In Business, Creating Sustainable Enterprises & Communities

EDITORIAL

In Business, November-December, 2005, Vol. 27, No. 6, p. 2

SUSTAINABILITY IN AN URBAN CENTER

WE OPEN UP this issue of In Business with detailed reports on green investing, followed by

miniprofiles of ecobusiness owners whose companies range from emissions control and organic granola to independent bookstores, soil decontamination and car sharing ventures. And in the midst of finalizing the agenda for our BioCycle West Coast Conference, March 20-22, 2006, in Portland, Oregon focusing on “Sustainable Cities and Communities,” we are seeing the synergy between them. While preparing the program, we are working closely with the Portland Office of Sustainable Development which is directly involved with “innovative solutions that improve lives, enhance neighborhoods and enliven the entrepreneurial spirit and imagination of Portland's business community.”
In a brief history of the Office of Sustainable Development (OSD), Amy Stork explains how 25 years ago, executive director Susan Anderson was the only person at her college to take a double major in Environmental Science and Economics. “No one at the time thought those two things had anything to do with each other,” recalls Anderson. Her special interests have landed her at the helm of the city's OSD that addresses global warming policy, solid waste and recycling, sustainable food policy, green building and renewable energy for Portland. OSD concentrates on creating and transforming markets for environmentally sound buildings, services, energy and more.
About its role in “policy, partners and people,” Anderson explains that “we have support from nonprofits and government partners. And mostly we have the people of Portland, this community spirit that says we aren't afraid to tackle the big issues.” Some examples: In 2001, the City of Portland created the first green investment fund, allocating $800,000 for 74 projects from greenroofs to air conditioning systems that reduce energy use in commercial buildings. Last year, the City renewed the fund with $500,000 for future grants.
Ten years ago, the City Repair Project was launched to create public spaces designed with creativity, artistry and compassion. City Repair has become a model for citizen-driven neighborhood improvements that include Village Building Convergence, Ecological Village Places, and the Rebuilding Center. Portland has a light rail system connecting suburbs to the downtown core, nearly 700 miles of bike lanes and paths, and an overall recycling/composting rate of 55 percent.
Meanwhile, the City Energy Challenge has reduced City energy bill by $14 million since 1991. And this spring, OSD will issue proposals for utilities and others to provide 100 percent of the City's power from renewable energy sources (like a wind farm in eastern Oregon.) This energy efficiency work has been extended via the Energy Trust of Oregon which has provided incentives to over 200 firms and 14,000 households to generate $1.5 million savings.
And then there's the OSD emphasis on local food by supporting farmers' markets, Community Supported Agriculture, and a Citizens' Food Policy Council. Plus - there's a strong partnership with Metro, the regional government serving three local counties, that has been reducing the waste stream by maximizing recovery.
All these programs add up to a great example of how sustainability is building in an urban center. If you can, see for yourself by joining us at our March 2006 Conference in Portland, Oregon. - J.G.