City’s Environmental Strategic Plan Receives Provincial Recognition

September 27, 2012

The Way We Green, the City of Edmonton’s bold vision to make our city more environmentally sustainable and resilient by 2040, has been honoured with the Government of Alberta’s 2012 Minister’s Award for Municipal Excellence in the category of Outstanding Achievement.

The Honourable Doug Griffiths, Minister of Municipal Affairs, presented the award at the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) conference in Edmonton September 27, 2012. The award was accepted by Edmonton Councillor Linda Sloan who also serves as Chair of the AUMA Board of Directors.

“The City of Edmonton has shown innovation and spirit with this project and it is this kind of forward thinking that I am proud to celebrate with these awards,” said Griffiths. “Finding local solutions and sharing these ideas with other municipalities helps ensure all Albertans will always have vibrant, strong communities to call home.”

The Way We Green is Edmonton’s environmental strategic plan. It outlines the 12 goals Edmonton must achieve to become more environmentally sustainable and resilient; to become carbon-neutral; to improve our connection with nature and to prepare the city for the challenges that will come from climate change.

“Receiving the Minister’s Award for Municipal Excellence is a proud achievement,” says Councillor Linda Sloan. “The Way We Green is an ambitious, visionary document that solidifies Edmonton’s place as a leader in environmental sustainability and preservation. This recognition reaffirms that we are on the right track as we integrate environmental interests into the planning, development and operation of our City.”

The Way We Green plan, which was approved by City Council in July 2011, was created with input and advice from business, manufacturing, educational and environmental stakeholders as well as thousands of members of the public. The implementation plan for The Way We Green will be presented to Council this fall.

The Minister’s Awards for Municipal Excellence celebrate the accomplishments of local governments in Alberta. The awards were created 11 years ago to gather and share best practices among municipalities in Alberta.

This is the second award The City of Edmonton’s The Way We Green plan has received. It also won the 2012 Environment Award from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA).

Councillor  Don Iveson is the lead on Council Initiatives focusing on Environment.

For more information about The Way We Green, please visit www.edmonton.ca/thewaywegreen.

 

For more information:

Mary-Ann Thurber

City of Edmonton
Urban Planning and Environment

Title	Communications Officer
Telephone	780-442-1698
Email	maryann.thurber@edmonton.ca