Our Commitment to Community

National events have felt like a tornado within what was already a whirlwind. We’ve watched the nation (and the world) erupt with anger, frustration, and calls for change. There is one simple truth here: everyone has the equal right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For generations, Black, Indigenous and People of Color have not shared in these same rights and opportunities as white Americans.

This moment in time is creating difficult but necessary conversations about race, equity, and justice. We’re having those conversations at home and in the workplace. Like many others, we here at Evergreen are working to better comprehend our own privilege and the realities around inequity that we hadn’t fully understood before.

Right now, we’re listening, learning, and taking action:

• Several on our team had already planned to start a six-week workshop focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, which is underway right now. The energy efficiency industry is very homogenous, and we need to understand and address the barriers to achieving a more equitable and inclusive workplace. Our future hinges on our ability to help bring to reality a diverse workforce of experts.
• Our clients have challenged us to do more for underserved markets, and we’re aligning ourselves with knowledgeable partners who can help us learn more about the needs of this population.
• We are seeking to hire staff that more fully represent the make-up of our community, as well as people with multi-language skills who can help us connect with, and develop, local businesses that have not traditionally participated in our programs.
• We will continue to promote and improve sustainability since climate change disproportionately affects socially and economically marginalized people.

We are on this journey and recognize we have some miles ahead of us. We’re sure we’ll make mistakes, but we’re buoyed by the open-mindedness of our team. We aspire to keep building a great company that makes a true difference in our communities, and we can only do that by helping tear down the barriers that have denied equal opportunity for so many, for so long.