10 Tips to Increase Support for Your Sustainability Program
Starting a city’s journey toward sustainability is a challenging task. The goal of this article is to share lessons I learned with other local government sustainability professionals who are beginning the process of public engagement.
Most sustainability programs start with an internal operational focus on sustainability basics: an assessment, setting up a green team, starting green house gas inventories, establishing a committee and getting the momentum internally to institutionalize sustainability throughout the organization.
My city’s administration had different plans. The expectations were to focus externally, which ran contrary to the direction of typical sustainability programs of nearby cities and agencies.
My role was to make Beaverton, a first-tier suburb, a progressive sustainability leader through programs that reached the citizens in their homes. Though it was recognized that the basics of integrating sustainability into City operations were clearly important, this was not going to be my main role at the beginning. This left me to ponder:
Is it a good thing to first focus on reaching out to the residents of a city versus concentrating on a city’s internal operations?
This question created interesting discussion among my sustainability colleagues. A city focusing externally from the outset was not the typical path that government sustainability programs take. It was believed that a city government should concentrate on “walking the walk, not just talking the talk” and must “lead by example.” I heard it repeatedly. I was torn, but knew what the expectations were from my administration.
Two years into my role as a sustainability manager, I have been privileged to develop, witness, and celebrate a wealth of successful sustainability projects that have focused on the Beaverton community as a whole. My viewpoint has evolved:
It IS okay to engage the public in sustainability from the outset of a city program and shout it from the mountain top - loudly!
Below are 10 key points that I want to share with all government local sustainability professionals as they begin to engage the public -- and their municipal colleagues.
1. You don’t have to have your house “in perfect order” before you talk to the public about sustainability.
Will your organization ever truly be sustainable? Not likely. It is a journey, the destination unclear and ongoing. It is about doing the best you can, striving for improvement to make better choices and institutionalizing the thought process into everyday operations. To wait to “achieve” sustainability before reaching out to the public is not necessary. Your organization can simply declare where it is at and what it is doing to move forward.
2. Take a chance: Do a public pilot program and learn from it.
Before we rolled out Solar Beaverton, our city-wide residential bulk solar installation program, we conducted a targeted pilot. The beauty of a pilot program in local government is you can test the waters and declare that you are learning from the test. Come out declaring that you are “gauging the interest of the community” and state a goal. Evaluate and use the data to determine your next steps. This is a great way to educate your community and organization while still allowing you to get the kinks out along the way. If a pilot proves successful, then prepare for a city-wide roll out based on the lessons learned.
3. The public likes to see demonstration on their turf, not just at City Hall.
Introduce green technology as a demonstration in a high-traffic public place. One example from the City of Beaverton was the installation of a solar canopy in the Farmers Market. The canopy demonstrated solar power and became a community booth for local sustainability-minded organizations to use for engaging the community. People were relaxed and welcomed to participate in conversations about sustainability.
4. Market, market, market. Paint the picture internally and externally. Brag and pitch it right.
Shout it from the mountain!
Get to know your public information department; they are your friends. The media team can help your program get the right buzz to reach the citizens in your community. Tell the residents what your City has already done, what it means, and where you want to go. Report your progress publicly. Remind everyone through your communications that you are not just “all about the environment” (in other words, don’t be an insular eco-hippie—be savvy about your community’s current priorities!).
Show them that you understand how your program supports the efforts of the economic development program, stimulates the local economy, saves money, supports the Mayor’s and Council’s agendas, and builds community. For example, the Solar Beaverton program, chose a local company for its solar installations, used materials manufactured in the same county and generated local jobs.
Talk about your great environmental program in two languages: your administration’s language and the public’s language. What does your Mayor or City Manager talk about when he/she engages the citizens? What are his/her main goals? Find a way to make your program language support the main organizational goals.
Externally, our Solar Beaverton staff highlighted the 12 local jobs that the program created, how the use of solar electricity would save on a homeowner’s bills and how the tax credits would bring state and federal money to our local community. We did not emphasize that everyone should go solar because renewable energy was the best for the environment; that point took a back seat to the economic benefits.Internally, we repeatedly communicated that the Solar Program Pilot stimulated over a 1000% increase in permits in a few short months, during a recession. This environmentally focused program helped stimulate revenue in a department that was experiencing budget deficits due to the economy. Changing the message internally and demonstrating how the program affected the City without dwelling on the environmental benefits, drove the program forward with great support. I loved that our Mayor quoted the permit increases repeatedly in his presentations.
5. Make it about money—creatively. Talk about green tech and why it is important to your city and the state’s economy; then support it and welcome it.
Make the conversation about supporting green technology so that new industries feel welcome in your city, and demonstrate it. The City of Beaverton installed a charging station that was donated by a local company, to show support for that company as well as to demonstrate the new technology.
6. If you save money, ask for it.
Ask for any money savings to roll back into an account to continue your program. For example, the City of Beaverton set up a budget line item to transfer the electricity savings from the installation of LED street lighting into a fund to buy more lighting, instead of just letting it fade into the general fund. Track the savings, tell your administration how much your program saved and try to get the savings back into your program to keep it moving forward!
If you generate savings through a joint project with another department, ask for your share of the money saved to go to a sustainability-designated fund. If your request is rejected, don’t give up: Keep asking and make sure you maintain good records of money savings to back up your proposal.
7. Act like a consultant to other departments and programs.
Show all departments how your sustainability program can work with them and add to their objectives. If you are in the Mayor’s office, make sure you are accessible to other departments.
8. Don’t forget to keep the important things on your work plan—even if you get diverted.
You know that the sustainability plan needs to be completed, the green team initiated and the inventories finalized. Find time for the basics and keep them moving forward. You can and should still work on getting the internal ducks in a row when the focus is outside.
9. Hire whomever you can and don’t let them go.
It is likely your position is new and of course, you need more staff. Sustainability is a huge job. One person - huh! No way. Be creative, look to interns, volunteers or existing employees to help your program. Are there departments that have slower workloads due to the down economy? Perhaps there are opportunities to share some projects. Once you get staff, try to use money from your demonstrated savings to cover the costs of keeping them. Don’t forget to write grants and use the funds for staff. Philadelphia is a great example of this, using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to hire key staff. AmeriCorps members are a great way to build up your team as well.
10. Pick your battles. Your work is so important.
Reach out to colleagues for support when you hit the “sustainability wall.” We have all been there! Keep driving and be tenacious, but accept defeat or delays. If you cannot make something happen at that time, set the project aside for another day and remember to pull it back out when the opportunity for success is better.
