Sustainability Commission

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About

Preamble: Many of the effects of the worsening global climate crisis are already evident in our region and in the town of Groton and are growing. This increases the urgency of the Commission’s role in helping guide and act as a resource for the Town that balances our environmental sustainability with maintaining our economic and social vitality.

Purpose: The purpose of the Sustainability Commission is to focus and coordinate the Town’s sustainability efforts and to provide guidance and expertise for the Town to become a measurably more sustainable community.

Responsibilities: The responsibilities of the Commission encompass assisting all generations of residents, town agencies and boards in the planning and implementation of their activities in a way that maximizes preservation of natural resources, including climate, and integrates climate resilience and adaptation where appropriate

Those include:

● Providing sustainability materials and advice to influence Town plans, policies, operations, and bylaws to ensure that increasing sustainability and resilience to climate change is a guiding principle.
● Identifying key resources and finding and developing deep expertise in the key aspects of community sustainability and climate resilience.
● Raising awareness regarding the challenges of climate change and actions that could/should be taken for the public and Town officials and boards through outreach, education, and involvement.
● Developing a clearinghouse of useful sustainability/resilience information and pointers to other experts for use by Town officials and residents
● Identifying key sustainability metrics for Groton, measuring them to monitor progress, and providing recommendations to Town officials for meeting State requirements and Town goals.
● Identifying potential Federal, State, Regional, and private funding opportunities for projects to further the Town’s sustainability efforts and helping prepare the grant applications for them.
● Collaborating with neighboring communities and regional partnerships to help further our progress toward sustainability, as well as other initiatives.
In the course of its work, the Sustainability Commission will establish specific programs to support these responsibilities, and the Commission will prepare and provide an Annual Report to inform the Town of the Commission's activities, accomplishments, and how well the Town is progressing toward its sustainable community goals.

Legal Authority

Local:
Approved by the Groton Select Board, August 14, 2023