Last year Charlotte City Council approved a plan that aims to make Charlotte a low carbon city by 2050. And last week 75 people gathered with us at Triple C Brewing to hear more about how this plan is getting off the ground.

Last Wednesday, government leaders, entrepreneurs, activists, and students all converged on the Hurt Hub in Davidson, NC, to hear four relatively disparate voices sing the praises of intentional planning and design. The theme of this month’s LaunchLKN Infinite Possibilities mixer was “Are our smart cities smarter?”, and representatives from the NCDOT, Autonomous Fusion, and Rocus Networks joined our own Meg Fencil in a forum-style event to discuss the intersection of innovation and quality of life.

On June 25th, the Charlotte City Council unanimously passed the resolution for a “Sustainable and Resilient” Charlotte. This is a comprehensive resolution that calls for the city government to source 100% of its energy used in its own buildings and fleet from zero-carbon sources by 2030. It also creates an action plan for dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors by 2050.

With this move, Charlotte has taken a major step in the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and significantly increase the quality of life for residents by investing in our air quality and growing our economy with green jobs.

Each year we honor local sustainability leaders who are leading the way for a more sustainable future through our Charlotte Sustainability Awards. We are proud to have been able to honor 38 incredible nominees at our 2018 event, on April 25th. Of those 38 nominees, five were selected by our independent panel of judges as winners, and were presented with awards by NC Senator Jeff Jackson.

Charlene Mack, Chair of Equitable Transportation Team of the West Boulevard Coalition

Thanks to our many members, partners, and followers who attended the November Green Drinks Charlotte + Sustain Charlotte monthly mixer at The Liberty!

Stephanie Hoffman talked about how our Silver Partner, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, is transforming lives by equipping people with practical job skills and providing work experience. The GRID is Goodwill's unique electronics store that sells refurbished computers, vintage games and gaming systems, and computer parts. Proceeds from Goodwill sales support their programs, so your donations of gently used items will not only keep those items out of the landfill but also allow Goodwill to continue providing jobs and other services to area residents!