v? EPA
ISIS
State and Local
Energy and Environment Program
Local Action Framework:
A Guide to Help Communities Achieve
Energy and Environmental Goals
452B20001
Spring 2020
w
fflsg&zgk
fmmsm
WmmMf
FrigXJWrT
-------
Contents
Introduction 1
Engage and Communicate 4
Develop Greenhouse Gas Inventory 16
Local Government Operations 18
Community-Wide 27
Set Goals and Select Actions 40
Obtain Resources 50
Obtain New Resources 54
Take Advantage of Available Resources 59
Take Action 63
Take Action: Promote Green Government Operations 65
Take Action: Adopt a Policy 78
Take Action: Engage the Community 90
Track and Report 104
Notice: Mention of trade names, products, or services does not convey, and should not be interpreted as
conveying, official EPA approval, endorsement, or recommendation.
-------
Introduction
O
•%
— n
It*
sgi
0 0)0
2 ffi'o
D
s>
(0
-------
2
Local and tribal governments can achieve a wide range of community benefits by implementing energy
and environmental projects. These benefits include reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) pollutants,
improving air quality, lowering energy costs, supporting local economic development, improving public
health, and increasing energy system reliability.
Many local and tribal governments have already taken action by building sustainable communities,
promoting green government operations, and adopting policies to improve energy efficiency and promote
renewable energy. This guide is designed to help local and tribal governments plan, implement, and
evaluate new or existing energy or environmental projects. It is intended for small and medium-sized
communities and tribes, although the information may also be relevant for larger jurisdictions or states
embarking on similar projects. Similarly, although the guide is focused on the project level, the information
may also be relevant for programs or policies (see the box describing the difference between projects,
programs, and policies).
This guide is based on best practices identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through
the Agency's extensive work with local and tribal governments. EPA recognizes that each local and tribal
government is an expert in its own community; however, given the Agency's experience working with many
local and tribal governments, it is well-positioned to share information and lessons across the country. EPA
solicited feedback on this guide from a range of state and local government stakeholders, as identified in the
acknowledgements section in each specific phase.
The Difference Between Projects, Programs, and Policies
A project has a limited scope, and specific tasks can be defined upfront, such as installing green roofs on municipal
buildings. In contrast, a program has overarching goals and objectives, but specific projects and tasks to meet those
goals (e.g., increase community resilience to impacts from rising sea levels) will evolve over time. A new project that
is part of an existing program has a limited scope that meets the goals of a larger program, such as expanding a
community-wide commercial energy efficiency program to residential energy consumers. A policy is articulated in
legislation or regulations to guide and inform present and future decisions.
-------
3
How To Use This Guide
This guide covers six energy and environmental project implementation phases (see Figure 1). These phases
are interrelated, so there are many possible paths a community can take through the implementation
process. You do not need to complete the phases in order. However, if you are designing a new project from
scratch, you may want to start with the Engage and Communicate phase and explore subsequent phases
following a clockwise approach.
Figure 1. Implementation Phases of the Local Action Framework
Track and
Report
This phase will help you develop,
track, analyze, and report on
performance indicators to assess
project progress and share success.
Engage and
Communicate
This phase will help you engage
and communicate with
partners and the community
about project implementation.
Take Action
This phase helps you design
and implementthe actions
selected in the Set Goals
and Select Actions phase.
It provides information
on: encouraging green
government operations,
adopting a policy, and
engaging the community.
How To Use
This Guide
Develop
Greenhouse Gas
Inventory
This phase will help you
quantify GHG emissions
from local government
operations or your
community as a whole,
including establishing
a baseline inventory.
Obtain Resources
This phase will help you identify
and access the resources needed
to support the project including
funding, staff time, technical
expertise, and buy-
Set Goals and
Select Actions
This phase will help you articulate
goals for the project and select
actions that highlightthose goals.
Several elements in this guide are clickable. Clickable graphics, banners, and text allow for easy navigation
among the six project implementation phases and steps within each phase. Clickable text also links to
external web pages, videos, or online content to provide additional information about the case study,
resource, or tool. Throughout this guide, you will also encounter three icons:
Equity icons call attention to opportunities to include diverse perspectives in decision-making
and consider the full range of potential impacts on your community.
Sj® Helpful Tips icons identify information that could make planning and implementing your energy
or environmental project more efficient or effective.
d
Case in Point icons provide examples of other communities' experiences.
At the end of each implementation phase, the guide offers additional examples from the field, tools and
templates, and further reading.
-------
Engage and
Communicate
U J
LXJ
-------
5
E
ngaging arid communicating at all stages of project implementation
can help community leaders:
• Align their project objectives with community priorities
• Gather input from the community, especially from individuals
directly affected by the project and the most vulnerable or
historically underserved groups
• Increase support for the project
WHY? Define Objectives
WHO? Define and Understand Audiences
WHAT? Develop and Test Key Messages
and Frames
WHEN? Develop a Timeline
WHERE? Identify Channels
HOW? Select Methods and Messengers
The steps presented in this phase are intended to help you develop and implement an effective engagement
and communication strategy. To maximize the effectiveness of sharing and gathering information, leaders
have found it helpful to use simple messages, repeat them often over multiple channels, and use trusted
sources to communicate.
Key Steps
While the exact process for engaging and communicating varies by project and community, the steps in this
phase, as presented in Figure 2, can be part of any outreach process. The steps are organized around six
basic questions: why, who, what, when, where, and how? The steps are not necessarily intended to be
pursued in linear order.
Figure 2. Overview of the Key Steps for Engaging and Communicating
Define
Objectives
I
a
Define and
Understand
Audiences
V J
Develop
and Test Key
Messages and
Frames
Develop a
Timeline
Identify
Channels
Select
Methods and
Messengers
-------
Step 1. Define Objectives
It is important to identify and clearly articulate the objectives of your communication strategy—why are you
engaging in communication activities? Defining your objectives helps inform decisions you make about
audience, messages, timeline, channels, methods, and messengers. Clearly defined objectives can also help
you recalibrate if your initial communications efforts do not accomplish your objectives.
Your objectives may be overarching, such as raising public awareness about the benefits of energy efficiency
technologies, or more specific, such as increasing decision-makers' understanding about the barriers
residents face in using alternate transportation options. Additionally, specific objectives may relate to target
audiences or times for outreach. For example, an early project objective may be to increase participation
and support from key decision-makers, while an objective later in the project may be to share project
successes with the public to justify similar efforts in the future.
As you develop communication strategy objectives, you may want to consider:
• What are the overarching goals for the project? Visit Set Goals and Select Actions for more
information.
• How can outreach and stakeholder engagement support the project and project goals?
• Do stakeholders—including decision-makers, community members, and experts—need to take
action to accomplish project goals?
• Will stakeholders, especially vulnerable or historically underserved groups, be affected by this
project? What will they need to know?
• What types of information or feedback do you need to gather from stakeholders to help ensure the
project's success?
Below is a list of sample objectives:
• Increase project participation.
• Gather feedback on the project plan.
• Increase financial project support.
• Understand stakeholder needs.
• Share information related to the project.
• Educate the public.
• Raise awareness about available resources.
• Share successes to encourage continued activity.
Step 2. Define and Understand Audiences
Getting to know who you are trying to reach will help you develop an effective outreach strategy.
Understanding your audience will help you identify the most effective messages, messengers, and channels.
-------
7
The following groups may be among your audience members. Where available, this list links to Climate
Showcase Communities (CSC) Tip Sheets for working with these groups. CSC was an EPA program that
helped local and tribal governments pilot innovative, cost-effective, and replicable community-based GHG
reduction projects.
Administrators of
complementary or similar
projects
Business owners
Community-based
organizations
Community leaders
Disabled populations
Contractors
Experts
Faith-based organizations
Green teams or
sustainabilitv groups
Homeowner associations
(e.g., condo boards)
Landlords
Local political leaders and
decision-makers
Low-income residents
Minority populations
Neighborhood associations
or block groups
Non-profits
Other jurisdictions or local
organizations
Potential project funders
Renters
Residents
Students
Universities
Utilities
Volunteers
Once you have identified whom you need to engage, it is important to better understand what motivates
them, how they receive information, and whom they trust. It is also important to understand any barriers
that may prevent your target audiences from participating. Different groups of stakeholders have different
motivations and barriers, and will access information in different ways.
You can get to know your audiences through informal or formal channels. Informal channels include having
informal phone calls or meetings with representative members. More formal channels include partnering
with organizations who work closely with the target audience, using focus groups or conducting a pilot
study, phasing the project release, researching similar efforts to help test and improve your communications
strategy, or using community-based social marketing techniques. You may find that you can group some of
your target audiences together or that you prefer to segment your audiences into smaller groups. These
types of activities may also be appropriate as you complete Steps 3 through 6.
For each of the following steps, you can benefit from continuing to ask the question: Does this decision help
me reach my target audiences?
Step 3. Develop and Test Key Messages and Frames
Creating effective key messages can help you use what motivates your target audiences to accomplish your
community's or organization's objective.
It is best to frame your messages in a way that resonates with your target audiences. Frames or framing
refers to how you present or package an idea and can matter as much as the idea itself. It is a good idea to
present or frame your messages with language, images, and points that are meaningful and easily
understood by the people you are trying to reach. The following are suggestions for developing effective
messages:
• Research. What messages have been used effectively to encourage action for similar projects in
other jurisdictions or local projects that target similar audiences? You can look for information about
your audience online or engage other communities or groups that are doing similar work. If you are
running a project to increase recycling, it may be helpful to review the key messages used in other
jurisdictions for similar projects. If students are your target audience, you can talk to staff members
who were responsible for running projects that target students. You may find that some of your
-------
most useful lessons about messaging come from projects that appear unrelated to your objectives,
but target similar audiences.
• Ask and listen. What does your audience say they want? You can ask stakeholders what they value
and draw connections to the project goals. If your community is working on a transit ridership
project, you might ask people why they are not riding the bus. Asking stakeholders for input, then
choosing not to act on it, may alienate the people you are seeking to engage, so it is advisable to
thoughtfully consider all suggestions (see Helpful Tips: Messaging). If your audience has ideological
differences, searching for common ground, goals, and values can increase the project's success.
• Test your message. Is your message effective? You can start by developing several possible
messages that introduce your objectives. You can test the different messages on focus groups or
pilot groups before broadcasting the selected one more broadly. Small changes in language may
have a significant impact on how the target audience receives the message.
• Phase your rollout. If the project timeline permits, you can roll out your message in phases for
different channels or audience segments. Phasing allows you to adjust the message prior to sharing
it with the entire target audience.
Helpful Tips: Messaging
It is best to repeat messages early and often, and through multiple channels. Stakeholders are likely to
be more receptive to new ideas and actions if they have been part of the conversation from the beginning and
they feel their input is taken into account. It is advisable to engage stakeholders at a point when you can use
their input to improve the project outcomes. It is also best to be clear about how you are going to use
stakeholders' input.
Other communities have found the following tips helpful in developing messages:
• Tailor your messages. Different audiences may be motivated by different things. Constructing
messages for different audiences is good practice. You may want to divide your audiences into
groups (or segments) and tailor messages for each group. For example, Denver Energy Challenge
project staff in Denver, Colorado, asked participants what motivated them to take steps to adopt
energy-efficient appliances and practices. The staff found that businesses were primarily motivated
by cost savings and homeowners were primarily motivated by increased comfort. Consequently, the
project staff adjusted their messages when communicating with these two groups of stakeholders.
• Consider translation needs. Messages tailored to different audiences may require different
communication methods and channels. Translating tailored messages into the common local
^ language or languages of your audience is a good practice. If you attend a community
event for outreach purposes in a community that primarily speaks another language, i
helpful to bring someone from your organization who speaks that particular language.
Present information in an accessible way. For example, the U.S. Energy Information
Administration's Energy Kids is an interactive website that educates students, citizens, and others
about energy with games and activities.
Use locally specific slogans or terms. For example, the term "climate adaptation" may have
different implications in tribal communities because many tribes have already been adapting to
environmental changes for generations.
-------
9
• Use a storytelling approach and visual imagery. Stories are often more relatable and tangible than
data. Similarly, visual imagery is often more compelling than words or numbers. For example, the
City of Arlington, Texas, presented the annual city budget in an easily accessible video. The Town of
Cary, North Carolina, built a Climate Showcase Fire Station where it could host public tours to
highlight green building principles used in the construction.
• Present a positive message. People are more likely to join a project that offers benefits than one
that demands a sacrifice. For example, the Capitol Area Metropolitan Planning Office in Austin,
Texas, gives away bookmarks with pro-transit messages as part of its Commute Solutions program,
reinforcing the idea that people can regain and enjoy additional leisure time during their daily
commute.
• Consider creating a brand. This might include developing a recognizable logo, a catchy tagline, or a
memorable name for the project or the group that is implementing the project. The Clear the Air
Challenge in Salt Lake City, Utah, used the tagline "Drive Down Your Miles" to remind residents to
think about alternative transportation options.
• Introduce new ways of doing things. For example, Idle Free Utah began its campaign to reduce
idling in school parking lots because the concentrated collection of parents, students, teachers, and
staff during school drop-off and pick-up times made idling highly visible. This led to a larger
campaign to encourage drivers to turn off their vehicles when idling for more than 10 seconds.
• Collaborate. You can work with organizations that have related, but different, messages to reach
new audiences. In Rhode Island, Providence's Climate Justice Plan specifies that the Office of
Sustainability must collaborate with community organizations on every initiative it undertakes. This
process allows for collaborative decision-making, although it can take time to build relationships and
trust between everyone involved in the decision-making process.
EPA's Effective Practices for Implementing Local Climate and Energy Programs: Effective Messaging offers
more tips from other communities.
Step 4. Develop a Timeline
Local governments have found that developing a timeline for engaging and communicating with
stakeholders can help maximize project impact. When developing a timeline for outreach, it is helpful to
take into account project timing, audience preferences, and available resources. You may also find that you
need to revisit and adjust your timeline after you identify channels, methods, and messengers (Step 5
and Step 6).
As you develop an outreach timeline, you may want to consider the following questions:
• When would critical project milestones benefit from outreach or communications activities? For
example, are there critical decision points that would benefit from stakeholder input?
• When are audiences likely to be most receptive to hearing messages or engaging in a conversation?
Can you leverage existing meetings, such as regularly scheduled community meetings, or publication
schedules? For example, you may be able to schedule an article about the project to appear in a
specific related issue of a local magazine with monthly planned topics.
An effective timeline for communications balances both of these considerations. Each project has a unique
set of resources and goals, so the ideal times to engage will vary.
-------
10
Step 5. Identify Channels
Where will you reach your audiences? How does each target audience currently receive information? The
more places audience members encounter a message, the more likely they are to remember it. Your
engagement and communication objectives will also guide your choice of channels. Some channels are more
appropriate for sharing information, and others are better suited for encouraging dialogue.
In addition to sharing information with the public, engagement and communication involves receiving
community input as well. It is often helpful to establish set communication channels so members of the
public can share their own ideas and provide feedback to decision-makers. Such communication channels
could include a specialized email address or phone number specifically for addressing feedback on a
proposed energy or environmental project. This can help determine what is important to your audience and
better engage the public in your decision-making process.
Communities have found the following examples of communication channels useful:
Television: Local stations or programs.
Internet: Blogs, websites, social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Linkedln, YouTube, and Instagram).
J ~= Print media: Local or regional newspaper, magazine, or newsletters.
Radio: Local or regional radio stations.
Mail: Direct mail to target audiences, including utility bill inserts.
Printed handouts: Flyers, posters, fact sheets, door-hangers, yard signs, stickers, or other materials
printed by the project.
Email: Messages directed to target audiences (individuals or email lists); many include interactive
links.
n Phone: Text messages or phone calls.
In-person: Person-to-person conversations, community events, or trainings.
Understanding the ways people interact with different channels will help you craft the timing and substance
of your message accordingly (see Helpful Tips: Channels).
-------
Helpful Tips: Channels
It is best to use channels that are accessible, familiar, and comfortable to the audience. For example, a
smartphone application or a text message campaign may be an effective method to reach some, but not all,
audiences, while a radio campaign may be more effective with other audiences. Repeating messages from
trusted sources often, over multiple channels, increases their chance of effectiveness.
Step 6. Select Methods and Messengers
Selecting your methods and messengers determines how your audience receives the message—in what
format and from whom. It may make sense to identify methods and messengers at the same time as you
identify channels (Step 5). How you choose to deliver messages may also involve revisiting your timeline
(Step 4).
Who delivers your message can be as important as how it is delivered. You can identify people,
organizations, and channels that have credibility with your audience and engage them to help deliver your
message as project champions. You may want to consider using the same community leaders or
organizations that were engaged in the design and development of the project. Many communities have
found it less successful to bring a fully formed idea to a community organization and then ask them to
advocate for it.
~ Different messengers may be more effective with different audiences (refer to Step 2). When
reaching out to specific organizations, it is advisable to identify which people within that
organization are best able to reach your target audience. You can engage and empower credible
sources to spread project messages to stakeholders on your behalf. These sources may want to author
emails, write letters to the editor of local newspapers, participate in interviews, make announcements at
events, or organically spread the word.
Other communities have had success by coming up with creative strategies to engage stakeholders and
spread messages. Table 1 summarizes different methods and associated channels (refer to Step 5) that other
communities have found useful to spread messages. This list is by no means exhaustive. As you consider this
table, you can tap into the creativity of your staff and volunteers to identify the best ways to engage your
target audiences.
-------
Table 1. Communication Methods and Associated Channels for Taking Local Action
PURCHASED
MEDIA
EARNED MEDIA
PROMOTIONAL OR
INSTRUCTIONAL
VIDEOS
1 TESTIMONIALS
WEBSITE WITH
PROJECT
INFORMATION
SMARTPHONE
APPLICATIONS
SMS AND TEXT
MARKETING
~
«;» ^
f[5i]
Purchase advertisements for
TV, radio, newspapers,
magazines, or the internet.
Think about advertising at
local events, such as high
school sporting events or
local fairs,
«x» m 3$
(Ml
Cultivate relationships with
local news outlets, editors,
and reporters. Consider
pitching your stories to staff at
traditional media or online
media platforms. Write press
releases like articles so that
they are easy for newspapers
and magazines to pick up.
m & K
El
Online videos can be hosted
on websites, such as YouTube,
and links can be shared
through email, text messages,
social media, blogs, and other
online portals. The North
Central Texas Council of
Governments' Transportation
Department YouTube channel
posted a 2-minute video to
highlight the Solar Ready II
project in the Dallas-Fort
Worth, Texas, area
> m a? E3
® (Mi i
Testimonials are often shared
through online videos, a
Twitter campaign, a Facebook
page, an editorial column in
the newspaper, or other
sources. Highlight success
stories from early adopters,
project champions, or other
participants to encourage
future action or project
adoption. Explain why the
project matters. Consider
videos that incorporate text
and images. Ask open-ended
questions during interviews.
Host a website with the project
information in one place
including videos, promotional
flyers, and informational
materials. Drive traffic to the
website by posting content and
links in emails, newsletters, and
on social media. Consider
asking website visitors to
provide information relevant to
the project. The National
Renewable Energy Laboratory's
Open PV Project provides
information about solar power
and allows users to upload
information about their solar
projects.
Developing a portal for users
to engage with the campaign
or gather information on their
smartphone may also help
increase participation.
Consider coupling this
strategy with an interactive
game, the ability to track
progress, or a challenge to
meet. Ensure smartphone
applications are compatible
with multiple types of phones.
0
Consider using short message
service (SMS), or text
messages, as a quick way to
provide stakeholders with
important information. For
example, Salt Lake City, Utah,
sends text alerts to let
participating residents know
about poor air quality days.
SOCIAL MEDIA
DIRECT MAIL
ACTION
1 INFORMATIONAL
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY
DOOR-TO-DOOR
CHECKLISTS
¦campaign
EVENTS
MEETINGS
CANVASSING
Social media allows local
governments to interact with
large audiences. Community
members can access content,
provide feedback, and stay
updated about projects or
initiatives as information is
announced. Consider using
the Pew Research
Center's Internet Project to
identify social networking
sites frequented by your target
audiences.
Although people are
increasingly gathering
information online, direct mail
can be an effective method for
targeting households or
businesses within a specified
area (e.g., by ZIP code or
city). For example, some
communities use inserts in
utility bills to reach people for
energy efficiency, water
conservation, or waste
reduction projects.
£ «x>m a? is
Develop action checklists to
provide people with discrete
actions to take. Checklists can
remind people to remain
involved in project initiatives.
For example, a community
might encourage residents to
use reusable grocery bags,
replace two incandescent light
bulbs with energy-efficient
LEDs, and run the dishwasher
on a 4-hour delay so that it
runs during off-peak hours.
a r m & is
© (Hi 13
Distribute materials and host
classes or workshops to help
spread information about the
desired actions. For example,
the Cambridge Bicvcle
Programs in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, developed and
distributed informational
materials including bike maps,
and hosted educational events
including bike registration and
on-bike training.
£
Participate in existing events or
host your own, such as
hosting a booth at the county
fair to share information or
entering a fioat in a local
parade to increase project
recognition. Leveraging events
held by others helps to reach
broader audiences with lower
time and resource investment.
For example, Eugene, Oregon,
hosts "Sunday Streets." an
annual event that encourages
healthy, active living.
a
Invite stakeholders to a
meeting accessible to all
members of the public. Share
project information and
provide an opportunity for
feedback, questions, and
answers. Consider choosing
a location reachable through
public transportation and
holding meetings at various
times to accommodate
different work schedules to
increase public participation.
Use volunteers or paid
canvassers to go door-to-door
to talk to businesses or
residents in person. For
example, in Corvallis, Oregon,
student volunteers went door-
to-door to invite people to try
three energy-saving actions
for the Communities Take
Charge program.
-------
GREEN TEAMS AND
SUSTAINABILITY
GROUPS
Facilitate the creation nt green
teams or sustainabiiity groups to
increase the capacity to implement
project actions at the business,
block, or neighborhood level.
Ensure that green teams represent
the community, include key
decision-makers, and include a
champion to inspire and motivate
peopie. For example, the Land-of-
Skv Renional Council in North
Carolina helped 18 schools
initiate green teams that
empowered students and teachers
to collaborate on recycling and
energy reduction projects.
INCENTIVES
£k r
lle3 S
NEIGHBORHOOD
PARTIES
a
Identify hosts to talk to their
neighbors about the effort. For
example, the Frederick County
Green Homes Challenge in
Maryland used a neighbor-to-
neighbor approach to successfully
share information about residential
energy efficiency upgrades. In
Eugene, Oregon, transportation
ambassadors were trained to
spread information about alter-
native transportation to their
neighbors,
ii
INTERACTIVE
GAMES
m
Use incentives (e.g., door prizes,
lotteries, coupons) to encourage
potential participants to try a new
action or adopt a new practice. For
example, in Corvallis, Oregon,
Communities Take Charge
participants receive an electronic
coupon card for discounts at local
businesses when they report back
on their energy-saving pledges.
Games, used in person or on the
internet, can share project
information or encourage
stakeholders to take action For
example, Clean Energy Durham in
Durham, North Carolina, used a
bingo game as part of its home
energy efficiency workshops with
the local Spanish-speaking
community.
PEER-TO-PEER
EXCHANGE
ii ^ a? s
Use social media and
enthusiasm in your community
to pass information from person
to person. This can result in a
'Viral" spread of information—
meaning the rapid spread of
internet content through social
networks. Making content
shareable on social networks is
important. This helps
community members spread
awareness of a project or event
with a click of a button.
MEASURE
SUCCESS
A
r m J
% [1] i
IS3
People are more likely to take
action if they are reminded that
their action makes a valuable
impact. Illustrate cumulative
impacts on a graphic to show
how individual actions
contribute to a meaningful
community result (e.g., an
energy-savmg calculator or a
"heat map" of electric vehicle
charging stations or solar
hstallations). Consider using
animations to show cumulative
effects over time.
AWARDS
CHALLENGES AND
COMPETITIONS
COACHING
ii c<£> m fl? £2
i§] lis m
Use awards or certificates to
reinforce the concept of
accountabliity, Increase the
visibility of a project, and
recognize and demonstrate
appreciation for participants.
PLEDGES
£k m
i
Ask project participants to
make a verbal or written
commitment to take an action,
ideally iri a public way.
Commitments increase partici-
pation by encouraging
accountability and increasing
the likelihood that participants
follow through on their actions.
Small commitments can lead to
larger commitments in the
future.
ii «x> m a? ia
£§i (ID i
Implement challenges or
competitions to inspire innovation
within the project and increase
motivation. Make challenges
simple, with clear incentives and
criteria. Consider providing prizes
for winners. Recognize successful
participants. Consider including
mini-challenges to keep people
interested and engaged. Aim for
breadth of participation—people
may join because they do not like
to fee! left out. Be sure to change
things up to keep the campaign
fresh.
IS
A
£2
i
Use direct assistance as a method
for encouraging implementation and
ensuring successful adoption of new
practices. For example, the Chicago
Area Fnemv Savers Program iri
Illinois worked with energy analysts
to coach building owners through
the retrofit process. Owners enjoyed
a single point of contact with whom
to wade through an otherwise
complex process.
PROMOTIONAL
ITEMS
ii ( m a? M
Giving away promotional items, or
"swag," can circulate project
information or increase brand
recognition. Select swag carefully
to avoid creating unnecessary
waste with items of limited use.
Identify objects that forward your
mission. For example, the North
Central Texas Council of
Governments gave away tire
gauges to remind users to
improve their fuel economy by
inflating their tires to the
appropriate pressure.
YARD SIGNS/
WINDOW CLINGS
Yard signs and window clings can
be an effective way to spread
information about a new project.
They are especially impactful when
positioned to face a street so that
neighbors or cars passing by see
them. For example, the Bellingham
Community Energy Challenge in
Washington gives yard signs to
businesses and homes that
participate in the challenge to
show their commitment to energy
savings.
-------
14
Examples from the Field
Eugene, Oregon: SmartTrips
A project that developed an individualized outreach program to reduce the number of single-occupancy trips made
in cars.
Salt Lake City, Utah: Clean the Air Challenge
A project that used effective community-based social marketing to improve existing vehicle travel reduction
programs. A toolkit is available to help organizations seeking to replicate the program.
Madison, Wisconsin: Mpower ChaMpions
A project that worked with local businesses and schools to reduce GHG emissions, with "Lunch and Learns" and a
sustainable business network, and by sharing program case studies.
Corvallis, Oregon: Communities Take Charge
A program that encourages participants to focus on three energy-saving actions each month to earn energy prize
points.
Albany, New York: 2030 Comprehensive Plan
A community engagement strategy to implement Albany's comprehensive plan, which includes energy and
environmental measures.
Tools and Templates
EPA's Tool Finder for Local Government Clean Energy Initiatives
A search tool that helps local government staff screen tools and resources designed to measure impacts of clean
energy programs and policies.
EPA's Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator
A tool to translate GHG emissions reductions into everyday terms, which can be useful for communicating the
program's goals and outcomes.
ENERGY STAR Battle of the Buildings Competition: Build Your Own Battle
Communication materials that provide information on energy efficiency and how to get involved with ENERGY
STAR, including sample event ideas and promotional items to set up your own ENERGY STAR Battle of the Buildings
competition.
Rasmuson Foundation's Strategic Communications Plan Template
An organization-targeted template users can apply to a community project.
MindTools' Communications Plan Worksheet
Worksheet to help structure a communications plan.
-------
15
Further Reading
EPA's Effective Practices for Implementing Local Climate and Energy Programs
A series of 19 tip sheets based on direct feedback from communities; the tip sheets cover topics such as effective
messaging, testimonial videos, traditional media strategies, community-based social marketing, and working with
various stakeholder groups.
EPA's State and Local Energy and Environment Program's Communications Webinar Series
A three-part webcast series on communications strategies and methods that covers how to gain support and
attract participation, sustain involvement, and showcase program successes.
