Implementing Sustainable DC 2.0’s 167 actions and 36 targets will require commitment and perseverance from the District Government. A core team of District Government employees at the Department of Energy and the Environment and the Office of Planning have been tasked with coordinating across agencies and partners to implement Sustainable DC 2.0. This team develops an annual progress report on the plan, recommends policies to support sustainability inside and outside District Government, strengthens partnerships with District agency and external partners, and ensures community engagement is centered on people of color.
Several programs have been launched to support sustainability in DC. The Sustainable DC Volunteer program connects community members to local organizations advancing sustainability, for hands-on volunteer opportunities. In addition, the Sustainable DC team works with universities, businesses, and other communities to share sustainability best practices and have a collective impact. Still, much more work needs to be done to ensure that effective implementation continues, with a focus on Sustainable DC’s role in making the District of Columbia more equitable and relevant to the entire community.
Goal 1: Expand District Government leadership to implement the Sustainable DC Plan.
What's Been Done?
- The Sustainable DC Act of 2012, the Sustainable DC Act of 2014, and several other key pieces of legislation established programs, set regulations, and provided incentives that enabled progress on sustainability goals.
- More than $7.5 million in funding was provided for District agency innovation projects as part of the Sustainable DC Innovation Challenge.
- The College and University Sustainability Pledge, a first-of-its-kind compact between a city’s entire higher education sector and its local government to advance sustainability, was established in 2012 and resigned in 2019.
- The Sustainable DC team includes staff from the Department of Energy and Environment and the Office of Planning to maintain momentum on Sustainable DC implementation and report on progress.
- The Sustainable DC team publishes an annual progress to convey progress made on implementing the plan.
What is Left to Do?
- Continue tracking and reporting on Sustainable DC progress.
- Continue identifying barriers preventing completion of Sustainable DC actions and opportunities for policy to remove the barriers.
- Maintain existing sector-based partnerships and engage other sectors on sustainable practices.
- Enhance federal and regional collaboration on sustainability.
- Maintain and engage network of sustainability leads in District Government agencies.
- Continue greening internal District Government operations.