Around the world, Washington, DC is best known as the seat of the US government. But at the local level, our nation’s capital is also a city brimming with sustainability initiatives that aren’t driving business growth.
It’s not just a matter of the District being home to more LEED-certified project square footage than any state, which it was in a study by the US Green Buildings Council.
DC is home to an impressive array of organizations and programs to support small businesses committed to reducing their environmental footprint. It also boasts a sprawling network of entrepreneurs and companies that have sustainability baked into their DNA.
You could say just that about Calvin Hines, Jr., who in 2020 founded Eightfold Farms, a network of small urban farms that have sprung up around the city, especially in Wards 7 and 8, east of the Anacostia River.
Hines’ farms appear in the most unexpected places, from redesigned lawns to rooftops and other underutilized spaces, where they serve local produce to residents, retailers, and restaurants alike—offering an authentic farm-to-table experience.
They’re also filling a critical need: offering fresh food options in parts of the city with few grocery stores.
“It's not just farming—it's about shifting culture and creating industry,” he told Axios DC last year.
But his innovative and sustainable business concept is just one in a groundswell of private ventures and green business initiatives found in our nation’s capital.
Some efforts focus on removing barriers for entrepreneurs by offering lower borrowing costs and increased access to capital, whether they’re starting a business or transitioning to cleaner operations.
One example: DC Green Bank and City First Enterprises have partnered to offer small business loan opportunities of up $150,000 at low, 3 percent interest rates for companies that take planet-friendly steps, like upgrading to clean energy systems, improving energy efficiency, installing solar panels,, or high-efficiency HVAC systems.
Another: The Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF) has teamed up with The Coalition, a local non-profit organization, on the “Green Growth Fund.” As part of that initiative, DC area entrepreneurs seeking to advance clean energy, eco-friendly, and green energy projects can secure up to $250,000 in flexible financing.
Lack of access to capital,” WACIF points out, “is one of the most common reasons small businesses do not succeed.”
Ultimately, finding success as a truly sustainable business comes from more than an artfully crafted statement on a company’s webpage or a standalone effort to reduce waste.
It’s about embedding sustainability initiatives into the very fabric of a company, said Danielle Vogel, professor of management and assistant director of the Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship at American University’s Kogod School of Business, located in DC.