By taking action to improve our air quality, you are helping our region draw talented workers, keep our transportation funding and retain productivity.

It can also mean recognition for your business through award programs such as the Best Workplaces for Commuters program, Breathe California’s Clean Air Awards, Sacramento Metro Chamber press events and the SACOG Salutes awards.

Some tips from the Metro Chamber and the Cleaner Air Partnership on how you can help protect our air and economy at your workplace or business:

• Around the office/on the commute
• Fleets, freight and logistics
• Site planning, management and parking
• Recognition
  

Around the Office/On the Commute

• Encourage employees to sign up for free Air Alert notifications about bad-air “Spare the Air” days via home email or text messages. Appoint someone to distribute the alerts through company email, break rooms and over the P.A. system;
  
  
• Link to the Spare the Air information site at www.sparetheair.com and to the Sacramento Region Travel Info site at www.sacregion511.org on your company home page and Intranet;
  
  
• Offer a work-at-home or “telework” option on Spare the Air days for employees who can complete tasks outside the office;
  
  
• On a regular basis, encourage employees to place lunch orders from the same restaurant or store, and send one employee to pick up the entire order;
  
  
• Buy workers lunch on Spare the Air days;
  
  
• Promote carpooling and ridesharing;
  
  
• Join a transportation management assocation (scroll down after clicking) (TMA) for convenient commute options and services;
  
  
• Provide free or subsidized transit passes for employees;
  
  
• Provide bikes or scooters for employees to use on short trips and errands;

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Fleets, Freight and Logistics

• Use low-emission vehicles such as hybrids in your fleet;
  
  
• Take advantage of financial incentives for pollution control devices on your heavy-duty equipment or fleet. These often precede new regulations and fuel standards, allowing you to meet them at lower cost, gain positive recognition and help protect our air and economy. The SECAT program, Carl Moyer program and the West Coast Diesel Collaborative are examples;

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Site Planning, Management and Parking

• Support smart-growth policies that help move jobs, homes and services closer together for easy access by foot, bike or transit. Walkable neighborhods without big parking lots typically result in higher retail revenues. Denser, more vibrant neighborhoods also tend to draw talented workers that make up “the creative class.” The area's Regional Blueprint smart-growth plan heps promote these policies.

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Recognition
Nominate businesses with air-friendly practices for awards and recognition. Here's a sampling of Sacramento-area recognition programs:

• Best Workplaces for Commuters program
• Breathe California’s Clean Air Awards
• SACOG Salutes awards
• Sacramento Metro Chamber press events

How to help at home

How to help us grow smarter

How to get involved in the Partnership