Challenge for Sustainability - Fall 2016
November 8, 2016
This fall has been a busy time for the Challenge for Sustainability, with the continuation of the 2016 program alongside the development of 2017 plans. Mid-year meetings have been conducted with more than two-thirds of participants to introduce Laura LoSciuto, the new Sustainability Programs Coordinator, get an update on sustainability initiatives and action plans, and discuss the upcoming year. In addition to these one-on-one meetings, fall programming to date has included the Climate Vulnerability and Solutions Symposium and a building tour of the new Partners Healthcare facility, the first LEED v4 building in Somerville. The Building Resilience Toolkit, one of three online toolkits that serve as resources for participants, has also been updated with 11 new technologies.
Meanwhile, A Better City is working hard on 2017 plans to ensure the upcoming year is the most successful one yet. The 2017 Challenge will focus on four key areas:
- Leadership and networking: convening a group of leaders and entrepreneurs driving de-carbonization in Boston
- Recognition: providing recognition opportunities for participant’s sustainability actions
- Aggregate data: using Portfolio Manager to track the progress of individual participants and the cohort as a whole and, where possible, compare data from the cohort with the City’s BERDO data
- Implementation: providing accessible technological, policy, and innovation resources for participant use
Programming for 2017 will include a kick-off event, the annual awards ceremony, a summer social, and invites to larger events. In addition, peer-to-peer meetings will be held throughout the year. These meetings are opportunities for participants to tour innovative facilities, hear from experts in the field, and discuss participants’ sustainability initiatives. Participants will also have access to updated and new toolkits through a brand new, easier-to-use website and will receive monthly Challenge newsletters as well as updates on relevant Boston and Massachusetts policy and legislation. And of course, participants will continue one-on-one action planning and mid-year meetings to discuss their individual progress.
As 2016 begins to wind down, the E+E team looks forward to kicking off 2017 with an updated and improved program and a full schedule of exciting programming!