Resource Media's Seeing Is Believing
Best practices informed by the latest research, and tools on visual storytelling.
The Goodman Center
A website that provides resources for communication through presentations, storytelling, and advertising.
Acknowledgements
EPA would like to acknowledge Abby Young (Bay Area Air Quality Management District); Carly Lettero
(Energize Corvallis); Lori Clark, Shane Pace, and Shannon Stevenson (North Central Texas Council of
Governments); Kate Lohnes (Salt Lake City, Utah); Matthew Mehalik (Sustainable Pittsburgh), and Jen
McLoughlin (Woodbury, Minnesota) for their valuable input and feedback as stakeholder reviewers for this
section.
-------
fcr W" h~
ii ii in ii
Develop
Greenhouse
Gas Inventory
— n
ll»
lit
owo
2 n "o
O
s>
to
-------
AGHG inventory is one example of a baseline that can inform goals as well as help track performance.
For guidance on developing baselines for other energy and environmental attributes, see Quantifying
the Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
This phase presents the steps to establish a GHG inventory, including establishing a baseline inventory. You
could apply similar approaches to other environmental factors, such as energy and waste management (see
the Life Cycle Analysis box).
The steps in this phase are presented in two approaches:
• The local government operations approach is for local governments that want to understand the
GHG emissions of only government facilities and operations (e.g., government buildings and other
facilities, streetlights and traffic signals, vehicle fleet). This may be appropriate for local government
agencies interested in promoting green government operations and reducing emissions under their
operational control.
• The community-wide approach is for organizations that want to understand the GHG emissions of
their community as a whole, which can include local government operations. This approach may be
more appropriate for organizations that want to implement projects to engage the community or
adopt a policy to effect change in the community.
Life Cycle Analysis
Extraction
-0 $
materials
t y
Disposal
Upstream design and
production
Consumption
and use
This section focuses on the
most common ways for local
governments to account for
GHG emissions from
government or community
activities. Another way to
account for emissions involves
a life cycle analysis, which
assesses environmental impacts
associated with all stages of a
product's life—from raw
material extraction to materials
End-of-life design and production, to
management consumption and use, and to
disposal or recycling. These life
cycle analyses include assessing
GHG emissions and other
environmental factors.
For more information about life
cycle analyses, visit the West
Coast Climate and Materials
Management Forum.
-------
18
Local Government Operations
Key Steps
The steps in this approach are for local governments that are focused on projects related to
government facilities and operations. For organizations that are focused
on projects related to effecting change in the community, see the
Community-Wide section.
The exact process for developing a GHG inventory for a local government
varies. The guidance presented here outlines several key steps that are
likely to be part of any inventory process. As shown in Figure 3, the steps
are not necessarily intended to be pursued in linear order and may
require multiple iterations. For example, data collection will occur over
time and can influence decisions about other components of the
inventory.
Figure 3. Overview of the Key Steps for Developing a GHG inventory Focused on Projects
Related to Government Facilities and Operations
S
>
Set Goals
and Priorities
The industry standard for GHG inventories of local government operations is the Local Government
Operations Protocol (LGOP). developed in partnership by the California Air Resources Board, the California
Climate Action Registry, ICLEI -local Governments for Sustainability, and The Climate Registry. The LGOP
provides guidance on calculation methodologies, emission factors, and other aspects of inventory
development, The guidance here supplements the LGOP, summarizing key steps, lessons learned, and best
practices for calculating GHG emissions of local government operations.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
Set Goals and Priorities
Define Scale of Inventory
Collect and Compile Data
Set Base Year
Calculate Emissions
Procure Certification (optional)
Analyze and Communicate Results
Set Base
Year
i—J
Define Scale
of Inventory
Collect and
Compile
Data
Calculate
Emissions
i i
1 Procure i
^Certification)#
(optional) i
Analyze and
Communicate
Results
-------
19
Step 1. Set Goals and Priorities
Before thinking about the details of your local government operations inventory, it is useful to clearly
articulate why you are creating a GHG inventory and how it will be used. Is it to comply with a regulation?
Will it inform the development of a climate action plan? Will it provide a baseline from which to monitor
progress? Will it enable you to join a GHG registry? Will it be used to inform residents or employees? Having
a clear understanding of your goals will inform your decisions throughout the process.
If your goal is...
• To create a comprehensive, comparable inventory: You may want to follow the LGOP and include
emissions from all inventory sources. The protocol offers ways to estimate emissions for many
sources even in the absence of data.
• To maximize limited resources, or make the most of a partial inventory: You may want to develop
a partial inventory based on the largest sources (these are likely to be building energy use and
transportation), or the sources most relevant for your planned actions. You can add other sources to
your inventory over time if more resources become available.
As you set goals and priorities, think about the timeline and level of effort required to complete the GHG
inventory. These will vary based on government size and available information. You may want to consider
whether it makes sense to do the inventory in-house, work with a local university or non-profit organization,
or hire a consultant (see Helpful Tips: Partners for GHG Inventories). You may also want to determine who
will update the inventory and how often.
Helpful Tips: Partners for GHG Inventories
When assessing the level of effort required for a GHG inventory, local governments may consider
partnering with other communities in their region. For local government operations inventories, local
governments and communities can partner to provide mutual technical assistance and share resources, lessons
learned, or best practices. For community inventories, local organizations can partner to estimate regional GHG
emissions. Smaller communities that may not have the capacity or resources to conduct inventories
independently or that may want to collaborate with other communities on the resulting emissions reduction
activities have found this approach particularly valuable.
Step 2. Define Scale of Inventory
When deciding exactly which departments, activities, and operations to include in the GHG inventory of
local government operations, you can consider your goals for the inventory (described in Step 1). as well as
what falls under your jurisdiction, which sources you want to include, and how you want to organize your
inventory (described below). These considerations will help you develop an estimate that includes all
important emissions and avoids double counting.
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
20
Setting Organizational Boundaries: What Falls Under Your Jurisdiction?
Setting organizational boundaries is an important first step in creating a GHG inventory. It may seem
straightforward to define which facilities and operations fall within the local government's jurisdiction.
However, there are multiple ways to define jurisdictional boundaries. The two primary options for defining a
jurisdiction are:
• Operational control: Under this approach, local governments account for the departments,
activities, and operations over which they have "operational control," or the authority to introduce
and implement operating policies. This is the recommended approach in the LGOP and the most
common way for local governments to set boundaries.
• Financial control: Under this approach, local governments account for the operations over which
they have "financial control," or the operations that are fully consolidated in financial accounts. This
approach is consistent with international financial accounting standards.
Determining Which Sources to Include
In this step you decide which emissions sources to include in your inventory. The LGOP recommends
including several "required" emissions sources to ensure that GHG inventories are comprehensive and
comparable between communities. You may also want to target "optional" sources for reductions. Including
"optional" emissions sources provides a more comprehensive image of your local government's
environmental impacts and areas to target with sustainability projects.
LGOP "Required" Emissions Sources
• Fuel combustion and electricity use in
facilities (e.g., public buildings, wastewater
treatment plants, water pumping stations)
• Electricity use for streetlights, traffic signals,
and other public lighting
• Mobile fuel combustion in vehicle fleet and
transit fleet
• Solid waste facilities
• Wastewater treatment facilities
How to Organize Your Inventory
Thinking through how your inventory may be organized can help you decide which sources to include.
Options for organizing your inventory include categorization by scope (see the Important Terminology at the
end of this phase for a description of scopes), sector, department, or facility. Sectoral and scope
categorization are recommended in the LGOP.
Step 3. Collect and Compile Data
Having a checklist of your data needs can be useful as you begin collecting data on the sources you have
decided to include. When conducting your baseline inventory, you can collect data for all potential base
years that are readily available. In Step 4. you will set a base year, but it is often easier to collect data for
multiple years at once than to go back to collect data for additional years if your needs change (e.g., if
certain data are not available for your desired base year).
Data collection can be the most time-intensive step of the inventory process, and it may continue as you
begin calculating your emissions.
LGOP Optional Emissions Sources
• Purchased goods and services
• Waste generation
• Electrical power distribution
• Employee commutes
• Employee business travel
• Fugitive refrigerants
• Other Scope 3 sources (see the Important
Terminology at the end of this phase)
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
21
It is helpful to start by reaching out to facility managers, utility representatives, and other individuals who
may have data, and get a sense of what is and is not available to you. This will help you identify whether you
need to make any institutional arrangements in advance to facilitate data collection. For example, utilities'
procedures for requesting data may require advance notice. Local governments can establish a
Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate data-sharing between organizations, if needed.
Tips for data collection include:
• Having a single person in charge of the inventory, an "inventory compiler," who collects data from
other organizations, such as from a facilities energy lead or a wastewater treatment lead. This
person can keep track of the different components and help build capacity in the organization by
becoming an inventory and emissions expert.
• Minimizing the burden of the data request and making it easier for someone to give you the
information you need. Local governments have found it helpful to give data providers a template to
populate (such as a spreadsheet with labeled rows and columns) so they understand exactly what
you are looking for. However, you may need to take data in whatever form your provider has readily
available, for whatever timeframe is available, and then adapt it to your needs.
• Keeping track of all units of measurement and following up if the units in a dataset are not clear.
• Keeping all data organized and carefully documenting all data sources (including points of contact
for collecting the data). This will make it easier for you or others to collect updated data in the
future to measure your progress.
• Documenting the emission factors and Global Warming Potentials (GWPs) used along with the
data. It is helpful to have these conversion factors readily available when you are reviewing the data
and making comparisons in the future. See the Important Terminology at the end of this phase for a
description of GWPs.
• Considering what data may be helpful in the future. It is advisable to collect related data if they are
readily available, even if you are not sure yet how they may be used.
Table 2 lists a few examples of data that are commonly needed for GHG inventories, along with possible
sources of those data.
Table 2. Data Commonly Needed and Possible Data Sources for GHG Inventories for Local Government Operations
Data Commonly Needed Possible Data Source
Facilities
• Electricity use
• Fuel use, by fuel type (e.g., natural gas, heating oil,
kerosene, propane, coal)
• Accounts payable
• Facility managers
• Local government departmental records
• Public works department
• Utility representatives
• Fuel vendor
• Electricity emission factors
• EPA's eGRID (see regional factors in the "eGRID
Summary Tables" file)
• Local utility
• Natural gas emission factors
• Utility representatives (for utility-specific gas carbon
content)
• LGOP (for national average)
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
22
Data Commonly Needed
Possible Data Source
• Fuel emission factors, by fuel type
• Center for Corporate Climate Leadership GHG
Emission Factors Hub
• Inventory of National GHG Emissions and Sinks
• LGOP
Transportation
• Vehicle fuel use, by fuel type
• Vehicle miles traveled
• Accounts payable
• Local government departmental records
• Fleet manager
• Fuel vendors
• Mileage reimbursement records
• Vehicle fuel emission factors, by fuel type
• Center for Corporate Climate Leadership GHG
Emission Factors Hub
• Inventory of National GHG Emissions and Sinks
• LGOP
Solid Waste
For emissions from city landfills (Scope 1):
• Amount of waste in city landfills
• Composition of waste in city landfills
• Landfill gas collected at city landfills
• Fraction of methane in collected landfill gas
• Landfill gas collection area
For emissions from city landfills (Scope 1):
• Landfill manager/department
• Default waste composition from the state or EPA's
annual report, Advancing Sustainable Materials
Management: Facts and Figures
• EPA's Solid Waste Emissions Estimation Tool
• EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program
• U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program
For emissions from city-generated waste (Scope 3):
• Amount of waste generated
• Composition of waste generated
For emissions from city-generated waste (Scope 3):
• Waste audit
• Waste hauling company
• Default waste composition from the state or EPA's
annual report, Advancing Sustainable Materials
Management: Facts and Figures
Wastewater
• Wastewater treatment process details (e.g., aerobic,
anaerobic, nitrification, denitrification, biogas
collected, system Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5)
load)
• Population served by septic systems
• Wastewater treatment manager/department
Step 4. Set Base Year
When choosing a base year, you may want to consider whether:
• Data for that year are available
• The year represents a "typical" year for your locality (e.g., no unusual weather or economic
conditions)
• The base year is coordinated to the extent possible with any goals or commitments your local
government may have established (e.g., to reduce emissions by a certain percentage in a specific
year, to align with other government programs, to comply with external requirements).
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
23
Your inventory base year provides a benchmark against which you can compare future emissions.
Inventories can also be conducted (or simply updated) regularly, in order to track progress.
GHG inventories typically describe emissions over the course of a calendar year for ease of data collection
and comparison. Datasets that are available only for fiscal years or other periods can be converted to
calendar years.
Step 5. Calculate Emissions
With data collected and a clear vision for which emissions to include, you can calculate emissions for each
source identified in Step 2 by plugging your data and emission factors into the appropriate equations.
Several resources are available to help with these calculations, including protocols that suggest
methodologies or equations to use and tools that complete the calculations after you enter your data.
For each source within the inventory, you can choose a methodology for calculating emissions (see Helpful
Tips: Approaches to Calculating Emissions). The primary protocol for inventories of local government
operations is the LGOP, which provides step-by-step instructions and equations for calculating GHG
emissions. The LGOP also provides default emission factors and alternate methodologies to choose from
based on data availability. The following tips can also facilitate the calculation process.
Decide whether you want to calculate your emissions using a pre-built tool or using your own
spreadsheet. Available tools include:
• EPA's Local GHG Inventory Tool: An EPA tool with two modules. The Government Operations
Module implements the LGOP for GHG inventories of local government operations.
• EPA's ENERGY STAR9 Portfolio Manager: An EPA interactive energy management tool that allows
you to securely track and assess energy and water consumption across your building portfolio.
• EPA's Center for Corporate Climate Leadership Simplified GHG Emissions Calculator: An EPA tool
designed to help small businesses estimate and inventory their annual GHG emissions.
• Tool Finder for Local Government Clean Energy Initiatives: An EPA search tool designed to help local
governments screen tools that will best help analyze a program or policy.
• ICLEI's ClearPath: An ICLEI GHG inventory and emissions reduction calculator. ClearPath is free to
ICLEI members.
• Tools from your state environmental or energy agency.
Work through your inventory sector by sector. For each sector (e.g., buildings, streetlights, water delivery,
vehicle fleet, power generation, wastewater, solid waste), it is ideal to find the most detailed activity data
available and the most locally relevant emission factors. See the Important Terminology at the end of this
phase for a description of activity data and emission factors. Possible sources of emission factors beyond the
LGOP include:
• EPA's eGRID and Power Profiler: Electricity use emission factors by region and power plant (eGRID)
and by ZIP code (Power Profiler)
• EPA's Waste Reduction Model (WARM): Solid waste emission factors for different material types
• Carnegie Mellon University's Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment (EIO-LCA): Emission
factors to estimate the GHG and energy impacts of purchased goods and services.
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
24
If "ideal" data or emission factors are not available, think about alternate methods you can use to
estimate emissions for each sector. For example, if local or state emission factors are not available, you can
use national factors as proxies. If data are not available for the right year, you can use data from the closest
year available and adjust by some factor (e.g., using population growth). The LGOP provides several
methodologies. If the LGOP does not provide methodologies that meet your needs, other protocols can
provide ideas:
• Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories
• A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard
• The GHG Protocol for Project Accounting
• Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard
• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) State and Local Energy Data.
Match methodology to goals and available resources. The best methodology to use will depend on the
goals for the inventory, as well as the amount of time, resources, and data available. Detailed, bottom-up
approaches may not be necessary in all cases, such as if your local government needs just a high-level,
"order of magnitude" estimate of baseline conditions.
Review other GHG inventories. Reviewing inventories from other local governments, your state, and
the Inventory of National GHG Emissions and Sinks can provide inspiration about data sources and emission
factors.
Document all assumptions and data sources. It is important to keep detailed records on where you found
the data for the GHG Inventory. Where data are not available, you may need to make assumptions.
Documenting both data sources and assumptions increases transparency of the process, allows for
reproduction of the GHG inventory if needed, and makes future inventories more efficient.
Use other GHG inventories to help you check your results. You can compare your estimated emissions to
those of a similarly sized local government to check whether your estimates are on the same order of
magnitude. It may be most useful to compare estimates on a line-item basis (e.g., only for building energy
use), as total emissions may be different due to varied factors, including community size, type of electric
utility, climate, or different sources included.
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
25
Helpful Tips: Approaches to Calculating Emissions
How you choose to calculate your emissions can evolve throughout the inventory process, as more
data become available or as your needs change. It is acceptable to revise your quantification approach
throughout the process. Generally, approaches are either:
(derived from utility bills) x utility-specific natural gas emission factor). Bottom-up approaches are
preferred for local government inventories, if data are available.
information for specific geographic areas (e.g., the Energy Information Administration (EIA) State
Energy Data system). Local governments can use this information as part of a proxy methodology to
estimate emissions if activity data are not available. For example, if a local government does not know
the amount of natural gas used to heat buildings, it could use a national or state average for natural gas
use per square foot (or similar) and the building's size to estimate its natural gas use.
Note: You cannot use a top-down approach to measure your progress toward reducing GHG emissions. To
measure whether sustainability efforts are working, it is essential to use actual measurements of energy use and
other metrics in a bottom-up approach.
£ a-*
n s <
o (/> o
2 Q-a
K O
B>
V>
-------
26
Step 6. Procure Certification (optional)
You may want to enlist a third-party review and certification of the methods and underlying data to ensure
that the inventory is of high quality, transparent, accurate, complete, consistent, and comparable.
Certification may also be required for participation in some GHG registries.
Examples of GHG inventory certifications include:
• California Climate Action Registry General Verification Protocol
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14064-1 (inventory) and 14064-3
(verification) standards
• Carbon Disclosure Project Cities program.
Step 7. Analyze and Communicate Results
Analyze Results
Local governments have gained valuable "big picture" lessons from developing their GHG inventory.
Understanding the driving forces behind emissions can help you answer questions such as:
• What are the largest sources of emissions in your local government's operations? How do your
operational emissions in a sector compare to those of other, similar governments? If they are
noticeably higher or lower, why?
• What are the drivers of your operational emissions?
• What are your emissions per capita? Per employee? Per heating degree-day? Per cooling degree-
day? See the Important Terminology for a description of degree-days.
Continuing to monitor emissions over the course of the project (e.g., by regularly tracking key data such as
energy use or by conducting an inventory every year or two) will allow you to evaluate progress. Visit
the Track and Report phase for more information.
Communicate Results
It is important to communicate the results of your inventory to community members and to others within
the local government. Communities have found it helpful to tell a story about the government's energy use
emissions, and monetary savings, rather than simply reporting the numbers. For example, you could explain
that the local government has relatively low electricity use compared to other, similarly sized governments,
but it gets electricity from a fuel source with higher carbon intensity. In subsequent years, you can tell the
story about what is driving trends in your emissions (e.g., energy efficiency efforts, economic growth,
population change, weather).
One way to tell your community's story is to use EPA's GHG Equivalencies Calculator, which translates GHG
emission amounts into terms that are more easily understood. For example, the calculator translates metric
tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (C02e) into more relatable terms, like "annual emissions from X number of
cars."
You may also want to consider reporting your emissions through the Carbon Disclosure Project cities
program. See the Engage and Communicate phase for more information on communicating inventory
results.
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
Community-Wide
27
Key Steps
The steps in this approach are for organizations that are focused on projects to effect change i
I lie iLC|J5 III LI 110 dfJfJI Udl^ll die I Ul Ul gdl M£Cl UUIO LI Id L dl C I ULU5CU Ul I pi UJC
the community. For organizations that are focused on projects related to
government facilities and operations, see the Local Government
Operations section.
The exact process for developing a community-wide GHG inventory
varies. The guidance presented here outlines several key steps that are
likely to be part of any inventory process. As shown in Figure 4, the steps
are not necessarily intended to be pursued in linear order and may
require multiple iterations.
Figure 4. Overview of the Key Steps for Developing a GHG inventory Focused on
Projects Related to Effecting Change in the Community
in
COMMUNITY-WIDE
Set Goals and Priorities
Define Scale of Inventory
Collect and Compile Data
Set Base Year
Calculate Emissions
Analyze and Communicate Results
Set Base
Set Goals
and Priorities
Define Scale
of Inventory
Collect and
Compile
Data
Calculate
Emissions
Analyze and
Communicate
Results
The guidance presented here supplements other resources, such as the ICLEI U.S. Community Protocol for
Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (ICLEI U.S. Community Protocol), summarizing key
steps, lessons learned, and best practices for estimating community-wide emissions.
Step 1. Set Goals and Priorities
Before thinking about the details of your community's GHG inventory, it is useful to clearly articulate why
you are creating the inventory and how it will be used. Will it inform the development of a climate action
plan? Will it provide a baseline from which to monitor progress? What stories do you want to tell residents
about the community's GHG emissions? Having a clear understanding of your goals will help you decide
which emissions sources and activities to include (see Step 2 below).
If your goal is...
• To reach out to community members to reduce their environmental impact: You may want to
focus on emissions from residential energy use, community member travel, and residential waste
generation and disposal.
• To identify projects that will maximize emissions reductions: You may want to focus on emissions
from the sources and activities that typically generate the most emissions and that your community
can reasonably control, such as emissions from building energy use or from transportations.
-------
28
• To communicate to residents how their direct activities contribute to emissions: You could use a
consumption-based accounting approach. You can also use this approach to communicate how
households with different spending patterns contribute to emissions, the emissions intensities
(emissions per dollar) of different forms of consumption, and how emissions might change if
consumption shifts.
As you set goals and priorities, it is appropriate to think about the timeline and level of effort required to
complete the GHG inventory. These will vary based on community size and available information (see
Helpful Tips: Partial GHG Inventory). You may want to consider whether it makes sense to do the inventory
in-house, work with a local university, or hire a consultant. You may also want to consider who will update
the inventory and how often.
Helpful Tips: Partial GHG Inventory
If your community does not have the time or resources to complete a thorough inventory, you can
still develop a partial inventory based on your goals and priorities. This way, you have a baseline to work from
that will be relevant to emissions and energy reduction measures.
Step 2. Define Scale of Inventory
The next step is to define the scale of the inventory, including the community boundary and which sources
and activities to include. These considerations will help you to develop an estimate that includes all
important emissions and avoids double counting.
Defining the Community Boundary
The boundary of a community-wide base inventory is typically determined by the geographical boundary of
the community. However, you might need to decide whether to include or exclude incorporated areas, such
as a village within a town.
Determining Which Sources and Activities to Include
Local government operations inventories categorize emissions in a different way than community
inventories do. This part of the step involves considering and identifying the GHG emissions sources and
activities to include in your community's inventory. The following questions can guide you as you identify
what to include.
What are sources and activities, and why distinguish between them?
The sources of emissions and activities resulting in emissions may overlap, and you do not need to decide to
include only one type or the other. However, distinguishing between types of emissions can help you better
understand, organize, and report emissions associated with your community. See the Important
Terminology at the end of this phase for a description of emissions sources and activities.
Communities have identified different types of measures to reduce emissions by distinguishing between
sources and activities. This can also help communities avoid double-counting emissions. Emissions
associated with either sources or activities alone can generally be summed, but it is important to carefully
examine emissions from sources and activities before summing them to prevent double-counting them in
the total.
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
29
Sources vs. Activities: Materials Management Example
Methane emissions from landfilled organic waste can be accounted for in two ways:
1. As a source: Landfills located within community boundaries are considered emissions sources because the
landfills physically emit GHGs within the community boundary. These emissions result from all organic
waste in the landfill, regardless of where the waste was generated.
2. As an activity: Waste generated within the community, even if the waste is landfilled elsewhere, is
considered an activity in the community that generates emissions.
Both methods of accounting could be beneficial for developing emissions reduction strategies. Understanding
emissions from the in-boundary source may highlight opportunities to reduce emissions through changes in landfill
management, while accounting for emissions from the waste generation activity might help to identify
opportunities to reduce emissions through waste reduction programs. However, if waste generated by the
community is also landfilled in the community landfill, summing the activity and source emissions could constitute
double counting.
What are the possible sources and activities?
Several sources and activities are easier to target in GHG inventories because communities typically have
influence over these emissions, data are usually available, these emissions tend to be significant, and they
are common in the United States. Examples of these basic emissions-generating sources and activities
include:
• Electricity use in the community (activity)
• Fuel use in residential and commercial facilities (source and activity)
• On-road passenger and freight motor vehicle travel (source and activity)
• Energy used to treat and distribute water and wastewater used in the community (activity and
sometimes source)
• Generation of solid waste by the community (activity).
Including other "optional" sources and activities provides a more comprehensive image of the community's
environmental impacts and areas to target with sustainability projects. You can select sources and activities
based on the goals of the inventory and other sustainability programs, data availability, and resource
availability. Other tools, such as Table 2 of the ICLEI U.S. Community Protocol, provide lists of other sources
and activities.
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
30
Step 3. Collect and Compile Data
Having a checklist of your data needs can be useful as you begin collecting data on the sources and activities
in your community. When conducting your baseline inventory, you can collect data for all potential base
years that are readily available. In Step 5. you will set a base year, but it is often easier to collect data for
multiple years at once than it is to go back to collect data for additional years if your needs change (e.g., if
certain data are not available for your desired base year).
Data collection can be the most time-intensive step of the inventory process, and it may continue as you
begin calculating your baseline.
It is helpful to start by reaching out to utility representatives, transportation planners, and other individuals
who may have data, and get a sense of what is and is not available to you. This will help you identify
whether you need to make any institutional arrangements in advance to facilitate data collection. For
example, utilities' procedures for requesting data may require advance notice. Local governments can
establish a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate data-sharing between organizations, if needed.
Tips for data collection include:
• Having a single person in charge of the inventory, an "inventory compiler," who collects data from
other organizations, such as from a facilities energy lead or a wastewater treatment lead. This
person can keep track of the different components and help build capacity in the organization by
becoming an inventory and emissions expert.
• Minimizing the burden of the data request and making it easier for someone to give you the
information you need. Communities have found it helpful to give data providers a template to
populate (such as a spreadsheet with labeled rows and columns) so they understand exactly what
you are looking for. However, you may need to take data in whatever form your provider has readily
available, for whatever timeframe is available, and then adapt it to your needs.
• Keeping track of all units of measurement and following up if the units in a dataset are not clear.
• Keeping all data organized and carefully documenting all sources of information (including points
of contact for collecting the data). This will make it easier for you or others to collect updated data
in the future to measure your progress.
• Documenting the emission factors and GWPs used along with the data. It is helpful to have these
conversion factors readily available when you are reviewing the data and making comparisons in the
future.
• Considering what data may be helpful in the future. It is advisable to collect related data if they are
readily available, even if you are not sure yet how they may be used.
• Reaching out to utilities early. Utilities can be a valuable source of information on community-wide
electricity or natural gas use. However, many communities have had difficulty collecting data from
utilities because of concerns over data confidentiality or the length of time required to provide the
data. You can overcome these challenges by reaching out to utilities early in the process and relying
on any existing relationships. You may want to consider coordinating with other communities to
streamline data requests.
Table 3 lists a few examples of data that are commonly needed for GHG inventories, along with possible
sources of those data.
