N E W S Release
Office of Richmond Mayor Tom Butt
For Immediate Release
August 1, 2017
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CONTACT:
Alex Knox - Chief of Staff
Office of the Mayor
Direct: 510-621-1302
Cell: 510-407-1926
Alex_Knox@ci.richmond.ca.us
Richmond Wins Platinum and Gold Sustainability Awards for Community GHG Reductions and Best Practices
RICHMOND, Calif. – Mayor Tom Butt was informed yesterday that the City of Richmond has earned two Beacon Spotlight Awards from the Institute for Local Government – a Gold Level Award for 13% Community Greenhouse Gas Reductions and a Platinum Level Award for Sustainability Best Practices.
The Beacon Program highlights innovative practices of local government through awards and information sharing that contributes to developing greener, healthier, and more sustainable communities. “Our hard work in advancing Richmond’s sustainability goals is really catching people’s attention. It’s inspiring bold action in other cities and improving the lives of our residents,” said Mayor Tom Butt. “We’ve been prioritizing cutting edge initiatives for years and I’m very grateful that we continue to have our successes highlighted throughout the state with these Beacon Spotlight Awards.”
The City of Richmond joined the Beacon Program in 2016 and in its first year won a Gold Level Award for 14% Agency Energy Savings and a Gold Level Award for Sustainability Best Practices. Building on that recognition, the City was again recognized for the growing list of governmental and community-based initiatives. The 2017 awards can be attributed in part to neighborhood projects improving walkability and access to parks, schools, and public transit connections including the ferry terminal, which is currently under construction. New efforts to expand renewable energy were also highlighted including solar installations completed by the City on 98 public housing units and the City Council’s decision to opt-in to MCE’s 100% Deep Green Renewable Energy Service.
Mayor Butt noted, “These investments demonstrate our unwavering commitment to protect our residents and to fight climate change. Along the way, we’ve found great opportunities to share our practices with other cities, and we’ve participated nationally and globally to contribute to the growing environmental justice movement.”
The Institute for Local Government reviews 10 sustainability best practice categories, and Richmond’s application included a total of 37 different examples of projects and initiatives in every category. The award application was prepared by the Mayor’s Office Director of Policy and Strategy, Christopher Whitmore. The mayor and councilmember’s have been invited to accept the awards at a special ceremony in September hosted by the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties and the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative.
More information about to Beacon Program and details about the City of Richmond’s awards can be found at the following link: http://www.ca-ilg.org/beacon-participant-profile/city-richmond.
A copy of the City’s 2017 submission can be seen here:
https://ca-richmond3.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/43399 |
