Cleveland City Council

Cleveland Office of Sustainability

This plan outlines efforts to be taken by the City of Cleveland to increase the sustainability of its municipal operations in five primary areas: design, construction, and maintenance; energy; transportation; water; and materials management and purchasing. While each area has its specific goals and indicators, these efforts are overall meant to increase the viability of organizations and communities, improve organizational efficiency and decrease costs, enhance social services, and preserve natural resources. Additionally, the report points to changes that may be implemented to jointly increase municipal efficiency and sustainability of city services such as transportation, waste management, water consumption, and so on. In regards to food systems planning, the plan outlines a compost program for city buildings. This effort is in tandem with waste reduction and recycling programs at city buildings, allowing for a comprehensive sustainability strategy. The city plans to pilot the program before launching it city-wide, and later plans to partner with other organizations, such as food service, to increase the overall sustainability through the use of compostable containers. The city hopes the sustainable action plan will aid in the development of a sustainable economy, increase resiliency against climate change, and serve as a model for other cities.