About Downtown Green Source

Downtown Green Source is a program of Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District that provides sustainability resources to Downtown property owners, employers and employees. In support of the goals established by the City of Atlanta, the Downtown Green Source program strives to provide the connections, resources and education necessary to enhance the environmental sustainability and economic vitality of Downtown. The Downtown Green Source program ensures collaboration among private and public organizations within Downtown to promote and deliver measurable improvement in the following areas:

Building Energy Efficiency
Through its participation in the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge (Atlanta BBC), the Downtown Green Source program works to decrease energy and water consumption in buildings 20% by 2020. Green Source promotes participation in the Atlanta BBC initiative through marketing efforts and provides outreach programs to educate building owners and connect them with resources necessary to meet the goals of the Atlanta BBC.  

Sustainable Transportation 
Expanding upon the work of The Downtown Transportation Management Authority (TMA), the Downtown Green Source program implements transportation demand management  (TDM) strategies to reduce the overall miles traveled to Downtown in single-occupancy vehicles, resulting in improved air quality and lower carbon emissions. We provide education and recognize top performers through regional and local commute incentive programs. In addition, through planning efforts, the Downtown Green Source program promotes the sustainable benefits of transit-oriented development.

Waste Management
The Downtown Green Source program provides education and facilitation to property and business owners in regard to effective waste management programs and best practices. We collaborate with building owners, waste contractors and the City of Atlanta to measure and increase the amount of waste diverted from landfills by exploring comprehensive waste management plans. The overall goal is to achieve a diversion rate consistent with the goals set forth by the City of Atlanta through outreach and incentives, where resources allow.

Local /Sustainable Food Sourcing 
The Downtown Green Source program encourages Downtown restaurants and businesses to procure as many ingredients as possible from local organic sources and bring local food sources within a short reach of Downtown. Through promotion and education efforts, we utilize marketing strategies to steer consumers toward Downtown businesses that are exhibiting best practices in local sustainable food sourcing. 

Water Conservation
The Downtown Green Source program provides educational resources to encourage property and business owners to reduce the amount of municipal potable water consumption in buildings and encourage re-use of non-potable water where appropriate.

Carbon Emissions Reduction
The Downtown Green Source program strives to reduce total carbon footprint of Downtown Atlanta consistent with the goals set forth by the City of Atlanta. This is achieved by such efforts as reducing energy consumption and miles traveled through the promotion of sustainable transportation and the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge.

Green Space
The Downtown Green Source program seeks funding to participate in comprehensive sustainable community planning initiatives to encourage property owners and developers to provide or preserve green space and protect and restore the city’s green space. By working with communities throughout the region, the Downtown Green Source program strives to implement local development plans that integrate sustainable housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure investments.

Sustainable Economic Development & Green Jobs
The Downtown Green Source program works in collaboration with the Metro Atlanta Chamber “Sustainable Economic Growth Initiative” to increase the number of green jobs brought to Atlanta through economic development and the branding of Atlanta as a competitive sustainable city.