Sustainability is not new to the City of St. Louis – there are many successes and achievements to note. Many initiatives were spearheaded by the various City Departments. Examples include replacing traffic lights with energy-saving LEDs, piloting green infrastructure techniques, installing innovative telematics software to track City fleet fuel use, completing the cleanup of Brownfield sites, and implementing City-wide single stream recycling for residential properties. 

When we sat down to talk with Catherine Werner, who is in her second year as the City’s Sustainability Director, she made it clear that this is just the beginning. Up until now, the initiatives have produced some great results. But there is a realization that if the City wants to demonstrate it is an effective contributor toward and leader of sustainability, there needs to be a coordinated and strategic plan to get there. Having a comprehensive plan will help to ensure that the City is tackling all aspects of sustainability, often referred to as the Triple Bottom Line, consisting of Economic, Social Equity and Environmental impacts. A sustainability plan that has a balanced approach will form a strong foundation for the accelerated progress envisioned.

The sustainability planning process was officially kicked off earlier this year with the creation of a baseline Government Operations and Community Source Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, which will result in a detailed Climate Action Plan for the City. A primary goal for the City’s Sustainability Plan and its balanced approach will be to ultimately improve quality of life for all City constituents. To ensure that the Sustainability Plan meets that goal, there has been a strong emphasis on inclusivity during the planning process. The planning team is working hard to ensure that all voices have an opportunity to share their ideas and participate in the planning process. 

The planning started with a thorough internal data and information gathering process regarding the initiatives already underway and/or completed. A survey was completed by the City Cabinet departments and follow up meetings were held to learn details. In addition, the Mayor appointed a Sustainability Task Force composed of City staff to serve as departmental champions and representatives to provide continual feedback and input for the planning process. Werner remarked that she was overwhelmed by the response and outpouring of great ideas that have come from the Task Force members and City departments. She thinks it is a strong indicator of how supportive and invested the people are in having the City become even more sustainable.