Green Umbrella in the News

Source: WVXU Cincinnati, Ann Thompson

Cincinnati sustainability enthusiasts are actively recruiting Downtown building owners to become a part of a  new 2030 District. The pitch is: joining would reduce energy use, water consumption and transportation emissions by the year 2030.

Currently there are 20 active 2030 Districts across the U.S. and Cincinnati hopes to become the 21st.

Green Umbrella Executive Director Ryan Mooney-Bullock says Cincinnati is also adding a health aspect which other cities do not have. She says, "Looking at air quality, environmental quality but also occupant health and how businesses and these building owners are able to maximize these benefits to their employees by making these improvements to their building stock."

Joey Maiocco and Newsy are helping to promote the project with this video.

emersion DESIGN partner and architect Chad Edwards is on board. He says another benefit is it's aimed at attracting and retaining talent in our region. "Particularly in this boom economy right now it's a challenge to find really great people and making sure they stay in Greater Cincinnati." (Cincinnati Public Radio is a current client of emersion DESIGN.)

Edwards and Mooney-Bullock say the efforts are centered around the central business district. The goal is to recruit ten founding members by the end of the year.

Mooney-Bullock says, "This is just a way to say we're going to take it up a notch. We're going to make sure the buildings continue to operate in a way that is super high-performing and reach to roll out new technology in a way that will make them even more impressive in terms of how they are saving energy."

Other 2030 Districts include Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Detroit. Mooney-Bullock says Pittsburgh building owners have saved $84 million with the improvements.

On October 4, 2018 the founder of 2030 Districts, Ed Mazria, will speak at the Pedco High Performance Buildings Seminar. 

Find out more about the initiative here.

Source: Fox 19 News

The Ohio Valley Local Food Connection is announcing a new partnership with Great Parks of Hamilton County. Families will be able to pick up custom orders of fresh locally-grown food at Parky's Farm!

This collaboration is in support of Green Umbrella's 10% Shift Pledge, challenging households to shift 10% of their purchases to local food.

VIDEO LINK

To order fresh local food, click here.

Source: WCPO, Cincy Lifestyle

Watch what you put in the curbside recycling bin! Those little triangles aren't always accurate. We talk to the experts at Green Umbrella to get recycling sorted out.

VIDEO LINK

Source: NKY Tribune

Green Umbrella’s Local Food Action Team joins markets across the region in celebrating National Farmers Market Week from August 5-11.

Kentucky’s Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles had declared the week “Kentucky Farmers’ Markets Week” and asks Kentuckians to celebrate all month long by visiting their local farmer’s market and posting photos to Instagram for a prize.

The week will mark a revitalization of Green Umbrella’s 10% Shift: Eat Local Campaign, which encourages families and individuals to shift 10% of their food budget towards the purchasing of local foods produced within 100 miles of Cincinnati.
 
Members of the Local Food Action Team, which develops strategies to increase production and consumption of local foods, will assist shoppers in taking the 10% Shift pledge at farmers’ markets throughout the Greater Cincinnati region. The campaign provides a simple way for consumers to make a big impact on the local economy and regional food system.

Click to go to website

For a family of four spending $200 a week on groceries, a ten percent shift in dollars would mean committing to spend $20 a week on locally grown foods. If 10% of the regional population shifts 10% of their food dollars to local food, $56 million would be infused into our local economy.

According to statistics recently released by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), farmers markets and farm stands account for roughly $2 billion of the $3 billion that Americans spend annually on farm-direct products. This revenue, in turn, supports the livelihoods of more than 165,000 mostly small and mid-sized farms and ranches across the county.

Locally, the team has focused their efforts on increasing access points for local food purchase, seeing local points of consumption grow from just 45 in 2010 to 189 in 2017. The number of farmers markets in the region has also seen tremendous growth, increasing by nearly two-thirds since 2010.
 
“Every dollar spent at a tristate farmers’ market strengthens our regional economy while conserving natural resources,” says Liz Stites, general manager of Hyde Park Farmers’ Market. “The best-tasting food in the world comes from local farmers, and National Farmers Market Week is the perfect time to commit to a 10 percent shift. Area markets are brimming with fresh, seasonal produce. It’s all about pampering your taste buds, supporting your neighbors and caring for Mother Earth.”

