The Greening Of Business In Washington

Businesses in D.C. are helping put the metro region at the forefront of the national green movement and were honored at the Greater Washington Green Business Awards. Entrepreneurs, inventors and innovators were feted at the Omni Shoreham Hotel , at an awards ceremony hosted by the Washington Business Journal.

Doug Fruehling is the journal's editor. He says that although their "green" awards are sponsored by a gas company and a business group, going green is giving corporations a competitive edge. "Most CEOs, presidents and vice-presidents of companies get it," says Fruehling. "Everyone wants to be doing something green. So you have a lot of non-traditional companies that are trying to further the green movement."

Vandana Sinham reports on energy and the environment for the paper. She says the District leads the nation in green building, updating codes and passing the D.C. Green Building Act. "There are a lot of things that put the D.C. metro area ahead," says Sinham. "But it's a constant race and, in some ways, I think it's making metro areas trying to 'out-green' one another."

In their view, as companies improve environmental standards, "green" will eventually mean business as usual.

Stephanie Kaye reports...