Form a Green Building Task Force made up of real estate professionals to examine the existing building code and make recommendations on how it could become more green.

*In September 2011, the Green Building Task Force was convened and met on a monthly basis.  Read the recommendations in the report here.

Use sustainability as a guiding principle for all improvements to Shelby Farms Park in order to set the standard for our community.

*The conservation goals of the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy as outlined in the 2009-2013 business plan include:  “The plan for conservation will ensure that the principles of environmental stewardship and green and open are applied to all projects and programs.”  “Sustainable practices will be developed and implemented in the areas of energy consumption, stormwater management and solid waste management / recycling.”  “The Master Plan sets a goal of planting one million trees.”  

*Shelby Farms Playground was one of the first projects in the world to be certified by the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES). Read about it here.   

Implement a recycling program and designate areas in government buildings where the public can bring recyclable materials.

*Recycling containers for the public have been placed in the southern section of Downtown Memphis near the Memphis Farmer's Market to collect glass, plastic, and metal.  View more information here.  

Encourage Memphis Light, Gas, and Water Division (MLGW) to show customers the amount of carbon dioxide released through their use of resources.

*By logging into your MLGW account, and viewing the "live green/reduce your footprint" link in the upper right, you can see your carbon footprint based on your usage.

Establish relationships with local environmental justice offices to identify, communicate, and collaborate on environmental concerns that threaten neighborhoods.

Partner with The Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau to identify and bring to the area national Green Job and “Cleantech” events and conferences.

*The Tennessee Valley Solar Solutions Conference was held at the Memphis Cook Convention Center April 10-11, 2012.

*The Tennessee Renewable Energy & Economic Development Council (TREEDC) held their Conference in Memphis November 18, 2011.

Amend PILOT (Payment-in-lieu-of taxes) application processes to award additional points to projects that incorporate existing vacant or underutilized buildings and that achieve specific sustainability benchmarks such as “LEED for Existing Buildings”.

*Awardees are given additional time on their PILOTs if they practice specific “green” measures.  See pages 12-14 of the program overview. 

Partner with regional business leaders to create a bi-annual sustainable business conference to inform local businesses of the broader sustainability movement and connect local green business ventures.

Update the Sustainable Shelby website to include educational materials and inform citizens of ongoing projects in the Office of Sustainability.

*Visit our website, "like" us on facebook, and "follow" us on twitter.

Form the Office of Sustainability.

*The Office of Sustainability was formed in April of 2011 and is located in the Division of Planning and Development, a joint City-County agency. 

Revise current City and County purchasing policies to consider the total cost over the life of the goods, services, and equipment.

Conduct energy audits on publicly owned buildings and rate their efficiency.

*With the assistance of funds from the Department of Energy grant, the Office of Sustainability conducted energy audits on two public buildings, Shelby Farms Visitor’s Center and Memphis and Shelby County Code Enforcement.  With the help of Bartlett Chamber’s Team Green Zone a determination was made as to what upgrades had the most impact on reducing energy consumption within the budget parameters.  Three local firms performed various energy efficiency upgrades on the buildings.   More information can be found here.   

When significant upgrades or modifications to an existing publicly owned building are made, complete a “LEED for Existing Buildings” checklist to assess the feasibility of incorporating sustainable design into the project.