Health through Sustainability: August 2020 Virtual Meeting Recap

Posted on Blog by · September 02, 2020 9:47 PM

The August monthly series topic focused on the many layers of health through the lens of sustainability. Our Outreach and Education Liaison Philena Seldon led the discussion with an inter-generational panel focusing on a multilayered perspective on what health and sustainability mean in the present day, during a pandemic and social unrest. If you've missed the discussion, you can watch the full recording here.

Our three talented panelists included:

Indigo Bishop

Choice Neighborhood Administrator Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing

Authority (CMHA)

Kimberly Smith-Woodford

Commercial Utilities Sales Manager Cleveland Public Power

Kynnedy Smith

High School Senior and Youth Sustainability Leadership Program (YSLP) participant

Here are some takeaways from the panel discussion as well as some recommended resources by our panelists:

Indigo Bishop suggested running errands and carpooling with people you enjoy. It makes the journey fun, strengthens bonds, and allows people to experience comradery during these challenging times.

Buy groceries at local farmers markets through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) to support healthy local food growers as well as have healthy local options for yourself.
Start your own composting - what gets composted provides nutrients for something else to grow. Learn more about composting here.

Kimberly Smith-Woodford mentioned getting out in nature. She encouraged Black people to join her and Journey on Yonder in the parks.

Journey on Yonder helps to create resilience in green space and nature, supporting mental and physical wellness through hiking.
Black Environmental Leaders (BEL) stand as stewards of the natural and built environment through collaboration and partnership, to raise awareness and advocate for environmental and economic justice.

Kynnedy Smith advised researching your local representatives to ensure that the people you vote for have sustainability as a priority. Keep those representatives accountable by writing them letters or calling to ask questions about their recent initiatives to make our city sustainable. We recently featured Kynnedy for International Youth Day - check out that interview here.

Check out Cuyahoga Recycles to learn how to recycle in Cleveland and surrounding suburbs.
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) to learn where to recycle.
UNICEF Guide to Sustainable Living
Resources and tips how to live sustainably
100+ Simple Tips to Live a More Sustainable Lifestyle

Thanks for joining us last month! Our September monthly meeting will focus on Energy Awareness - you can register to attend this virtual event here.

Future of Sustainability Lies with Our Youth

Posted on Blog by · August 12, 2020 1:10 PM

Today we celebrate International Youth Day! Across the world, countless young people are taking action in their communities to create a more sustainable future. We wanted to highlight one of those youth - our Youth Sustainability Leadership Program (YSLP) participant Kynnedy Simone Smith. She became involved in the world of sustainability at quite a young age and has been on an ascending path towards an exciting career.

Happy Book Lovers Day!

Posted on Blog by · August 07, 2020 5:25 PM

In honor of National Book Lovers Day on August 9th, we wanted to share a list of environmental books recommended by our Sustainable Cleveland staff members. If you’re looking for your next green read, take your pick!

Sustainable Cleveland 2020 Virtual Summit

Posted on Stay Updated by · June 17, 2020 3:51 PM

Celebrating Sustainability. Building the Future.

Since 2009, Mayor Frank G. Jackson’s Sustainable Cleveland initiative has engaged more than 15,000 people from all walks of life, working together to design and develop a thriving and resilient Cleveland region. Over the past eleven years, Sustainable Cleveland has supported collaboration and action to make Cleveland a greener, cleaner place to live, work, and play for all. From improved water and air quality to increases in bike infrastructure and clean energy, Sustainable Cleveland has come a long way... but we know there's more work to do.

We invite you to attend the Sustainable Cleveland 2020 Virtual Summit from October 14th -15th. We will celebrate the many people and organizations that have gotten us this far, and build off this foundation for even greater progress. The Summit will include remarks from Mayor Frank Jackson, keynote presentations, recognition and awards, facilitated discussions on key priorities going forward, and much more. Through the 2020 Summit we will:

Celebrate Cleveland’s progress in sustainability since 2009
Share stories of collaboration and action inspired through the SC initiative
Recognize individuals, organizations, and businesses leading by example to advance sustainability in Cleveland
Feature keynote presentations focused on creating a more sustainable and equitable economy
Advance Cleveland Climate Action Plan priorities that require community-wide action, such as reaching 100% renewable electricity, trees, access to vibrant green space, sustainable transportation, clean water, and creating a circular economy
Continue charting our collective path forward for continued engagement in sustainability and climate action

We thank the Summit sponsors not only for making this event possible but for being critical partners in sustainability.

