06 Dec 2012 Annual Report of the Office of Sustainability

Notes taken while listening to City of Austin Chief Sustainability Officer Lucia Athens' annual report to Austin City Council (and while working on pre-production for the 12/6/12 Austin EcoNews).

Office of Sustainability Year Recap:
Carbon Neutrality Goal for 2020
2011 ability to meet directive to power city operations with renewable energy.

Mission
Climate Protection Program in Office of Sustainability now
Collaboration across city and community partnerships
Providing holistic framework
Incubating new ideas
Implementing Climate Protection Plan and Tracking Progress
Education and Technical Assistance
Bag ban and electric fleet
Definition of Sustainability: Finding a balance among prosperity, people, planet
Austin has a goal of being the Best Managed and Most Liveable City
Comprehensive Inventory of what is going on in Austin
Built Framework around what we are already doing

(external projects)
10 areas of Innovation: 
4 areas of signature initiatives in each 

Mobility
energy and climate
-solar incentives
-low income weatherization
-local carbon offsets
water security
green infrastructure
arts and culture
health and safety
schools and youth
-children in nature
-youth and careers
-arts and music education
-green schools: "Bright Green Futures Grant"
     -three categories for elementary., middle, high school   
     -27 schools applied 
     -judging announced soon!
Green economy and innovation
Liveability and complete neighborhoods
-Mueller village, ending homelessness, ecodistricts 

Sustainability Action Agenda
Green Schools Grant
Green Business Leaders
– 55 members have gone through program 
-200+ on way through now
– peer to peer network and information center
– self score card and recognition to cross promote and market all 
-levels of certification, large corps and small businesses
– series of 7 classes with small business program

Seaholm EcoDistrict
-1 of 10 cities in competition, grant funding to learn about ecodistricts
-large scale sustainability
-capacity building and public private partnerships
– test things at a neighborhood scale instead of just site scale
– partners interested in branding and messaging for residents and visitors 
-eco concierge: what is happening after building? how are people reacting?

Local Carbon Offsets
– Treefolks for tree planting, solar installations through Foundation Communities and YellowBike Project. 
– Part of Climate Protection Plan
– Positive impact on climate and community (PICC) : bring together music and culture with local sustainability projects. Voluntary funding through ticket sales. 
     – Large Event Organizers
     – Environmental Defense Fund
– 2013 they are selecting projects that will get funded through ticket sales, through event organizers

Earth Day progress report on 40 areas with Online Tracking Tool with downloadable matrix that details all of the project sites. Citizen calls to action with each of the 40 area. 

Community involvement:
They want to enhance social networking to increase measurement and involvement of personal impact reductions. 

Working with Climate Buddies and Environmental Interfaith 

STARR Community – Community Indicator Creation 
Testing is going on now.

ImagineAustin team is developing indicators as well so they are working together. 
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Tell the city they can improve this by opening the doors for the community to innovate!

What are the barriers to projects that would make your lifestyle more sustainable?

Austin EcoNetwork wants to hear about those! So does the Office of Sustainability and City Council Members.