The Greenworks Philadelphia initiative established 15 targets to improve the city’s environment, reduce energy use, create jobs, and enhance the quality of life in an effort to make Philadelphia the number one green city in America.
Greenworks’ innovation comes from its comprehensive view of sustainability through five lenses: Energy, Environment, Equity, Economy and Engagement – using the city as the unit of analysis. For each lens, an overarching goal was set, with measurable targets laid out and specific initiatives designed and described to help Philadelphia reach the targets by 2015.
Greenworks Philadelphia considers sustainability through the following overarching goals and targets:
Energy – Reduce vulnerability to rising energy prices
• Lower city government energy consumption by 30%
• Reduce city wide building energy consumption by 10%
• Retrofit 15% of housing stock with insulation, air sealing and cool roofs
• Purchase and generate 20% of electricity used in Philadelphia from alternative energy sources
Reduce the city’s environmental footprint
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20%
• Improve air quality towards attainment of federal standards
• Divert 70% of solid waste from Landfill
Equity – deliver more equitable access to healthy neighborhoods
• Manage storm water to meet federal standards
• Provide park and recreation resources within 10 minutes of 75% of residents
• Bring local food within 10 minutes of 75% of residents
• Increase tree coverage towards 30% in all neighbourhoods by 2025
Economy — create a competitive advantage from sustainability
• Reduce vehicle miles travelled by 10%
• Increase the state of good repair in resilient infrastructure
• Double the number of low and high skill green jobs
These targets are to be reached through a number of initiatives that entail collaboration with the federal state and other organisations.
Greenworks Philadelphia highlights the importance of sustainability, not just for the wellbeing of the global environment, but also the for the benefit of Philadelphia locals.
Read more or watch below.
City Wide Energy Efficiency from Greenworks Philadelphia on Vimeo.