Register today!

Additional event details, including how to register for specific presentations and breakout sessions will be sent closer to the Summit date.

Sustainable Cleveland 2019 Summit

Posted on Stay Updated by · March 26, 2019 1:26 PM

Recap from the 11th Annual Sustainable Cleveland Summit

Celebrating 10 Years. Building the Future.

Thanks to all who joined us for the 11th Annual Sustainable Cleveland Summit on October 16, 2019. Over 500 residents, local businesses, and sustainability leaders from all walks of life participated in this continuing effort to develop a thriving and resilient Cleveland region.

The 2019 Summit marked the Culmination of Mayor Frank G. Jackson’s Sustainable Cleveland 2019 10-year initiative. We honored the many people and organizations that have gotten us this far, while also building off this foundation for even greater progress. The Summit included remarks from Mayor Frank Jackson, keynote presentations, recognition and awards, facilitated discussions on key priorities going forward, and much more:

Circular Economy - Addressing recycling challenges while also laying the groundwork to become a national leader in the circular economy through reuse, sharing, repair & remanufacturing.
100% Renewable Energy - Transitioning toward 100% renewable electricity while fighting poverty and creating opportunity.
Trees & Green Spaces- Providing access to trees and vibrant green space for all Clevelanders.
Vision Zero & Sustainable Transportation - Advancing safe, equitable, and sustainable transportation throughout Cleveland.
Clean Water - Building off the success of Cuyahoga50 to create greater access to our most valuable asset...water.
The Movement - Looking Beyond 2019, what's next for engaging Clevelanders in sustainability and climate action.

We had five dynamic keynote speakers this year presenting on various topics such as transportation, circular economy, and climate change.

Transportation Keynotes

Dr. Richard Ezike, Senior Policy Associate with the Urban Institute

India Birdsong, General Manager & CEO of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority

Circular Economy Keynotes

Michael Waas, Global Vice President of Brand Partnerships with TerraCycle

Nik Engineer, Executive Lead of North America Operations with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Climate Change Speaker

Michael Shank, Ph.D., Communications Director with the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance

Summit Recap

City Photo Coverage
Summit Participant Workbook
Sustainable Cleveland 2019 Summary
Matt Gray, Chief of Sustainability "State of Sustainable Cleveland"

Media Coverage

Videos

We thank the Summit sponsors not only for making this event possible but for being critical partners in sustainability.

Blue Lake Sponsors

Lake Erie Sponsors

Cuyahoga Sponsors

Community Sponsors

Year of People

Posted on Celebrating 10 Years by · December 12, 2018 4:56 PM

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Every year leading up to 2019, Cleveland has focused on one of the key areas fundamental to a sustainable city. The Sustainable Cleveland Celebration Years are designed to be accessible to all members of the community — households, neighborhoods, businesses, and institutions can all participate, either in collaboration or independently. In 2019, we are celebrating the Year of People!

Why People?

At its core, SC2019 is built on engaging citizens to reshape our city’s future. SC2019’s motto, “Together, we’re building a thriving green city on a blue lake,” emphasizes empowerment, cooperation, action, quality of life, and abundance. People, not programs, are the answer to true and lasting climate action and sustainability in Cleveland. This means that a whole system, citizen-centered approach will be needed to align climate action with the assets, capacity and priorities of Cleveland residents and business owners.

The Sustainable Cleveland "system" includes residents from every Cleveland neighborhood, business owners, and stakeholders from many organizations and corporations. In order for Cleveland residents to care about and to act upon climate change and other sustainability topics, they must connect to their everyday lives; they need to recognize climate change and climate action in their own backyards. By building upon what most people care about—safety, health, youth, education, jobs—there is potential to engage Cleveland’s residents and to be led in more creative directions as we become a Green City on a Blue Lake.

Learn More

Progress Dashboard: Check out our progress dashboard to keep up with the strides we have taken on many sustainability indicators since 2009! We are extremely grateful to the people of Cleveland who have helped us get this far and we continue to look for people to engage in the future!