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
31
Table 3. Data Commonly Needed and Possible Data Sources for GHG Inventories for Communities
Data Commonly Needed
Possible Data Source
General
• Population
• Number of households
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Communities Survey
Facilities
• Electricity use
• Residential fuel use, by fuel type (e.g., natural gas,
heating oil, kerosene, propane, coal)
• Commercial fuel use
• Industrial stationary fuel use
• Utilities
• Fuel vendors
• State-level averages of fuel use per household
• EPA's database of GHG emissions from large facilities
• Electricity emission factors
• EPA's eGRID (see regional factors in the "eGRID
Summary Tables" file)
• Natural gas emission factors
• Utility (for your community's specific gas carbon
content)
• LGOP (for national average)
• Fuel emission factors, by fuel type
• Center for Corporate Climate Leadership GHG
Emission Factors Hub
• LGOP
Transportation
• Vehicle fuel use, by fuel type
• Vehicle miles traveled
• Regional travel demand model
• Metropolitan Planning Organization or state
Department of Transportation
• Vehicle fuel emission factors, by fuel type
• Center for Corporate Climate Leadership GHG
Emission Factors Hub
• LGOP
• Off-road vehicle activity
• EPA's NONROAD model
• Flight miles into/out of local airports
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airport
statistics
Solid Waste
• Solid waste generated by community
• Composition of waste generated by community
• Solid waste department
• Local landfills
• Municipal hauler
• National, state, or local survey of averages of waste
composition or per capita waste generation
Wastewater
• Wastewater treatment process details (e.g., aerobic,
anaerobic, nitrification, denitrification, biogas
collected, system BOD5 load)
• Population served by septic systems
• Wastewater treatment manager/department
Industrial Processes
• Industrial process emissions
• EPA's U.S. GHG Reporting Program database of GHG
emissions from large facilities
n £ <
o (/> o
2 Q-a
K O
B>
V>
-------
32
Step 4. Set Base Year
When choosing a base year, you may want to consider whether:
• Data for that year are available
• The year represents a "typical" year for your community (e.g., no unusual weather or economic
conditions)
• The base year is coordinated to the extent possible with any goals or commitments your community
may have established (e.g., to reduce emissions a certain percentage below those in a specific year,
to align with other community programs, to comply with external requirements).
Your inventory base year provides a benchmark against which you can compare future emissions.
Inventories can also be conducted (or simply updated) regularly, in order to track progress.
GHG inventories typically describe emissions over the course of a calendar year for ease of data collection
and comparison. Datasets that are available only for fiscal years or other periods can be converted to
calendar years.
Step 5. Calculate Emissions
With data collected and a clear vision for which emissions to include, you can calculate emissions for each of
the sources and activities identified in Step 2 by plugging your data and emission factors into the
appropriate equations. Several resources are available to help with these calculations, including protocols
that suggest methodologies or equations to use and tools that complete the calculations after you enter
your data.
For each emissions source or activity, you can choose a methodology for calculating emissions (see Helpful
Tips: Approaches to Calculating Emissions). There are multiple methodologies to choose from based on data
availability, along with step-by-step instructions, emission factors, and equations for calculating GHG
emissions. Tools such as the ICLEI U.S. Community Protocol and the Local Government Operations Protocol
can provide ideas, as well as the following from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol:
• Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories
• A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard
• The GHG Protocol for Project Accounting
• Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard.
The following tips can also facilitate the calculation process.
Decide whether you want to calculate your emissions using a pre-built tool or your own spreadsheet.
Available tools include:
• EPA's Local GHG Inventory Tool: An EPA tool with two modules. The Community Module facilitates
the use of the ICLEI U.S. Community Protocol.
• ICLEI's ClearPath: An ICLEI GHG inventory and emissions reduction calculator. ClearPath is free to
ICLEI members.
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
33
Work through your inventory sector by sector. For each sector (e.g., built environment, transportation,
solid waste, wastewater), it is ideal to find the most detailed activity data available and the most locally
relevant emission factors. See the Important Terminology at the end of this phase for a description of
activity data and emission factors. Possible sources of emission factors include:
• EPA's eGRID and Power Profiler: Electricity use emission factors by region and power plant (eGRID)
and by ZIP code (Power Profiler)
• EPA's Waste Reduction Model (WARM): Solid waste emission factors for different material types
• Carnegie Mellon University's Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment (EIO-LCA): Emission
factors to estimate the GHG and energy impacts of purchased goods and services.
If "ideal" data or emission factors are not available, think about alternate methods you can use to
estimate emissions for each sector. For example, if data on community-wide heating fuel usage are not
available, you can use Census Bureau data on the number of homes using each type of heating fuel and the
national average heating fuel consumption per household to estimate your community's usage. In addition,
you can check other community inventory reports to see if and how they have overcome data gaps.
Match methodology to goals and available resources. The best methodology for a community to use will
depend on the goals for the inventory, as well as the amount of time, resources, and data available.
Detailed, bottom-up approaches may not be necessary in all cases, such as if your community needs just a
high-level, "order of magnitude" estimate of baseline conditions.
Review other GHG inventories. Reviewing past inventories from other communities, your state, and even
the Inventory of National GHG Emissions and Sinks can provide inspiration about data sources and emission
factors.
Document all assumptions and data sources. It is important to keep detailed records on where you found
the data for the GHG Inventory. Where data are not available, you may need to make assumptions.
Documenting both data sources and assumptions increases transparency of the process, allows for
reproduction of the GHG inventory if needed, and makes future inventories more efficient.
Use other GHG inventories to help you check your results. You can compare your estimated emissions to
those of a similarly sized community to check whether your estimates are on the same order of magnitude.
It may be most useful to compare estimates on a line-item basis (e.g., only for residential building energy
use), as total emissions may be different due to varied factors, including community size, type of electric
utility, climate, or different sources included.
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
34
Helpful Tips: Approaches to Calculating Emissions
The quantification method and year used for the GHG inventory, as well as the sources and activities
you choose to include, will depend on what data are available. Before collecting data, it is helpful to determine
what general methodology you will use to complete your inventory. Generally, approaches are either:
• Bottom-up: Based on local data about activities in your government (e.g., emissions = natural gas use
(derived from utility bills) x utility-specific natural gas emission factor). Bottom-up approaches are
preferred for local government inventories.
• Top-down: Based on data compiled by a state, regional, or federal agency or office providing
information for specific geographic areas. Communities can use this information as part of a proxy
methodology to estimate emissions if activity data are not available. For example, a community could
estimate natural gas use in the local area based on publicly available information from the EIA and
Census Bureau:
• Number of households in community using natural gas (American Community Survey)
• Statewide natural gas use (EIA State Energy Data System)
• Number of households in state using natural gas (EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey)
Natural gas consumption in community
State natural gas consumption
= Natural gas households in community x - -—— -
State households using natural gas
The best approach for a community will depend on the goals for the inventory, time and resources available,
and data availability. Detailed, bottom-up approaches may not be necessary in all cases, such as if an
organization needs just a high-level, "order of magnitude" estimate of baseline conditions. If you decide to
pursue a top-down approach, you may be able to spend less time collecting and compiling data, relying instead
on state, regional, or national datasets. For example, )OE's State and Local Energy Data provides greenhouse
gas emissions, electricity generation, fuel source costs, renewable energy potential, and transportation data for
cities across the United States.
Note: You cannot use a top-down approach to measure your progress toward reducing GHG emissions. To
measure whether sustainability efforts are working, it is essential to use actual measurements of energy use and
other metrics in a bottom-up approach.
£ a-*
n s <
o (/> o
K O
B>
V>
-------
35
Step 6. Analyze and Communicate Results
Analyze Results
Communities have gained valuable "big picture" lessons from GHG inventories. Understanding the driving
forces behind emissions can help you answer questions such as:
• What are the largest sources of emissions in your community? What are the activities in your
community that contribute most to GHG emissions?
• How do your community's emissions in a source or activity compare to those of other, similar
communities? If they are noticeably higher or lower, why?
• What are the drivers for energy use and emissions in your community?
• What are your emissions per capita? Per employee? Per heating degree-day? Per cooling degree-
day? See the Important Terminology for a description of degree-days.
Continuing to monitor emissions over the course of the project (e.g., by regularly tracking key data such as
energy use or conducting an inventory every year or two) will allow you to evaluate progress. Visit the Track
and Report phase for more information.
Communicate Results
It is important to communicate the results of your inventory to community members and to others within
the local government. Communities have found it helpful to tell a story about their energy use, emissions,
and monetary savings, rather than simply reporting the numbers. For example, you could explain that the
community has relatively low electricity use compared to other communities, but gets electricity from a fuel
source with higher carbon intensity. In subsequent years, you can tell the story about what is driving trends
in your community's emissions (e.g., energy efficiency efforts, economic growth, population change,
weather). You can look at other inventory reports for inspiration and visit the Engage and Communicate
phase for more information on communicating inventory results. Key stories might highlight:
• How cost-saving energy activities have impacted local residents
• Areas where the community has significant influence to make changes
• Activities of interest to the community, regardless of its local government's influence
• Household-level emissions that might inspire residential behavior change.
One way to tell your community's story is to use EPA's GHG Equivalencies Calculator, which translates GHG
emission amounts into terms that are more easily understood. For example, the calculator translates metric
tons of carbon dioxide equivalent into more relatable terms, like "annual emissions from X number of cars."
You may also want to consider reporting your emissions through the Carbon Disclosure Project cities
program.
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
36
Important Terminology
Activity Data
Defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as "data on the magnitude of human activity
resulting in emissions or removals taking place during a given period of time," activity data are the primary pieces
of information needed to calculate a GHG inventory. Examples of activity data include the amount of electricity
used or vehicle miles traveled in a calendar year.
Degree-Days
A unit of measurement that compares the outdoor temperature in a time period to a standard of 65°F. Degree-days
are useful for comparing energy use across periods with different weather conditions. In GHG inventories, they can
help determine how much of a year-to-year change in emissions was caused by weather instead of other factors.
(You can learn more from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.) The lessons learned from the local
government's inventory can inform emissions and energy use reduction efforts. See the Set Goals and Select
Actions phase for more information.
Direct vs. Indirect Emissions
GHG emissions of local government operations can be categorized as direct or indirect.
• Direct emissions in government operations inventories are from sources located within the local
government's organizational boundaries and that the government owns or controls (e.g., emissions from a
municipally owned landfill).
• Indirect emissions occur because of the local government's actions, but at sources outside the local
government's operational control (e.g., emissions from municipal waste sent to a privately owned landfill).
Emission Factor
An emission factor defines the quantity of emissions per unit of fuel or activity. Emissions are calculated by
multiplying activity data by the emission factor. For example, emissions from fuel oil combustion are calculated by
multiplying gallons of fuel oil used (the activity data) by emissions per gallon of oil (the emission factor). Default
emission factors are readily available for many activities; some can be found in the LGOP. Emission factors differ for
electricity in different parts of the country and for different kinds of fuel oil or natural gas.
Global Warming Potential (GWP)
The Global Warming Potential (GWP) was developed to allow comparisons of the global warming impacts of
different gases. Specifically, it is a measure of how much energy the emissions of 1 ton of a gas will absorb over a
given period of time, relative to the emissions of 1 ton of carbon dioxide (C02). The larger the GWP, the more that a
given gas warms the Earth compared to C02 over that time period. The time period usually used for GWPs is
100 years. GWPs provide a common unit of measure, which allows analysts to add up emissions estimates of
different gases (e.g., to compile a national GHG inventory), and allows policy-makers to compare emissions
reduction opportunities across sectors and gases. (You can learn more from the EPA's Understanding Global
Warming Potential).
Sectors
The LGOP identifies the following local government sectors, which can also be used to categorize emissions:
buildings and other facilities, streetlights and traffic signals, water delivery facilities, port facilities, airport facilities,
vehicle fleet, transit fleet, power generation facilities, solid waste facilities, wastewater facilities, and other process
and fugitive emissions.
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
Important Terminology, continued
Scopes
The LGOP uses "scopes" to categorize emissions based on their source. Three scopes together provide a
comprehensive account of GHG emissions:
• Scope 1: All direct GHG emissions (e.g., emissions from heating oil use in city buildings, gasoline
consumption in city vehicles, city-owned wastewater treatment plants).
• Scope 2: Indirect GHG emissions resulting from electricity use. Scope 2 may also encompass emissions
from purchased heating, cooling, or steam.
• Scope 3: All other indirect emissions (e.g., emissions resulting from the extraction and production of
purchased materials and fuels, contracted solid waste disposal or wastewater treatment, employee
commuting and business travel, outsourced activities).
Scopes have historically been used in community inventories as well, although with mixed results.
Sources vs. Activities
• Emissions sources are any physical processes at locations inside the jurisdictional boundary that directly
produce GHGs. They can be thought of as "stack pipe" or "tail pipe" emissions and result in GHGs that
actually enter the atmosphere within the physical boundaries of your community. Examples include
burning of coal to generate electricity at a power plant, the use of fuel oil in residential homes, vehicles
driving within the community, industrial facilities, solid waste disposal facilities, wastewater treatment
facilities, and domesticated livestock production within the community.
• Activities refer to any uses of energy, materials, or services by community members that result in
emissions, regardless of where the emissions occur. Examples include electricity use, home heating and
cooling, air travel by members of the community, solid waste generation, water use, and the purchase and
use of materials. These activities are under the direct control or influence of residents and businesses
within the community and may result in emissions originating either inside or outside the community's
borders. Activities that generate emissions originating within the community boundary (e.g., driving a gas-
powered vehicle within the community, heating a home with oil) can be considered both a source and an
activity.
See the Materials Management Example above for an example of an emissions source versus an activity.
-------
38
Examples from the Field
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC): Regional GHG Inventory
Regional GHG inventory allocating emissions across each of the region's nine counties and 352 municipalities,
conducted for 2005, 2010, and 2015.
City of Creve Coeur, Missouri: Baseline GHG Inventory
The 2014 GHG inventory for both local government operations and community emissions in a 16,868-person city,
including suggested items to reduce emissions.
King County, Washington: GHG Inventory
GHG inventories for 2000, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2015, and 2017 including government operations and community
emissions. Community emissions are reported using two different accounting: "geographic-plus" and
"consumption-based" inventories; however, the most recent framework in 2017 is an update to the geographic-
plus inventory only.
Chicago, Illinois: 2015 GHG Inventory
2015 community-wide inventory that includes community and local government operations emissions for the City
of Chicago and tracks progress against a 2005 base year.
GHG Inventory for the City of St. Louis
2015 community-wide inventory for the City of St. Louis and tracks progress against a 2005 base year.
GHG Inventory for the City and Santa Fe and Santa Fe County
2015 community-wide inventory for the City of Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, and the Santa Fe Metropolitan Planning
Area.
Tools and Templates
EPA's Local GHG Inventory Tool
An EPA tool with two modules that help users calculate local government operations and community-wide GHG
inventories, respectively, by facilitating data collection and compilation, and generating summary reports.
EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
A no-cost, interactive energy management tool that allows you to securely track and assess energy and water
consumption across your building portfolio.
Facility Level Information on Greenhouse Gases Tool (FLIGHT)
An EPA tool to explore GHG emissions from large facilities around the United States, including by location, process,
industry, gas, or facility.
EPA's State Inventory and Projection Tool
An EPA tool designed to help state governments calculate GHG emissions, with 11 source-based modules. Although
it is designed for states, local and tribal governments can use the tool by entering local activity data.
EPA's Tool Finder for Local Government Clean Energy Initiatives
A search tool that helps local government staff screen tools and resources designed to measure impacts of clean
energy programs and policies.
ICLEI's ClearPath
A tool that helps users analyze the benefits of emissions reduction measures and track emissions progress over
time. ClearPath is free to ICLEI members.
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
39
Further Reading
Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks
A national GHG inventory report providing background information and estimation methodologies for all
U.S. emissions sources.
Quantifying the Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: A Guide for State and Local
Governments
Guidance on quantifying the environmental, health, and monetary benefits from energy efficiency and renewable
energy projects.
EIA State Energy Data System
National database of energy use, prices, expenditures, and production by state, energy source, and sector with data
for every year since 1960.
Local Government Operations Protocol
Information on how to conduct a GHG inventory for local government operations, including equations and
methodologies, default emission factors, and guidance on reporting emissions.
ICLEI U.S. Community Protocol for Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Guidance on calculating and reporting community-wide GHG emissions, including equations, methodologies, and
default emission factors.
Acknowledgements
EPA would like to acknowledge David Allaway (Oregon Department of Environmental Quality), Chris Carrick
(Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board), Rob Graff (Delaware Valley Regional Planning
Commission), Alicia Hunt (City of Medford, Massachusetts), and John Richardson (Town of Chapel Hill, North
Carolina) for their valuable input and feedback as stakeholder reviewers for this phase.
£ 3-"
o (/> o
2 n-o
K O
B>
V>
-------
Set Goals
and Select
Actions
CV
£
bXl.-i
C-A3; -t
-------
41
Setting goals can guide and frame choices at all phases of project planning, implementation, and
evaluation. Communities have found that clearly articulated goals can help develop effective projects,
communicate the intent of the projects to the public, and select specific actions to help meet those
goals. Thinking about goals early on can help ensure that a project is cohesive, well-designed, appropriate
for the community, and proactive rather than reactive.
The steps presented in this phase can help users articulate the goals for their energy and environment
projects and identify actions that are most appropriate to help meet those goals. Goals can be wide-ranging
and cover many areas, including clean energy, GHG emissions, and resilience, as well as economic
development, job creation, air quality, environmental justice, or other local priorities.
Key Steps
This phase outlines several key steps that are likely to be part of this process, as presented in Figure 5. The
steps are not necessarily intended to be pursued in linear order, and they may require multiple iterations, as
shown in the diagram. The exact steps for setting goals and selecting actions will likely vary by community.
As an example, a community may first decide on a general goal to improve its
energy efficiency. After doing some research to understand the relevant context, the
community may set a more specific goal to reduce energy usage in community
buildings from a previous benchmark. Then, the community may move toward
brainstorming and evaluating actions such as upgrading light fixtures at public
facilities, adopting a new code that supports energy efficiency retrofits or upgrades,
or sponsoring a community energy reduction challenge.
Figure 5. Overview of the Key Steps for Setting Goals and Selecting Actions
Articulate General Goals
Understand Relevant Contextl
Set Specific Goals
Brainstorm Activities
Evaluate Actions
Select Actions
Understand
Relevant
Context
Set Specific
Goals
Articulate
General
Goals
Brainstorm
Activities
Evaluate
Actions
Select
Actions
-------
Step 1. Articulate General Goals
The first step of any effort is to articulate, at a high level, what you are trying to do. Do you want to reduce
emissions? Increase your community's resilience to extreme events? Reduce energy use? Save money? Are
you focusing on a particular sector or market segment (e.g., energy, transportation, solid waste; residential,
commercial, industrial)?
Even if your general goals seem obvious to you, articulating them ensures that everyone is on the same
page. Writing down goals will help you communicate them to your stakeholders and can also help as staff
transition or new people join your team. You may have one goal or several goals. If you have more than one
goal, you may want to consider prioritizing them so that everyone agrees on which goal is most important.
Step 2. Understand Relevant Context
Before setting more specific goals, it is helpful to understand where your community stands relative to your
general goals. Communities have found that researching the relevant context can help to articulate
reasonable, appropriately ambitious goals; identify actions to build on; and ensure that decisions are fully
informed and deliberate. Some questions you might consider as you conduct research include:
• What is already happening in your community related to these goals? Are specific activities
underway? Are there relevant plans and priorities (see Helpful Tips: Building on Existing Work)?
• Are there legal or regulatory limits or constraints on what you can do?
• Are there high-level policies (e.g., at the state level) that relate to your general goals?
• How will this effort relate to other community plans (e.g., comprehensive plans, land use plans, long
range transportation plans) and economic goals (e.g., new economic activity in disinvested
communities, lower energy costs for low- and moderate-income families and small businesses, and
job creation)?
• What are communities around the country or in your region doing to accomplish these goals? Are
there opportunities for joint projects and collaboration?
• Have related efforts or projects been attempted in the past? If so, what lessons can you draw upon?
• Are there any local experts in the area who have done research or implemented relevant initiatives
that could help shape goals and activities?
• Are there data or information available to help you better understand or support the goals?
• Are there any complementary projects underway (e.g., led by a non-profit or work in environmental
justice communities) to be aware of and coordinate with? Or, are there other initiatives or efforts
that will compete for scarce resources and attention?
• What is the path to adoption or implementation for this effort?
• What are the priorities of political leadership? And, what are the priorities of the general public?
-------
Helpful Tips: Building on Existing Work
©
Old community plans, documents from previous administrations, and documents that are otherwise
outdated may be "hidden gems" of institutional knowledge. You can review these documents for ideas and
insights about whether these specific ideas have been pursued in your community previously.
As you work to understand context and inform goal-setting, it is helpful to gather input from all
stakeholders through a series of informal meetings or a more structured committee, task force, or other
group, depending on the scale of your effort. You can work with them to review or contribute to this
background research effort, and engage them throughout the remaining steps to articulate goals and select
and evaluate actions. Engaging stakeholders early and often can increase community participation and
support, identify potential barriers, reveal relevant activities or opinions, and ultimately increase the
likelihood of success.
Step 3. Set Specific Goals
After conducting background research, it is time to develop specific goals. It is helpful to make these specific
goals as quantitative as possible in order to track and report your progress.
Setting more specific goals may be dictated by outside factors. For example, the mayor of your town or city
might dictate a specific goal, or there may be a state or regional mandate, regulation, or policy to comply
with. Minnesota's Next Generation Energy Act, for example, established a legally required, statewide GHG
emissions reduction goal. As a result, local goals for emissions reductions might aim to meet or exceed the
goals established by the state.
If no outside factors dictate your goals, the following tips may help you articulate goals that are both
reasonable and appropriately ambitious.
Be Organized
• Keep goals concise and to the point. Limiting each specific goal to a single sentence makes it easier
to understand and follow. For example, the Tompkins County 2020 Energy Strategy clearly states an
emissions reduction goal of at least 2 percent each year.
• Consider developing high-level goals in this phase. For example, the City of Northfield, Minnesota.
adopted a high-level goal of 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2030 and being a 100 percent
carbon-free community by 2040. Then, as part of the Track and Report phase, you can develop more
specific interim targets.
Be Ambitious and Reasonable
• Strive for a reasonable number of goals. The appropriate number of goals may scale with the size of
your community and the magnitude of the effort. What level of resources can your community
realistically devote to pursuing the goals? It is best to avoid taking on more than you can handle.
• Aim to strike a balance between goals that are ambitious and goals that are attainable. Well-crafted
goals inspire people to take action without intimidating them. This can take several forms: each goal
can strive to find that balance, or you can use a mix of ambitious and attainable goals. As you work
to strike this balance, you may want to start evaluating potential actions to determine what actions
potential stakeholders—including decision-makers, community members, and experts—who may
contribute to or be affected by the project. You may want to consider bringing together these
-------
are feasible (see Step 5). You can also refer to other communities for examples. Miami-Dade's
GreenPrint Plan lays out several aspirational goals that are both ambitious and attainable.
• Other communities have found it helpful to set nearer-term, incremental, or smaller-scale goals as
milestones toward the end goal to help track progress. If all goals feel too far off, the community
may not be motivated or inspired to reach them. For example, Greenworks Philadelphia developed
an overarching goal for each of its five sustainability lenses—energy, environment, equity, economy,
and engagement—and then developed measurable targets to reach the goal. Tracking specific
targets and metrics can happen later in the process (see the Track and Report phase for more
information). At this stage, it is primarily important to be aware that you may want to set these
targets and identify tracking metrics in the future.
• If you identify actions already taken toward a goal, you can think of them as "early wins." You do not
need to eliminate a goal just because action has already been taken to achieve it.
Be Concrete
• While qualitative goals can be beneficial, quantitative goals are often the most useful. Aim to make
goals as measurable, concrete, and verifiable as possible. For example, consider framing goals for
sustainability efforts in terms of emissions reductions, energy savings, cost savings, or jobs created.
• Where possible, include a specific timeframe for achieving goals. If goals are relative (e.g., a
percentage reduction in emissions, energy use, or costs), you can articulate a base year for
comparison. It is best to be clear about units of measurement.
Once you have identified your goals, it is helpful to write them down in a formal, public document or in an
informal, internal document, depending on your situation.
Step 4. Brainstorm Activities
With your specific goals articulated, you can begin brainstorming actions you might take to achieve those
goals. Actions tend to fall within three major categories: changes in internal government
operations, policies, and projects to increase participation within the community. The Take Action phase has
additional information and sources of ideas for specific actions in each category. At this stage in the process,
you may just want to determine which category of action you want to pursue, or you may want to select
specific actions. In any case, it is best to be all-inclusive as you brainstorm. You can narrow your options in
Step 5 and Step 6.
* \ As you brainstorm actions, you may want to consider reaching out to all members of the
community and stakeholders, including expert advisors and the general public, for a more
complete list of ideas. For example, when reaching out to business leaders, you can consider all
types and sizes of businesses from all parts of town in addition to the town's "marquee" businesses.
Local academics, business leaders, and the general community can be sources of creative ideas. If you
choose to gather their input, it is best to avoid promising that you will implement all suggestions. In addition
to consulting stakeholders, you may want to consider the following resources for ideas:
• EPA's Local Government Strategy Series provides ideas for local governments related to energy
efficiency, transportation, community planning and design, solid waste and materials management,
and renewable energy.
• Climate change action plans, or related actions adopted by other communities.
• Actions taken by local governments—see N.C. State University's Database of State Incentives for
Renewable Energy (DSIRE) or the Sustainable Cities Institute for some examples.
-------
45
It is helpful to keep a list of potential actions and the goals they can help achieve. From there, you can
evaluate the options and decide which to pursue.
Step 5. Evaluate Actions
If the initial list of actions to pursue is too long, you can systematically review the actions to rule out those
that might not be appropriate to pursue in the near term. Depending on the number of actions you want to
evaluate, you can do this in two steps: a qualitative screen and a detailed evaluation.
Qualitative Screen
First, you can undertake an initial screen of the actions identified based on key criteria, such as their general
benefits and costs (or pros and cons); technical, economic, and political feasibility; and alignment with
community goals (see Helpful Tips: Screening Process). There may be helpful information for this qualitative
evaluation from the same sources where you identified the action. You can also use professional judgment
to identify which actions are likely to be the most cost-effective and have the broadest community support.
It is best to choose a limited number of criteria to consider at this stage.
You could conduct this screen internally or in coordination with stakeholders through community meetings,
by using a website to collect feedback or votes, or by using a team exercise for collaborative screening. If the
success of your selected actions depends on community involvement, it is especially important to involve
the community in the selection and development process to establish community support early. It may also
be advantageous to gather input from community members tasked with implementing the actions, as they
are likely to have informed ideas about what actions may be feasible.
This high-level screen may be sufficient to move on to implementation. However, you may want to conduct
a more detailed, quantitative evaluation.
-------
Helpful Tips: Screening Process
You may want to create a matrix to help with the action screening process. For example, you can set
up each action as a row and each criterion as a column, then assign a qualitative ranking (e.g., High/Medium/
Low or Good/Bad) in each cell. You can color-code and filter the responses to see which actions to eliminate or
describe as low priority, and which to keep for further evaluation, as needed.
Examples of Potential Actions
Cost
Benefit
Feasibility
Alignment with
Other Goals
Replace City Hall lights with LED
Moderate
Moderate
High
High
Reduce city fleet by 50 vehicles
Low
High
Moderate
Moderate
Install 1-megawatt solar project
High
High
Moderate
High
Incentivize hybrid taxis
Low
Moderate
Low
High
Weatherize homes
Moderate
High
Moderate
High
In this example, green indicates a good quality, such as high feasibility, whereas red indicates a bad quality, such as high
cost.
The qualitative screening process does not need to be overly burdensome. You may not need to fill out every
box for every action. This just represents one way of systematically thinking through the relative promise of a
variety of potential options for your community, in terms of their ability to meet your goals, as well as your
ability to successfully implement them.
Detailed Evaluation
After an initial screen, you may want to perform a more in-depth evaluation to identify a short list of specific
actions, specific sectors to target, or the best approach to use. Criteria may include:
• Potential to reduce vulnerability to extreme weather events
• Multiple benefits or costs for the public and private sectors
• Relevant institutional capacity
• Measurability
• Economic efficiency
• Legal constraints
• Social equity
• Political impact and feasibility
• People or households affected
• Alignment with other community goals (e.g., jobs, air quality)
• Enforceability
• Public support.
Several tools are available to help local governments evaluate the costs, benefits, and emissions reduction
potential of different actions. For more information about these tools, see the Tools and Templates section.
