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 CH2MHill for $500k 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 non- profit 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