Every May, the chamber’s Spring Business Breakfast, featuring the Green Business Awards, celebrates local businesses that have taken significant or innovative strides to reduce their carbon footprints and adopt environmentally friendly practices.

The morning event brings together business owners and community leaders from Newton, Needham and surrounding towns and features a keynote speaker. Past speakers have included Gov. Charlie Baker; then-Attorney General Martha Coakley, Maryrose Sylvester, President & CEO of Current powered by GE and Conscious Capitalism CEO Doug Rauch. 

Save the Date

Fri. May 3, 2019

7:30-9:30 a.m.
Sheraton Needham Hotel

For sponsorship information,

please contact Lise Elcock at 617-244-1864.

Awards Nomination Process

The Green Business Awards are selected by the chamber’s Environment Committee, following a public nomination process. Judges consider waste prevention, recycling, purchases, energy and water conservation, stakeholder involvement, transportation and social capital in the decision-making process. Further, recognition these outstanding businesses receive each year inspires others to also embrace best practices and a commitment to reduce our carbon footprint.

To qualify, a business must be based in either Newton, Needham or a neighboring community and either 1) made significant progress in reducing energy, or other environmental strategies toward sustainability, or 2) supply green products or services.

Click Here to Submit Your Nomination

Deadline for submission is Tues. March 12, 2019

Sample of Past Winners

2018 Green Business of the Year: Newton-Wellesley Hospital

2018 Green Initiative Awards: Needham Street Village Shops and Auburndale Builders

2018 Small Business Green Awards: T.J. Collins Landscaping and True Taste Seasonal Kitchen

2017 Green Business of the Year: Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham

2017 Green Tech Award: Solar One Solutions

2017 Green Business of the Year: Sage Builders

2017 Green Initiative Award: GoGreen Lawn Care

2016 Green Business of the Year: TripAdvisor for integrating sustainable programs and design elements into their state-of-the-art corporate headquarters in Needham.

2016 Green Initiative Award: Mark’s Northeastern Furniture Foundation for their program that donates discarded furniture to local charities.

2016 Green Initiative Award: Needham Bank for the design and construction of their new operations center

2015 Green Business of the Year: The Carpet Workroom for their holistic approach to reusing, recycling and repurposing carpeting at every phase, extraordinary steps they take to educate and work with their customers, suppliers, and receivers of waste material and to insure that little or nothing ends up in a landfill

2015 Green Initiative Award Stacy's Juice Bar for the many steps they’ve taken to reduce their carbon footprint, use local food products, recycle and minimize waste, and is a model for how good business decisions can also be good for the environment, human health and our local economy

2015 Green Initiative Award The Bulfinch Companies for embracing energy efficient technologies and for the wide variety of green services offered to tenants.

2014 Green Initiative Award Residence Inn Needham for taking sustainability into consideration in everything from design and construction to how guests use the hotel.

2014 Green Initiative Award The Bulfinch Group for eliminating paper waste and maximizing office space by digitizing 18 years worth of files last year. They have made a commitment to go virtually paperless ever since

2014 Green Tech Award Building 36 for building a platform that allows homeowners to understand and in turn reduce energy consumption

2014 Green Business of the Year Lasell College for efforts to reduce the environmental impact at every corner of its Auburndale campus; from building maintenance, to academic studies to involvement within the community.

2014 Green Initiative Award Byggmeister for its emphasis on thoughtful smart home preservation.

2014 Green Initiative Award Commodore Builders for always thinking about the triple bottom line “people, planet and profit” in its building projects and employee interactions

2014 Green Tech Award BigBelly Solar for creating solar powered trash receptacles that can be found in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, right here in Newton and Needham and in 40 countries worldwide

2013 Green Business of the Year Volante Farms for their commitment to incorporating sustainability into every aspect of its farm and retail operation, highlighted most recently by this year’s renovation of its store.

2013 Green Initiative Award North Hill for incorporating energy savings into the daily lives of its residents as well as into its overall operation.

2013 Green Initiative Award Kingsbury Homes Limited for demonstrating that it is possible to build highly energy-efficient homes in Needham at an accessible price point.

2013 Green Business of the Year Meredith Management Corporation for its longstanding commitment to incorporating green practices and products into property development, most recently, the $470 million mixed-use Fenway Center.

2013 Green Initiative Award B/E Retrofit oor its commitment to green projects and hiring exclusively from the Green Jobs Academy, which trains underemployed people to work in the weatherization field.

2010 Green Business of the Year Town of Needham Public Facilities Department for combining deployment of innovative new technologies (like geothermal heating & cooling) with continuous improvement of existing practices and systems (tightening building envelopes, installing improved control systems)

2010 Green Business of the Year WS Development recognized for its Legacy Place Project in Dedham

2010 Honorable Mention MotoPhoto for ongoing work improving the sustainability of their operations

2009 Green Business Solutions Award Olin College of Engineering

2009 Honorable Mention Muzi Motors

2009 Honorable Mention Heritage Modular

2009 Green Business Solutions Award Wainwright Bank

2009 Honorable Mention Lasell College

2009 Honorable Mention Eaton Apothecary

2009 Honorable Mention Sustainable Waste Management Collaborative

2008 Small Business Green Business Practice Award Viewpoint Creative

2008 Green Business Practice Award Newbridge on the Charles

2008 Small Business Green Business Practice Award Chapman Construction

2008 Green Business Practice Award Century Bank

2008 Honorable Mention Lumiere

2008 Honorable Mention Hotel Indigo

2008 Honorable Mention Samadhi

2008 Honorable Mention Elaine Construction