You may also want to consider reviewing other communities' plans to learn how they identified and
evaluated specific strategies. Some good Examples from the Field are listed at the end of this phase.
-------
Step 6. Select Actions
Based on the evaluation in Step 5. you can determine which actions or broader categories of actions you
intend to pursue or investigate further. Additional information on specific actions and ways to evaluate
alternatives are available as part of the Take Action phase.
It is best to select actions that are reasonable and achievable, ambitious and inspirational. It is also a good
idea to identify a reasonable number of actions that correspond to the resources your community can
devote to the project. Depending on the community, having a high number of actions may actually curtail
your ability to implement them, simply because the to-do list is overwhelming.
Documenting your decisions on which actions to pursue is important. Depending on your situation, this may
be an internal document or a formal, public document like a sustainable energy action plan. Listing the lead
organizations responsible for moving actions forward in your plan can help create accountability and is one
way to make the plans more realistic and likely to be accomplished (see Helpful Tips: Implementation
Actions).
Action checklists can carryforward the momentum from the goal-setting and action evaluation processes.
Checklists can help assign individual responsibility for actions and break down the process into achievable
steps.
Helpful Tips: Implementation Actions
At this point, some local and tribal governments might take initial implementation actions. For
example, a city council could pass a resolution endorsing selected actions as a show of support. This helps lock
in momentum leading to the next steps, like obtaining resources.
Next steps may include obtaining resources to implement actions; developing a plan to track and report
progress; or beginning to implement the actions selected.
-------
48
Examples from the Field
Tompkins County, New York: 2020 Energy Strategy
Plan adopted in 2010 to achieve the county's goal of reducing GHG emissions 80 percent below 2008 levels by
2050. The plan includes the estimated GHG emissions savings, scale, timeline, financial feasibility, and technical
needs for several measures. Tompkins County provided updates on their plan in August of 2019.
Chicago, Illinois: Climate Action Plan
Plan that outlines goals, actions, and detailed methodologies to evaluate possible actions within five primary
strategies: energy-efficient buildings, clean and renewable energy sources, improved transportation options,
reduced waste and industrial pollution, and climate change adaptation.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Greenworks Philadelphia
Plan that includes five overarching goals, 15 specific targets, and a third tier with specific initiatives to achieve the
plan's targets.
City of Urbana, Illinois: Climate Action Plan
Plan that articulates five overarching goals, 15 actions to achieve those goals, and the approaches used to estimate
the actions' benefits.
Miami-Dade County, Florida: GreenPrint Plan
Plan that outlines several aspirational goals, specific targets under each, strategies to achieve each target and goal,
and a plan for tracking progress.
Portland, Oregon: Climate Action Plan
Plan that incorporates equity objectives throughout sections of the plan (e.g., Buildings and Energy, Transportation)
based on suggestions from an Equity Working Group. Equity-focused objectives, metrics, and strategies are notated
in the document with a symbol.
OneNYC
New York City's sustainability and resilience blueprint, originally known as PlaNYC. OneNYC includes information on
goals, targets, and strategies across a range of sectors, including housing and neighborhoods, brownfields, public
health, food, green buildings, energy, air quality, and others.
-------
49
Tools and Templates
EPA's Tool Finder for Local Government Clean Energy Initiatives
A search tool that helps local government staff screen tools and resources designed to measure impacts of clean
energy programs and policies.
EPA's Estimating the Health Benefits per-Kilowatt Hour of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Set of values to help state and local governments estimate the outdoor air quality-related public health benefits of
investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
EPA's Waste Reduction Model (WARM)
Tool to help solid waste planners and organizations compare emissions from baseline and alternative waste
management practices, such as source reduction, recycling, combustion, composting, and landfilling.
EPA's Avoided Emissions and Generation Tool (AVERT)
Tool to estimate the emissions benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy policies and programs.
EPA's CO-Benefits Risk Assessment (COBRA) Health Impacts Screening and Mapping Tool
Tool to estimate the health and economic benefits of clean energy policies that reduce or avoid air pollution. The
tool can help state and local governments calculate the value of clean energy policies like energy efficiency.
ICLEI's ClearPath
Tool that helps users analyze the benefits of emissions reduction measures and track emissions progress over time,
among other features. ClearPath is free to ICLEI members.
Community Action Planning for Energy Efficiency (CAPEE)
Tool that helps users prioritize steps to reach their energy efficiency and carbon reduction goals. This preliminary
tool uses a questionnaire to provide recommendations and a downloadable action plan.
Further Reading
EPA's Local Government Strategy Series
A suite of guidance documents for local governments on topics like energy efficiency, transportation, community
planning and design, solid waste and materials management, and renewable energy.
EPA's Quantifying the Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
A resource for states, this guide helps state energy, environmental, and economic policy-makers identify and
quantify the multiple benefits of clean energy.
EPA's WaterSense Partnership Program
Resources and information on best practices for sustainable water management in the commercial and institutional
sector.
NACo's Emerging Sustainabilitv Strategies in America's Counties
Resource developed by the National Association of Counties (NACo) on actions counties can take in pursuing
sustainability programs.
Acknowledgements
EPA would like to acknowledge Bruce Andersen (Wyandotte County, Kansas), Katie Borgella (Tompkins
County, New York), Alex Dews (City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), and Sam Gordon (Town of DeWitt, New
York) for their valuable input and feedback as stakeholder reviewers for this phase.
-------
Obtain
Resources
-------
51
Planning, implementing, and evaluating energy and environmental projects requires various types of
resources. Resources could be monetary or non-monetary, such as existing staff or volunteers, or
advertising, meeting spaces, or equipment readily available to your community. Some projects may
require new resource streams, while other projects may be implemented by reprogramming existing
resources, generating and using fees, or using cost savings.
The steps presented in this phase can help you identify and secure resource streams needed to support a
variety of projects and programs.
• The Obtain New Resources approach aims to help communities that have identified a project but
need new resources to start or complete the project.
• The Take Advantage of Available Resources approach aims to help communities that want to take
advantage of newly released resources to support an existing project.
As with the rest of this document, this phase is geared toward the project level, but the information
provided may also be relevant for programs or policies.
Resources may include funding or financing mechanisms from different sources. Funding and financing
mechanisms are similar, but funding mechanisms (such as grants) are typically distributed free of charge,
while a financing mechanism (such as a loan) requires repayment and typically includes interest.
Organizations and institutions that provide funding or financing are referred to as sources. Table 4 lists
possible sources for funding and financing for local projects; these sources are not necessarily for local
government operations. Table 5 lists different types of funding and financing mechanisms.
Table 4. Potential Sources of Funding and Financing
Source Type Description of Source Suggestions for Accessing Source
Internal
funding
The operating budget of the city, county, or
community organization. Obtaining internal
funding may require budget reallocation or
additional appropriations.
Staff can speak with appropriate representatives to
learn about the requirements and process for
accessing internal city, county, and organizational
funding.
Government
funding
Federal, state, and local governments offer
grants and loans to local and community
organizations based upon their eligibility.
Local and community organizations can check with
federal, state, and local governments for opportunities
to fund energy and environmental projects. You may
be able to find federal funding sources on Grants.gov.
Private
foundations
Charitable organizations sometimes provide
grants or other funding, such as low-interest
program-related investments, for projects that
support their mission.
Foundations can be identified through online research
and usually have online application processes. Some
foundations have rolling applications or specific calls
for applications at certain times of the year.
Green banks
Green banks are financial institutions that can
leverage public funding to attract private
capital for clean energy and environmental
projects, and other green investments.
EPA published a paper on green banks including a
description, benefits, and case studies. The National
Renewable Energv Laboratory (NREL) provides a list of
green banks in the U.S., their banking products, and
additional resources. The non-profit Coalition for
Green Capital also provides a list of green banks and
other resources, and the Green Bank Consortium is an
organization for green banks, capital providers,
developers, and other clean energy supporters.
Utilities
Utilities offer financial incentives and technical
assistance to reduce energy use and peak
demand. These include general rebates and
incentives, as well as demand response and
load management programs, and are typically
paid for by utility rate payers.
DSIRE provides information on potential incentives at
the state level.
-------
52
Table 5. Potential Types of Funding and Financing Mechanisms
Mechanism
Funding Mechanisms
Description
Suggestions for Accessing Mechanism
Power
Purchase
Agreements
Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are long-
term contracts between public, private, and
non-profit entities (the customer) and a
renewable energy (RE) generator (the seller)
to purchase renewable electricity. There are
two types of PPAs: Physical PPAs and Financial
PPAs.
EPA's Guide to Purchasing Green Power provides
additional information about Physical and Financial
PPAs. EPA also published a paper on Solar PPAs
including a description and benefits. PPAs differ
depending on the state where you live. It is advisable
to research how to obtain a PPA in a state before
making any investments and contact the state
government for resources and information.
Grants
Government grants are available from local,
state, or federal agencies, including local
utilities or metropolitan planning
organizations. Grants are also provided by
private foundations. Grants likely have
reporting requirements depending on the
governing body.
Federal grants are all listed on Grants.gov, and state
grants can often be found on state webpages. Local
and private foundations grants can be more difficult
to locate and might involve calling local environment
or foundation offices for more information.
Direct
incentives
Government agencies and utilities often offer
a variety of tax credits, rebates, and other
incentives for purchasing clean energy
technologies. For example, the Solar
Investment Tax Credit is in effect until 2022 for
By offering tax incentives and rebates, governments
and utilities can encourage consumers to purchase
new RE and energy efficiency (EE) technologies that
can be expensive. Check DSIRE for potential incentives
at the state level.
residential and commercial solar systems.
Financing Mechanisms
Revolving loan
fund
A revolving loan fund (RLF) involves
designating a pool of money to issue loans for
projects and using the resultant loan payments
to fund subsequent projects. Establishing an
RLF may require partnering with a bank to
manage the loans.
There are private and government-sponsored RLF
programs; government programs typically offer lower
rates and flexible terms. According to DOE, more than
30 states offer RLFs for EE and RE projects, and some
local governments also sponsor RLF programs.
Community
solar projects
Community solar projects are owned by
multiple members of the same community,
and the members either receive electricity
supply from the solar project or financially
benefit from the sale of the electricity. The
most common financing models are utility-
sponsored, on-bill crediting, special-purpose
entity, and the "buy a brick" model, where
donors contribute to the shared renewables
installation owned by a charitable or a non-
profit organization.
NREL developed a guide for those interested in
starting community solar projects. DOE explains the
three financing options for community solar projects
on its community solar website.
On-bill
financing and
repayment
On-bill programs are a unique method of
financing energy projects in which the utility
bill is used as the vehicle for repayment. The
programs are sometimes designed so that the
monthly repayment costs are less than the
amount saved by the investment.
Utilities might offer an on-bill financing program or
work with a third party that offers on-bill refinancing.
To see if a utility offers an on-bill program, contact
the utility directly. EPA published a paper on on-bill
programs including descriptions, benefits, and case
studies. DOE has resources for learning more about
these funding mechanisms.
-------
53
Mechanism
Description
Suggestions for Accessing Mechanism
Energy
efficiency
mortgages
Energv efficiency (EE) mortgages allow home
buyers and commercial entities to finance
additional funds on top of the buildings'
purchase price. The additional funds are used
to make EE building or home upgrades such as
double-paned windows or insulation.
Home buyers can choose from three types of EE
mortgages: Conventional, Federal Housing Authority,
or Veterans Administration EE mortgages. ENERGY
STAR provides resources for those interested in
applying for EE mortgages. Home buyers can also talk
about EE mortgages with loan officers.
Energy
performance
contracting
Energy performance contracts are typically
designed to deliver monthly energy savings at
least equal to the monthly finance payments
for energy improvements. Energy service
companies may offer energy service
performance contracts (ESPCs) or energv
service agreements (ESAs).
DOE provides resources for facility owners to learn
more about obtaining federal financing for ESPCs.
Credit
enhancements
Credit enhancements are anything the
borrower can do to assure the lender that the
funds financed will be repaid. Some
enhancements include loan loss reserve, loan
guarantees, interest rate buy-down, loan loss
insurance, debt service reserves, and
subordinated/senior capital structures.
Local and state government agencies can establish a
credit enhancement fund or program to absorb loan
risk and encourage private lenders to provide
attractive loans. DOE provides a listing of potential
credit enhancements on their website.
Renewable
energy and
energy
efficiency
project loans/
leases
Government agencies may offer loan
opportunities for energy or environmental
projects. Local governments can also be
recipients of these loans. Loans require
repayment, which may come from an ongoing
revenue stream. These loans are intended to
cover the upfront costs of EE or RE equipment.
Leases, which can be provided by government
agencies and private solar companies, allow
customers to use EE and RE equipment
without purchase. The most common leases
are on-balance sheet capital leases and off-
balance sheet operating leases.
DOE provides resources for customers interested in
leasing EE and RE eauipment and also provides a list
of resources for those interested in purchasing EE and
RE technology, vehicles, and components. For
example, the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas, partnered
with Ozarks Electric Cooperative and Today's Power
Inc. to provide low-cost clean energv to the citv for
wastewater treatment plants. The solar PV systems
are provided by the solar companies, and the city
leases the land to the companies. In return, the solar
companies sell electricity back to the city at a below-
market rate.
Green bonds
Green bonds are similar to other municipal
(muni) bonds, but their proceeds must be used
for green projects including clean energy
investments or sustainability-focused projects.
The International Capital Market Association provides
resources on green bond principles, green project
mapping, and green bond guidance handbooks. The
Climate Bonds Initiative offers the Climate Bonds
Standard, which details eligibilitv criteria for climate
bonds and green bond projects. The Natural Resource
Defense Council issued the Green Muni Bonds
Playbook, which details the different types of green
muni bonds, how projects qualify for green bonds,
and how to issue green muni bonds.
Property
Assessed
Clean Energy
programs
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)
C-PACE is a program designed for commercial
programs provide loans that are repaid
through building owners' property tax
assessments. PACE programs help property
owners finance the upfront costs of installing
clean energy technologies.
properties. DSIRE provides a searchable database of
states and cities that offer residential PACE programs.
-------
54
Obtain New Resources
Key Steps
This section of the Obtain Resources phase will help communities that have identified a project but need
new resources to start or complete the project (see Helpful Tips: Types of Resources). While the exact
process for obtaining resources will vary by project, Figure 6 shows the typical steps in the process. You may
not need to complete all the steps.
Figure 6. Overview of the Key Steps for Obtaining New Resources to Complete a Project
Define the
Project
/ \
Articulate
Needed
Resources
/ \
Identify
Potential
Resources
Select
Appropriate
Resources
Pursue
Resources
Helpful Tips: Types of Resources
Local governments often draw upon non-monetary resources to
plan, implement, and evaluate energy and environmental projects. For
example, non-profit organizations can be a source of technical expertise to set
up programs or execute projects. Non-profit organizations can also obtain all or
part of their funding from private sources and help complete applications for
public and private grants. Public private partnerships (PPPs) can also provide
technical support or directly pay for a portion of the project. Typically, local
governments or communities may partner with private organizations, and both
parties benefit from the completed project.
OBTAIN NEW RESOURCES
Define the Project
Articulate Needed Resources
Identify Potential Resources
Select Appropriate Resources
Pursue Resources
Step 1. Define the Project
This step will help you define the scope, duration, and type of project you intend to pursue. Considering
these characteristics of the project can help you determine the resources you need.
Scope of the Project
Defining the scope can help you articulate the project so that all stakeholders understand what is involved in
the project and can help you obtain adequate resources to support the project. Defining the scope requires
input from all stakeholders, including identifying any stakeholder's interests in the project (e.g., affordability
or environmental protection).
Duration of the Project
Estimating project duration allows you to articulate the appropriate resources needed to complete your
project, as discussed in Step 2. Projects can take longer and be more costly than you planned for. In
addition, project or contractual requirements (such as reporting requirements) may continue after the
project or contract period ends. You may want to consider including a buffer in your timeline to account for
unexpected delays.
-------
55
Specific Activities You Plan to Undertake in the Effort
Visit the Set Goals and Select Actions phase for help defining the specific activities planned for the project. It
is important to account for secondary activities, such as training or planning meetings. To clearly understand
and identify the activities you will need to undertake, it is helpful to think about the end goal of the project
and work backwards.
Step 2. Articulate Needed Resources
Once you have defined the project, you can articulate the resources you need to be successful. You may
want to consider the types, amount, and timing of resources you need as outlined below.
Types and Amounts of Resources
Consider the following categories of resource needs:
• Technical expertise: What types of expertise will you need, such as financial or contracting
expertise; expertise in renewable energy, energy efficiency, or green roofs; stakeholder inclusion
experts? Does someone on your staff have this expertise? (See the box describing use of external
support for additional information.)
• Staff time: How much staff time will be required? What points during the project will require
additional time? Will the identified staff be available if the project is delayed? Will the project
require new staff?
• Stakeholder participation: What level of participation is needed and from whom? How can you
engage stakeholders early in the process? How do you ensure all stakeholders are included? See
the Engage and Communicate phase for more information on stakeholder engagement.
• Other direct costs: What are the other costs that you might need to plan for to achieve the project
goals? For example, do you anticipate needing equipment, advertising, and meeting space or
contractor support and other services?
Visit the Tools and Templates section for examples of tools that can help you articulate needed resources.
Use of External Support
You may not need external resources if the project can be completed using existing staff, equipment,
and supplies within the regular work week and within the existing available budget. You also may not
/ need external resources if the project requires minimal staff time and any additional costs will be offset
through savings. However, external resources may be necessary if staff are not available within the anticipated
project duration, if you need an outside expert, or if you need support for other direct costs. For example, you may
wish to engage community leaders who can contribute technical expertise, offer a different perspective, or act as a
trusted voice in engagement and outreach. These leaders have established relationships with community members
and may be more in tune with the needs of the community. This is especially helpful in historically
underrepresented communities or communities that have specific needs, such as neighborhoods where residents
speak a language other than English or do not have a lot of interaction with the local government. When
considering resource needs, you may want to consider compensating community organizations for their support in
the same way that you would expect to compensate a consultant or other entity you engage.
-------
56
Resource Timing
Once you understand the duration of the project, you can consider what resources are required for start-up
activities versus long-term operational activities. Common start-up costs included equipment and supplies;
communications and market research; licenses and permits; insurance; and employee salaries, if additional
staff is required to implement your project. Some costs will be well-defined (e.g., permits), while others may
only be estimates. You may also want to consider how long resources will be needed. Some costs are one-
time expenses (e.g., licenses and fees, initial construction of an energy or environmental project), while
others occur on a monthly or weekly basis. Multiplying the expected monthly budget can help you predict
expenses overtime, while considering additional costs such as maintenance.
Step 3. Identify Potential Resources
Table 4 lists possible sources for funding and financing for local projects, and Table 5 lists different types of
funding and financing mechanisms. Resources from a number of different sources can be used together to
cover the cost of a project. For instance, a community interested in energy efficiency may receive a grant
that funds one year of staff time and initial equipment upgrades, while energy savings can be captured and
reinvested in the project to pay for subsequent staff time and equipment costs. When combining multiple
funding and financing sources and mechanisms, there may be limitations and restrictions on how the funds
can be combined due to reporting requirements, and more staff time might be required to effectively
manage multiple funding streams.
In addition, some communities have had success by creatively exploring a variety of opportunities and
options for funding. For example, you could obtain technical expertise by collaborating with an academic
institution or community leader, or by seeking assistance from other departments within your own
organization or an external agency. Staff time may be allocated by rearranging existing staff responsibilities,
hiring additional staff or contractors, or recruiting interns or volunteers. Partners and community groups can
help increase stakeholder participation, and partnering with them may open access to otherwise restricted
resources.
Finally, you may also want to consider your community's administrative capacity or expertise to manage
project funds, leverage of other projects and funding sources, and limitations to funding, as outlined below.
Administrative Capacity and Expertise to Effectively Manage Project Funds
Managing funds can be complex and time-intensive. When identifying resource needs, you may want to
consider the staff time needed to administer the project. If staff time and expertise are limited, it is useful to
consider whether reporting requirements are especially cumbersome or fall during busy times of the year.
However, if either your organization or your partners have a large operating budget, adequate staff capacity,
and expertise to comply with requirements, you may want to consider resources with a high level of
required reporting and tracking. You can ask the organization providing funding if they offer training
resources on how to comply with their administrative requirements for reporting.
Leverage of Other Projects or Funding Opportunities
Other activities in the community and state may affect your proposed project resources. For example, your
proposed project may not be eligible for certain funding sources given other ongoing efforts. If you
encounter this issue while sourcing funding, you may want to consider partnering with other projects or
organizations. You may be able to work collaboratively with an existing project or organization to source
new funding that can expand their project scope and increase your eligibility for funding. After Arkansas
passed legislation that allowed for the creation of energy improvement districts that would be authorized to
implement PACE programs, for example, the City of Fayetteville created the first PACE program. Neighboring
Springdale also wanted to implement a PACE program; however, there was not enough of a market for
-------
energy efficiency projects in their city alone, so they asked to join the Fayetteville PACE district. Together,
the two cities have a larger pool of potential EE projects that can benefit from PACE financing.
In addition, partnering with a Small Disadvantaged Business or a Veteran- or Women-Owned Small Business
may allow you to be eligible for a more diverse set of funding opportunities. Working with these
organizations may help you bolster community support, and together make a stronger case for accessing
funding. These businesses might be able to take the lead in applying for funding on behalf of the project if
you develop a partnership.
Limitations to Potential Sources
— Certain community characteristics can affect the types of resource streams you pursue. For
example, do you have sufficient public support for increased tax revenue or fees? Does your
. ' community limit borrowing above a certain dollar amount? Are there funding streams with
restrictions that might help or hinder you, such as a funding stream geared toward small communities or
focused on vulnerable populations?
In addition, if the funding source has a different fiscal year from that of your community or organization, you
may want to discuss any potential issues with the appropriate decision-makers and financial staff before you
pursue the funding opportunity.
Featured Resource: Local Program Model Design Guide
EPA developed the Local Program Model Design Guide to help local resilience and clean energy program
implementers create or transition to financially viable and self-sustaining program designs. This flexible, adaptable
model takes an in-depth look at three focus areas:
• Creating value for target audiences to generate adequate program revenues
• Developing effective partnerships that leverage each partner's strengths to enhance value and create new
opportunities
• Delivering program services that meet the target audiences' needs, align with organizational strengths and
resources, and generate enough revenue to cover costs.
The guide describes lessons, examples, and resources derived from the experience of more than 50 local climate
and clean energy programs around the country. It also provides simple worksheets and techniques for analyzing
and refining program models.
Step 4. Select Appropriate Sources
Once you have identified potential funding sources, you can use your organization's or community's
decision-making process to determine if the funding source is appropriate for the project. If you do not have
an existing process, you can start by considering how the resource stream and project fit with other ongoing
activities. It is important to look for opportunities for collaboration and address any conflicts your
organization or community may have with the potential funding sources. The questions below can guide you
in selecting appropriate sources of funding and financing mechanisms.
• Are you eligible for the identified resources? If not, are there eligible partners who can take the lead
in applying for funding on behalf of the partnership?
• Do the resources available cover the project's needs, including its full scope and duration? If not, can
you develop a sufficient long-term funding plan with supplementary resources, such as existing staff
time or other resource streams? Or can you scale back the original project vision to fit the available
resources?
-------
• Do the goals of the resource stream align with the goals of the community and the project? Will the
project activities benefit a group of community members equitably? If not, can you refocus the
community's goals? Is there a vibrant, diverse stakeholder group that would support the
project or devote time to the project activities?
• Do you have the capacity to meet application deadlines? Is the capacity required to apply for the
resources reasonable? Could you partner with another community or organization that would lead
the application process?
• If you do obtain the resource, do you have the internal capacity to comply with any resource
requirements (e.g., reporting)? Could you partner or contract with an organization that would take
on the reporting requirements?
• Do you have or can you obtain resources for any additional costs not covered by the available
resources (e.g., operation and maintenance costs, pre-contract activities, post-contract activities)?
Is your community willing to cover the additional costs?
• Are there any legal implications, restrictions, or limits associated with the available resources
(e.g., borrowing limits, debt ratios) at the city, county, or state level? If so, are you able to comply
with or overcome them? It is a good idea to discuss legal concerns or limits with appropriate
decision-makers and legal staff.
• What is the level of competition or political risk? If you apply, is there a high likelihood that you will
be awarded the funds or resources given the competition? If the resource requires a vote by a
governing body, is there public support to pass the measure? Is it worthwhile to invest the time or
resources to pursue the resource option given the likelihood of success?
Step 5. Pursue Resources
How you pursue the selected resources will depend on the specific funding source, funding mechanism, or
financing mechanism you identify. However, for all resources, you may want to consider:
• Establishing a team from among your existing colleagues or partners to help you pursue and secure
the resources.
• Complying with applicable internal processes at your community or organization.
• Satisfying the application, loan, or financing requirements. It is important to clearly articulate how
the proposed project advances the purpose, goals, and intentions of the resource stream. Satisfying
the requirements includes making sure that any required forms and appendices are included and
labeled correctly. It is a good idea to contact the organization providing the resource to ensure that
you are meeting all requirements. Often you can request training or a consultation for this purpose.
• Understanding your competition. Where applicable, you can better frame your own application and
increase your chances of success by keeping in mind the strengths and weaknesses of your known
and potential competitors.
• Re-engaging key stakeholders at all levels of community leadership, such as representatives of
project so it aligns with the goals of the resource stream without contradicting the
underserved communities, to ensure sufficient interest and approval and to engage
them early in the process. Visit the Engage and Communicate phase for more
information.
information.
more
• Asking questions. This might include reaching out to similar communities (e.g., similar in size) that
have used this type or amount of resources before, or contacting the funding agency to clarify
requirements.
-------
59
Take Advantage of Available Resources
Key Steps
These steps will help you take advantage of a newly released resource stream, such as a funding
announcement, summer intern, or unexpected budget surplus. Figure 7 outlines key steps that are likely to
be part of the process, although the exact process will likely vary by project and community.
Figure 7. Overview of the Key Steps for Obtaining Newly Released Resources to Complete an Effort
Make a
"Go/No-Go"
Decision
N
/ N
Develop a
Plan and
Pursue
Gather
Resources
Support
Step 1. Make a "Go/No-Go" Decision
When a newly available resource is announced, a first step is to consider if it fits with your resource needs.
The following questions can help you determine whether to pursue the resource further.
• Are you eligible for the identified resources? If not, are any of your partner organizations eligible?
Some types of funding are reserved for particular groups; for example, a non-profit organization, a
Small Disadvantaged Business or a Veteran- or Women-Owned Small Business. If you are working
with partners who qualify, they may be able to take the lead in applying
for funding on behalf of the partnership.
Do the resources available cover the project needs, including full scope
and duration? If not, can you develop a sufficient long-term funding
plan with supplementary resources, such as existing staff time or other
resource streams? Or can you scale back the original project vision to
fit the available resources?
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
AVAILABLE RESOURCES
Make a "Go/No-Go" Decision
Develop a Plan and Gather Support
Pursue Resources
• Do the goals of the resource stream align with the goals of the
community and the project? If not, can you refocus the project so it
meets the goals of the resource stream without contradicting the community's goals?
• Do you have the capacity to meet application deadlines? If not, could you partner with another
organization that would lead the application process?
• If you do obtain the resource, do you have the internal capacity to comply with any resource
requirements (e.g., reporting)? Could you partner with or contract to an organization that would
take on the reporting requirements?
• Do you have or can you obtain resources for any additional costs not covered by the available
resources (e.g., operation and maintenance costs, pre-contract activities, post-contract activities)? Is
your community willing to cover the additional costs?
• Are there any legal implications, restrictions, or limits associated with the available resources at the
city, county, or state level, such as borrowing limits or debt ratios? If so, are you able to comply with
or overcome them? It is a good idea to discuss legal concerns or limits with appropriate decision-
makers and legal staff.
