CMAA September MeetingSeptember 18, 2013

Allyson Pumphrey, PresidentSustainable Catalyst Partners LLCMaking sustainability work for municipalities

Presentation Overview

WHAT does sustainability mean for municipalities?

WHY should municipalities care about sustainability?

HOW do municipalities achieve greater sustainability?

What are the challenges and how can they be overcome?

WHAT does sustainability mean for municipalities?

ENERGY

WASTE & MATERIALS

TRANSPORTATION

WATER

LAND USE

COMMUNITY

WHAT does sustainability mean for municipalities?THE FOUR Ps OF GETTING IT DONE

PROGRAMSPOLICIESPLANNINGPARTICIPATION

ENERGY

WASTE & MATERIALS

TRANSPORTATION

WATER

LAND USE

COMMUNITY

WHAT does sustainability mean for municipalities?Building efficiency

Utility efficiency

Fleet efficiency

Alternative energy sources & infrastructure

Energy conservation programs & policies

ENERGY

WASTE & MATERIALS

TRANSPORTATION

WATER

LAND USE

COMMUNITY

WHAT does sustainability mean for municipalities?Trash services

Recycling services

Heavy trash & toxics disposal

Procurement policies

Locally-sourced

Life cycle assessment

ENERGY

WASTE & MATERIALS

TRANSPORTATION

WATER

LAND USE

COMMUNITY

WHAT does sustainability mean for municipalities?Transportation system efficiency

Public transportation

Sidewalks & pedestrian services

Bicycle lanes & services

Transportation policy & planning

ENERGY

WASTE & MATERIALS

TRANSPORTATION

WATER

LAND USE

COMMUNITY

WHAT does sustainability mean for municipalities?Water quality protection

Wastewater treatment infrastructure

Storm water treatment infrastructure

Water conservation practices & policies

ENERGY

WASTE & MATERIALS

TRANSPORTATION

WATER

LAND USE

COMMUNITY

WHAT does sustainability mean for municipalities?Urban canopy

Historic preservation

Light pollution reduction

Habitat/wetland protection

Endangered species protection

Invasive species removal/containment

Agricultural land protection

Brownfield redevelopment

ENERGY

WASTE & MATERIALS

TRANSPORTATION

WATER

LAND USE

COMMUNITY

WHAT does sustainability mean for municipalities?RecreationLocal foodUniversal designGreen building policies & programsEducation & awarenessTransparency & reportingCivic engagement & inputVolunteer programsAwards & recognitionResource & information sharing

ENERGY

WASTE & MATERIALS

TRANSPORTATION

WATER

LAND USE

COMMUNITY

WHY should you care about sustainability?We cant afford to be sustainable!Perceived as the biggest obstacle BUT, it can be the biggest motivatorCost savingsEfficiencyAttraction of grant fundsWe cant afford to NOT be sustainable!Because in the end, it all comes down to MONEY

MONEY

ENVIRONMENT

SOCIETY

WHY should municipalities care about sustainability?Ecosystem servicesProvisioningFood, water, minerals, energyRegulatingPurification of water & air, waste decomposition, pest & disease control, flood controlCulturalRecreationSupportingNutrient dispersal & cycling

Protection of air, land, & water quality is critical

Because in the end, it all comes down to MONEY

MONEY

ENVIRONMENT

SOCIETY

WHY should municipalities care about sustainability?Resilience of the community

Take advantage of assetsProvide healthier optionsAttract new businesses & residentsSustain and grow tax basePromote civic engagement & leadership

Because in the end, it all comes down to MONEY!

MONEY

ENVIRONMENT

SOCIETY

HOW do municipalities achieve greater sustainability?WHY?Know where you are before you plan your routeUnderstand your strengths & weaknessesBe honest and realistic about your challenges & opportunities

HOW?Baseline assessment toolsComparison to similar communitiesTalk to a lot of people, ask a lot of questionsUse resources available to you, such as IDEM, IACT Green Communities, industry groups such as CMAA

ASSESSMENT

GOALS & PRIORITIES

THE FOUR Ps

EVALUATE & REPEAT

HOW do municipalities achieve greater sustainability?Unique attributes & values

Unique goals & priorities

Create the vision for where you want to be in the future

Is there an applicable rating system or industry standard?

Set meaningful, measurable goals

Be ambitious AND realistic

ASSESSMENT

GOALS & PRIORITIES

THE FOUR Ps

EVALUATE & REPEAT

HOW do municipalities achieve greater sustainability?ProgramsRain barrel/rain garden programTox-Drop eventsEducation/speaker series

PoliciesNo-idling policyProcurement policy

PlanningQuality of Life PlanSustainability Plan

ParticipationInput sessions: employees, residentsSustainability Report

ASSESSMENT

GOALS & PRIORITIES

THE FOUR Ps

EVALUATE & REPEAT

HOW do municipalities achieve greater sustainability?Dont wait until the end

Sustainability is a WAY OF BEING and a PROCESS, not a THING

Make evaluation and adaptation part of the process

Share what you learn with your community, employees, and other organizations

Keep refining your goals & priorities

ASSESSMENT

GOALS & PRIORITIES

THE FOUR Ps

EVALUATE & REPEAT

What are the challenges and how can they be overcome?No one understands what sustainability means!Put it in terms that resonate, not rattleAvoid polarizing topicsFocus on what matters to your audience most: cost-savings, increased safety, healthier options, mechanisms for evaluation

The big ugly C-word: CHANGE!Start engagement earlyMaintain transparencyAllow the pace to evolve dont force it

LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OR ACCEPTANCE

LEARNING CURVE

LEADERSHIP

WHERE DO WE START?

What are the challenges and how can they be overcome?Know what you know

Know what you DONT know

You arent the first to hit this wall and you wont be the last

Ask for help some of it is free or cheap!

Share your knowledge

LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OR ACCEPTANCE

LEARNING CURVE

LEADERSHIP

WHERE DO WE START?

What are the challenges and how can they be overcome?There is no champion for sustainability in my community!

I have no authority to make big changes!

One person can only do so much!

LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OR ACCEPTANCE

LEARNING CURVE

LEADERSHIP

WHERE DO WE START?

What are the challenges and how can they be overcome?Exactly where you are: HERE!

There is no right time or place to start

Find one opportunity for improvement, engage one other community member or group, develop one step that could be taken in the near term

Talk about it & enroll others

LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OR ACCEPTANCE

LEARNING CURVE

LEADERSHIP

WHERE DO WE START?

Allyson PumphreySustainable Catalyst Partners LLCSustainability Planning & Consultingallyson@scp-llc.com

Thank you!

**Sustainability is not a THING, it is a way of being:- being mindful and conscience of the impacts of our decisions- making decisions with short AND long-term impacts in mind*The trap is to only see the THING or the OUTCOME of sustainability- But is is critical to understand that sustainability is really a PROCESS that emerges and evolves while being mindful and conscience- It is that process that allows an organization to develop the four Ps of getting it done..So as I discuss the various components in each of these 6 categories, you will notice that these P words will appear, directly or indirectly and in some cases could be both- for example, energy efficiency of buildings could be a PROGRAM for retrofitting existing buildings to increase their energy efficiency OR a POLICY for all new buildings to be EnergySTAR- look for those and be aware that the things I list are not necessarily one thing or approach, but could be multiple*******************