Green Team

Established in 2009, the mission of the City of Fort Lauderdale Green Team is to accelerate City efforts to achieve the internal sustainability goals of the Press Play Strategic Plan and the Sustainability Action Plan.

Previously called the Resource Sustainability Group (RSG), the Green Team’s initial purpose was to coordinate the City’s internal sustainability programs.  Since then the focus of the Green Team has evolved to a project based approach involving employee engagement. The goal of these projects is to  advance sustainability initiatives through increased staff awareness, education, and participation; thus, fostering a Greening Our Routine culture throughout City operations.

In 2016, the Green Team successfully launched and completed its first two Greening Our Routine projects which saw participation from all departments in friendly competitions. The first project, the Flip the Switch Challenge, promoted energy conservation by encouraging employees to turn off lights and computer monitors when not in use. The second project, the Kick the Can Challenge, focused on reducing waste generation and increasing recycling volumes in City facilities.

Both challenges had a citywide impact. Tracking of achievements during these projects showed significant increases in sustainable practices, including energy conservation, recycling, and waste reduction. The Green Team’s project based approach also aligns with the City’s mission, We Build Community, by providing interdepartmental team-building opportunities.

Structure and Responsibilities

Green Team members are comprised of diverse staff, representing a number of City departments and charter offices. There is no limit to the number of team members.  At a minimum, each department appoints one representative. However, a department may elect to appoint additional representatives to attend meetings while a strategic project is being implemented.

As outlined in the charter, the responsibilities of the Green Team are to:

• Develop, lead and promote City sustainability initiatives emphasizing the City’s conservation goals of 20% by 2020;

• Identify opportunities for operational efficiencies, assist in implementing various elements of the Sustainability Action Plan, and working toward effectuating change within the organization and the community;

• Break down potential barriers to implementation of the Sustainability Action Plan by establishing formal communication channels between departments on the topic of sustainability;

• Identify opportunities for departments to work together towards reducing the environmental impact of operations;

• Provide a forum for City staff to share ideas and be recognized for improving our performance along key sustainability indicators; and,

• Take information back to department staff for the purpose of educating them about general sustainability, moving toward operational efficiencies, and providing our neighbors with similar knowledge when out in the community.

Meetings are held every month, or more often as the Chair determines a need.

 See Green Team Charter for additional information about the Green Team.

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