The St. Louis Green Business Challenge remained a leader of sustainability in the St. Louis region last year by continuing to deliver Triple Bottom Line results (fiscal, social and environmental) to businesses of all types and sizes across the bi-state area. Like the Clean Air Partnership, the Challenge focuses on encouraging and inspiring voluntary steps to help improve the environment and air quality in the region, and we’re pleased to highlight efforts of green businesses such as Ameren Missouri that continue to take action for cleaner air by channeling their time and energy towards practicing sustainability.
A returning participant of the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, Ameren Missouri strives to ensure all customers – including the underserved and vulnerable – will benefit from their efforts. Growing energy efficiency programs to include more St. Louis homes and businesses of all sizes saves money, energy and brings the company closer to its net-zero carbon emissions goal, which is why the company elected to develop and report on their Champion Innovation Project – Leading the Way to a Sustainable Energy Future – during the 2021 Challenge.
To help reach their goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Ameren Missouri continued to make transformative steps by adding 700 MW of wind power last year and a water reduction goal targeting 95% reduction in withdrawn water for thermal generation. Currently, recycled water is used at several company facilities with 99% of water withdrawn being discharged back to the environment.
Additionally, through Ameren Missouri’s Community Savers® Program, property owners, community managers and income-eligible customers can receive energy-saving products for their home, along with rebates when they make eligible energy efficient upgrades. Since October 2020, Ameren Missouri residential customers have received 17,279 zero cost Sensi and Nest smart thermostats to help cut down on costs and to control their energy use, which also positively benefits the region’s air quality!
Other noteworthy initiatives include a new Sustainability Employee Resource Group (SERG), which hosted a three-talk biodiversity lunch ‘n’ learn series and a company-wide, virtual sustainability scavenger hunt. Moreover, Ameren Missouri supported the successful launch of the St. Louis Vehicle Electrification Rides for Senior (SiLVERS) EV Program with charging station construction incentives to continue electrification efforts in underserved communities.
Looking ahead to a sustainable energy future, Ameren Missouri also established a Supply Chain Sustainability Department that has already engaged 92 top suppliers to discuss increasing focus on sustainable action within the company’s supply chain, in addition to updating their Supplier Code of Conduct to continue formalizing the internalization and defining of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) topics.
For additional information on how your company can get involved in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, subscribe to their weekly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore the Clean Air Partnership website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair.