Climate Action: The City of Cleveland has partnered with Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and ioby (in our back yards) to update the Cleveland Climate Action Plan, with a focus on equity and engagement. Residents may use our Neighborhood Climate Action Toolkit to engage their community in sustainability.

Report from the Community: The Sustainable Cleveland Report from the Community will be released this summer and will serve as a high-level summary for the SC2019 initiative- capturing highlights and success stories since SC2019’s launch in 2009.

Do More

Get involved in the Year of People at home, at work and in your community!

Enter the photo contest! SHARE a photo of yourself or others doing a sustainable activity in Cleveland!

Year of People Kickoff: Join us as we kickoff the Year of People at City Hall Rotunda in January! We will be celebrating the individuals who make up many of our sustainability partners.

Sustainable Cleveland Summit: Register now for the 2019 Sustainable Cleveland Summit,to be held October 16th 8am-5pm at Cleveland Public Auditorium.

Potluck in the Park: Get to know your neighbors by attending Vital Neighborhood Working Group’s annual Potluck in the Park event at Dunham Tavern during summer 2019! This community-wide potluck moves to a different location each year to bring growers, producers, cooks and eaters together over a healthy meal to celebrate local food.

ioby: ioby (in our back yard) gives leaders the ability to organize all kinds of capital—cash, social networks, in-kind donations, volunteers, advocacy— to build real, lasting change from the ground up. Learn about what the leaders in your community are doing to make your neighborhood a more vital place to live and learn what you can do to help.

Common Ground: Common Ground creates a network of community conversations where residents can meet, share a meal, connect and discuss the 2019 theme:

My environment was…My environment is…My environment will be…

Check out the Sustainable Cleveland events calendar for an updated list of Year of People events.

If you are interested in volunteering at these or other Sustainable Cleveland events, please contact Cathi Lehn at clehn@city.cleveland.oh.us.

Year of Vital Neighborhoods

Posted by · January 12, 2018 3:47 PM

Every year leading up to 2019, Cleveland will focus on one of the key areas fundamental to a sustainable city. The Sustainable Cleveland Celebration Years are designed to be accessible to all members of the community — households, neighborhoods, businesses, and institutions can all participate, either in collaboration or independently. In 2018, we are celebrating the Year of Vital Neighborhoods! In 2018, we are celebrating the Year of Vital Neighborhoods! Click here to see photos of the kickoff event.

Why Vital Neighborhoods?

Neighborhoods are the building blocks of a great urban area. They are the real places of daily life where people come together, to network, to build relationships, and where a sense of identity and history is created. There are many actions Clevelanders can take to help support their neighborhoods, including volunteering, learning about how you can take climate action, and getting to know your neighbors!

Learn More

Resilient Cleveland: The Cleveland Climate Resilience and Urban Opportunity Initiative includes a detailed assessment of the current and anticipated effects of climate change in the Midwest and identifies projects, programs, policies, engagement strategies, and future research to lessen overall energy demand, anticipate and prepare for climate changes and shocks, and foster social cohesion.

Cleveland Tree Plan: Launched in 2015 and adopted by the Cleveland Planning Commission in 2016, the Cleveland Tree Plan is a community-wide collaboration to rebuild the urban forest so that Northeast Ohio residents can experience the benefits of reforesting our city, generating greater resiliency, health, prosperity and overall quality of life.

Climate Action: The City of Cleveland has partnered with Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and ioby (in our back yards) to update the Cleveland Climate Action Plan, with a focus on equity and engagement. Residents may use our Neighborhood Climate Action Toolkit to engage their community in sustainability. Watch for the public comment period for the Plan in the very near future.

Year of Vital Neighborhoods Kickoff

Posted on Stay Updated by · January 10, 2018 11:57 AM

Thank you for joining the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability as we kicked off The Year of Vital Neighborhoods.

Neighborhoods are the building blocks of a great urban area. They are the real places of daily life — places where people interact face to face, where transactions are made, and where a sense of identity and history is created. They are also the places where most people can live decent lives with the least environmental impact. By bringing opportunities together in close proximity, neighborhoods reduce the need for transportation.

Sustainable Cleveland 2019 is a 10-year initiative that engages everyone to work together to design and develop a thriving and resilient Cleveland that leverages its wealth of assets to build economic, social and environmental well-being for all.

