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A new grass-roots organization aims to mobilize a diverse group of people interested in environmental issues into an influential voice at the tables of local business and government.

Sustainable Greensboro unveiled its strategic plan Wednesday to a group of about 100 people at the Proximity Hotel.

The six-month-old organization plans to help small businesses adopt more responsible business practices and to lead efforts to protect air quality, water resources, urban forests and other natural resources in the city.

“We very much envision ourselves as a group that will do things and not just talk about it,” said founder Brian Higgins, a landscape designer who moved from Seattle last year.

Sustainable Greensboro joined with the chamber of commerce to survey and meet with business owners. The organization aims to assist at least five companies in implementing sustainable, or green, business practices — everything from using rechargeable batteries to installing solar panels — sometime next year.

“The green concept is much more than a fad,” chamber President Rob Clapper said before the meeting. “It’s a new way of doing business.”

Other initiatives include creating an outreach program for the wider community and participating in policy-making discussions.

To accomplish that, Higgins and his six-member board will raise funds and recruit members.

The organization receives tax-deductible donations through the established Sustainable North Carolina until it obtains official nonprofit status.

“One of the biggest gaps (in Greensboro) is having a consistent and sustained voice at the table,” Higgins said. “We don’t want to be an organization that disappears in two years.”

In a short time, Higgins has managed to attract a following. Sixty or so people attend Higgins’ monthly Green Drinks meetings. More than 600 people attended an Earth Day event he helped organize at the downtown Center City Park this year.

Wendy Little, who attended the Wednesday meeting, said she started making lifestyle changes two years ago, including recycling and composting food scraps, purchasing green cleaning products and shopping with reusable tote bags. Next on her list is upgrading to energy-efficient appliances and making a career switch to environmental research, she said.

“I feel like I understand the importance (of the sustainability movement),” Little said. “Every day, I’m trying to find ways to participate in that.”

But leaders of Sustainable Greensboro realized they needed to define “sustainability” for the public to capture a wider audience. They did so this week, describing it as a community meeting its economic, environmental and social needs while ensuring the ability of future generations to do so.

“Sustainability is a process,” Higgins said.

“It’s a discussion. It’s not something you can go to the store and purchase off the shelf.”

Contact Morgan Josey Glover at 373-7078 or morgan.josey@news-record.com