VISTA Adopts “Green” Initiatives for Corporate Sustainability

VISTA has instituted a company-wide “Green” initiative, in line with current Federal requirements for sustainability and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

“We at VISTA believe sustainable operations are not just the responsibility of Federal agencies, but the companies that serve them, as well,” said VISTA President and CEO David Baxa.

President Bush underscored his administration’s support for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions during the State of the Union address in January. This commitment to environmental responsibility was introduced in January 2007 as Executive Order 13423, which called for improved energy efficiency across all Federal agencies.

Most recently, the Federal government announced in February that it would impose taxes on oil companies to help fund research and implementation of programs for sustainability initiatives.

VISTA’s goal for its Green initiative is to control its use of consumable goods, thereby managing both the expense and energy requirements of its day-to-day operations. Among the policies the company has adopted are a telework program and a subsidy to employees who elect to purchase a hybrid vehicle.

“These initiatives tie in with reduced greenhouse emissions and the better management of expenses related to the Federal real property inventory,” Baxa said. “A right sized inventory of Federal real property assets reduces the energy requirements to support mission requirements. That in turn has a direct and proportional benefit in reducing both expense and greenhouse gas emissions.”

VISTA plans to monitor and track the effectiveness of its corporate Green initiative to better understand the correlation between sustainable operations and more responsible real property asset management. This will allow the company to apply its domain expertise and real-world experience to the needs of its Federal clients.

“As Federal real property professionals, our mandated responsibility to reduce waste and improve efficiency in our physical assets has the added benefit of reducing waste and improving energy efficiency. These two initiatives are tied together. Rightsizing the inventory is the key,” Baxa said.