Posted on Stay Updated by · January 09, 2018 3:48 PM

Recap from the 10th Annual Sustainable Cleveland Summit

Thanks to all who joined us for the 10th Annual Sustainable Cleveland Summit on September 20-21, 2018. More than 500 sustainability leaders learned about new innovations, advanced existing initiatives, and co-created Cleveland's sustainable future.

The 2018 Summit built off our collective progress by focusing on:

Neighborhoods: Neighborhood-level sustainability and equity;
SC2019: Preparing for next year's culmination of Sustainable Cleveland 2019 and what comes next;
Water: Advance water issues locally and nationally by marking the 50th anniversary of the infamous Cuyahoga River burning on June 22, 2019;
Climate: Implementing the new Cleveland Climate Action Plan by advancing work on green biz, sustainable transportation, clean energy, green space, and more!

We had four dynamic speakers this year. Radhika Fox, CEO of the US Water Alliance, served as our Day 1 keynote by highlighting progress in clean water, but also challenging attendees on the hard work that remains. Day 2 featured a stirring keynote from Rue Mapp, Founder of Outdoor Afro, and two ignite talks from Brigadier General Stephen Cheney of the American Security Project and Senator Michael Bennet from Colorado.

It's clear we made another step forward in transforming Cleveland into a Thriving Green City on a Blue Lake.

Summit Recap

City Photo Coverage
Summit Participant Workbook
Matt Gray Presentation on "State of Sustainable Cleveland 2019"

Media Coverage

Cleveland unveils climate plan that weeks to promote racial, social equality while building a sustainable green economy (cleveland.com)
Racial Equity is Key to Cleveland's Comeback (Sustainable City Network)
100% Renewable Energy: Cleveland Sets a Big Goal as it Sheds its Fossil Fuel Past (Inside Climate News)
Local Solar at the Heart of Cleveland's 100% Renewable Energy Goal (PV Magazine)
City of Cleveland Hopes to be 100% Renewable by 2050 (WCPN Ideastream)
10th Sustainable Cleveland Summit (WCPN Sound of Ideas)
Updated Climate Action Plan Shoots for 100% Electricity from Renewable Sources by 2050 (News 5)
City of Cleveland Press Release

Videos Presented at the Summit

Blue Lake Sponsors:

Lake Erie Sponsors:

Cuyahoga Sponsors:

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Community Sponsors:

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Special thanks to:

Posted on Stay Updated by · March 23, 2017 3:50 PM

2017 SUSTAINABLE CLEVELAND SUMMIT

September 27^th & 28^th, 2017 at Cleveland Public Auditorium

Presented by: The Cleveland Foundation

Presented by the Cleveland Foundation, the 2017 Sustainable Cleveland Summit brought together more than 500 people from all walks of life to help design Cleveland's sustainable future. The Summit provided an opportunity to work across sectors, foster collaboration, and learn about recent innovations. Join us September 27^th & 28^th, 2017 at Cleveland Public Auditorium for an event not to be missed.

2017 is the Sustainable Cleveland Year of Vibrant Green Space, and this year’s Summit built off past accomplishments to accelerate Cleveland’s positive momentum in developing healthy, vibrant, and equitable communities. We welcomed Mark Tercek, President & CEO of The Nature Conservancy, as this year's Summit keynote speaker.

The 2017 Summit presented a unique opportunity to crowdsource expertise to collectively:

Help update the Cleveland Climate Action Plan, which incorporates the topics of: Energy, Water and Land Use, Community Engagement, Waste, and Transportation.
Celebrate the Year of Vibrant Green Space and work to continue its expansion
Develop plans for the Year of Vital Neighborhoods in 2018
Focus on what we can accomplish by June 22nd, 2019, the 50-year anniversary of the infamous Cuyahoga River burning. Leon Bibb, award-winning journalist and broadcaster, set the stage for this important conversation, in partnership with Stokes50CLE.

The City Of Cleveland is proud to be a partner in the year long, community-wide commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Carl Stokes’ election as mayor of Cleveland. Mayor Stokes and his brother Congressmen Louis Stokes, played key roles in the advancement of the city and the nation through the civil rights movement, environmental movement, and beyond.

Thank you for joining us on September 27^th & 28^th, 2017 at Cleveland Public Auditorium, as we made one step forward in transforming Cleveland into a Thriving Green City on a Blue Lake.

Summit Materials