General Motors is ramping up its environmental sustainability efforts, and its dealers are joining in the movement, as well.

The automaker recently launched its “Green Dealer Recognition” program, and certain Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealers are using these environmental credentials to attract customers who value “green” businesses.

The participating dealers have made strides in areas such as energy reduction, renewable energy use, water conservation efforts, recycling, on-site nature habitats and community outreach.

“Within just 24 hours of the program’s launch, 66 dealerships signed up and began evaluating their performance against our criteria,” said Kurt McNeil, GM vice president of U.S. sales and service. “We think customers should know all the behind-the-scenes efforts our dealerships make to leave a smaller footprint on their communities.”

GM launched the program to encourage its dealers to “continue these voluntary efforts and build a network for sharing best practices to help others begin or advance their sustainability journeys,” management shared.

So far, 180 dealers have requested to complete the performance assessment.

How does it work?

When submissions are received, GM’s green dealer support team evaluated them against specific criteria.

And a dealer’s continued efforts in environmental sustainability will lead to ongoing annual recognition, the company explained.

To date, eight dealers have achieved green dealer recognition for superior sustainability performance.

The initiative was shaped by dealers who took part in a pilot program. For example, George Nunnally Chevrolet in Bentonville, Ark., shared with his fellow dealers cost-effective, green strategies, such as installing LED lighting or gathering rainwater from the rooftop.

“Although financial savings is what started our environmental upgrades, we’ve found we have like-minded people in our community that really appreciate the effort we made,” said Gan Nunnally, general manager. “We’re seeing that through our service lane and our sales. These are people who have not previously driven a Chevrolet.”

GM dealers cited customers as one of the top reasons to upgrade your facility to reflect a greener approach. As many car buyers are looking for more fuel-efficient vehicles, some are also searching to buy from environmentally responsible companies.

Operational efficiency, employee motivation and community were the other top three reasons for environmental upgrades and outreach activities cites by GM dealers in regards to the new program.

“We were impressed by how willing dealers were to share their accomplishments with their peers,” said McNeil. “They wanted to be listed as a resource for other dealers in evaluating investment and return on various initiatives. When more people begin to operate in a sustainable way, everybody wins.”