Joining the ranks of other leaders in sustainability, California Wine Tours (CWT) became the first transportation company in the San Francisco Bay Area to become a "Bay Area Green Business," by reaching the requirements for businesses, which moves from a traditional model to a model of sustainability.

Through their many business entities, CWT moves more than 500,000 passengers each year throughout the Bay Area, which equates to taking thousands of individual cars off the road. These passengers include wine tours in Napa and Sonoma, corporate guests attending company meetings, children attending school field trips, people going to/from the area's airports or guests attending a sporting event, concert or wedding.

In the next 12 months, CWT expects to reduce operating costs by at least 15 percent through energy efficiency, reduction of waste and streamlined office practices. Some highlights of the operations' green business commitment, include participation in the Bay Area Air Quality Program and daily updates to all employees on the Spare the Air status; use of alternative and green fuels for all applicable vehicles in their fleet; Goal of 80 percent diversion of all waste away from land fills; and an environmentally preferred purchasing policy, mandating the use of products made with recycled content, reduced packaging and locally sourced.

To maintain the certification, CWT must demonstrate measurable improvements in all areas over the next three years.