become a concern for residents, visitors, businesses and an ever-changing workforce.
Young talent today will seek out companies that practice sustainability by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, cutting down on waste, and eliminating single-use and disposable products. A company that allows flexible commute times and promotes car and van pools may have an edge in drawing the kind of talent it seeks in today’s competitive environment.
To help in this regard, businesses can point to their host city, Carlsbad, as a community that has embraced environmental sustainability as a core value and adopted initiatives that demonstrate that commitment. The Carlsbad Economic Development team is trying our best to help our local businesses attract and retain talent, so the city’s commitment to sustainability can be a useful recruitment tool.
The city adopted a Climate Action Plan in 2015, and has implemented several initiatives that encourage, and sometimes require, businesses to take measures to reduce greenhouse gases. One example is Transportation Demand Management, which uses strategies to cut down on the number of solo drivers commuting to and from their workplace, to reduce emissions.
And to help businesses comply with that strategy, the city has launched the Carlsbad Connector, a shuttle service that transports riders between the Carlsbad Poinsettia Train Station and Carlsbad business parks. This helps commuters close that last gap between the station and their workplace, making it easier for them to use public transit. It also helps achieve a goal of reducing the number of single-occupancy vehicles on our roadways at the busiest drive time.
Programs like this one can help businesses attract and retain talented workers who prefer not to spend hours a day on the freeway, increasing greenhouse emissions while driving to and from work.
Carlsbad was also the first city in San Diego County to join the California Green Business Network, a statewide network of 4,000 certified businesses in 40 cities that are committed to environmentally sustainable practices. Businesses join to show they care about their environment and to network with other businesses promoting sustainable practices.
Carlsbad also recently launched a pilot program to help our local restaurants reduce their waste output. This program, Carlsbad for a Waste Free Future, is run by reEARTH Consulting and will help restaurants eliminate single-use and disposable products like plastic straws and utensils, Styrofoam takeout containers and other single-use articles, and switch to earth-friendly alternatives.
We can see this new ethic in the types of businesses that are gravitating to Carlsbad. The city is home to a cluster of Clean Technology firms that are engaged in renewable energy, green transportation, electric motors, green chemistry, LED lighting, gray water, and energy-efficient appliances. Clean technology employment in Carlsbad is more than triple the national average.
Calsense, a clean tech company, was recently recognized by the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce as the best place to work among small companies. The firm is an innovator in water conservation and has contributed to a sustainable future by developing water resource management tools and strategies.
And Calsense is one of many Carlsbad firms that have embraced sustainability and understand its role in attracting talent.
By employing strategies including zero waste goals to electric vehicle charging, businesses like HME, Thermo Fisher, Viasat, Legoland and many others are adopting sustainability practices that are good for their workers, good for their customers and good for the environment.
Programs like the Carlsbad Connector, Transportation Demand Management, Carlsbad for a Waste Free Future and others show that the city of Carlsbad is committed to sustainability, and that our local business community is on board.
Carlsbad and its business community are not just talking the talk, but we’re walking the walk on the road to a sustainable future.