Those interested in learning more about the 10% Shift Campaign can visit the website. To find a farmers’market, visit the 2018 CORV Local Food Guide (click image below).

Click to see the whole guide

Source: Cincinnati Enquirer, Briana Rice

For the second year in a row, Greater Cincinnati has been ranked the most sustainable metro area in the nation by Site Selection Magazine.

The 2018 ranking was based on corporate practices, as well as their contribution to people, communities and the planet.

Green Umbrella, Cincinnati's region sustainability alliance, has begun work to help keep this top ranking by leading the creation of a 2030 district within the city.

What are 2030 Districts?

There are 20 active 2030 Districts across the US with the goal to create a model for urban sustainability by getting property owners within the district to reduce their building's energy use, water consumption and transportation emissions by 50 percent by the year 2030.

“These shared goals (energy, water, transportation and health) will help attract and retain top talent, advance us toward achieving shared goals and help each member save money in the process,” said Chad Edwards, founding member of the 2030 Working Group and architect at emersion DESIGN.

While the immediate plans are for the Downtown business district, in the future, 2030 Districts are plotted for Clifton/Corryville, Covington, Newport and Bellevue.

How much will this cost?

Green Umbrella is initiating this movement completely separate from local government.

Currently, the organization is seeking sponsors and outside funding, but once the program is implemented, the involved businesses will pay an annual membership fee to the bill.

What will it take for Cincinnati to get a 2030 District?

"The planning process started seven months ago with interested folks to discuss if this would work in Cincinnati, if it would have an impact. We were promoted to Prospective 2030 District status in June now we're in the mode of official recruitment status," said Ryan Mooney-Bullock, Executive Director of Green Umbrella.

In order to establish an official and national recognized 2030 District, 10 property owners, or 10 million square feet of commercial space or 10 percent of the total commercial square footage within property boundaries must commit to being a part of the district.

"Just as a point of reference, there is over 12 million square feet of lease-able commercial space in just the 25 largest commercial properties downtown," Mooney-Bullock said.

Green Umbrella hopes to have a nationally recognized 2030 District by the end of 2018.

Source: Northern Kentucky Tribune

For the second year in a row Greater Cincinnati has been ranked as the most sustainable metro area in the nation by Site Selection Magazine.

LEFT: Cincinnati 2030 District Map, including proposed boundary and future phases

Using a diverse, data-rich index , the magazine looks at corporate sustainability practices, characteristics of the commercial building stock and community efforts that positively affect both the planet and residents’ well-being. The 2018 ranking by Site Selection’s Sustainable Sites index draws attention to the value that corporations place on investing in communities that prioritize the well-being of people and planet. Green Umbrella, the region’s sustainability alliance, is working to make sure Cincinnati keeps this top rating for many years to come by leading the development of the Cincinnati 2030 District.

2030 Districts – a national model for urban sustainability – are made up of property owners who make a collective commitment to reduce their building’s energy use, water consumption, and transportation emissions by 50 percent by the year 2030. The Cincinnati 2030 District, which includes Bellevue, Covington and Newport in Northern Kentucky, will be a high-performance building district that aims to dramatically reduce environmental impacts of building construction and operations through education and collaboration across every sector of the built environment.  The City of Cincinnati’s Green Cincinnati Plan ranks the creation of a 2030 District as one of the largest opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the city’s built environment.

“The Cincinnati metro region is taking its national leadership role very seriously by creating a fourth category of 2030 goals centered on health and wellness in the built environment. Once created, we encourage all the remaining twenty 2030 Districts to include their own region-specific health related goal,” said Chad Edwards, founding member of the 2030 Working Group and architect at emersion DESIGN. “These shared goals (energy, water, transportation and health) will help attract and retain top talent, advance us toward achieving shared goals and help each member save money in the process. It is a triple bottom line (people, planet, profit) win.”

