The City of Asheville has a strong record and long-standing commitment to sustainability. That’s why Mayor Esther Manheimer signed on to a letter sent by Climate Mayors to Congressional leaders urging bold action to protect our planet and build a more just economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Because only bold action can tackle [...]
The City of Asheville’s Office of Sustainability will begin working alongside other innovative cities in the Southeast to develop and implement food waste initiatives. The City was selected as a participant in the Natural Resources Defense Council Food Matters Project. The Food Matters project partners with cities [...]
On July 28, Asheville City Council approved the construction of onsite solar systems at five (5) City facilities. The five Asheville City sites are Wall Street Parking Deck, Burton Street Community Center, Shiloh Recreation Center, Fire Station 10 and Fire Station 11. Collectively, this project will install a combined total of 259 kW of solar photovoltaic [...]
We are in a period of uncertainty, anxiety, and confusion. How do we come together to support each other, stay productive, and stay safe? How do we continue to advance our values of environmental and social justice? With the uncertainty posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is becoming more apparent that sustainability is not just [...]
Beginning the week of June 1, the last phase of the ART Transit Station renovations will include the installation of the City’s first photovoltaic array, commonly referred to as solar panels. In all, 180 solar panels will be installed on the south-facing side of the passenger canopy to create a system designed to produce over [...]
The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County, has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the management of the Blue Horizons Project. The RFP seeks to fund a local organization to oversee the implementation of the Blue Horizons Project. The goal of the project is to make a clean energy [...]
The City of Asheville continues its support of the creation of clean energy by signing an Amicus brief criticizing the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule. The rule, we believe, fails to reduce dangerous air pollution and address climate change, increasing health and safety risks for Americans, including [...]
You may be staying home this Earth Day, but there’s still action you can take to honor and support Planet Earth April 22 — and every other day of the year. Emphasis on the word “action.” That’s the message from EarthDay.org, which lists tons of ways you can advocate for Mother Earth from [...]
With 2019 nearly in the books, it’s time to take stock of City of Asheville projects and developments from the past year. Here are 10 initiatives that your City government advanced in 2019. Read about the Asheville Police Department’s accomplishments for 2019 at this link. We’ll have 2020 initiatives to look [...]
’Tis the season — to recycle! Seriously, between now and the end of the year… Asheville, we love you, and you are going to generate a lot of….STUFF. You know, all those boxes and bags, tinsel and tags. As part of the City’s sustainability and trash-reduction goals, we certainly want to keep as much of these materials [...]
The City of Asheville is one of 19 local governments within the State of North Carolina committed to setting renewable energy goals. The City partnered with Buncombe County staff to engage a consultant, The Cadmus Group, to develop a road map to implement City Council’s 100% Renewable Energy goal. Following months of discussion and [...]
Registration open for second summit to be held on November 14 A coordinated effort to improve food waste reduction is underway. The Food Waste Solutions Summit is a regional gathering to disrupt food waste issues facing our communities, expand our networks, and inspire dynamic solutions. This second summit, to be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. [...]
Oct. 2 was Energy Efficiency Day. Effectively increasing your energy efficiency involves more than just using less energy — it requires you becoming aware of how energy is used, where it’s wasted, in everyday life. The City of Asheville is committed to sustainability, and wants to share some tips on how [...]
Transitioning from fossil-fuel energy use to 100% renewable energy sources will take careful planning. Through their leadership, Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners adopted a goal of doing just that by the year 2030. In 2018, City Council adopted Resolution 18-279, calling for the City of Asheville to transition [...]
Asheville’s Blue Horizons Project earned the City an Honorable Mention in the Mayors Climate Protection Awards announced at the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Honolulu today. Mayor Esther Manheimer is a participant in this climate consortium made up of mayors across the nation. The Blue Horizons Project works to reduce the region’s peak [...]
Resource information Find information page about climate resilience initiative here. The Climate Resilience Resource Guide is posted on that page. Here is a direct link. Find information about the 100% renewable energy initiative here. Original post: Interested in local energy and climate issues? Come to the City of Asheville’s Climate Resource [...]
Are you “recycling right?” We’ve all had that moment when we’ve gotten confused on what the City of Asheville accepts and does not accept in the Big Blue recycling bins. Getting it right is important and here’s why: As a city, our contamination rate is on the rise. Where we were previously at a 5% contamination [...]