RMI Update Sustainability Directors Conference Boulder Co November

RMI Update Sustainability Directors Conference Boulder, Co November 2 nd and 3 rd, 2006

Participants Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, Marin County, San Francisco, Berkeley, Sacramento, San Diego, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Austin, Dallas, Minneapolis, Boston, Tucson, Denver, Boulder, and…

General Themes • Marketing sustainability • Institutionalizing sustainable practices • City and community interactions • Indicators to drive performance • Public private partnerships

Marketing Sustainability • 82% of people rank sustainability as a priority if given a definition • 50% of people say government needs to exemplify leadership in sustainable practices • “the cleanest, greenest, healthiest” • Tie awareness to action • Combine community based social marketing with new viral marketing techniques

Institutionalizing Sustainability • Secure a city-wide sustainability agenda outside elected officials and staff • Engage and educate elected officials and staff; report directly to mayor or city manager • Tie performance to budgetary impacts • Operational efficiency task force • Bring commercial, business and institutional partners to the table early

City and Community Interaction • Focus on municipal government in order to build capacity and legitimacy • Ensure government is a catalyst for sustainability, not an obstacle • Educate and empower community; offer technical resources • Coordinate municipal efforts with institutional partners • Make sustainability visible • Advocate at state and federal levels

Indicators to Drive Performance • What gets measured gets done • Know the difference between outputs and outcomes • Create a plan and then use it to drive implementation: FOCUS • Report annually • Simplify indicators and communicate clearly • Start with achievable targets and then transition to aggressive to spur creativity

Public Private Partnerships • Engage private sector (SF hired CH 2 MHill for $500 k to do zero waste; Recycle Bank in Boston) • Grow sustainable businesses; economic gardening • Enhance strategic business networking • Convene academia, businesses, capital and labor • Build locally supporting systems • Support neighborhood revitalization

Vancouver • Clean, green and healthy: not sustainable • Utilize Green Teams within government and community • Add surcharge to demolition permits and tie to performance • Focusing on community Climate Action Plan to get performance, but focusing messaging on health and climate. • Focus on solutions at the local scale (compost & calming islands)

Portland • You need: – A political champion, a businesses champion, regulatory devices, technological innovation, and a strong communication plan. • Focus marketing on health and make locally relevant • Funded by small 1% increase annually in budget request • Coordinating regional sustainability initiative to grow sustainable industries & create local supply chain • Agree on definitions (45% vs. 80%) • 100% wind power for city operations

Seattle • Climate Action Plan: Private sector employers do carbon footprint in exchange for technical assistance from city • Green Factor Program: Business districts must leave 30% of area green and public access • Keep public dialogue simple and clear • Communicate with community groups; use their expertise • Use non profit community to host informational commons

Chicago • Provide educational opportunities, incentives and rewards to staff and citizens. Build a curriculum to influence change • Performance is embedded into department goals • Tie city mandates to city services • Use your power: Building HHW facilities makes the problem easier and shifts the burden

Cleveland • Sustainability 101 to all staff (with CEC) • Community sustainability education provided by nonprofit partner • Cleveland By Design: Developers consortium with city staff • Monthly business roundtable; performed cluster inventory; created districts • Hired locally by turning recycling back to community

General Themes for Future • Climate Change – Inventory, Certify, Reduce • Producer Responsibility • Local Economic Development • Eco- Density • Community Transit • Education

Conclusion • Change the dialogue • Design out waste • Design in local benefits • Spur innovation and drive change • Solicit input from creative community members • Utilize the top down and bottom up approach • Provide services to support outcomes