There are 20 active 2030 Districts in the US, with Cincinnati seeking to become the 21st. The next step in forming the Cincinnati 2030 District is getting commitments from founding members who are ready to use their property to advance bold sustainability goals. “The Cincinnati 2030 District is an opportunity for the region’s corporations to translate their impressive social responsibility initiatives into the way they design and use their buildings,” said Ryan Mooney-Bullock, executive director of Green Umbrella. “By working collectively, we continue to build the case that Cincinnati is a place where talented professionals want to work and innovative companies want to locate.”

Interested real estate owners, managers, developers, industry professionals, and community stakeholders in the downtown core (see map) should visit cincy2030.org or email cincy2030@greenumbrella.org to learn more about the benefits of 2030 membership and how to get involved.

The 7th Annual Pedco High Performance Buildings Seminar on October 4 will feature a panel made up of 2030 leaders from Detroit, Cleveland and Pittsburgh and a presentation about the Cincinnati 2030 District. Filmmakers from Newsy are documenting the process of getting the Cincinnati 2030 District off the ground; you can view the trailer online. 

Green Umbrella

Source: The River City News, Staff Report

For the second year in a row, the Cincinnati metro area is ranked as the most sustainable metro area in the nation by Site Selection magazine.

 

The magazine examined corporate sustainability practices, characteristics of the commercial building stock, and community efforts that positively affect the environment and residents, a news release said.

 

Green Umbrella, a locally-based sustainability alliance, said in a news release that it wants to see Cincinnati maintain the top rating for years to come. The organization is leading the development of the Cincinnati 2030 District.

 

2030 Districts  - a national model for urban sustainability - are made up of property owners who make a collective commitment to reduce their building’s energy use, water consumption, and transportation emissions by 50 percent by the year 2030.

 

The Cincinnati 2030 District will be a high-performance building district in downtown Cincinnati that aims to dramatically reduce environmental impacts of building construction and operations through education and collaboration across every sector of the built environment. The City of Cincinnati’s Green Cincinnati Plan ranks the creation of a 2030 District as one of the largest opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the city’s built environment.

 “The Cincinnati metro region is taking its national leadership role very seriously by creating a fourth category of 2030 goals centered on health and wellness in the built environment. Once created, we encourage all the remaining twenty 2030 Districts to include their own region-specific health related goal,” said Chad Edwards, founding member of the 2030 Working Group and architect at emersion DESIGN. “These shared goals of energy, water, transportation and health will help attract and retain top talent, advance us toward achieving shared goals and help each member save money in the process. It is a triple bottom line - people, planet, profit - win.”

 

There are 20 active 2030 Districts in the US, with Cincinnati seeking to become the 21st. The next step in forming the Cincinnati 2030 District is getting commitments from founding members who are ready to use their property to advance bold sustainability goals.

 

“The Cincinnati 2030 District is an opportunity for the region’s corporations to translate their impressive social responsibility initiatives into the way they design and use their buildings,” says Ryan Mooney-Bullock, executive director of Green Umbrella. “By working collectively, we continue to build the case that Cincinnati is a place where talented professionals want to work and innovative companies want to locate.”  

 

Filmmakers from Newsy are documenting the process of getting the Cincinnati 2030 District off the ground. You can view the trailer online.

 

-Staff report

Follow Northern Kentucky's News Leader on Facebook and Twitter

Source: NKY Tribune

Is the Greater Cincinnati region prepared to respond to a changing climate? How are other cities making sure they are resilient in the face of extreme weather events? At the 4th annual Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit, 350 attendees explored how local municipalities, businesses and peer regions are adapting to climate change and other environmental challenges.

Participants discussed how to work towards shared goals by advancing regional agendas like Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s The Connected Region, the City of Cincinnati’s Green Cincinnati Plan and Green Umbrella’s 2020 Goals. Nine breakout sessions dove into topics such as extreme weather preparedness, green jobs, reducing food waste, local food systems, and sustainable business practices.

To underscore the theme of resilience, the keynote speaker was Katharine Hayhoe, director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University. Hayhoe’s current focus is on modeling regional to local impacts of climate change, and how we can fix this together using many of the solutions already in our backyards.

