sustainable atlanta

In 2006, Mayor Franklin identified environmental sustainability as a critical factor in making Atlanta a “best in class” city. In early 2007, she charged her administration to create and foster a community dedicated to sustainability through best in class leadership and to implement solutions and practices as they are identified. To answer that charge, a team of city officials and expert consultants has assessed Atlanta’s current sustainable practices and made recommendations for a course of action in 2008 for new high impact programs and policies.

Funded by a private foundation, Sustainable Atlanta is aimed at making our city more sustainable by improving our “green” programs and policies such as water and energy conservation, reducing our solid waste, reducing emissions, and improving the rates of recycling.

Earth Hour Website

Earth Hour Atlanta will take place on Saturday, March 29, 2008 from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET. For one hour, residents, businesses and organizations are asked to voluntarily turn off lights to reduce energy consumption. The goal is to raise awareness about climate change and demonstrate that working together, the people of the world can make a difference in the fight against global warming.

In 2008, Earth Hour will be celebrated globally with Chicago being designated as the flagship city in the United States. Atlanta has joined the effort as a “sister city,” and will be joining other U.S. cities such as Phoenix and San Francisco (tentative). Other cities across the world participating include Brisbane, Australia; Copenhagen; Manila; Tel Aviv and Toronto, Canada.

MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR:

In 2005 in Washington, DC, 141 mayors identified environmental sustainability as a critical factor for American cities; we signed the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection agreement charging ourselves with creating and implementing sustainability plans based on best global practices.

Now we add to our agenda for the future…the global movement to save the planet. We are building a green sustainable city. A city that uses the energy and resources it needs ever mindful of the limits of nature and our obligation to leave the earth in better condition than we inherited it. We do this for our children, and we do this because it is the right thing to do. Atlanta should be a leader in the environmental arena.

State of the City 2008 Speech
Our Future is Green Video
Read about Mayor Shirley Franklin - One of the "Cool Mayor's"
Atlanta Green City Initiatives
Atlanta's Project Greenspace