The 2008 Republication and Democratic national conventions are setting new green standards for events. Here are five ways local governments can follow their lead.

The Republican Party has vowed to make this year’s national convention in Minneapolis-Saint Paul the “greenest” in party history. And in Denver, the Democrats say theirs will be the “most sustainable political convention in modern American history.” Big promises, for sure, but so far a massive effort is proving they’re achievable. Read on to learn the five key steps to these cities’ success, which you can adopt for events in your own area.

1. Seize the opportunity to make long-term changes.

“In Denver, city planners and the DNC Host Committee have used this single, high-profile event to leverage changes that will remain long after the convention is gone,” says Mark Ruzzin, ICLEI’s Denver-based Western States director and former mayor of Boulder, Colorado.

Both Denver, Minneapolis, and Saint Paul are longtime ICLEI members with a proven commitment to sustainability. The conventions gave them a reason to set ambitious new goals. In Denver, for example, the Pepsi Center upgraded to energy-efficient lightbulbs and water-saving faucets. The city added new bike lanes, expanded recycling and composting programs, and helped hundreds of local convention vendors green their operations.

The question for all local governments is, What upcoming event can be your catalyst for similar improvements?

2. Power your event with 100% renewable energy.

Both the DNC’s and RNC’s event power comes from renewable sources courtesy of Xcel Energy. You can’t typically pipe in solar or wind power directly, but any event, no matter where, can offset the emissions generated from regular grid power by purchasing renewable energy credits (RECs). Just ask the Telluride Bluegrass Festival planners.

3. Spread sustainability to area businesses.

If your facilities are efficient but your vendors are wasteful, you can’t have a green event. That’s why many months ago, Denver initiated workshops to train local event planners, venue operators, and caterers in sustainable practices; Denver’s planners then placed environmental purchasing language in contracts and RFPs, requiring vendors to commit to these practices. “In the same way, local governments can use their permitting process to nudge vendors who use city property—be it for festivals or farmers markets—to recycle and use compostable plates and cups,” says Ruzzin. “The goal is to transition toward a zero-waste event.”

Bonus idea: Denver planners created a directory of the city’s green businesses and encouraged convention guests to patronize them—thereby incentivizing sustainability.

4. Advocate low-impact travel.

You can’t control how people travel to your event, but like Denver, you can encourage them to purchase carbon offsets for their airline flights, or facilitate ride shares. Once inside the city, Denver’s planners have given convention-goers every reason to leave their cars parked: 1,000 bicycles are on loan during the convention (70 will stay after to launch a bike program), and convention guests can explore the city using a carbon-free map, which details walking and biking routes. In Minneapolis-Saint Paul, RNC planners reduced emissions by incorporating flex-fuel and hybrid vehicles into their convention fleet

5. Employ paperless and virtual event planning.

Sustainability efforts shouldn’t focus only on the event itself; they must include planning and breakdown as well. In Minneapolis-Saint Paul, RNC staffers developed a paperless system to recruit and process approximately 8,000 volunteers; they also eschewed face-to-face meetings that required travel, in favor of online communications. These are all easy steps for any local government to make.

• Read more about the full slate of convention initiatives in Denver and in Minneapolis-Saint Paul.

• View the photos of ICLEI Executive Director Michelle Wyman on stage at the Big Tent in Denver. On August 25, Michelle participated in the panel, "Climate Problems and Solutions; Local to Global."