She shared best practices on communicating around complicated and polarizing issues like climate change.

“Climate change is not simply an environmental issue. Climate change is a threat multiplier,” said Hayhoe.

“It’s an economics issue, a jobs issue, a health issue. The reality is that it’s a human issue. And the last time I checked, we’re all humans.”

Chief Resilience Officers from Pittsburgh and Louisville joined Dr. Hayhoe for a plenary panel to discuss how the cities and businesses in our region can best adapt to climate change. These cities are part of the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities program, which helps urban municipalities prepare for a variety of shocks and stresses.

One breakout session, “A Sustainability District in Downtown Cincinnati,” announced the launch of a 2030 District, which will set targets for reduced environmental impacts from downtown buildings in energy, transportation and water. The team debuted a trailer for a documentary that is chronicling the collaborative process to develop the Cincinnati 2030 District.

“The Summit is about bringing the region’s sustainability advocates together to share best practices, celebrate accomplishments and identify areas for future collaboration,” says Ryan Mooney-Bullock, Executive Director of Green Umbrella.

The event also featured a lunchtime awards ceremony honoring leaders in regional sustainability. Winners were:
• 2018 Largest Solar Power Installation: Duke Energy Kentucky
• 2018 Top Transit-Friendly Destination: Nielsen
• 2018 Local Food Purchasing Hero – Education: Dayton Independent School District
• 2018 Local Food Purchasing Hero – Business: Spectra at the Duke Energy Convention Center
• 2018 Sustainability Advocate of the Year: Carla Walker – think BIG strategies, llc

The Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit was presented by Green Umbrella in partnership with the City of Cincinnati and The Brueggeman Center for Dialogue at Xavier University.

Source: Soapbox Cincinnati, Emily Dillingham

Green Umbrella, the City of Cincinnati, and Xavier University have partnered to host the fourth Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit on June 15 at the Schiff Conference Center on Xavier’s campus.

The summit brings together members from all sides of the environmental and sustainability community in Greater Cincinnati and all over the Midwest. The day will feature speakers, a discussion panel, and breakout sessions.

Katharine Hayhoe, Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit keynote speaker

Keynote speaker, Katharine Hayhoe, director of climate science center at Texas Tech University is well respected in her field. She will discuss environmental issues, sustainability, and resilience; consider how other regions are adapting to climate change, and address some misconceptions on climate change and global warming.

Resilience officers from the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities Program will also speak.

Breakout sessions give the opportunity to discuss issues and “Some breakout sessions are seen as opportunities for discussion and planning,” explains Ryan Mooney-Bullock, communications and program manager of Green Umbrella.

Breakout sessions topics include extreme weather preparedness—a relevant topic as Cincinnati and the Midwest continues to experience extreme weather events such as major flooding and storms, and intense summer temperatures; the Green Cincinnati Plan which was recently officially adopted by the City; and growing sustainable jobs and infrastructures in a green world, which will include current jobs and potential jobs; and one focused on creating a sustainable business.

When asked how the summit came about, Mooney-Bullock replies, it’s “Driven through Cincinnati based organizations.”

The need to adapt and become more resilient to a changing climate in Cincinnati grows more urgent and gains attention.

While most attendees will be Cincinnatians, environmental and sustainability experts from all over the Midwest will be in attendance. It’s “Relevant to a greater region” says Mooney-Bullock.

“The only complaint we’ve had is about the number of breakout sessions,” attendees want to visit them all.

The summit will bring together diverse backgrounds including environmental and sustainability professionals, students, sustainable directors from large businesses as well as small business owners, and individuals active in the environmental community.

Last year, the summit sold out with around 450 attendees. This year, they are expecting 350-400 attendees; tickets will be available online until June 12 and on the day of the summit, if still available.

For more information and the full program, visit the website.

“All levels are welcome,” says Mooney-Bullock, “You don’t have to be a sustainability expert to attend.”