-------
• What is the level of competition or political risk? If you apply, is there a high likelihood that you will
be awarded the funds or resources given the competition? If the resource requires a vote, will you
be able to generate the public support to pass the measure? Is it worthwhile to invest the time or
resources to pursue the resource option given the likelihood of success?
Step 2. Develop a Plan and Gather Support
Once you decide to go after a new resource stream, you can develop a plan for using the resources and
begin gathering support to develop your resource plan.
Visit the Set Goals and Select Actions phase to develop a plan for a project to use the resources.
Alternatively, it may make sense to apply this new resource stream to an existing project. It is a best practice
to align the project scope and schedule with the characteristics and requirements of the available resources.
These characteristics include the amount of funding available, the timing of resource availability, the
purpose of the resource stream, and any requirements associated with use of the resources. After
accounting for the main resource stream, you can fill in any resource gaps with a plan for acquiring
supplemental resources.
participation from key stakeholders in the community, political leaders, and partners. You may
want to consider engaging key stakeholders, including representatives of vulnerable populations,
in the development of your resource plan.
Step 3. Pursue Resources
How you pursue the selected resources will depend on the type of available resource. However, when
pursuing resources, you may want to consider:
• Establishing a team from among your existing colleagues or partners to help you pursue and secure
the resources.
• Complying with applicable internal processes at your community or organization.
• Satisfying the application, loan, or financing requirements. It is important to clearly articulate how
your proposed project advances the purpose, goals, and intentions of the resource stream.
Satisfying the requirements includes making sure that any required forms and appendices are
included and labeled correctly. It is a good idea to contact the organization providing the resource to
ensure that you are meeting all requirements. Often you can request training or a consultation for
this purpose.
• Understanding your competition. Where applicable, you can better frame your own application and
increase your chances of success by keeping in mind the strengths and weaknesses of your known
and potential competitors.
• Re-engaging key stakeholders at all levels of community leadership, such as representatives of
Visit the Engage and Communicate phase for more information on gathering support and
underserved communities, to ensure sufficient interest and approval and to engage
them early in the process. Visit the Engage and Communicate phase for more
information.
more
• Asking questions. This might include reaching out to similar communities (e.g., similar in size) that
have used this type or amount of resources before, or contacting the funding agency to clarify
requirements.
-------
61
Additional Funding Opportunities
You may want to consider subscribing to EPA's State and Local Energy Newsletter, DOE's Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy Newsletter, or to a grants database. Some grants databases require a membership fee.
To search for available funding opportunities, visit the following websites:
EPA's Combined Heat and Power Partnership Policies and Incentives Database (dCHPP)—allows users to
search for combined heat and power policies and incentives by state or at the federal level.
EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program Funding Guide—includes information on programs available to
provide financing or incentives for landfill gas energy projects.
EPA Grants Resources—lists open announcements for EPA grants.
EPA's State and Local Transportation Grants and Funding Opportunities—provides links to federal funding
sources available to state and local agencies for projects related to transportation and air quality.
EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign Funding Opportunities—describes and links to funding sources
related to the national clean diesel campaign.
DOE's Clean Cities Financial Opportunities—describes financial opportunities for Clean Cities projects to
reduce petroleum use in transportation.
DOE's Alternative Fuels Data Center Laws and Incentives Database—allows users to search for federal and
state laws and incentives for alternative fuels and vehicles, air quality, fuel efficiency, and other
transportation-related topics.
HUD/DOT/EPA's Partnership for Sustainable Communities Grants, Assistance, and Programs—provides
links to funding-related resources relevant to the partnership.
USDA's Rural Energy for America Program—provides financial assistance to agricultural producers and
rural small businesses for various renewable energy and energy efficiency efforts.
DSIRE—provides information on incentives and policies that support renewable energy and energy
efficiency in the United States.
Grants.gov—provides a centralized location for grant seekers to find and apply for federal funding
opportunities.
Examples from the Field
City of San Jose, California: Energy Fund
A case study describing how a $4 million Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant was leveraged to provide
ongoing support for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at municipal facilities.
Using Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds to Fund a Residential Energy Efficiency Loan Program
A policy brief from the Laurence Berkeley National Laboratory describing how Saint Louis County, Missouri, issued
$10 million of these bonds to finance its SAVES residential energy efficiency loan program.
Virgin Islands Energy Alliance Program
A case study from the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships about how the U.S. Virgin Islands established
a public-private partnership to explore alternatives for energy conservation and renewable energy generation.
-------
62
Tools and Templates
EPA's Tool Finder for Local Government Clean Energy Initiatives
A search tool that helps local government staff screen tools and resources designed to measure impacts of clean
energy programs and policies.
EPA's Clean Energy Finance Tool
A tool to assist state and local governments interested in developing or revising a financing program to support
energy efficiency and clean energy improvements for large numbers of buildings within their jurisdictions.
ENERGY STAR Cash Flow Opportunity Calculator
A Microsoft® Excel tool that estimates how much new energy efficiency equipment can be purchased with
anticipated savings; compares financing options for energy efficiency purchases; and evaluates project economics
under different interest rates.
DOE's Pay for Energy Initiatives
A U.S. Department of Energy resource that provides overview of financing for state, local, and tribal governments
for lead-by-example in public facilities and investment in private buildings.
DOE's Clean Cities Financial Opportunities
A U.S. Department of Energy portal to funding opportunities related to the reduction of petroleum consumption in
transportation.
Further Reading
EPA's Local Government Strategy Series
A suite of guides that provides an overview of local government emissions reduction strategies. In each guide,
Chapter 7 presents information about costs and financing opportunities.
EPA's Clean Energy Financing Programs
A Decision Guide for States and Communities to help governments understand and make decisions to support
appropriate renewable energy financing programs for their jurisdiction.
EPA's Green Banking Strategies for Local Governments
A primer that describes green banks, the benefits they offer, issues local governments might consider when
deciding whether to create a green bank, and several case studies.
EPA's Local Program Model Design Guide
A guide that covers value creation and program revenues as well as creation of effective partnerships.
EPA's On-bill Programs for Local Governments
A primer that describes on-bill programs, the benefits they offer, issues local governments might consider when
establishing an on-bill program, and several case studies. EPA also hosted an on-bill financing webinar.
Revolving Loan Funds
Best practices for state and local officials published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for establishing
and working with revolving loan funds.
How to Develop and Write a Grant Proposal
A Congressional Research Service report that provides an introductory overview of how to write a proposal for
government and private foundation grants.
DOE's Commercial PACE Working Group
A cohort of state and local governments to leverage knowledge and develop tools for PACE finance programs.
Acknowledgements
EPA would like to acknowledge Kathy Boyer (Triangle J Council of Governments), Jeff Hughes (UNC Chapel
Hill Environmental Finance Center), Ari Messinger (Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey), and Sharon Procopio
(Denver Energy Challenge) for their valuable input and feedback as stakeholder reviewers for this phase.
-------
Take Action
HH
U1J
-------
The Take Action phase offers guidance and resources about how to implement actions for one of three
types of local government efforts.
• Promote Green Government Operations includes efforts to make government-managed
infrastructure, operations, and investments more sustainable and resilient.
• Adopt a Policy allows communities to use new or updated rules, regulations, ordinances, laws, or
plans to spur action.
• Engage the Community involves actions that promote voluntary measures by residents and
businesses or encourage behavior change.
This phase focuses on the key steps in designing and implementing actions that fall under each of these
categories, including key questions to consider and how to avoid or overcome common challenges. In
addition, this phase includes steps on engaging with the community, setting goals, and obtaining resources.
The "Case in Point" boxes provide an example of how one town for each type of local government effort
used the steps outlined in this guidance document to effectively design and implement green government
operations, adopt a policy, or engage the community.
EPA's Local Government Strategy Series also provides details on designing, implementing, and evaluating
projects in different sectors.
-------
Take Action:
Promote Green Government Operations
65
"Green" government operations minimize a local government's environmental impact, including its energy
use, water use, waste and pollution generation, and GHG emissions. Local governments have found that
promoting green government operations achieves substantial cost savings, demonstrates energy and
environmental leadership, develops local municipal capacity and expertise, and raises public awareness.
Promoting green government operations might include:
• Increasing energy efficiency. For example, conducting an energy audit and efficiency upgrades at
city hall, designing new city facilities to earn the ENERGY STAR, and installing a revolving door in
high-traffic entrances. Programs like ENERGY STAR provide interactive tools to help local
governments manage and track energy and water consumption to document increased energy
efficiency.
• Using alternative energy. For example, using solar panels to power parking meters, purchasing
renewable energy certificates to offset electricity use in government buildings with renewable
energy resources.
• Reducing waste. For example, purchasing office kitchen items such as coffee and tea in bulk,
introducing composting receptacles in staff kitchens, and replacing individual trash bins with desk-
side recycling bins.
• Encouraging greener transportation choices. For example, incentivizing staff use of public
transportation or carpools; purchasing electric or hybrid vehicles for the local government fleet;
providing bike racks, showers, and locker rooms for government employees who ride to work.
• Implementing sustainable land use decisions. For example, locating public services near transit
options, limiting the number of parking spots required for public
buildings.
• Increasing the resilience of government assets and reducing
the heat island effect through government infrastructure. For
example, installing green infrastructure at government facilities,
such as green and cool roofs, rain gardens, cool and permeable
pavements; and paving roads and parking lots with permeable
and more resilient materials when possible.
The following key steps focus on developing projects to make changes to
government operations. Information on adopting a policy in the form of a
plan, ordinance, regulation, or other mechanism to mandate sustainable
actions is covered under Adopt a Policy. Projects related to encouraging
the adoption of voluntary actions in the community are covered under Engage the
Community.
PROMOTE GREEN
GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
Convene a Team
Establish Goals and Identify Obstacles
Research Similar Projects
Develop Project Details
Develop Outreach Plan
Implement the Project
Monitor and Adjust
-------
Key Steps
These steps describe how a community can design and implement green government operations. As
illustrated in Figure 8, these steps are not necessarily intended to be pursued in linear order. For example,
the "establish goals and identify obstacles" step and the "research similar projects" step may happen
simultaneously. In addition, stakeholder engagement occurs throughout all steps of the process and is
integrated into each of the step descriptions.
Figure 8. Overview of the Key Steps for Designing and Implementing Green Government Operations
Convene a
Establish
Goals and
Identify
Obstacles
Research
Develop
Develop
Implement
the Project
Monitor and
Similar
Project
Outreach
Adjust
Projects
Details
ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS
"Case in Point" boxes provide an example of how one town—in this case, the Town of Preble, New York—
effectively designed and implemented a project to encourage green government operations using the steps
outlined below. Use the arrows to navigate between "Case in Point" boxes for the Town of Preble.
Step 1. Convene a Team
To effectively design and implement green government operations, you may want to consider whether your
efforts would benefit from a leadership or support team. It is helpful to ask:
• Is the level of effort large or complex, or are there a variety of stakeholders such that the project
would benefit from a cohesive leadership or support team?
• Could existing teams or venues fulfill this role (e.g., ongoing departmental meetings, stakeholder
groups for ongoing planning processes)?
• Are you or your stakeholders facing any time constraints that would either make it difficult to work
with a large team or imply a need to compress the schedule by using extra resources?
If you determine that a leadership or support team would be beneficial, the following questions will be
useful to keep in mind when forming the team.
How large should the team be? Should the team include people only within my organization? What role
should each team member play?
The size of your team is an important consideration. A larger team may be more representative; a smaller
team may be more efficient. Potential stakeholders and individuals have various attributes and strengths in
offering valuable input and support, leadership, and unique experiences or perspectives.
It is also useful to identify the key people or partners who can help you build a better, stronger
project, as well as to articulate your goals, help create buy-in, and ensure that your goals are
--/ realized over the course of the project. These may include inspired staff members, community
leaders, an existing green team, specific departments within the government, a facility that has identified an
opportunity to make a change, or private organizations. It is helpful to include leaders who represent key
populations within your community, especially those with specific needs or who may be underrepresented.
For example, Fayetteville, Arkansas, has a standing Environmental Action Committee to address
environmental concerns, research climate mitigation policies, and recommend policies that encourage
energy efficiency efforts. The Committee consists of a City Council member, a local industry member, a
scientific representative, and eight residents at large.
-------
Can you partner with other communities or a regional organization to reduce the resources required to
promote green governance?
Neighboring communities or regional organizations can be partners in the effort. Partnerships can reduce
the resources required from your community and can also impact sustainability or resilience on a broader
scale. You may want to consider meeting regularly with staff members from a group of communities to
exchange ideas, share resources, and track progress. It is worth noting that working with this kind of formal,
multi-jurisdictional group can be time-intensive.
Visit the Engage and Communicate phase for specific guidance on how to engage with potential project
partners.
Case in Point
In 2010, the Town of Preble, New York, (population ~1,300) was awarded a grant to conduct an energy
efficiency upgrade for the town hall. The grant was one of seven competitive $30,000 matching sub-
grants awarded to municipalities to address climate change by the Central New York Regional Planning and
Development Board (CNY RPDB) through EPA's former Climate Showcase Communities grant program.
While preparing the grant application, local government officials recruited participants to sit on an advisory
committee responsible for project implementation. The committee included a representative from the local
department of public works, the town judge, and a resident who worked for the facilities department at a local
state college and was familiar with the heating systems. This dedicated group worked closely with the C NY RPDB
staff to find viable solutions for the town. Preble's leaders found that it was essential to identify a group of
trusted local project stewards because the project was introducing the community to new and unfamiliar
technology. Without the foundation of a trusted advisory committee, it is likely that this project would have
ended prior to completion.
OO
Step 2. Establish Goals and Identify Obstacles
Before initiating a project, you may want to consider defining an explicit purpose, including defining what
you are trying to accomplish. Are you trying to decrease operational costs, reduce government emissions, or
provide an example that citizens or businesses can adopt? Do you have a specific goal, such as GHG
reduction, waste diversion, or urban heat island reduction? Goals help serve as a guide or focal point
throughout the project.
The specific, quantifiable goals you develop will depend on the components of the project. For example, you
might have an internal outcome (e.g., energy use reduction) and an external outcome (e.g., the number of
businesses that learn about the project). Visit the Set Goals and Select Actions phase for more detailed
guidance on articulating specific goals.
— As you establish goals and identify obstacles, it is a good idea to assess how the project may affect
different segments of the community in different ways, including the variable distribution of
.S benefits and burdens. In addition, success metrics can account for equity by measuring who
benefits and setting targets for equitable distribution of benefits. Disaggregated equity data (e.g., race,
income, participation in existing programs and services) can help you find service gaps. For example, Seattle
City Light voluntarily participated in a regional effort to assess populations who have been underserved by
energy efficiency programs and used the results in their We Power Seattle Strategic Plan.
©
-------
68
As you conceptualize the project, you may want to consider the amount and types of available and potential
resources, including funding and staff time. Visit the Obtain Resources phase for guidance on how to obtain
necessary resources.
Case in Point fp
The opportunity for Preble, New York, to receive technical support from CNY RPDB inspired the town
to pursue a project to encourage green government operations. Preble was interested in financial savings and
starting a sustainability project, but did not know where to start.
Preble and CNY RPDB evaluated the town's needs and identified two potential projects: (1) replacing the
Department of Public Works' garage, and (2) conducting an energy efficiency retrofit for the town hall.
An initial assessment revealed that updating the town hall, which had been built in 1906, would provide
immediate benefits, including financial savings and relief from drafty windows and noisy in-wall air conditioning
units. The retrofit also provided an opportunity to replace the antiquated fuel oil heating system with a high-
efficiency heat pump system, which had the added bonus of reducing GHG emissions.
Preble took advantage of a program supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority that offers small commercial and home energy assessments. The town had a local HVAC contractor
perform a "blower door test" to identify air leaks. This assessment revealed that the building's air exchange was
12 times higher than it should have been for a building that size. This helped define the explicit need for an
energy efficiency upgrade that included air sealing and insulation.
OO
Step 3. Research Similar Projects
Prior to implementing a new initiative, your community will benefit from surveying ongoing efforts both
internally, for complementary or competing projects, and externally, to look for other organizations that
may be implementing similar projects.
Understand Local Efforts
Are related projects happening in your area (see Helpful Tips: Making Projects Locally Applicable)? Can you
partner with or build on existing networks and projects? It will be helpful to find out if non-profits, academic
institutions, or other departments within city government are researching or working on similar projects.
You can ask the people who led those initiatives what considerations and obstacles they had to overcome
and how they achieved success. You may be able to combine your efforts or otherwise collaborate with
existing projects.
Learn from Others
Other communities that have taken on similar initiatives can also offer unique insights. For example, you can
look at the Institute for Sustainable Communities' Knowledge Center for examples of regional climate action,
clean energy cities, and community-driven resilience. You can ask your counterparts about what worked
well and any advice they have for your initiative.
-------
69
Helpful Tips: Making Projects Locally Applicable
Although it is valuable to learn from others, it is important that the project be locally applicable. For
example, a campaign to increase government employee use of public transportation may not be feasible in a
town that has limited bus service. A plan to coordinate carpools and add bike racks in front of city hall may be a
more effective way to decrease single-occupancy vehicle trips to work.
Case in Point
Heating technology had greatly advanced since the 1970s renovation of the Preble, New York, Town
Hall, when a fuel oil system was installed. As the town was considering retrofits to the Town Hall, CNY RPDB
encouraged the town to consider comprehensive solutions using new technologies, such as a heat pump system
that would address heating and cooling issues together. However, the town was not familiar with alternative
heating options and the viability of renewable energy systems such as solar panels. In particular, decision-
makers were not confident that a heat pump system would be sufficient for severely cold days.
Through work with CNY RPDB and a local contractor who participates in the ENERGY STAR certification, project
leaders learned about heating options that were proven to be more sustainable and cost-efficient than heating
oil. This included conversations with experts to answer questions about the viability of solar energy systems in
Upstate New York and a tour of a ski resort that had successfully installed a heat pump system.
Through this research, Preble was able to consider new ideas and integrate solar panels to amplify the financial
and GHG reduction benefits of the project. CNY RPDB and the contractor provided the project's advisory
committee with options that included the integration of renewable energy. A detailed evaluation of the options
revealed an anticipated return on investment in a little more than 6.5 years. This made the large initial
investment much more attractive. After one year of operation, an updated evaluation lowered the estimated
return on investment to 5.8 years.
OO
-------
Step 4. Develop Project Details
Once you have convened a team, defined your goals, and conducted research on existing efforts, you can
identify specific activities and actions that best suit your community's needs. You may be able to replicate or
expand an existing project, or you might synthesize a combination of successful elements from various
projects or develop an entirely new project.
As you develop the details of your project, you may want to consider the following elements:
• Scope. What is the scope of the project, and what are explicit milestones for implementation? Is a
phased implementation or a pilot project appropriate given the available resources and capacity of
the leadership team?
• Location. If you need to select the project site, it is important to justify the selection. Assessing the
feasibility of a project site may involve an environmental assessment (EA) or an environmental
impact statement (EIS). An EA is a concise document that reviews the impacted environment. An EIS
is a comprehensive document that requires an assessment of the cumulative impacts of a project
along with all other future development nearby. For more information, see EPA's Environmental
Impact Statement Filing Guidance.
• Implementers. It is advisable to hold conversations with key stakeholders, including
"implementers," to identify and address concerns early. For example, if the project involves changes
in building operations or custodial practices, the facilities manager or head custodian can offer their
expertise on the facility. See the Engage and Communicate phase for more information about
engaging stakeholders.
• Audience. Who will be affected by the project or should know about the efforts and successes of the
project? Does the audience report to a county or state government? Is the ultimate audience the
taxpayers? Is the audience made up of citizens and business owners? Have you engaged audiences
from all neighborhoods? Seeking to understand the motivations of your audience and engage them
appropriately will benefit the project.
• Equity. What will be the impacts of the project on various communities? Are you receiving insights
from all neighborhoods and from multiple perspectives? Does your project build future capacity in
7" underrepresented communities? Does your project increase equity in a short-term or
continuous timespan? It is important to support long-term relationships with
underrepresented communities to establish trust and continued engagement.
• Synergy. Does the project fit into and complement other community plans? For example, does this
project support an existing transportation or stormwater initiative? How can this new effort further
the effectiveness of or complement existing projects?
• Process. What is the process an action would need to follow? For example, if it requires legislation,
what is required to get the bill or resolution through city council?
• Legal considerations. Have you obtained necessary permissions and approvals? The project needs
to comply with all applicable local, state, and federal laws.
• Resources. Will sufficient resources be available for the full project duration, including maintenance
requirements and ongoing implementation? You will need to define and secure needed resources
(see the Obtain Resources phase).
• Timeline. Does the timeline that you have developed for the project take into account staff
availability and capacity?
• Tracking and reporting. Have you developed a plan to measure, report, and evaluate quantifiable
metrics? Guidance from the Track and Report phase can help you identify the appropriate metrics.
-------
Case in Point
Scope: The energy efficiency project to upgrade the Preble, New York, town hall included a blower
door test, air sealing and insulation, installation of an air-source heat pump system, installation of vinyl
windows, upgrade to an efficient lighting system, and installation of solar panels on the roof. All elements of the
project were sized to work together and integrated, which resulted in dramatic increases in efficiency and
comfort in the town hall.
Location. The town hall is one of two government-operated public buildings in Preble, New York, and the team
determined that this would be the most effective use of the sub-grant from CNY RPDB.
Implemented. The project team worked with CNY RPDB staff and a local engineer to identify the appropriate
scope and bid documents. The heating and cooling system and the solar panels require little-to-no maintenance,
and both are covered by two-year warranties on hardware and installation.
Audience. The ultimate audience for this pilot project was the general public and neighboring towns, which
could be inspired by the project to implement similar upgrades. These community members and other local
decision-makers were engaged through public meetings.
Synergy. This project was part of a larger community effort to reduce GHG emissions. As part of their
participation with CNY RPDB, Preble developed a GHG inventory and completed a sustainability action plan.
Legal considerations. Due to the building's age, the project team had to confirm that it was not designated a
historic building and that the solar panels and window upgrades would not violate any historic designations.
Because the building was not designated as historic, there were no such restrictions. However, the building does
have historic community value, and the project team decided to locate the solar installation on the back side of
the building to limit the aesthetic impact of the project.
Resources. Preble was able to piece together financial assistance from several sources. With a $30,000 grant
from EPA's former Climate Showcase Communities program, the town was able to leverage additional funding,
take advantage of incentive programs, and justify a reallocation of town resources that had been collected for
another project. The 6.5-year return on investment also helped convince decision-makers that this was a wise
investment. The total cost of the project was approximately $136,000, and the town was able to secure
assistance for more than half of the cost.
Very early in the project, it seemed that the financial hurdles would prevent the project from moving forward.
Preble worked with CNY RPDB to evaluate the long-term value of the project and decided to increase the town's
spending from $30,000 to $49,000. As a result, the city was able to leverage enough funding from multiple
sources to make the project a reality.
Tracking and reporting. The project had two major areas of performance that can be measured: energy
produced by the solar panels and energy used by the building. Although the town did not set up a specific
tracking system, these metrics are readily available, and the town is able to track the project's success through
these measurements.
OO
-------
72
Step 5. Develop an Outreach Plan
You may want to consider developing an outreach plan to publicize your efforts and successes so that you
can demonstrate how the project will add value to the community. Even if the project is not focused on
inspiring others, an outreach plan can assure taxpayers that the project is beneficial. Below is an overview of
tasks involved in developing an outreach plan. The Engage and Communicate phase has more information
on communicating with stakeholders and the public that you might want to include in an outreach plan.
• Identify a spokesperson. This involves selecting an individual or group to be the face of the project.
For example, would the mayor or municipal manager be an appropriate person to make
announcements about the project? Would it be helpful for multiple city council members to make a
joint announcement? Who can best communicate the value of the project to the community?
Engaging community leaders, elected officials, and community champions as appropriate can raise
the project's visibility.
• Select an approach. What is the best method or combination of methods to spread the word about
the project? Possible methods include traditional media, such as local newspapers; social media,
such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs; local networks and leaders; and local events. You may want to
consider how announcements are typically made in your community, and how different
stakeholders receive information. For an example of effective use of social media, visit the Central
New York Energy Challenge Facebook page. In addition, you may want to consider which
department or position will be responsible for outreach, including reporting on performance metrics
after the project is over, if relevant.
• Identify what you will report. Which metrics will you report publicly? Some communities have
chosen to communicate reductions in relatable terms such as the "number of mature trees
preserved" or other tangible measurements. For example, you might consider tracking energy,
dollars, and carbon dioxide emissions saved through a city hall retrofit. Useful metrics convey the
value the project adds to the community. You may want to consider consulting stakeholder groups
to see what those groups would like to measure and report. Different groups may be interested in
different types of metrics. You can use EPA's GHG Equivalencies Calculator to translate abstract
emission amounts into more meaningful measurements. See the Track and Report phase for more
information on reporting metrics. It may also be beneficial to conduct other types of reporting; for
example, on community attitudes toward clean energy or recycling. This can be done in a variety of
ways, such as a poll question on your local government website's homepage. You can also
encourage people to share stories of how they have been impacted by environmental decision-
making.
• Develop a reporting schedule. How often will you publicize metrics? Will you post monthly updates
on financial and resource savings? Is an annual or biannual report sufficient?
• Set goals. Other communities have found it helpful for the outreach goals and metrics to be
separate from the goals and metrics for the project itself.
-------
73
Case in Point
d
Preble, New York, held town board meetings and gave public presentations to share information
about the project. Once the local contractor conducted the blower door test and research revealed the
potential cost savings that could result from retrofitting the heating system, the leadership team used this
information to gain project support. The town wanted to see a project that could be justified financially and that
would improve conditions in the community building, which was cold, loud, expensive to heat, and
uncomfortable in the winter.
The project also gained interest from neighboring jurisdictions. In addition to providing residents with a local
example of the value of air sealing and insulation, the project demonstrated that heat pumps and solar energy
are both viable in Upstate New York. The solar panels have caught the attention of curious pedestrians.
As a result of this project, the board member on the leadership team became an outspoken champion of the
project and installed a 9-kW solar system on her own house. Although a formal outreach strategy was not
explicitly developed, the results of the project were highly visible and tangible—people in the town who use the
building can actually feel the difference the improvement has made, since the building is no longer as loud or
drafty. In addition, a Preble Town Hall Photovoltaic (PV) System Profile is publicly available online.
OO
-------
74
Step 6. Implement the Project
Implementation will likely require some variation of the following steps:
• Acquire materials. Your organization's procurement policies and procedures can guide your
acquisition of needed project materials (e.g., new windows or light bulbs, recycling bins, reusable
materials). For example, you may need to develop a request for proposals (RFP) and select a vendor
from competitive bids.
• Engage staff. If you have the capacity to do the work in-house, you can identify the staff and
resources necessary to complete the project. Alternatively, you may want to consider contractors or
volunteers, especially trusted community leaders. Community engagement often extends to those
who are already involved with or have access to projects.
• Conduct the project. Actual project implementation will involve installing infrastructure, rolling out
incentive programs, adjusting operational protocols, engaging your stakeholders, or completing
other necessary steps.
• Track progress. Visit the Track and Report phase for information on understanding project progress
and success.
• Communicate progress and successes. Following the steps of the outreach plan outlined in Step 5, if
appropriate, will allow you to communicate your progress and successes.
As explored in Step 4. implementing an incremental rollout or starting with a pilot project may be
appropriate.
Case in Point
The energy efficiency upgrade at the Preble, New York town hall took nearly two years to implement.
Several hurdles extended the project's duration:
• Prior to this project, Preble had performed a commercial building energy assessment. However, due to
the building's size and type of construction, it was determined that a residential assessment was more
appropriate because it also considered insulation needs. This proved to be a critical decision in the
success of the project given the need for insulation.
• Public projects require consensus among local government departments and the public.
• The heat pump and solar panels were innovative solutions that had not been tested in Preble.
