The Greenest Region Compact: A Consensus Sustainability Plan for Municipalities

Edith Makra - Director of Environmental Initiatives, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and Elena Savona - 2Senior Client Program Manager, CB&I. This presentation reported on fundamental research to enable a strategic update to the Greenest Region Compact by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. The Greenest Region Compact (GRC) is a simple pledge, taken by more than one third of all municipalities in the Chicago metropolitan region in 2007 to take action to improve the environment. The objective is to propose a framework for a new GRC that is modeled on existing municipal sustainability plans; incorporates successful programs, policies, and other indicators of environmental achievement by municipalities; and aligns with goals and strategies of regional, national and global significance. The environmental achievements of 290 municipalities and more than 30 sustainability plans were analyzed providing unique insights into the environmental priorities of the region. Input into the design of the new GRC was welcome.Ope