Source: Soapbox Cincinnati, Kamal Kimball

As the population grows, the issue of food--from growing to distribution--becomes increasingly important. For an increasing minority of folks, the answer lies in getting back to basics--growing food in more traditional ways, and making sure it stays in the region for locals to enjoy. 10 years ago this month, Soapbox ran a piece about local food in Cincinnati. As part of our 10 year anniversary series, we examine how local food has changed in the past decade, and where it might be in the future.

According to Kristin Gangwer, Interim Executive Director of local sustainability nonprofit Green Umbrella, there is cause for optimism. “We’ve measured that number of outlets to purchase or consume local food has quadrupled since 2010.” The demand has increased, and the places to tap into local food now include everything from farmer’s markets to restaurants to “food hubs” to direct from farmer community supported agriculture CSA programs.

Traditional farmers markets continue to thrive, with upwards of 40 markets happening seven days a week throughout the region. The Central Ohio River Valley (CORV) Local Food Guide, an annual publication, highlights the markets and other sources for local food. According to CORV Producer Deborah Jordan, the guide was started in 2008 as a grassroots effort to connect community members with local growers and fresh, healthy local food. Jordan explains that the guide “went from 8 pages in the beginning to 24 today,” reflecting the explosion of interest and availability of local food in the past decade.

Access to local food has also been helped by advances in technology. Local Food Connection, one of two “food hubs” in the region, was started in 2015 to improve access to fresh produce for families and restaurants. “Our mission is to make it more convenient for buyers to buy locally as other foods. On the supplier end, we make it more convenient for farmers to market and distribute products,” explains founder Alice Chalmers. Produce, meat, dairy, and other local products are available for purchase online. “We’re like an Amazon.com for local food. You can buy as much or as little as you want, when you want.” After placing an online order, buyers can pick up their produce at one of eight local locations.

Local food access has also improved through innovative programs that improve affordability for people with limited incomes. Due to governmental produce subsidizes and large chain stores driving down prices through bulk buying, consumers have become accustomed to low prices on staples such as milk and produce. For many, the price of buying local can seem prohibitive. “Food can be so cheap, people still underestimate the real cost of producing food,” said Chalmers. “There can be sticker shock on pricing.” Programs such as Produce Perks are helping to address this barrier to eating local. Produce Perks is a local nutrition incentive program that allows people who are on federal assistance such as SNAP to double their dollar at participating farmers markets. “This allows people to go to a farmer’s market and buy $5 of produce with their EBT card and get $10 of food,” explained Gangwer.

Restaurants are also getting in on the local food trend. “In the last 10 years, I think it’s become an expectation for certain types of food establishments,” said Chalmers. “If they set a higher standard for themselves, they usually try to source some products locally because there are so many benefits to that. Not just that they’re giving back, but they know they can have a level of freshness and lack of perishability because it’s been harvested within 24 hours.” Local Food Connection helps link regional farmers with restaurants in search of good local produce. “We have a [restaurant] client list of 100 that are buying locally, and this is from a price point of $8 to $28 an entree. Across the board there’s a real commitment to good food.”

On the flipside, Green Umbrella is working to reduce food waste that comes out of restaurants. Their “Save the Food Cincinnati” campaign aims to keep food from landfills through advocacy and education. “We give out awards/grants to projects and organizations who do creative work to reduce food waste,” said Gangwer. “Everything from gleaning extra produce from the fields that can be donated to the food banks to supporting organizations like La Soupe, which does food rescue projects.” Green Umbrella also has a Local Food action team, which is working on a 10% Shift campaign to encourage consumers to pledge 10% of their food budget to buying local food.

Those working in the local food scene see incremental progress happening. “Having worked in the food system for a while, I feel really positively about where things are heading,” said Gangwer. Generational shifts in values are also driving demand for local food. Access to local food has become “the expectation among millennials,” according to Chalmers.

Buying local is easier than ever, and for many it is not just important because of nutrition or health, but rather it is a decision driven by personal values. “I think it’s up to everyone that goes into a restaurant or buys food to realize that they’re making a important decision,” said Chalmers. “For some it’s a matter of survival and you have to get quantity and calories, but to the extent that you can make a choice, it impacts those around you and your environment. It’s an important act.”