In the build up to the EcoCity World Summit in Montreal (August 22-26) Laura MacPherson, Charlottetown’s Sustainability Coordinator, will speak in a panel session tomorrow (Aug 23.) MacPherson will be discussing the steps the City has taken in recent months to foster and cultivate a culture of sustainability in City operations.

MacPherson worked with a team of sustainability leaders from across the country to create a resource for municipalities. This group was led by The Natural Step Canada, John Purkis, Senior Manager of Sustainable Communities and Dr. Stephanie Bertels, of Simon Fraser University, author of Embedding Sustainability Into Organizational Culture.

The research team sought input from the City’s Sustainability Coordinator and was able to leverage Charlottetown’s applied experiences in the field, including relevant examples, case studies and language from our community.

Charlottetown participated with other municipalities in order to help create a municipal tool kit called ‘Embedding Sustainability into the Corporate Culture of Municipal Government.’ The new report will be on display at this week’s EcoCity World Summit in Montreal and then will be disseminated broadly in Canadian municipalities.

"The City of Charlottetown was delighted by the invitation to participate in this learning opportunity," MacPherson said.

"The opportunity to explore and share our own practices of embedding sustainability into our organizational culture couldn’t have come at a better time.

"That we are able to join another dozen organizations and municipalities in this same process and to be able to see such a deliberate and collaborative outcome is exciting for us and will help us decide our next steps."

The EcoCity World Summit will host over 1,000 participants from 75 countries. For more information or updates on the City’s ICSP please visit our website: http://www.city.charlottetown.pe.ca/susNewsAndReleases.php

Update on Charlottetown ICSP

Our Sustainability Plan is supported by an ICSP Standing Committee, as well as a multi-department Steering Committee & an internal working group made up of 16 individuals (CAO, Directors and Managers.

In the past 8 months Charlottetown has hosted; five Workshops for senior staff (full day & half day workshops) three Lunch and Learn sessions for all staff, five elearning sessions for our Sustainability 101 course: 50 staff and an orientation and briefing with Council.

Charlottetown’s other ongoing sustainability initiatives include; Creating a more official corporate education and training program for city staff. Beginning to align the goals and actions of the Sustainability Plan with policy and new initiatives; Energy Audits (RFP will be sent out this fall) Regional Active Transportation Plan in partnership with the Town of Cornwall, Town of Stratford & the province.