Additional research and efforts were required to reach agreement between decision-makers and the
public.
• Preble had to acquire several sources of funding to fund the project.
One lesson that Preble learned was how to evaluate solar panel bids. For most municipal contracts, the "lowest
qualified bid" is selected. However, Preble decided to take a more comprehensive approach to assess the bids.
The evaluation criteria considered the size of the panels, manufacturing location, and qualifications of the
installer.
OO
©
-------
75
Step 7. Monitor and Adjust
Tracking the metrics identified in Step 5 over the course of the project will allow you to measure progress
and make adjustments as needed. You can receive feedback by facilitating ongoing conversations with
stakeholders. You can collect and analyze outcome data and communicate results and lessons learned to the
community. Would your community benefit from continuing to collect the metrics after the project
concludes?
Visit the Track and Report phase for more information on how to develop an effective process to collect and
analyze data, and report on project outcomes.
Case in Point
Preble, New York, conducted an assessment of the town hall building's history to measure the impact
of the energy efficiency upgrades to the building. The town is measuring both energy consumption and energy
generation.
Energy consumption is measured by the amount of energy (in kilowatt-hours (kWh)) used and the associated
cost. The projected annual savings from the project was approximately $8,000. At the end of the first year of
operations, the energy efficiency improvements outperformed the projected savings.
Energy generation is measured by the inverter system that converts solar energy into usable electricity. The
company that runs the system posts real-time information online for each inverter on its network. At the town
hall, the projected annual production was about $1,200 in electricity. At the end of the first year of operations,
energy production was slightly lower than the projection. This was attributed to a particularly rainy June in
Upstate New York, which is believed to have reduced the amount of energy generated by the solar panels.
The Town of Preble has also made the energy production information available on its website. On average, the
town hall solar system has been providing nearly 50 percent of the building's total annual use. By tracking
monthly averages for both consumption and generation, Preble is able to assess both the overall impact of the
system and more detailed trends. For instance, if a system fails one month, February is unusually cold, or June is
particularly cloudy, it is possible to account for those anomalies.
OO
r
n
>
a
1*
o"
3
-------
76
Examples from the Field
Portland, Oregon: Sustainabilitv City Government Partnership
A collaborative effort to integrate sustainable practices and resource efficiency into municipal operations.
Arlington County, Virginia: Energy Efficiency in Local Government Facilities and Operations
Arlington County's Fresh AIRE (Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions) Program launched to improve the energy
efficiency of county buildings and operations (highlighted on page 45 of document).
King County, Washington: Energy-Efficient Product Procurement
An environmental purchasing program that started as an initiative to promote recycled materials and is now a
comprehensive purchasing program with several energy-related and environmental goals (highlighted on page 21
of document).
Phoenix, Arizona: Energy Conservation Program
An energy conservation program that has evolved into a broader sustainability program that involves land use,
recycling, transportation, and water conservation in addition to energy efficiency (highlighted on page 47 of
document).
Los Angeles, California: Good Practices in City Energy Efficiency
A project to replace 140,000 inefficient street lights with energy-efficient alternatives.
Seward, Alaska: Sustainable Heating in Government Buildings
A project to heat four city buildings using seawater pumped from a nearby bay and a ground source heat pump.
Kansas City, Missouri: Energy Generation and Transportation Electrification Project
A project to develop a 25-acre, 5-megawatt community solar farm to purchase more electric vehicles and hybrid
cars for the city fleet.
Tools and Templates
EPA's Local Government Strategy Series
A series of documents to help policy-makers implement GHG emissions reduction strategies from a variety of
sources (e.g., transportation, energy efficiency, renewable energy).
EPA's Tool Finder for Local Government Clean Energy Initiatives
A search tool that helps local government staff screen tools and resources designed to measure impacts of clean
energy programs and policies.
EPA's Energy Efficiency in Government Operations
Resources and tools on building energy efficiency, including relevant ENERGY STAR publications.
ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
A no-cost, interactive energy management tool that allows you to securely track and assess energy and water
consumption across your building portfolio.
Alameda County, California: Model Civic Green Building Ordinance
StopWaste.org clearinghouse, which provides model policies, ordinances, and contract specifications for county
residents, businesses, and local governments.
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
Program website that includes a suite of tools that local governments can use to highlight green operations,
including a baseline analysis tool, a regional GHG inventory tool, and an electric vehicle ownership tool.
New York State Climate Smart Communities
A collection of resources that provides an overview of climate change; a thorough guide for local climate change
responses; and other resources, including land use and wind energy toolkits.
-------
Further Reading
ENERGY STAR Strategies for Buildings and Plants
Proven energy management strategies and no-cost tools for local and state governments.
EPA's Local Government Solar Project Portal
Project development resources and peer-to-peer learning for how to meet environmental, energy, economic, and
domestic job creation goals through greater utilization of solar energy facilities that serve municipal operations.
DOE SunShot Solar Energy Resource Center
A repository of work developed by DOE, national laboratories, and SunShot awardees. Contains over 100 unique
documents that provide information on model standards and codes, utility policies, solar facilities, financing,
incentives, market analysis, solar basics manufacturing, workforce development, shared solar, planning, zoning,
permitting, and interconnection.
Baton Rouge Sustainable Government Operations Plan
From the Parish of East Baton Rouge, a plan that provides a framework for integrating energy efficiency and
resource sustainability into government services, facilities, and daily operations.
Green Illinois: Green Governments Coordinating Council
Created in 2008 to help state agencies, boards, and commissions adopt a greener way of delivering services.
Acknowledgements
EPA would like to acknowledge Liz Compitello (Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission) and Peter
Ludwig (Elevate Energy, Illinois) for their valuable input and feedback as stakeholder reviewers for this
phase, as well as Chris Carrick, Sam Gordon, and Brian Pincelli (Central New York Regional Planning and
Development Board) for their contributions to the Case in Point from Preble, New York.
-------
78
Take Action:
Adpot a Policy
These guidelines are intended to help local governments that want to drive change in their community by
adopting an ordinance, plan, or other type of policy. By setting a policy, local governments can require
specific actions to achieve concrete objectives. This type of project might include:
• Adopting policies to improve energy efficiency in residential or commercial buildings, such as
building codes, time-of-sale ordinances, and expedited review of green buildings.
• Adopting policies to promote renewable energy production or consumption, such as removing
obstacles to renewable energy siting, green power purchasing, solar panel permitting standards,
wind siting polices, and solar access policies.
• Adopting sustainable land use policies, such as parking maximums, conservation districts, mixed-use
districts, agriculture protection districts, green space requirements, and permeable pavements.
• Adopting policies to reduce or divert waste from landfills, such as mandatory recycling or
composting, construction and demolition waste recycling ordinances, and environmentally
preferable purchasing policies.
• Adopting policies to promote greener transportation, such as anti-idling restrictions, "complete
streets" policies, low-sulfur diesel fuel requirements for construction vehicles, establishment of
bicycle parking, and density bonuses for high-quality bicycle facilities.
• Adopting policies to promote infrastructure resilience, such as requirements that take into account
anticipated changes in flood frequency, and green infrastructure.
The following key steps describe how to put in place a new or updated policy and how to ensure
compliance, including best practices and key questions to consider. Information on adopting policies that
apply only to internal government operations is covered under Promote
Green Government Operations. Projects related to incentivizing or
otherwise encouraging behavior changes in the community are covered
under Engage the Community; however, to the extent that any
rulemaking or other policy-enacting action is required to initiate these
projects, that material is covered here.
ADOPT A POLICY
Convene a Team
Establish Goals and Identify Obstacles
Understand Relevant Policy Context
Identify and Analyze Policy Options
Draft Policy
Present to Relevant Decision-Makers
Communicate and Implement Policy
Enforce, Monitor, and Adjust
¦
-------
79
Key Steps
Exact processes for adopting new policies vary by community and topic. However, some general guidance
applies. The following guidance outlines the general steps involved in adopting and enforcing a new climate,
energy, or sustainability policy in your community.
The steps in this process are not necessarily intended to be pursued in linear order, as shown in Figure 9. For
example, engaging stakeholders and reaching out to experts may occur throughout the process of adopting
a policy, which may go through several iterations before policies are implemented. Additionally, several
steps in the process are fluid; you may find yourself moving back and forth between them, as indicated by
the double-sided and curved arrows in the diagram.
Figure 9. Overview of the Key Steps for Adopting New Policies
Convene a
Team
Establish
Goals and
Identify
Obstacles
Understand
Relevant
Policy
Context
Identify and
Analyze
Draft Policy
Options
Present to
Relevant
Decision-
Makers
Communicate
and
Implement
Policy
Enforce,
Monitor, and
Adjust
ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS
"Case in Point" boxes provide an example of how one town—in this case, the Borough of West Chester,
Pennsylvania—effectively adopted an energy efficiency policy using the steps outlined below. Use the
arrows to navigate between "Case in Point" boxes for the Borough of West Chester.
Step 1. Convene a Team
To shepherd the policy adoption process and clearly delineate roles and responsibilities, you may want to
consider whether your efforts would benefit from a leadership or support team. It is helpful to ask:
• Is the level of effort large or complex, or are there a variety of stakeholders such that the project
would benefit from a cohesive leadership or support team?
• Could existing teams or venues fulfill this role (e.g., ongoing departmental meetings, stakeholder
groups for ongoing planning processes)?
• Are you or your stakeholders facing any time constraints that would either make it difficult to work
with a large team or imply a need to compress the schedule by using extra resources?
If you determine that a leadership or support team would be beneficial, the following questions will be
useful to keep in mind when forming the team.
How large should the team be? Should the team include people only within my organization? What role
should each team member play?
Depending on the size and scope of the policy you are adopting, the appropriate team may range from one
to two people within your organization to a larger advisory committee made up of people from your agency
or other local government agencies, community leaders, and relevant stakeholders. In determining the
appropriate team, it is important to consider the various attributes and strengths of potential stakeholders.
The most suitable team members will offer valuable input, have important buy-in status, offer support,
-------
80
demonstrate leadership, and have unique experiences or perspectives. You will likely want to start the
research into policy options (see Step 4) before finalizing your team. Steps 3 and 4 of the policy adoption
process may be somewhat iterative.
You may want to establish an internal core team who can think through the policy approach. Then,
depending on the situation, you can determine the best approach to engage with a broader range of
stakeholders. You might establish a formal community engagement process, or you might identify and meet
more informally with key community stakeholders individually or convened as a group.
A smaller-scale policy with low barriers to adoption (such as a small update to the building energy code in a
community that supports energy efficiency) may require a smaller team, while the adoption of a major plan
(such as a climate change action plan) may benefit from broader community input.
Can you partner with other communities or a regional organization to reduce the resources required to
adopt a policy?
Neighboring communities or regional organizations can be partners in the effort (see Helpful Tips: Regional
Collaborations). Partnerships can reduce the resources required from your organization and can also impact
sustainability or resilience on a broader scale. First, you may want to consider whether your neighboring
communities might be stakeholders in this process, either because they may be affected by your policy or
because they may have an interest in exploring the policy with you and possibly adopting it simultaneously.
If so, you can benefit from:
• Seeking out a regional organization (such as your regional planning commission) that could help you
streamline coordination and communication across multiple jurisdictions or that could adopt its own
policies and procedures to encourage broader adoption of the policy.
• Gathering staff members from a group of communities and meeting regularly to exchange ideas,
share resources, and track progress. Communities that have common goals can work together to
draft and adopt policies in a resource-effective way. It is worth noting that working with this kind of
formal, multi-jurisdictional group can be time-intensive.
Several examples of successful collaborative partnerships include:
• Central New York Climate Change Innovation Program—Through the EPA's former Climate
Showcase Communities Program, the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board
worked with seven municipalities on adopting climate change action plans and implementing clean
energy demonstration projects.
Small Cities Climate Action Partnership—Through the EPA's former Climate Showcase Communities
Program, four California localities collaborated on resolutions and policies.
New Jersey Sustainable Energy Efficiency Demonstration Projects—Through the EPA's former
Climate Showcase Communities Program, three New Jersey localities collaborated on adopting
climate change action plans.
Carbon-Neutral Cities Alliance—The Urban Sustainability Directors' Network created an alliance to
share best practices, highlight innovation, and provide funding to cities undertaking carbon-reducing
measures, including clean energy projects.
The Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative Corporation—Under the Cooperative of 14 municipalities
and the Massachusetts Wholesale Electric Company, the municipalities issued a green bond to build
a wind farm from which they all receive outputs.
-------
Helpful Tips: Regional Collaborations
Regional collaboration (through a third-party coordinator or through direct cooperation between city
staff) can lead to the successful adoption of a policy. However, some common pitfalls include jurisdictions that
feel they are competing with each other, complications in meeting grant reporting requirements, or partners
that lose interest over time. Building trust and good personal relationships, establishing clear goals and
partnerships early in the process, highlighting common benefits, and creating structured timelines and
communication processes can help overcome these challenges.
Case in Point
In 2006, the Borough of West Chester, Pennsylvania, (1.8 square miles, pop. 18,000) established an ad-
hoc committee to focus on reducing GHG emissions. The five-member Borough Leaders United for Emissions
Reduction (BLUER) committee, tasked with reducing GHG emissions in the community, led the effort to adopt
an energy efficiency policy. The volunteer committee was composed of two residents, one representative from
the local university, one business owner, and one county facilities representative. The committee was formed by
the Borough Council to implement West Chester's commitment through the ICLEI Cities for Climate Protection
Campaign.
BLUER developed a recruitment and application process to select new members. The first committee member
reached out to contacts and used personal networks to identify interested individuals. Volunteer committee
members were committed to GHG reductions in West Chester and dedicated their personal time to the
committee's work. The committee decided that, given the anticipated scope of the policy—an update to an
existing policy with high community support—no additional leadership team was needed.
OO
©
Step 2. Establish Goals and Identify Obstacles
Before embarking on a process to adopt a policy, it is helpful to first clarify the exact goals of the policy and
the problem statement that your policy seeks to address. These goals may derive from a higher-level plan
(such as a climate change action plan or comprehensive plan), or from other policy drivers in your
community. For example, a policy goal may be to reduce residential energy use or GHG emissions. While
high-level goals are important as policy drivers, it is important to also develop goals that are as specific as
possible, with quantitative targets and defined audiences, when possible. See the Set Goals and Select
Actions phase for additional information on the goal-setting process.
As you establish goals and identify obstacles, you may want to consider assessing how the project may affect
— different segments of the community in different ways, including variable distribution of benefits
and burdens. In addition, success metrics can account for equity by measuring who benefits and
^ setting targets for equitable distribution of benefits.
-------
82
Case in Point
The BLUER committee began by conducting a baseline community-wide GHG inventory. The GHG inventory
showed that electricity use was a primary cause of emissions in the community, so BLUER identified energy
efficiency as a key mechanism to reduce emissions.
BLUER set a goal of reviewing West Chester's building and zoning codes to identify opportunities to improve
energy efficiency. This effort contributed to BLUER's overall goal of reducing emissions 10 percent below
2005 baseline levels by 2015. West Chester's emissions went down by 11 percent during this period, exceeding
BLUER's goal.
OO
Step 3. Understand Relevant Policy Context
Before drafting a new policy, it is helpful to understand the details of relevant policies in your organization
or agency and the overall policy context. A solid understanding of local community dynamics will also be
important to policy adoption.
You will need to determine whether the policy you want your community to adopt aligns with existing
policies. You can begin by reviewing the existing policies to understand exactly how they are structured.
Would the policy be an outright replacement of an existing policy, an update to an existing policy, or an
entirely new policy? For example, would you need to change a whole section of municipal code or just a few
lines? If you want to create a new policy, you can review existing policies that may relate to your new effort
to ensure that they are compatible.
It is important to understand how the new policy interacts with existing state, federal, and other relevant
laws and policies. You will also need to ensure that your jurisdiction has authority to adopt the policy in
mind. If you are not sure how to find this information, you can contact the legal department of your
organization. You could also consult with professional associations such as the American Planning
Association, which may have dealt with a particular policy and have advice on legal aspects.
You can continue to develop an understanding of the local context surrounding the policy by asking
questions such as:
• What interest has the community expressed in this policy?
• What groups will support, oppose, or want to know more about this policy?
\§)
What do you know (or can you find out) about the interests of the governing body as they relate to
this policy?
How will this policy affect different community groups? Will some groups benefit more than others?
Will some groups be burdened more than others?
Has your jurisdiction tried to adopt this policy before?
How will this policy be perceived in your community?
Is there an important timeframe for adopting this policy?
-------
83
You can identify and engage stakeholders who can help you answer these questions and build support for
the policy. Stakeholders may include community leaders, business owners, residents, and anyone who may
be affected by the policy. It is important to engage these stakeholders early and often throughout the
process. Informal meetings with community leaders can be a good way to start the process, discuss these
issues, and build early support for the policy. See the Engage and Communicate phase for additional
information on engaging stakeholders.
Case in Point
Shortly before BLUER made plans to adopt an energy efficiency policy, the West Chester mayor
surveyed residents and found that environmental issues were a high priority for the community. This indicated
community support for BLUER's efforts, which BLUER could leverage as they made the case for revised codes.
BLUER identified two primary ways to affect building energy use through local codes: by revising the building
energy efficiency code, which would require approval from a state committee, and by updating conditional use
criteria within the local zoning code. They conducted research to understand what would be involved in
pursuing either approach.
BLUER also began reaching out to key stakeholders to learn about community perspectives and build support
for an energy efficiency policy. In particular, BLUER met early on with members of the Borough Council and the
building community to determine whether they would have any concerns about a new energy efficiency policy.
OO
©
Step 4. Identify and Analyze Policy Options
When you understand your organization's community and policy context, you can identify and evaluate
options for your new policy, including enforcement mechanisms.
Other communities may have adopted policies similar to the one you are pursuing. You can seek out related
policies, such as model ordinances, that have been adopted in communities comparable to yours in ways
relevant to the policy (e.g., challenges, government organization, and population). The identified policies can
serve as inspiration as you structure your own policy. It may be helpful to reach out to your counterparts at
other organizations and ask about best practices and lessons learned. Some ideas for research strategies:
• Contact someone who has done what you want to do, and talk with them about the challenges and
opportunities they faced. You might consult with professional associations like the American
Planning Association or the International City/County Management Association, which may have
dealt with relevant policies.
• Review databases for examples of policies previously adopted by states and cities. For example,
DSIRE includes local policies, searchable by geography and policy type. Other databases are listed in
the Tools and Templates section.
• Review model plans and ordinances, which provide a template for crafting your own policy (Table 6).
• Review guidance from other organizations on larger-scale planning efforts:
o The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy's (ACEEE) report on best practices in heat
island mitigation policies
o The ACEEE's Local Technical Assistance Toolkit.
-------
84
Table 6. Examples of Model Ordinances
Title
Details
Alameda Countv, California: Construction
A model ordinance from the StopWaste.org clearinghouse that requires
recycling of construction and demolition debris
and Demolition Debris Recvcling Model
Ordinance
Minnesota Model Ordinance for Transit-
Clearinghouse of model ordinances related to sustainable development,
transportation, and land use
Oriented Development
Delaware Vallev Regional Planning
Provides frameworks for municipalities to develop ordinances to govern
the siting of small-scale solar, geothermal, and wind systems
Commission Renewable Energv Ordinance
Frameworks
Columbia Law School Model Municipal
Wind Siting Ordinance
Model ordinance for siting wind energy, including provisions for permits,
approvals, operation, and oversight of wind energy conversion systems
As you research options, it is best to evaluate multiple alternatives. For example, if your goal is to improve
the energy efficiency of commercial buildings, you can compare the implications of alternatives for a
building energy code, such as:
• Applying the code to new construction vs. major renovations
• Setting requirements for all properties vs. under-performing properties
• Determining what events "trigger" requirements (e.g., definition of "major" renovations, time of
sale, a specific date for all properties)
• Putting the code into effect on one date vs. another
• Updating the building efficiency standards vs. requiring all buildings to earn the ENERGY STAR
• Determining the appropriate energy requirements, factoring in your climate zone and other relevant
state or national targets
• Alternatives for enforcement mechanisms
Your research on existing policies will inform which alternatives to evaluate.
For each alternative, you can analyze the costs, benefits, and societal impacts of the policy, as well as any
risks, or needed support and enforcement. Selection of the best alternative will be based on your goals
(e.g., largest reductions in energy use, lowest cost and complexity, impacts on the greatest number of
people), while keeping in mind the direct impacts on those most affected by the change in policy. You can
use this comparative information to support your policy decision. Additional information on evaluating
actions is available under Step 5 of the Set Goals and Select Actions phase.
-------
Case in Point fp
The West Chester, Pennsylvania, BLUER committee researched several policy options for addressing
energy efficiency in buildings, thinking through the entire process of how buildings are constructed to identify
policy opportunities. For example, the committee considered attempting to update the energy efficiency code
versus adding an energy efficiency criterion to the borough's conditional use criteria in the zoning code. The
committee opted to pursue changes to the conditional use criteria because of the political and practical barriers
involved in changing energy codes, which requires approval from a state committee.
Within the conditional use criteria, BLUER also considered several options for promoting energy efficiency,
including ENERGY STAR, LEED, Green Globes, and other programs. Ultimately, West Chester pursued an addition
to the zoning code's conditional use criteria that required buildings to earn the ENERGY STAR.
According to BLUER chair Dianne Herrin, ENERGY STAR was the "clear choice" for West Chester. ENERGY STAR
most directly addressed energy efficiency, the goal of the policy, with minimal burdens for developers in the
small town.
BLUER continued to engage community members and decision-makers throughout this process. They prepared
a brief (10-minute) presentation to give to the Borough Council, developer community, and building managers,
discussing the benefits of energy efficiency in buildings and building support for the policy.
OO
Step 5. Draft Policy
Once you have analyzed the alternatives, it is time to draft a policy that works for your community. This may
be largely identical to one of the policies you reviewed or a combination of elements from various existing
policies, or it may include completely new elements or structures. When drafting the policy, you can decide
which format would be most appropriate and follow your organization's policy-making procedures. Policies
can take many forms, including a formal plan, a local ordinance, or a written recommendation to the
decision-making body.
As you draft the policy, it is helpful to consider the following questions:
How will the policy be implemented, and who will be responsible for implementation?
As you are drafting the policy, it is useful to consider who will be responsible for implementing the policy. If
appropriate, you can include this language in the policy itself. For example, the City of Austin drafted and
adopted an ordinance to require properties in Austin to undergo energy audits before being sold. The
ordinance itself assigned responsibility for implementing the policy to the director of the Austin Electric
Utility (the public utility and a city department).
How should the policy be enforced, and who will be responsible for enforcement?
It is useful to consider how the policy will be enforced, who will be responsible for enforcement, and
whether to include that language in the policy. Examples of enforcement mechanisms include establishing
periodic audits or fines for non-compliance. Model ordinances or plans are good places to look for examples
of how other jurisdictions have enforced similar policies.
How much will policy implementation and enforcement cost? What funds could cover these costs?
Keeping in mind the relative resources required will help you determine the most appropriate
implementation and enforcement mechanisms for the policy. Could existing staff and responsibilities cover
-------
86
enforcement? For example, if the policy adds requirements for new construction in the community, could
existing code enforcement functions include enforcement of the new policy in the context of their existing
roles and capacity? Or would additional funds or staff be required to carry out enforcement of the new
requirements? If the policy requires ongoing activity, you can try to identify ongoing funding to cover that
activity (not a one-time grant). See the Obtain Resources phase for information on securing staff time,
funding, or other resources to implement and enforce the policy.
It is a good idea to build your justification as you draft the policy. You may want to develop a formal
document that you can use to support the proposed policy and the way it is structured. The justification
document might include an alternatives analysis documenting the analysis done in the previous step and the
reasons for the selections you made. It may also include sections related to the policy's fiscal impacts, legal
issues, sustainability issues, or other metrics that are important to consider when proposing any policy.
Case in Point
d
The West Chester BLUER committee members drafted an ordinance to bring before the Borough
Council. The ordinance amended West Chester's zoning code to require that any developers seeking a
"conditional use" approval for a project must design the buildings to meet ENERGY STAR energy performance
goals. In West Chester, conditional use approvals are required for any buildings taller than 45 feet. Within one
year of operation, having done the upfront work to earn the ENERGY STAR, building owners could assess energy
use and apply for the ENERGY STAR label and recognition. The new requirement to earn the ENERGY STAR was
added to the list of other conditional use criteria required to receive a building permit, such as parking, lighting,
and signage requirements. The municipal legal counsel provided support in drafting the language of the
ordinance.
See § 112-33.1 of the policy.
OO
Step 6. Present Proposed Policy to Relevant Decision-Makers
Now that the policy is drafted and you have informally engaged with decision-makers throughout the
process, you can formally present the policy to the relevant decision-making body to consider for adoption.
When presenting the proposed policy, it is a good idea to be prepared to:
Summarize the problem or opportunity you are trying to address
Describe the process you have gone through to arrive at your recommendation, including how you
have engaged stakeholders and any input received
Present the content of the proposed policy
Describe how the policy will be implemented and enforced, and who will be responsible for
implementation and enforcement
Explain how the policy would impact the agency in terms of cost and staffing
Make clear why the decision-makers should adopt the policy, and any other relevant issues such as
urgency or potential alternatives.
If the policy is adopted, you can move on to implementing the policy.
If the policy is not adopted, you may want to consider whether it is appropriate to revise, address concerns,
and try again. It is best to keep stakeholders engaged as you make these decisions.
-------
87
Case in Point
d
Once a final draft of the ordinance was complete, BLUER followed the Borough Council's protocol to
present it for a vote. They published a public notice in the local paper about the proposed ordinance, held a
public hearing, and had the ordinance put on the agenda for the next Borough Council work session. At the work
session, council members reviewed and discussed the ordinance, and BLUER members answered their
questions. Since BLUER had already briefed the Borough Council using their 10-minute presentation and
proactively addressed their concerns, BLUER faced very few questions and little to no resistance from the
council. After presentation to the council, the proposed ordinance was moved to the voting session the
following week, where it passed unanimously. In total, the process to adopt the ordinance took about six
months.
OO
Step 7. Communicate and Implement the New Policy
Once the policy has been adopted, it is helpful to consider the following questions:
Who needs to know about the new policy for it to take effect?
Affected parties need communication about the policy. These may be individuals within city or government
departments, the building community, business owners, homeowners, or others. In addition, it is good
practice to inform those who participated in early engagement about how their perspectives were reflected
in the adopted policy.
What do they need to know for the policy to take effect?
If the policy requires people to adopt new behaviors, it is helpful to make sure they know how to comply
with the policy. It may make sense to hold trainings on the new policy for people affected. For example,
Sacramento developed river-friendly landscaping standards and held a series of trainings with park staff and
local landscape architects to inform them of how the standards work.
See the Engage and Communicate phase for additional tips on conducting outreach and communicating
policies. See the Obtain Resources phase for information on securing staff time, funding, or other resources
to communicate the policy.
Case in Point
Once the council passed the policy, BLUER issued a press release and organized a training session for
local building managers and developers about the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool. They also prepared a
checklist for the zoning officer to distribute to all relevant building permit applicants, including background
information on the ordinance, a checklist of tasks necessary for compliance, and resources. Through these
efforts, BLUER made sure that builders knew exactly what was expected of them and how to comply.
OO
©
-------
88
Step 8. Enforce, Monitor, and Adjust
Once the policy is in place and being enforced, you can monitor and evaluate its effectiveness and make any
needed adjustments to refine your communication and enforcement strategies. It is helpful to periodically
revisit the policy and adjust it based on changing conditions in the community. For example, as green
building practices become more standard, you might want to adopt a revised green building policy with
more stringent performance thresholds.
Enforcement can take many forms, and can also evolve with time as you better understand how the public is
responding to the policy. For example, San Francisco changed the enforcement of its 2008 composting
ordinance from a fine-based system to an outreach approach in response to public resistance to fines. Visit
the Track and Report phase for additional information.
