The American Public Works Association (APWA) has recognized Eugene’s sustainability efforts as one of the nation’s best. In April, APWA awarded Eugene Public Works with an Exceptional Performance in Sustainability award for the City’s work to incorporate climate change goals and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions tracking into the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
“I’m excited and honored that Eugene has received the Exceptional Performance in Sustainability award from APWA. It is a testament to the innovative work our team and community are undertaking together to meet our climate recovery goals,” said Matt Rodrigues, acting Public Works Director. “The process to incorporate climate recovery goals and GHG tracking in Eugene’s CIP required a significant investment in process development, training and staff time.”
In 2017, the City’s budget committee directed staff to incorporate the climate recovery goals and GHG tracking into the CIP. The CIP lists the capital projects funded over a six-year period. This plan, updated every two years, includes airport, parks and open space, public buildings and facilities, stormwater, transportation and wastewater projects. The current CIP, FY20 - FY25, included the estimated greenhouse gas emissions associated with each project.
“The most beneficial outcomes of the process were greatly expanding organization knowledge of tools and methods for estimating greenhouse gas emissions for CIP projects and developing a shared understanding of how our project and material choices influence progress toward our climate recovery goals,” said Rodrigues.
This makes the Sustainable CIP a double award winner, as the City received the Sustainable Practices Award by Oregon APWA in October 2019. The awards follow an article by Rodrigues in the May 2019 issue of the APWA Reporter magazine.
See the CAP 2.0 at: https://engage.eugene-or.gov/sustainability