Our staff team just returned from 3 days of planning, relaxing, and reconnecting at the incomparably beautiful Wildacres Retreat. 

It's Climate Week through this Sunday, and we want to take a moment to share our perspective on why Sustain Charlotte's work is so critical to reducing our local contribution to climate pollution.

In addition to being critical to creating a more equitable city, we focus on smart growth and transportation choices because both are critical to curbing climate change.

In the almost 11 years since founding Sustain Charlotte, I've learned firsthand that visible progress on longstanding transportation issues rarely happens overnight. One of the best parts of this job has been seeing the community (that's you!) band together to say "YES!" to projects that we believe are critical to the Charlotte area's future. 

Not just once or even twice, but over and over until the project is complete. 

Last year, 21 people were hit and killed while walking in Charlotte, and 2 people lost their lives while riding their bicycles. In the Queen City (and across the country), the statistics are sobering. How can each of us work to reduce those numbers to zero?

On August 11th,  Sustain Charlotte hosted Grow Smart CLT: Let’s End Traffic Deaths in Charlotte! to address this question. 

View a recording of the event on Sustain Charlotte's YouTube channel.

My name is Shivani Kotikalapudi and I am currently a rising senior at Marvin Ridge High School.

Glass is difficult and costly to effectively separate from other recyclable materials like cardboard at recycling centers. Therefore, Mecklenburg County Solid Waste prefers residents bring their separated glass bottles and jars to one of their full service drop off centers. At those drop off sites, large yellow dumpsters have been clearly marked “Clean Glass Only”. When full, these non-contaminated, glass-only loads can be taken directly to glass processors to be easily recycled into new glass.

Our Challenge

Charlotte’s explosive growth continues. We support sustainable growth that ensures the Charlotte area is a great place to live and work for all. But our traditional growth pattern – low-density and heavily auto-centric — is not sustainable for the generations who will live and work here in the years ahead and has made living here difficult for many today.

My name is Kate Pottle, and I am a rising junior at Davidson College. I am majoring in Environmental studies and potentially minoring in Public Health. 

¡Buenas! My name is Lilliana Sandoval, I am a rising junior at Davidson College in North Carolina. I am majoring in Environmental Studies on a Natural Science Track and minoring in Latin American Studies. I am Latina, my family is from Nayarit, Mexico, and I am proud to say I am a first-generation college student. I am proud of my culture, and I express it through music and personal style. I have ganas — a willingness to put in the work. When I am not working I enjoy going for a run on the trails or dancing at home. I value family a lot.

On June 21, 2021 the Charlotte 2040 Comprehensive Plan was approved by Charlotte City Council by a 6-5 vote with all of the critical policies and goals we were advocating for intact!