Case in Point
©
In West Chester, Pennsylvania, enforcement of the policy fell to the zoning officer, who now considers
the ENERGY STAR requirements in addition to other conditional use requirements in granting building permits.
Though West Chester has not implemented any formal monitoring and evaluation efforts related to ENERGY
STAR, the new policy has been successful, and all private buildings built since the passing of the ordinance have
earned the ENERGY STAR. On average, ENERGY STAR certified buildings and plants use 35 percent less energy
and release 35 percent fewer GHG emissions than comparable buildings across the country. However, West
Chester has noticed that it is difficult to fully evaluate the benefits of the ordinance in its current form, since
builders are not required to earn the ENERGY STAR; they are required only to demonstrate that the building is
designed to meet ENERGY STAR energy performance goals. In 2016, West Chester passed an ordinance that
requires commercial buildings to apply for the ENERGY STAR one year after the building becomes operational.
OO
Examples from the Field
Salt Lake City, Utah: Idle Free Ordinance
Information about an ordinance that prohibits unnecessary vehicle idling over two minutes within city limits.
Favetteville, Arkansas: Energy Action Plan
Plan for reducing waste, reducing energy use, and increasing energy efficiency in an equitable manner, created with
input from many stakeholder groups.
Bellingham, Washington: City Council Resolution to Start a Municipal Green Power Purchasing Program
Resolution to launch a municipal green power purchase program (pp. 97-99 of the Compendium of Best Practices).
New York City, New York: Car Share Zoning Text Amendment
New York City's amended city zoning resolution that allows car share vehicles to park in off-street parking garages
and lots.
Chicago, Illinois: Landscape Ordinance
Ordinance that requires developers to include landscaping in their building plans to reduce urban heat and air
pollution, promoting adaptation.
-------
89
Tools and Templates
EPA's Tool Finder for Local Government Clean Energy Initiatives
A search tool that helps local government staff screen tools and resources designed to measure impacts of clean
energy programs and policies.
EPA's State and Local Energy and Environment Program: Provides technical assistance; analytical tools; and
outreach support to state, local, and tribal governments.
DOE's Building Energy Codes Program, Adoption Process
From the U.S. Department of Energy, information on how to adopt building energy codes, including technical
assistance and information on state energy codes.
Smart Growth Implementation Toolkit
From Smart Growth America, a tool for local governments looking to adopt smart growth land use planning and
community design policies; includes a policy audit that could support Step 2.
Georgetown Climate Center: Resources to advance effective policies in the United States that reduce GHG
emissions and help communities adapt to climate change. Includes a searchable adaptation clearinghouse and a
collection of state and local adaptation plans.
Further Reading
EPA's Reducing Urban Heat Islands: Compendium of Strategies
Guide that describes measures that communities can take to address the impacts of urban heat islands, including
voluntary and policy efforts.
Local Energy Planning in Practice: A Review of Recent Experiences
From the ACEEE, a report that reviews the energy efficiency planning activities of 30 local governments, including
commonalities and opportunities for improvement.
ACEEE's Local Energy Efficiency Policy Case Studies: Provides comprehensive information on energy efficiency
policies and projects implemented in dozens of localities around the United States.
Green Cities California: Includes best practices and examples of sustainability policies related to energy,
environmental health, transportation, urban design, urban nature, waste reduction, and water.
Colorado Center for Sustainable Urbanism's Sustainable Development Code Framework
Framework that provides ideas for municipal and regional codes to address a full range of sustainability issues.
Acknowledgements
EPA would like to acknowledge Garrett Fitzgerald (City of Oakland, California) and Jeff Perlman (North Jersey
Transportation Planning Authority) for their valuable input and feedback as stakeholder reviewers for this
phase, as well as Dianne Herrin (BLUER) for her contributions to the Case in Point.
-------
90
Take Action:
Engage the Community
Promoting voluntary actions, even small ones, can have a big impact on saving energy and building
sustainable communities. For example, a single light bulb that has earned the ENERGY STAR can save more
than $50 in electricity costs over its lifetime. According to EPA's Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.
saving 1,000 kWh of electricity is equal to reducing emissions by more than 1,550 pounds of carbon dioxide
equivalent.
Projects to encourage voluntary actions and behavior change could include:
• Promoting residential and commercial energy efficiency. For example, holding a building
competition to save energy, water, or waste; conducting a small business energy efficiency
challenge; encouraging residents to adopt pledges to reduce energy use or participate in energy
rebate programs; and providing financial and technical assistance for residential energy audits and
retrofits.
• Increasing community renewable energy production or consumption. For example, promoting
usage requirements to become an EPA Green Power Community, conducting outreach to encourage
voluntary purchases of renewable energy, providing rebates for solar energy installation, and
encouraging residents and businesses to invest in community solar projects.
• Reducing community waste. For example, offering a curbside recycling service, conducting outreach
and training to initiate a composting program, and organizing a community-wide paper-shredding
day to promote paper recycling.
• Encouraging greener transportation choices. For example, distributing walking and biking maps, bus
schedules, or free bus passes, and promoting a community-wide bike-to-work challenge.
• Promoting sustainable land use. For example, hosting a forum to
promote the use of smart growth, transit-oriented development,
neighborhood development principles in parcel or neighborhood
design; providing financial incentives for more compact
development; and conducting outreach and training on green
gardening practices to conserve water and protect the soil.
• Promoting community resilience. For example, conducting
demonstration projects of strategies that reduce the urban heat
island effect, holding rain garden or rain barrel workshops to
promote stormwater mitigation, or setting up a neighborhood
check-in system during extreme weather events.
The following key steps focus on developing projects to encourage the
adoption of voluntary actions by a community's residents, businesses, and visitors.
Information on adopting a policy in the form of a plan, ordinance, regulation, or other mechanism to
mandate sustainable actions is covered under Adopt a Policy. Information on projects to make changes to
government operations is covered under Promote Green Government Operations.
ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY
Convene a Team
Establish Goals and Identify Project Parameters |
Research Similar Projects
Develop Project Details
Develop Outreach Plan and Materials
Engage Target Audience
Implement the Project
Monitor and Adjust
-------
Key Steps
The key steps presented here describe how to design and roll out voluntary projects, including crafting
effective outreach campaigns and continually monitoring and adjusting project activities based on feedback
from stakeholders and measured outcomes. The steps are not necessarily intended to be pursued in linear
order, as shown in Figure 10. For example, engaging stakeholders will likely occur throughout the process,
and several steps in the process are fluid; you may find yourself moving back and forth between them, as
indicated by the double-sided and curved arrows in the diagram.
Figure 10. Overview of the Key Steps for Designing and Rolling Out Voluntary Projects
f \
Convene
a Team
Establish
Goals and
Identify
Project
Parameters
#
'
Research
Similar
Projects
#
Develop
Project
Details
#
' -i
Develop
Outreach
Plan and
Materials
Engage
Target
Audience
*
Implement
the Project
»
Monitor and
Adjust
ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS
"Case in Point" boxes provide an example of how one town—in this case, the City of Eugene, Oregon—
effectively implemented an individualized marketing program to encourage adoption of alternate
transportation using the steps outlined below. Use the arrows to navigate between "Case in Point" boxes for
the City of Eugene.
Step 1. Convene a Team
To effectively engage the community, you may want to consider whether your efforts would benefit from a
leadership or support team. It is helpful to ask:
• Is the level of effort large or complex, or are there a variety of stakeholders such that the project
would benefit from a cohesive leadership or support team?
• Could existing teams or venues fulfill this role (e.g., ongoing departmental meetings, stakeholder
groups for ongoing planning processes)?
• Are you or your stakeholders facing any time constraints that would either make it difficult to work
with a large team or imply a need to compress the schedule by using extra resources?
If you determine that a leadership or support team would be beneficial, the following questions will be
useful to keep in mind when forming the team.
How large should the team be? Should the team include people only within my organization? What role
should each team member play?
The size of your team is an important consideration. A larger team may be more representative; a smaller
team may be more efficient. Potential stakeholders and individuals have various attributes and strengths in
offering valuable input, support, leadership, and unique experiences or perspectives.
It is also useful to identify the key people or partners who can help you create a better, stronger
project, as well as to articulate your goals, help create buy-in, and ensure that your goals are
realized over the course of the project. These may include inspired staff members, community
leaders, specific departments within the government, a facility that has identified an opportunity to make a
change, or private organizations. It is helpful to include leaders who represent key populations within your
community, especially those with specific needs or who may be underrepresented.
-------
Can you partner with other communities or organizations to reduce the resources required for the
voluntary project?
Neighboring communities or other organizations can be partners in the effort. Partnerships can reduce the
resources required from your community and can also impact sustainability or resilience on a broader scale.
You may want to consider meeting regularly with members from a group of communities to exchange ideas,
share resources, and track progress. It is worth noting that working with this kind of formal, multi-
jurisdictional group can be time-intensive.
Visit the Engage and Communicate phase for specific guidance on how to engage with potential project
partners.
Step 2. Establish Goals and Identify General Project Parameters
The first step in designing a voluntary project is to clearly define the goals and objectives, identify the
specific activity you would like to undertake, understand the target audience, and characterize the general
context and resource availability.
Is there a specific need or momentum for a voluntary project that would benefit your community? For
example, if the cost of waste management in your community recently increased, is there a company that
would like to initiate or expand a composting program? Did your city planners recently attend a conference
where they learned about voluntary projects in similar communities? Did a recent climate change action
plan identify transportation or buildings as the largest source of GHG emissions in your community? Does a
new energy regulation present opportunities for implementing a voluntary energy-saving project?
You can start by clearly identifying the goals and the type of project that your community wants to pursue.
Visit the Set Goals and Select Actions phase for guidance on articulating specific goals and identifying
actions.
As you define the project's initial scope, you may want to consider the types and amounts of available
resources, including funding and staff time. Visit the Obtain Resources phase for guidance on how to obtain
necessary resources.
-------
93
Case in Point fp
The City of Eugene, Oregon (pop. 157,986) developed significant bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure
but realized that those investments alone were not enough to reach the target number of people biking or
walking. Based on the City of Portland's TravelSmart pilot, Eugene implemented an individualized marketing
program called Smart Trips to encourage adoption of alternate transportation. The program's specific goals were
to decrease driving trips; reduce carbon emissions associated with driving; and increase walking, bicycling, and
public transit. The first program was implemented in the Harlow neighborhood in 2010.
During the summer of 2011, the city secured a grant from EPA's former Climate Showcase Communities
program to expand the Smart Trips program. Considering the available funding, the city decided to focus on
three centrally located neighborhoods: Trainsong, Whiteaker, and Jefferson/Westside. The program was called
Smart Trips: Central and targeted a total of 6,300 households.
The city selected these neighborhoods due to their potential to achieve a substantial shift in transit mode, based
on transit service availability, walking/bicycling infrastructure, and local destinations such as pedestrian-friendly
business districts, parks, schools, and downtown. Environmental justice was another priority factor. The
selected neighborhoods have a significant percentage of residents living below the poverty line, are more
ethnically diverse, face greater transportation barriers, and receive fewer services than more affluent, less
diverse neighborhoods.
OO
Step 3. Research Similar Projects
When designing projects, it is helpful to build on existing projects—whether by collaborating with ongoing
projects or building on lessons learned from past projects.
Understand Local Efforts
Are there any complementary (or competing) projects in your community, state, or region? You can look for
projects that target the same audience or address the same topic. Could you combine your efforts or
otherwise collaborate with existing projects? Are there any lessons learned from these projects on how to
best engage your audience?
Learn from Others
Many communities around the country have implemented voluntary projects and can offer valuable
resources. Learning from their experience can save you time and effort, and help you avoid pitfalls, make
realistic goals, and develop a strong project. You may want to:
• Look for national, regional, or local projects that are consistent with your goals, community type,
local interest level, and available resources.
• Identify best practices and potential projects to replicate.
• Reach out to people who have implemented similar projects.
• Identify the components of similar projects that are appropriate for your community.
• Decide whether you want to tie into an existing project (e.g., a regional or national project) or create
a new voluntary project in your community.
-------
Case in Point
The City of Eugene's Smart Trips: Central program was modeled after a successful TravelSmart pilot in
Portland. The TravelSmart pilot area covered more than 14,000 people in Portland and generated a large data
collection and analysis effort. Following the completion of the TravelSmart pilot, Portland modified the program
and launched Portland Smart Trips to reduce costs and add hands-on experiential activities.
Eugene focused on the Smart Trips component of Portland's program. Eugene's staff participated in trainings
and used outreach and other materials developed by Portland for Smart Trips. The Eugene program also reached
out to another former EPA Climate Showcase Communities grantee, the Sustainable Transport for a Sustainable
Future program in Salt Lake City, Utah, to brainstorm ideas and share lessons learned.
In addition, Eugene developed its Transportation Masters leadership training by building on the Climate
Leadership Initiatives' Climate Masters program. The Transportation Masters program offered a free, 4-hour
training to interested community members in the targeted area. The participants learned about the impact of
others in their community. Then they each committed to 10 hours of service and served as peer leaders in the
program's outreach events.
Following the success of its Smart Trips: Central program, Eugene is currently advising other local governments
interested in implementing their own Smart Trips programs.
OO
@
-------
Step 4. Develop Project Details
Once you have convened a team, established goals, identified general project parameters, and conducted
research into similar projects, you can integrate your findings and design your project. It is helpful to clearly
determine the behaviors you want to target and consider different incentive systems, for example:
• Awards and recognition. Holding an energy efficiency competition with prizes; developing a
sustainable certificate program; or promoting the use of pledges (see Helpful Tips: Award and
Incentive Programs).
• Financial incentives. Advertising any federal, state, local, or utility rebates for solar energy
installation.
• Technical assistance. Providing assistance in the form of workshops, installation kits, or guidebooks.
In addition, the project details will specify how the project will work. For example, will project interaction be
web-based, face-to-face, or a combination of both? Will you require participants to provide proof of their
actions, or will you rely on the honor system? How will participants report their actions, and how will you
verify their reports? How will you distribute materials or incentives?
As you develop the project details, you may want to consider the following elements:
Audience. Who will be affected by the project or should know about the efforts and successes of the
project? Does the audience report to a county or state government? Is the ultimate audience the
taxpayers? Is the audience made up of citizens and business owners? Have you engaged audiences
from all neighborhoods? Seeking to understand the motivations of your audience and engage them
appropriately will benefit the project. Visit the Engage and Communicate phase for more
information on understanding audiences.
Equity. What will be the impacts of the project on various communities? It is important to receive
insights from all neighborhoods and from multiple perspectives.
Legal considerations. Have you obtained necessary permissions and approvals from relevant
organizations and individuals (e.g., local government departments, elected leaders)? The project
needs to comply with all applicable local, state, and federal laws.
Resources. Will sufficient resources be available for the full project duration, including maintenance
requirements and ongoing implementation? You will need to define and secure needed resources
(see the Obtain Resources phase).
Timeline. Does the timeline that you have developed for the project take into account staff
availability and capacity?
Tracking and reporting. Have you developed a plan to measure, report, and evaluate quantifiable
metrics? Guidance from the Track and Report phase can help you develop the appropriate metrics.
-------
Helpful Tips: Award and Incentive Programs
For awards and certificate programs, other communities have found it helpful to:
• Use specific, clear, and consistent certification requirements.
• Ensure that earning a certificate means actual change or progress.
• Distribute professionally printed certificates that businesses are proud to display.
For incentive programs, other communities have found it helpful to:
• Target incentives to encourage participation beyond the early adopters, who would likely make the
change without any incentive.
• Minimize administrative burdens to make it easy for people to obtain the incentives (e.g., provide
residents with a few free bus passes as an automated part of vehicle registration).
• Make technical assistance easy to obtain. The time and location of workshops and materials
distribution can lower the barrier for participation.
Case in Point
To close the information gap, the Smart Trips: Central program organized educational activities and
offered incentives to encourage residents in the targeted neighborhoods to try alternate transportation options.
Residents could order a Smart/O't with information about local walking, bicycling, or transit resources. In addition
to educational materials such as brochures, guides, and manuals, a Biking Kit included a bicycle pant leg strap, a
Walking Kit included a pedometer, and a Transit Kit included a free week of bus passes. Participants could also
choose from one of the three free travel tools: a Smart Trips BPA-free metal water bottle, a Smart Trips umbrella,
or a bandana that displays the city walking and biking map. Smart Trips: Central staff delivered a total of
673 Smart/O'ts by bicycle, and used the deliveries as opportunities to raise community awareness about the
program.
The program also engaged local businesses to offer discounts and donations to the program. For example, the
program worked with three businesses to provide sweet treat samples along the five-mile Sweet Treats Bike
Ride. It also partnered with the City of Eugene's Summer in the City series to encourage climate-friendly
transportation to the series' events.
Smart Trips: Central encountered some challenges related to attendance and staffing during the program. As a
lesson learned, the program recommended reducing the number of activities and events, while increasing
partnerships with already trusted community networks and social service providers like affordable housing and
retirement centers to build on their existing activities. For example, the program plans to bring Walking and
Biking Kits to the events organized by partner organizations in the future.
OO
0
-------
97
Step 5. Develop an Outreach Plan and Materials
Effective outreach and communication efforts are especially important for voluntary projects to motivate
stakeholders to take action. It is a good practice to develop simple and clear messages that will
resonate with the target audience (see Step 6). You can design an outreach plan and communications
materials to convey these messages to the target audience (see Helpful Tips: Storytelling).
Visit the Obtain Resources section and the Engage and Communicate phase for additional guidance on ways
to effectively communicate and market projects to the community. You can maximize the effectiveness of
your outreach efforts by identifying the best venues to reach your audience, such as specific media outlets
(including social media), community organizations, or community events. You may also want to work with
the local media in your outreach plan, as they can play a key role in disseminating your project's messages
to the community.
Helpful Tips: Storytelling
Telling stories can effectively encourage behavior change. You may want to incorporate storytelling
into your outreach materials, events, or strategies. You can ask a peer to share his or her experiences in
overcoming the barriers to behavior change. Peer-to-peer sharing can inspire and motivate others to take
similar action. According to the Goodman Center, good stories include the following elements:
• A protagonist—a person the story is about.
• A goal—a direction for the story and an inciting incident that sets it in motion.
• Barriers—one or many obstacles that must be overcome in pursuit of the goal; more barriers make the
story more compelling.
• Achievements—how the protagonist overcame the obstacles to achieve his or her goals.
• Resolution—how the situation was resolved; stories do not have to have a happy ending.
-------
Case in Point
d
The Smart Trips: Central program used a multi-pronged approach to announce the activities of the
program, including three print newsletters, mailed forms, reminder postcards, and non-print communications in
weekly emails, on a website, and through social media posts on the program's Facebook and Twitter pages. The
reminder postcards sent to residents who had not ordered a Smart/O't were found to be effective in increasing
the response rate.
Smart Trips: Central also partnered with organizations to engage the community via existing channels and
networks. The program promoted its activities through the city's and community groups' event calendars, local
businesses, and a local biking electronic newsletter.
The program hosted 12 community events including group walks, guided bicycle rides, workshops, and the
signature Eugene Sunday Streets event, where the city closed three miles of streets to vehicular traffic, opening
them up for people to bike, walk, skate, and dance through the streets. An estimated 2,000 people attended the
event. Smart Trips staff also participated in other community events and offered information and advice to
residents about multimodal transportation. In addition, the city installed 30 signs to clearly mark existing bike
routes and infrastructure.
To facilitate peer-to-peer storytelling and learning, the program launched the Transportation Masters program.
Six community members received training on environmentally friendly transportation and strategies to engage
others in their community. They then staffed outreach events and advised their peers on alternate
transportation options. The events were designed to bring together a mix of people, so that residents with more
experience in alternate transport could share stories with and teach those who were less experienced.
Furthermore, the City of Eugene is working to develop a miniseries for a local TV station in which they can
interview past participants in the program.
^ v The program staff also stressed the importance of making resources and events accessible to the
target audience. For example, they suggested that materials be translated for communities where
English is primarily a second language, and that events not be scheduled too early on Saturday
mornings.
oo
Step 6. Engage the Target Audience
Once you have developed your project details, it is a good idea to reach out directly to the target audience
to deepen and refine your understanding of their values and motivations, as well as any barriers they face
taking the desired action. This can help you design an effective outreach plan and materials that resonate
with them (see Step 5).
It is helpful to prepare a series of questions to discuss with representatives of the target audience. For
example, for a sustainable transportation project, you might ask:
• What is your current primary means of transportation?
• What factors determine the transportation you use?
• How do you get information about transportation options?
• Do you ever walk, bike, carpool, or use public transit instead of driving alone?
• What motivates you to use alternate transportation?
• What inhibits you from using alternate transportation?
• What would motivate you or make it easier for you to use alternate transportation?
-------
99
When you present your ideas about the effort to the representative target audience, you can request their
input and feedback on project options (see Helpful Tips: Focus and Stakeholder Groups). In addition, you can
use the opportunity to:
• Identify focus groups within the target audience to help you develop and implement the project.
• Identify individuals or groups that can support your outreach efforts and build community support
by spreading the word about the project, serving as model participants, and encouraging others to
participate.
• Solicit partners for project implementation. The implementers of past projects recommend working
with community leaders and organizations that have a membership base (e.g., homeowner
associations); that know what messages resonate with their members; and that can help you
promote the project.
Helpful Tips: Focus and Stakeholder Groups
Professional focus groups can be time-intensive and expensive; to make the best use of focus groups,
it is important to come prepared with project options to test and questions to discuss. You can also make use of
key information sources and stakeholder groups, who might be less representative but can be quick sources of
useful ideas about audiences and messaging.
You may also want to engage community leaders and elected officials, since their support can increase the
project's relevance, significance, and effectiveness and may be necessary to put the project into place.
Community leaders and elected officials can also provide guidance on how to best engage the community and
can personally raise the project's visibility.
For more guidance on how to communicate with and engage partners in project design and implementation,
visit the Engage and Communicate phase.
Case in Point
To understand local needs and cultures, as well as the barriers residents face in adopting alternate
transportation, Smart Trips: Central sent out a travel survey to all target area households before the program
started. The survey results revealed that habits and lack of information on transportation options were the two
main barriers to a shift in transit mode. Additionally, demographic information showed that some households
faced language or income barriers.
Smart Trips: Central staff also traveled to the targeted neighborhoods and tried biking, walking, or riding a bus to
identify obstacles to taking alternate transportation in the area. They continued to engage the target audience
throughout the program (e.g., via the delivery of informational materials, through outreach events) to
understand and tailor the program to local needs.
Before rolling out the program, Smart Trips: Central presented its proposed activities to the city's bicycle and
pedestrian advisory committee to get their feedback. The program also engaged the city mayor and city council
members by inviting them to outreach events and including updates about the program in the city
government's weekly newsletter.
OO
0
-------
100
Step 7. Implement the Project
Once you have completed the previous steps, you will be ready to launch the project. Other communities
have organized an event to announce the project launch, and have invited the engaged stakeholders, media,
and other interested parties. You can start implementing your outreach plan by distributing materials,
placing media stories, or activating web pages to spread the word about the project. (See Helpful Tips:
Taking Care of Administrative Steps).
You may want to consider an incremental rollout, which will allow you to adjust the project over time, as
needed. For example, you might start implementing a residential energy audit and retrofit program in just
one district, or start with single-family homes, then expand to multifamily homes. Other options are to first
implement a pilot project or to identify and foster early adopters. This will allow you to gain experience and
refine your approach before launching at a larger scale.
Other communities have found it helpful to recruit early adopters, who can not only help you test your
approach but can also be effective messengers for the project. When working with early adopters, you may
want to hold regular check-in meetings to help them solve the challenges they face. You can track their
progress so that you have good data and results to show by the time you engage a broader audience. Asking
early adopters to tell the story of how they overcame barriers to take action can help you with your
outreach and communication efforts. However, it may not be appropriate to use early adopters as project
"ambassadors" if the rest of your audience cannot relate to them, if they tend not to stay on message, or if
they might misrepresent the project.
Case in Point
©
The City of Eugene implemented the Smart Trips program incrementally, starting with a pilot in the
Harlow neighborhood, and then expanding to three centrally located neighborhoods with Smart Trips: Central.
The program is currently being replicated in the neighboring City of Springfield since the Eugene
Smart Trips program staff were able to secure grant funding from the State of Oregon for a regional program
called Smart Trips: Lane. The regional program included both the City of Eugene and the City of Springfield.
OO
-------
101
Helpful Tips: Taking Care of Administrative Steps
It is important to take care of necessary administrative steps throughout all project phases, following
your organization's applicable policies and procedures. Administrative steps may include the following:
• Identify a project manager to oversee implementation and engage needed staff. The ideal project
manager will have both the capacity and the interest to achieve project success. If your organization
has the capacity to do work in-house, you can identify the staff and resources necessary to complete
the project. Alternatively, you may want to consider :ontractors or , especially trusted
community leaders.
• Acquire needed materials and services. Your organization's procurement policies and procedures will
guide your acquisition of needed materials and services. You may also need to write and issue an RFP
and select a vendor from competitive bids. Visit the )btain Resources phase for more information on
securing needed resources.
Accounting for these administrative steps in your timeline will help you avoid delays in rolling out the project
and staff burnout during project implementation.
Step 8. Monitor and Adjust
During project implementation, you can facilitate ongoing conversations with stakeholders to collect
feedback. You may want to track performance indicators (see the Track and Report phase) to measure
progress and adjust the project over time. Metrics are instrumental to building momentum and reinforcing
partnerships. It is useful to translate benefits into metrics that are meaningful to your audience, such as
translating cost savings into the number of nursing jobs for hospitals. EPA's Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies
Calculator is a useful tool for translating GHG emissions reductions into everyday terms. It is a good idea to
document project materials throughout implementation, collect and analyze outcome data, and develop
stories and videos to communicate results and lessons learned to the community.
Visit the Track and Report phase for more information on how to develop an effective process to collect
data, assess progress, and report on project outcomes.
Case in Point
The Smart Trips: Central program evaluated residents' shifts in travel behavior using pre- and post-
program surveys that were mailed to all target area households. The survey included a one-day trip diary to
record the number, transportation mode, and purpose of trips taken; opinion questions regarding attitudes
about active transportation programs and travel habits; and demographic questions. The mode shift calculated
from the survey data was used to estimate reductions in daily and annual vehicle miles traveled among target
area households. According to survey results, the targeted areas saw a 7 percent decrease in drive-alone trips, a
22 percent increase in trips made by bicycle, and a 2 percent increase in walking trips. This is equivalent to
686,000 fewer vehicle miles per year, resulting in a reduction of 558,223 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.
Smart Trips: Central published a final report to communicate results to the target audience, partner
organizations, and other stakeholders such as regional and local government officials. Using these results, the
City of Eugene was able to secure funding for the Regional Smart Trips program, and is working to get regular,
dedicated funding from the State of Oregon. The report documents major successes, challenges, and lessons
learned for future similar endeavors in both Eugene and other communities.
OO
©
-------
102
Examples from the Field
Alameda County, California: Industrial Packaging Prevention and Reuse Project
A project that helps organizations to reduce waste generation by converting to more durable, reusable packing
materials.
Berkeley, California: Financing Initiative for Renewable and Solar Technology
A program that allows property owners to borrow money from the city's sustainable energy financing district to
install solar photovoltaic electric systems.
Baltimore, Maryland: City Non-Profit Greenhouse Gas Reductions Program
A program through which undergraduate students receive training and conduct energy assessments for local non-
profit organizations.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Green Workplace Challenge
A friendly challenge program where businesses and property owners receive recognition for sustainable actions
and achievements.
Salt Lake City, Utah: Sustainable Transportation for a Sustainable Future
A former Climate Showcase Communities program that used community-based social marketing to reduce vehicle
miles traveled and accompanying emissions. A toolkit is available to help organizations seeking to replicate the
program.
