At The GREEN Program (TGP), we believe in using business as a force for good, and to help create a sustainable future for our community and planet.
We're proud to be a triple-bottom line, public benefit corporation.
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Business as a force for good
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At The GREEN Program (TGP), we believe in using business as a force for good, and to help create a sustainable future for our community and planet.
We're proud to be a triple-bottom line, public benefit corporation.
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Our Approach
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Sustainable Travel & Program Operations
All of our programs are accredited courses that are focused on our world's most pressing issues around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As advocates for sustainable travel, we partner with locally owned vendors and prioritize women and minority owned businesses. In addition, TGP tracks and offsets the flights emissions of our students' and team's flights. We always use a verified third party to offset the emissions to a sustainable project that is voted upon by our alumni community every year. Read more about our carbon offsetting initiatives. See our commitment with the U.N. SDGs Partnerships Platform since 2015 here.
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Service-Learning Opportunities
Our programs provide unique opportunities climate action through service-learning opportunities in several destinations. We've assisted local communities with sustainability projects that have focused on deforestation in Iceland, clean water access in Peru, and energy access in Nepal. We don't just teach sustainability, we practice it too. Learn more about our programs.
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Company-wide Sustainability Policies
Sustainability is at the core of our decision-making at every level of our organization. TGP has a company-wide environmental purchasing and offsetting policy that institutes sustainability best practices. This includes reducing waste by increasing product efficiency and effectiveness, purchasing products that minimize environmental impacts, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and supporting sustainably and locally sourced products. See more about our internal environmental policy below.
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Our Approach
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Sustainable Travel &
Program Operations
Program Operations
All of our programs are accredited courses that are focused on our world's most pressing issues around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As advocates for sustainable travel, we partner with locally owned vendors and prioritize women and minority owned businesses. In addition, TGP tracks and offsets the flights emissions of our students' and team's flights. We always use a verified third party to offset the emissions to a sustainable project that is voted upon by our alumni community every year. Read more about our carbon offsetting initiatives.
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Service-Learning
Opportunities
Opportunities
Our programs provide unique opportunities climate action through service-learning opportunities in several destinations. We've assisted local communities with sustainability projects that have focused on deforestation in Iceland, clean water access in Peru, and energy access in Nepal. We don't just teach sustainability, we practice it too.
Learn more about our programs.
people_outline
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Company-wide
Sustainability Policies
Sustainability is at the core of our decision-making at every level of our organization. TGP has a company-wide environmental purchasing and offsetting policy that institutes sustainability best practices. This includes reducing waste by increasing product efficiency and effectiveness, purchasing products that minimize environmental impacts, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and supporting sustainably and locally sourced products. See more about our internal environmental policy below.
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"We get our hands dirty and do the work. The best way to teach sustainability is by example."
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- Melissa Lee, Founder & CEO
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Our Environmental Policy
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Environmental Purchasing
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The mission of TGP's environmental policy is to guide sustainable decision-making at all levels of the organization. We aim to conserve natural resources, minimize environmental impacts, and create a sustainable purchasing model that encourages other members of our community to adopt similar goals.
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Strategies for Implementation
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We've implemented clear steps for sustainable decision-making which include: reducing waste, encouraging reuse, avoiding single-use products, requesting that all vendors eliminate packaging and recycle, electronic distribution of documents, purchasing products that meet the EPA's minimum recycled content guidelines, promoting the use of energy efficient and water saving products, utilizing Green Building practices in office settings, protecting wildlife habitats, stressing pollution prevention, using bio-based and forest conservation products, and more.
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Responsibilities
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The health and safety of our students and employees are our priority and take precedence over all other practices. TGP will continue to invest and improve our systems, policies, and actions that support sustainable practices to advance sustainability throughout the organization.
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Implementation
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TGP has implemented this policy as an on-going effort in coordination with our partners, vendors, ad personnel. TGP will prioritize businesses that are certified by local green business programs in purchasing requests for products and services. TGP will continue to encourage vendors and partners to comply with applicable sections of our policy for products and services provided to TGP.
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Evaluation
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TGP will evaluate the success of this policy's implementation on an annual basis and report to the team and organization's stakeholders. We encourage and may seek out a third-party partner throughout this evaluation process.
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Supplier Diversity
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TGP will award contracts to local small businesses, minority owned businesses, women owned businesses, disadvantaged, and veteran owned businesses. We have a commitment to purchase core products (at least 50% of expenses) from independent suppliers local to where the product will be used or where the company operates.
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Read our full environmental policy and strategies for implementation.
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Read our full
environmental policy
and strategies for implementation.
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How it all started
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Melissa Lee discovered her love for the environment at a young age. Through her travels as a child, she spent a lot of time exploring new destinations. She always found a sense of comfort with nature and wildlife no matter where she was.
At the age of 11, she completed her first open-water dive off of a remote island in Malaysia and became even more passionate about our oceans and environment. She realized that when there is an opportunity to create a connection with nature, you unlock a passion for protecting it too.
She knew that she wanted to dedicate her future to help protect our environment. A few years later, The GREEN Program was born in 2009 with a mission to educate and empower future generations of sustainability leaders around the world.
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How it all started
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Melissa Lee discovered her love for the environment at a young age. Through her travels as a child, she spent a lot of time exploring new destinations. She always found a sense of comfort with nature and wildlife no matter where she was.
At the age of 11, she completed her first open-water dive off of a remote island in Malaysia and became even more passionate about our oceans and environment. She realized that when there is an opportunity to create a connection with nature, you unlock a passion for protecting it too.
She knew that she wanted to dedicate her future to help protect our environment. A few years later, The GREEN Program was born in 2009 with a mission to educate and empower future generations of sustainability leaders around the world.
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Expand your global experience and discover our world's most pressing issues in sustainable development.
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Expand your
global experience
and discover our world's most pressing issues in sustainable development.
global experience
and discover our world's most pressing issues in sustainable development.
© The GREEN Program Public Benefit Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
30 S. 15th St. Floor 15, Philadelphia, PA 19102 | +1 215-821-0935 | info@thegreenprogram.com