Purpose
This Sustainability Plan is an attempt to strengthen all three legs of our sustainability stool, people, planet, and prosperity, en route to helping Baltimore thrive for generations to come. The Plan is designed to lay out a broad, inclusive, and community-responsive sustainability agenda to complement Baltimore's existing Comprehensive Master Plan.
Structure
To help Baltimore think, plan, and act more sustainably as a community, this Plan articulates the collective vision of a Sustainable Baltimore, lays out priority goals to move us toward this vision, sets ambitious targets that will measure our progress toward these goals, and recommends some initial strategies on how we will accomplish these recommendations.
Through Working Group recommendations and community input, seven theme chapters were identified: Cleanliness, Pollution Prevention, Resource Conservation, Greening, Transportation, Education & Awareness, and the Green Economy. Within each chapter, between three and five specific goals are articulated, for a combined total of 29 Plan goals (see below). Each of these goals is accompanied by between two and six recommended strategies. Each strategy is defined, with key timeframes, funding and implementation partners identified. Some of the goals set very specific targets and ambitious time frames within strategies. These were deliberately chosen to be ambitious for two reasons - the challenges before us require bold action, and we believe Baltimore can get there.
Accountability
Responsibility and accountability are essential to the sustainability of our community. Individual citizens, community groups, institutions, and businesses must recognize their impacts and take responsibility for responding appropriately. Each and every one of us can choose to be part of the problem or part of the solution, and collectively, we can hold one another accountable for our efforts and the ultimate outcomes. This Sustainability Plan represents a compact between BaltimoreCity government and the citizens, businesses, and institutions of our community.
The Commissioners serving on the Commission on Sustainability (CoS) are appointed for four-year terms during which they will make decisions and take actions to help guide the implementation of this Sustainability Plan. In an effort to increase accountability, the CoS has widened the original set of guiding principles - inclusiveness, engagement, and translation - to include the following six commitments which will guide their decision-making moving forward:
- We will consider the impacts to people, planet, prosperity of all decisions,
- We will demonstrate leadership,
- We will promote equity,
- We will accompany action with education,
- We will recognize linkages with the regional, national, and global community, and
- We will encourage responsibility by a wide-range of stakeholders.
The Baltimore Office of Sustainability will monitor the progress made on the goals articulated in this Plan and produce progress reports for the community on an annual basis. This progress report will allow us to both check in and renew our commitment and celebrate our successes, together as a community. And as a community, we must hold ourselves accountable, on a personal and collective level, to future generations.
Table of Sustainability Plan Goals
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Cleanliness Goals |
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1) |
Eliminate litter throughout the city |
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2) |
Improve the maintenance of public spaces |
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3) |
Transform vacant lots from liabilities to assets that provide social and environmental benefits |
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Pollution Prevention Goals |
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1) |
Reduce Baltimore's greenhouse gas emissions by 15% by 2015 |
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2) |
Improve Baltimore's air quality |
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3) |
Ensure that Baltimore waters are fishable and swimmable |
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4) |
Reduce risks from hazardous materials |
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5) |
Improve the health of indoor environments |
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Resource Conservation Goals |
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1) |
Reduce Baltimore's per capita electricity use by 15% by 2015 |
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2) |
Reduce Baltimore's water use while supporting system maintenance |
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3) |
Reduce material sent to landfill by 10% by 2011 |
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4) |
Maximize reuse and recycling of materials |
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Greening Goals |
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1) |
Double Baltimore’s tree canopy by 2037 |
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2) |
Establish Baltimore as a leader in sustainable, local food systems |
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3) |
Provide safe, well-maintained recreational space within 1/4 mile of all residents |
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4) |
Protect Baltimore’s ecology and bio-diversity |
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Transportation Goals |
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1) |
Improve transit services |
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2) |
Make Baltimore bicycle and pedestrian friendly |
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3) |
Facilitate shared-vehicle usage |
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4) |
Measure and improve the equity of transportation |
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5) |
Increase transportation funding for sustainable modes of travel |
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Education & Awareness Goals |
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1) |
Turn every school in Baltimore City into a green school |
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2) |
Ensure all city youth have access to environmental stewardship programs and information |
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3) |
Raise the environmental awareness of Baltimore’s residents |
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4) |
Expand access to information on sustainability |
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Green Economy Goals |
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1) |
Create green jobs and prepare city residents for these jobs |
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2) |
Make Baltimore a center for green business |
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3) |
Support local Baltimore businesses |
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4) |
Raise Baltimore's profile as a forward-thinking, green city |