Franklin County, Ohio: Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project
A project to install 1,000 charging ports in public stations and workplaces in and around Franklin County, in
partnership with a foundation grant.
Tools and Templates
EPA's Tool Finder for Local Government Clean Energy Initiatives
A search tool that helps local government staff screen tools and resources designed to measure impacts of clean
energy programs and policies.
EPA's Green Power Partnership Publications and Resources
Information on green power purchasing and how to get involved in the Green Power Partnership, a voluntary
program that encourages organizations to use renewable energy.
ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
A no-cost, interactive energy management tool that allows you to securely track and assess energy and water
consumption across your building portfolio.
ENERGY STAR Battle of the Buildings Competition: Build Your Own Battle
Communication materials that provide information on energy efficiency and how to get involved with ENERGY
STAR, including sample event ideas and promotional items to set up your own ENERGY STAR Battle of the Buildings
competition.
ENERGY STAR Home Energy Yardstick
Tool that provides a simple assessment of one home's annual energy use compared to similar homes in the
country.
-------
Further Reading
EPA's Effective Practices for Implementing Local Energy Programs
A series of 19 tip sheets based on direct feedback from EPA local government grantees; the tip sheets cover topics
such as incentive techniques and award and certificate programs.
ENERGY STAR Energy Efficiency Competition Guide
A guide that provides step-by-step guidance on how to set up and run an energy efficiency competition.
DOE's Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments
U.S. Department of Energy guide that provides a range of field-tested policy and program options to assist local
governments and stakeholders in building sustainable local solar markets.
Fostering Sustainable Behavior, Community-Based Social Marketing
Resources on promoting sustainable behaviors, including the book Fostering Sustainable Behavior by Doug
McKenzie-Mohr; a searchable databases of articles, case studies, and strategies; and a discussion forum.
Acknowledgements
EPA would like to acknowledge Justin Lehrer (StopWaste, Alameda County, California), Tobin Freid
(Sustainability Division, Durham County, North Carolina), and Andrew Kreider (U.S. EPA Region 3) for their
valuable input and feedback as stakeholder reviewers for this phase, as well as Lindsay Selser (City of
Eugene, Oregon) for her contributions to the Smart Trips Case in Point.
-------
r
Track and
Report
-------
Tracking arid reporting progress is an important part of demonstrating the value of public projects.
Tracking progress can help communities:
• Assess project performance and success
• Identify specific areas for improvement
• Monitor local trends
• Make informed decisions about future goals.
Public reporting, in addition to demonstrating accountability to the community, can help:
• Generate interest in a project
• Improve project management
• Demonstrate progress
• Attract political and financial support.
The steps presented in this phase walk you through developing, tracking, analyzing, and reporting on
performance indicators. This approach shows how a combination of quantitative and qualitative indicators
can support a variety of projects.
Key Steps
The exact process for tracking and reporting will vary by project and community. This guidance outlines
several key steps that are likely to be part of any tracking and reporting process (see Figure 11). Individual
communities may find some steps more relevant than others. The final three steps in the process—collect
data, analyze data and evaluate impacts, and report and adjust—are a continuous loop to track progress and
adjust as needed.
Figure 11. Overview of the Key Steps for Project Tracking and Reporting
T '
I
Identify
Performance
Indicators
Set Baseline
Define
(optional)
Develop a
Tracking
Plan
Analyze
Data and
Evaluate
Impacts
Collect Data
Report and
Adjust
Identify Performance Indicators
Set Baseline
Define Targets
Develop a Tracking Plan
Collect Data
Analyze Data and Evaluate Impacts
Report and Adjust
-------
106
Step 1. Identify Performance Indicators
Performance indicators measure progress toward overall project goals and objectives. Before identifying
performance indicators, it is useful to revisit the high-level project goals determined during the Set Goals
and Select Actions phase to make sure that the performance indicators and overall tracking and reporting
efforts align with the project's intended accomplishments.
This step is divided into four sub-steps: developing a logic model to organize your thinking about
performance indicators; brainstorming a comprehensive and creative list of potential indicators; assessing
the relevance, measurability, and accessibility of possible indicators; and selecting the list of indicators that
best fit the project. This process encourages you to cast a wide net to consider some indicators that may be
less obvious and to conclude with a discrete list of indicators to measure the project's success. While
brainstorming, assessing, and selecting indicators, communities benefit from thinking about the narrative
they hope to tell: what metrics and data could strengthen the story and make it more compelling for the
intended audience?
Develop a Logic Model
Developing a logic model may be helpfui in organizing your thinking about performance indicators. A logic
model encourages organizations to define the inputs, outputs, and outcomes of a project (Figure 12). Using
a logic model to frame the project provides a foundation for developing the tracking and reporting plan for
the project. In fact, projects receiving federal funding may be required to provide a logic model and report
on inputs, outputs, and outcomes.
Figure 12. Logic Model on Inputs, Outputs, and Outcomes
INPUTS
OUTPUTS
OUTCOMES
Inputs are specific
f
Outputs, or activities, are the
Outcomes are the project goals and objectives.
resources used to
immediate products, actions, or
Outcomes might include energy savings, emissions
implement a
results of a project. Outputs might
reductions, or greater awareness and use of public
project. Inputs
include residential building
transportation. Tracking outcomes helps demonstrate
might include
retrofits, trainings given, or
the project's success in achieving its goals and
funding, staff time,
brochures disseminated. Tracking
objectives.
or equipment.
outputs helps characterize what the
Tracking inputs can
project did.
identify which
inputs help the
project meet its
objectives.
What we invest?
What we do?
Whom we reach?
Short-term
Medium-term
Long-term
Staff
Technical
Students
results
results
results
Money
assistance
Scientists
Awareness
Decisions
Social
Time
Fieldwork
Tribes
Knowledge
Policies
Economic
Volunteers
Research
Citizens
Skills
Social action
Civic
Partners
Studies
Private sector
Behavior
Industry action
Environmental
Equipment
Workshops
Agencies
Practices
Restoration
Value added
Materials
Conferences
Planners
Motivations
Recovery
Courses
Preservation
Media work
Facilitation
Training
For detailed guidance on how to develop a logic model, visit EPA's Online Logic Model Course.
-------
107
Brainstorm Indicators
Communities typically start with a brainstorming session to develop a comprehensive and creative list of
potential indicators after reviewing the project goals. Potential indicators can be quantitative or qualitative.
Although it is a best practice for the indicators that are eventually selected to relate to the project goals, it is
important for the brainstorming session to be broad and not eliminate potential indicators. It is useful to
consider indicators that are project outputs, such as number of residential building retrofits, and outcomes,
such as energy savings and emissions reductions (see Figure 12 for more information about project outputs
and outcomes).
— Communities have found it useful to be deliberate and inclusive when deciding who participates
in the brainstorming session. If representatives from all aspects of the community are not
included in the session, you may miss key metrics (see Helpful Tips: Equity Indicators).
The following list provides some example indicators for projects to increase community sustainability:
Participation in recycling
Number of urban trees planted
GHG emissions
Success in passing legislation
Number of people who participated (e.g., in a
bike-to-work campaign, in a residential solar
panel installation project, in an event)
Amount of waste being diverted from the
landfill through recycling and composting
programs
Percentage of residents who walk or use
transit
Number of presentations or trainings
conducted
Improved scores or ratings of knowledge from
a presentation or training
Number of people familiar with a project or
concept
Number of energy-efficient light bulbs
distributed
Aggregate water use or energy use in a region
Square footage, number, or percentage of
green roofs or cool roofs installed
Small, disadvantaged, women-owned, or
veteran-owned business participation in clean
energy procurement or programs
-------
Helpful Tips: Equity Indicators
— Local governments may use equity indicators to ensure that their energy and
environmental programs benefit everyone in the community by tracking and measuring the social
_ ' impacts of such programs. Equity indicators can be used to measure the impact of a new program or
track an existing energy and environmental policy. For example, the California Energy Commission used three
indicators to measure the progress of energy programs for low-income residents and disadvantaged
communities:
1. Access. Increase access to clean energy, high-quality jobs, contracting opportunities for small
businesses, and non-debt financing offerings
2. Investment. Increase investment in technology development, funding, infrastructure, emergency
preparedness, technical assistance, and local capacity building
3. Resilience. Improve energy-related resilience against grid outages, increasing energy prices, and
unreliable energy
For more information on California's energy indicators, see the California Energy Commission's Energy Equity
Tracking Report. Establishing equity indicators can also be an effective way to facilitate dialogue between
decision-makers and underrepresented community members.
Assess Indicators
After developing a broad list of indicators, the next sub-step is to determine which indicators are valuable
and feasible to measure. Good indicators have three essential qualities: they are relevant, measurable, and
accessible.
• Relevant: Is the indicator useful in determining if the project goals are being met? Is it
programmatically important? Is it relevant to the audiences you will be sharing your results with?
• Measurable: Is it possible to track progress? If the indicator is qualitative, is it possible to rank the
evaluation (e.g., high/medium/low or excellent/good/satisfactory/needs improvement) so
improvements can be tracked? Does it provide an accurate measure of a task? Can it be defined in
clear terms? Will it be consistently measured the same way by different observers?
• Accessible: Is the project team able to obtain the necessary data for this indicator at intervals
appropriate for the project goals? Barriers to accessibility may include data privacy, inadequate
resources to collect the data (e.g., staff time, technology), or highly aggregated data that reduce
usefulness.
The following is an example matrix that evaluates these qualities for sample performance indicators
identified during a hypothetical brainstorming session of a project designed to increase the use of public
transit and decrease trips in single-occupancy vehicles (Table 7). The matrix is not exhaustive, and it is
intended for illustrative purposes only.
-------
109
Table 7. Example Matrix for Evaluating Sample Performance Indicators
Indicator Relevant Measurable Accessible Include
Public awareness of
transportation
options
Yes—One of
the project goals is
to increase the
accessibility of
alternate modes of
transportation.
Yes—Qualitative
measurement that can
be surveyed.
Yes—The project team
could develop a survey to
ask residents about their
awareness of
transportation options.
Maybe—The metric is
relevant, measurable,
and accessible.
Ridership—number
of bus rides per day
originating in a
specific
neighborhood
Yes—The change in
the number of bus
rides is one of
the project goals.
Yes—Because riders
pay a fare when they
board the bus, it is
possible to count the
number of rides.
Maybe—The department
of transportation currently
collects data only on the
number of rides per bus
per day but is exploring
bus-stop data collection
opportunities.
Maybe—If there is an
easy method for
accessing the data.
The bus operating
agency may be able to
access or deduce this
information.
Vehicle miles
traveled in private
vehicles
Yes—One of
the project goals is
to decrease car trips.
Maybe—This is a
frequently used
metric, but it is
difficult to measure on
the neighborhood
level.
No—Collecting these data
within the specific
neighborhood would be
overly burdensome for
this project.
No—Without an easy
way to access the
data, this is not a
feasible metric for this
project.
Select Indicators
Once you identify a set of viable (relevant, measurable, and accessible) performance indicators, the next
step is to select the indicators that best fit the project. A good set of indicators will narrate a story of success
or precisely guide the project team in adjusting the project to optimize future success.
The final list of indicators should be sufficient yet succinct. Too few indicators will provide the project team
with limited information. Too many indicators will be burdensome and deter regular tracking and reporting.
It is better to track fewer indicators consistently than to set an unrealistic tracking plan and end up with
inconsistent or incomplete datasets.
For more information about selecting indicators, see EPA's Sustainability Analytics compendium, which
provides detailed information and guidance on science-based assessment tools and approaches available to
support sustainable decisions.
-------
Step 2. Set a Baseline
The baseline and base year will be the basis of comparison for the project. The baseline establishes the
"before" project performance in the base year, and allows you to compare performance, such as energy use,
before and after the project. Success will be measured by the difference in performance from the base year.
When selecting a base year, consider the following factors:
• Is there a significant year that would be logical for the base year, such as the start of a project or the
passage of a policy? It is a good practice for the base year to correlate with goals, commitments, or
another significant change.
• Are data available for that year? You may only be able to confirm the base year selection after you
begin to collect data and confirm that data are available.
• Is the year "typical" for the community, such as no unusual weather or economic conditions?
As an example, the West Chester Area School District in Pennsylvania selected a base year of 2008 because
the Student Conservation Corps program started in 2009 and the school district wanted to compare
program implementation years to the pre-implementation year.
Step 3. Define Targets
A primary purpose of tracking and reporting indicators is to measure the project's success. To measure
success, it is first necessary to define what success looks like for the project. Local governments have used
targets for indicators to collectively demonstrate the success that their communities want to achieve.
As part of the Set Goals and Select Actions phase, the project team may have already established specific
project goals that serve as high-level targets (see Helpful Tips: Aligning Project Goals and Targets). For
example, one project's goal may be to install solar panels on 30 commercial buildings; another project's goal
may be to increase the rate of solar panel installation on commercial buildings by 50 percent over the
number of installations during the base year; and a third project may have a goal of decreasing GHG
emissions by 50 percent from the base year through solar panel installation.
Helpful Tips: Aligning Project Goals and Targets
It is helpful to revisit the project goals over time and establish more specific targets that reflect your
selected indicators and align with the overall project goals. For example, you might set targets of holding three
workshops on solar options and reaching 75 businesses through workshops or industry events. If a project goal
has a long time horizon (e.g., decreasing GHG emissions by 2050), it may make sense to set incremental targets
that will demonstrate progress. Targets set in this step will likely represent short-term, incremental, or smaller-
scale targets to help keep the project on track to achieve the long-term target.
As noted in the Set Goals and Select Actions phase, the following questions are useful to consider when
setting targets:
• What regulations, if any, will you want to consider in setting the target?
• What is the long-term target of the project, and when will it be achieved?
• What short-term targets would keep the project on track to achieve the long-term target?
-------
As an example, the City of Seattle Climate Action Plan has an extensive list of indicators, each with an
associated target; see Table 8 for an example of the targets associated with each indicator. The indicators
are used to measure the success of various sectors (performance areas).
Table 8. Climate Action Outcome Indicators from Seattle City Action Plan
Sector
Indicator
Target
Passenger
Passenger Vehicle Emissions (Million
Metric Tons C02e)
82% Reduction
Vehicle Miles Traveled
20% Reduction by 2030
GHG Emissions Intensity of Travel (GHG
Emissions per mile of Seattle Vehicles)
75% Reduction by 2030
£
O
Mode Share
Center City Commute Trip
Trend away from single-occupant vehicles
4-»
TO
All Trips in Seattle
Trend away from single-occupant vehicles
O
Q.
Transit
Ridership
Increase in transit mode share and ridership
£
TO
1-
Service
Increase in transit service hours and service
levels on Seattle's Frequent Transit Service
network
Bicycling
Ridership
Triple the amount of bicycling from 2007 levels
by 2017
Safety
Crash Data
Eliminate serious injuries and fatalities on
Seattle streets by 2030
Considering historical data helps with setting realistic targets. Local organizations have found it is best to
have at least two years of historical data on which to base targets.
Although it is helpful to have targets for each indicator, some communities have found it valuable to also
track indicators that do not have specific targets associated with them. In this way, communities can
understand trends that help tell a story. For example, the City of Berkeley's car share indicator does not
have a target, but this indicator helps the city understand trends in vehicle miles traveled and associated
GHG emissions.
Step 4. Develop a Tracking Plan
After identifying indicators, the next step is to develop an efficient, consistent, and reliable process for data
collection and management. Below are some considerations for developing a data collection protocol. You
may want to allocate resources, such as staff and time, to the following activities:
• Determining who will be responsible for collecting data for each indicator and when they will
collect the data. Communities have found it useful to identify a single tracking manager who will
compile the data, once collected. The tracking manager may also be responsible for ensuring all data
security measures are met.
• Maintaining the highest degree of individualized data possible without compromising security and
privacy (it is easier to aggregate data in the future). It is essential to remove all personally
identifiable information—such as names, addresses, phone numbers, date of birth—when
conducting analysis and reporting results. If you need unit-specific information (e.g., household or
person), you can assign each unit an ID that is correlated with, but not directly connected to,
personally identifiable information. Best practices include keeping data on a secure computer or
server and using password protection and limiting access to avoid the misuse of data. You may want
to consider consulting with your legal staff to make sure you are complying with all local laws and
policies.
-------
Determining whether you can integrate data collection into an existing process or standard
operating procedure for each indicator. For instance, if the accounting department records the
amount of money spent on electricity in government buildings each month, can the process be
expanded to record the energy (in kilowatts) consumed each month?
Considering the use of an existing tracking tool or template to compile and organize data. If it is not
possible to integrate tracking into an existing system or template, you can develop a database or
spreadsheet to track the indicators. Talking to the people and organizations that will provide data,
such as utilities, transportation departments, or water facility managers, can help you understand
what information they have available and in what form they can provide it. In that way, you can
develop a system and template to accommodate the available data. Visit Tools and Templates for
examples of tools you can use to compile and organize data.
Minimizing the burden of data requests and making it easier for someone to give you the necessary
information. To ensure that they get the required data, local governments have found it helpful to
provide a template for people to populate (such as a spreadsheet with labeled rows and columns).
However, you may still need to take data in their raw form and enter them into your template or
system yourself.
Establishing a reminder to begin collection in the future, if possible, for data that are not currently
available for a particular metric or are limited in their reliability.
Carefully documenting all data sources, including points of contact for collecting the data. This will
help you remember what you did when you return to the data later; allow you to provide credible
documentation if requested from stakeholders; and make it easier for you or others to collect data
over time to measure your progress.
Keeping track of all units of measurement and following up if the units in a dataset are not clear. It
is helpful to include a unit conversion sheet for those who are entering the data for you. For energy
data, for example, you would likely need conversions for therms to BTUs, CCF to BTUs, and kWh to
BTUs.
Considering what data may be helpful in the future. It is a good idea to collect related data if they
are readily available, even if you are not sure yet how they may be used.
Exploring novel approaches for gathering data. Crowdsourcing data (collecting data from volunteer
reporters) through an online portal or smartphone application is one novel approach that can
produce large amounts of data that might not otherwise be available. For example, for a project to
encourage alternate transportation options, a local government might offer a webpage where
participants can log how many bus trips, bike trips, or walks replaced car trips. The Utah Department
of Transportation developed TravelWise to help individuals, businesses, and organizations find
alternatives to driving alone and record their use.
Setting a schedule for data collection and analysis of each metric. You can avoid expending extra
effort by only collecting data as often as is useful. For example, some data (e.g., energy use) may be
available both monthly and annually, but annual data suffice for tracking progress. How often will
you evaluate and report project results? Evaluation typically occurs at fixed intervals (e.g., mid-point
of the project or annually), even when tracking is continuous. The project team may select ongoing
measurements of several indicators and a periodic snapshot that is more comprehensive. In these
cases, the scope of data collection for the base year and the periodic snapshots may exceed the
scope of the regular data collection.
Consulting resources that provide more specific information about how to track indicators related
to the project. See the Resources for Tracking and Reporting box for detailed information on
establishing a baseline and tracking progress related to several issues.
-------
113
Communities have found it useful to complete these steps prior to collecting data. It may be necessary or
advantageous to revisit these steps periodically. As the project is implemented, you may want to consider
adding or adjusting goals, updating the indicators to reflect newly available data, or making targets more
ambitious to keep pace with new technology and project advances. It is also good to be aware of desired
datasets—a wish list of datasets—that may not exist in the initial stages, but that might become available in
the future.
Step 5. Collect Data
Once you have established tracking procedures and selected the base year, you can begin collecting data.
Communities have found it useful to start by collecting data for the base year and then commence regular
data collection based on the established tracking plan. This step is the first in a process that will be
continually repeated.
Step 6. Analyze Data and Evaluate Impacts
Communities have gained valuable lessons by analyzing data about their projects at regular intervals. You
can draw "big-picture" lessons from the results to understand elements of the project that have been
particularly successful or have room for improvement and ask questions such as:
• How much progress has been made between the baseline data and the post-implementation data?
• Are the results on track for achieving intermediary and long-term targets?
• What other factors or projects could have influenced the change between the base and post-
implementation year? Since it is difficult or impossible to hold other variables constant, you can
consider possible external influences in the analysis and mention them in reporting.
• Do the data support the indicators identified in Step 1? Why or why not?
You may want to consider engaging your community and stakeholders in guiding the analysis
questions to ensure the outputs meet their needs and speak to what is important in the
community. Documenting the process and all assumptions will allow the analysis to be replicated
in future years. It is advisable to record the data analysis in a format that you can use in Step 7.
You can revisit Step 1. Step 3. and Step 4. as needed. You might determine that adjustments to the narrative
or targets are necessary (were they unrealistic?) or that adjustments to the measurements are appropriate
(were they measuring the wrong thing?). It is a good practice to justify any changes to either the narrative or
the indicators. While it may be wise to refine and improve the measurements, it is not advisable to rewrite
or redefine the goals and targets completely because this may detract from the initial project goals and the
validity of the assessment. If you add indicators and the data for the original base year are not available, it
will be necessary to define a new base year for a new measurement.
-------
Step 7. Report and Adjust
Local governments have used the results of data analysis in two primary ways: to report findings and to
adjust actions. Reporting findings is an effective way to solicit public, political, and financial support for the
project. The following questions can help you establish a useful approach to reporting results:
• Who is the target audience for the report? The target audience may be decision-makers who will
vote on related legislation or technical experts who will assess how to design subsequent projects.
You can include the indicators you identified in Step 1 for this audience.
• Who is the target audience for outreach? Is it different from the report? It may include the general
public, who can be complimented for participation or encouraged to engage in the ongoing project.
Again, you can include the appropriate indicators, as identified in Step 1.
• What information can you make available? You may want to consider making the data tracked by
this process, as well as one or several reports, available to the public. The reports might include a
high-level executive summary and a detailed assessment, depending on the target audience.
• What method or methods are appropriate to reach the target audience? A variety of methods can
effectively reach the intended audience: social media, local news outlets, bus posters, and phone
calls to city council members, among others.
• How can you frame the information to best reach the target audience? For example, a simple set
of graphics alone might meet the needs of a large group of stakeholders, but a detailed report might
be more effective for a group of technical experts. Reports can be produced in a printed format as
done by Philadelphia's Greenworks, or they can be made available online in a more interactive
fashion as done by San Jose's Green Vision.
• How often will you schedule updates to the reported information? For example, reports may only
need to be updated every few years with new information, but websites and articles may need to be
updated more frequently.
• Can you use the data for any relevant budget or strategic planning processes?
You can use indicators not only to gain project support, but also to identify the project's strengths,
weaknesses, and opportunities. The detailed information helps to identify areas for improvement or parts of
the project that would be valuable to replicate. It is helpful to consider the following questions:
• What parts of the project were most successful? What contributed to the success?
• What parts of the project were least successful? What detracted from the success (e.g., inadequate
staff time or resources)?
• How can the actions be improved?
• Can you replicate or adjust elements of one successful action to improve the success of another?
Based on the answers to these questions, you may want to consider adjusting project activities and
continuing to track results to see the impact of the adjustments.
Finally, if you obtain funding or financial support for your project, you may need to report how the money
was used. In some cases, the funders may request that you report the results of the indicators.
-------
Resources for Tracking and Reporting
Greenhouse gas emissions
• See the Develop GHG Inventory phase.
• Local Government Operations Protocol for GHG Assessments—Provides guidance on calculation
methodologies, emission factors, and other aspects of inventory development for local government assets
and operations. Developed in partnership by the California Air Resources Board, the California Climate
Action Registry, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, and the Climate Registry.
• ICLEI's U.S. Community Protocol for Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions—Provides
guidance on calculation methodologies, emission factors, and other aspects of community-wide inventory
development.
Criteria air pollutant emissions or air quality
• EPA's AirData—Compiles data from EPA's Air Quality System monitors around the country, providing air
quality statistics, pollutant concentration maps, and other tools.
• EPA's Emission Inventory Improvement Program—Provides protocols and methodologies for completing a
criteria air pollutant emissions inventory.
• EPA's Assessing the Multiple Benefits of Clean Energy, Section 4.2.1—Describes steps for developing and
projecting a baseline emissions profile, including GHGs and criteria air pollutants. This resource is directed
primarily at states, but has information that can be applicable for local governments.
• Your state air agency's criteria air pollutant inventory—Typically created every three years as part of
requirements under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Water use
• EPA's WaterSense at Work: Best Management Practices for Commercial and Institutional Facilities—
Provides guidance on assessing facility water use.
Facilities
• ENERGY STAR guidance on benchmarking energy use for facilities—Provides information and tools on
measuring building performance, including Portfolio Manager.
Purchasing
• EPA's Recycled Content (ReCon) Tool—Evaluates the GHG benefits associated with increasing the recycled
content of purchased materials.
• GHG Protocol's Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard—Provides a protocol
for companies to estimate GHG emissions associated with their value chains. Can be informative for local
governments evaluating impacts of purchasing decisions.
• Carnegie Mellon University's Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment—Estimates the relative
impacts of different types of products and materials throughout the supply chain.
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions Associated with Purchasing of Goods and Services by the City of Eugene,
Oregon—Provides an example of how one city estimated these emissions.
Economic characteristics
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Approach for Measuring Green Jobs—Provides examples of what qualifies
as a "green" job.
• Your local chamber of commerce or similar organization—May have information about employment by
industry.
Other
• EPA's Tool Finder for Local Government Clean Energy Initiatives—Provides a query to help local
government staff screen tools and resources designed to measure impacts of prospective programs and
policies.
-------
Examples from the Field
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Greenworks Philadelphia
An ambitious plan, with accompanying progress reports, that sets 15 sustainability targets in the areas of energy,
environment, equity, economy, and engagement.
Seattle, Washington: The Seattle EcoDistrict
An example of how to develop, measure, and report indicators in a way that is visually appealing and easily
accessible to the public and decision-makers.
San Jose, California: Green Vision Goals
A website that demonstrates how San Jose is publicly communicating progress toward 10 discrete goals related to
its sustainable community plan.
Southern Tier, New York: Cleaner Greener Southern Tier
A sustainability plan that spans eight counties in New York State and identifies 18 indicators to measure progress in
nine performance areas. Call-out boxes highlight the 2010 base year and 5-year and 20-year targets.
Massachusetts: GreenDOT Implementation Plan
A plan to achieve the Massachusetts Department of Transportation stewardship goal that outlines sustainability
initiatives, goals, tasks, indicators, implementation time horizons, and responsible divisions.
Tools and Templates
EPA's Tool Finder for Local Government Clean Energy Initiatives
A search tool that helps local government staff screen tools and resources designed to measure impacts of clean
energy programs and policies.
EPA's Waste Reduction Model
A tool that helps solid waste planners and organizations track and voluntarily report GHG emissions reductions
from several different waste management practices.
ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
A no-cost, interactive energy management tool that allows you to securely track and assess energy and water
consumption across your building portfolio.
State and Local Transportation Calculators and Monitoring Tools
An EPA website that links to several modeling tools including the MOVES Model, Airport Ground Support
Equipment Model, Business Benefits Calculator, SmartWay FLEET Performance Model, and Diesel Emissions
Quantifier.
Further Reading
EPA's WaterSense at Work: Best Management Practices for Commercial and Institutional Facilities
Guidance on assessing facility water use.
EPA's Local Program Model Design Guide
A guide that includes a section on evaluating and evolving your program model and an appendix on performance
indicators.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Green Jobs Overview
A website that describes the bureau's approach to measuring green jobs.
-------
117
Acknowledgements
EPA would like to acknowledge Arturo Blanco (Houston Bureau of Air Quality Control, Texas); Lisa Lin (City of
Houston Mayor's Office of Sustainability, Texas); Seth Stark (WSDOT, Washington); Timothy Burroughs (City
of Berkeley Office of Energy and Sustainable Development, California); Frank Cunningham (City of Columbia,
Missouri); and Maria Sanders (City of El Cerrito, California) for their valuable input and feedback as
stakeholder reviewers for this phase.
-------
452B20001
Spring 2020
------- |