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.
Sustainable DC 2.0’s actions on governance have real-world benefits for the District at all levels:
Individual: Every resident, regardless of where they live, should be afforded the opportunity to access all the public services and financial incentives the District Government offers, to improve their quality of life. Residents, in particular those who have been underserved, also deserve to be educated on District plans and projects and a convenient way to weigh in on them. Through Sustainable DC, District Government will strive to create a method to ensure its community engagement reaches those who have not weighed in, resulting in more equitable outcomes.
Neighborhood: The District’s public school buildings, recreation centers, and libraries are critical facilities for residents. As we renovate these buildings to be more sustainable, we are also transforming them into tools for communal learning. They become excellent opportunities for communities to learn about green building, energy efficiency, stormwater management, waste diversion, and more.
District: A growing population of sustainability stewards engaged in community-driven processes will lead to positive impacts in all communities, but especially communities of color and those with limited English proficiency. More importantly, District Government employees will have the opportunity to better understand how to shape programs and initiatives that are most beneficial to residents based on the needs of their communities.
Sustainable DC Governance Goal:
- Expand District Government leadership to implement the Sustainable DC 2.0 Plan.
There's More
The Governance goal directly connects to goals in the Equity section and certainly impacts and informs every other section of the plan.
Read the entire Governance section below, or read the whole Sustainable DC 2.0 Plan.
