Business Sustainability

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Business Sustainability

Environmental stewardship and economic prosperity are complementary objectives. By creating frameworks that incentivize excellence, support innovation, and build resilience, Virginia can establish itself as the premier destination for businesses seeking to thrive in a sustainable economy. Success requires balanced approaches that address immediate needs while building long-term capacity for environmental and economic leadership.

The recommendations in this section provide a comprehensive policy framework to allow businesses to prepare for and withstand disasters of all kinds, achieve ambitious sustainability goals, and maintain robust economic growth through 2035 and beyond.

Recommendations

Incentive-Based Sustainability Programs

Revitalize and expand the Environmental Excellence Program to reduce regulatory burden for companies that have strong environmental records
Explore strategies to incentivize the development of wetland mitigation banks to increase the supply of credits necessary to support economic growth and development
Incentivize adoption of efficient building and fleet technologies for businesses and residents

Responsible Product Lifecycle Management

Develop Virginia-specific policies that encourage recyclable, reusable, and/or compostable packaging without creating undue compliance or implementation burdens
Support businesses in transitioning to circular economy models through technical assistance and financial incentives
Address residential waste stream improvements through public-private partnerships

Disaster Preparedness and Resilience

Develop public infrastructure resilience programs and public-private partnerships that serve business continuity needs
Support sufficient local staffing and resources to promote all-hazard preparedness and mitigation efforts and to ensure ample coordination with state and federal personnel, as well as the private sector, during and after emergencies
Enhance the Virginia Department of Emergency Management’s (VDEM) partnerships with the business community with clearly defined Emergency Support Functions (ESF) for private sector contributions during disaster response and recovery
Maintain a dedicated State Resilience Office and establish regional branches to coordinate and facilitate localities in all-hazard preparedness and planning

Eco-Tourism and the Outdoor Economy

Promote and market Virginia as a national leader in eco-tourism and the outdoor economy, especially by highlighting their role in small business formation, talent recruitment, and rural economic development
Support the protection, continued development, and funding of Virginia’s state parks, including addressing the deferred maintenance backlog
Support land conservation programs, public access projects, and reforestation efforts which expand eco-tourism opportunities and leverage Virginia’s natural resources from Appalachia to the Chesapeake Bay