City of Greenville, North Carolina - Sustainability

Abstract

Sustainability has been defined by the Brundtland Comission as "meeting the needs of present generations without compromising the needs of future generations." Seeking to become more sustainable, the City of Greenville, North Carolina developed a Municipal Operations Sustainability Plan, which presents the vision for the city and specific goals to become environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing municipal electricity, reducing the use of potable water, increasing the number of street trees, and establishing a sustainability fund are among the goals that, when achieved, will help Greenville become more sustainable. The Public Work's Department has been working with Schneider Electric to reduce the amount of energy use in municipal buildings. Schneider Electric specializes in energy management, and is known worldwide for its success in saving energy and improving energy efficiency. Along with the work completed with Schneider Electric within the Public Work's Department, Greenville has joined ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability. ICLEI is a nonprofit, international, membership organization of cities, towns, and counties seeking to become more sustainable, addressing climate change and clean energy. ICLEI provides valuable resources, and experience and leadership for local governments to help save money, reduce energy use, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This research presents what Greenville has achieved thus far with Schneider Electric and ICLEI USA, and states what the next steps are to reach their goals, as well as evaluating other cities in North Carolina that are more sustainable in order to understand what can be achieved in Greenville.