Sustainability Plan

Developing a Sustainability PLAN and IMPLEMENTING it is key to implementing our vision and mission! In order to develop a plan we need to collectively decide what kind of a future we want to be able to create, figure out where we are now, and the steps that we need to take. History teaches us that the best way to make progress is to set goals, and then MEASURE our progress. Along the way we will need to EXPLORE NEW IDEAS, and UPDATE OUR PLAN on how to achieve our goals.

YOUR IDEAS: We want to hear your ideas! We have held several meetings seeking input from Greenfield residents, and will hold more meetings, send out surveys etc. You can also send us comments directly by filling in the comment box at the bottom on many of these pages

What is Sustainability?

I. MEASURING OUR PROGRESS & PROGRESS TO DATE

ICLEI Cities for Climate Protection Program

Cities for Climate Protection program is a program offered by an international organization, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, connected to the United Nations. This program offers software to help towns measure the energy that we all use in our community. To find out more about ICLEI and this program in the USA, go to www.icleiusa.org.

Greenfield’s 10 Step process - and where we are in that process

Key Findings of Greenfield Energy Audit The most startling finding was that in FY2008, our community as a whole spent over $86 million on energy, for lighting, heating and transportation. $68 million of those dollars left our community! Read more by clicking above or below.

Greenfield Energy Audit Executive Summary, 4 pages

Greenfield Energy Audit PDF, June 2009, 57pgs + 55pg Appendix

Transition Towns- another important resource. For more information, check out www.transitiontowns.org and www.transitionculture.org.

II. GOALS SET FOR 2050
As a direct result of the Greenfield Energy Audit, in February 2009, Mayor Forgey announced two long range goals:

Greenfield will join the international community and reduce its climate change emissions by 80% by 2050.
By 2050 zero dollars spent on energy will leave our region.

III. UNDERSTANDING AND ASSESSING OUR OPTIONS

A. ENERGY – what is sustainable energy?

Our ultimate goal is to meet our energy needs with energy that does not emit climate change emissions or other toxic emissions or have other unintended consequences, uses renewable fuels, and that supports the local economy. When thinking about our energy needs, it is helpful to remember that we need three types of energy: electricity, energy to heat our buildings, and energy for our vehicles.