The 2008 Republican National Convention is touting it will be the greenest convention in the party’s history with a plethora of eco-friendly procedures in place preparing for, and leading up to the four-day political shindig in Saint Paul, Minn.

The Committee on Arrangements has housed almost all convention employees walking distance from headquarters in downtown Saint Paul, which touts an office furnished with recycled furniture, printers defaulted to print double-sided, climate control that shuts off at 5 p.m., and recycle bins at every turn.

News releases are electronically distributed to staff and COA hired Travel Tech to handle booking hotels for the 45,000 people expected to attend the convention, making all booking paperless.  The COA also has outlined specific eco-friendly procedures in their staff policy and procedures manual.

I think Democrats have been better at taking credit for being environmentally friendly.  We're focused on the policy of it, rather thanthe public relations.
Matt Burns, director of communications

If staffers want to head to neighboring Minneapolis’ Mall of America, General Motors, the official vehicle provider of the convention, equipped staffers with hybrid and flex-fuel sports utility vehicles to get around.

“I think Democrats have been better at taking credit for being environmentally friendly.  We're focused on the policy of it, rather than the public relations, and it's an area that I think we're rightfully going to start taking more credit,” director of communications Matt Burns said in a St. Paul Pioneer Press interview.

But don't think Democrats are taking a back seat on going green.  They have their first ever director of going green, ensuring every decision leading up to the convention is eco-friendly, according to a Democratic National Committee Convention press release, and General Motors has also equipped them with fuel-efficient cars.