The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) has recognized six communities for their commitment to sustainability. Cherokee, Fulton and Gwinnett counties, and Chamblee, Decatur and Suwanee have been certified through the ARC’s Green Communities Program.
“The 2022 Green Communities have played an instrumental role in moving metro Atlanta towards greater sustainability and environmental resilience through innovative and community-informed projects,” said Natural Resources Managing Director Katherine Zitsch. “These communities demonstrate exemplary dedication to building a stronger, greener region.”
The Green Communities Program from the ARC helps local governments reduce their environmental impact. 11 cities and six counties are currently certified under the program. Certification can help garner federal, state or commission for sustainability projects, may be attractive for economic development opportunity and also prove to residents their municipality’s green commitment. The program is nationally recognized for its highlighting of local solutions for reducing environmental footprints. The program was started in 2009 to recognize programs and policies that aim towards a more sustainable region.
Even the most “sustainable-skeptical” residents of metro Atlanta cannot ignore the need for water use management. After a couple decades worth of “water wars” with Florida and Alabama – and not escaping unscathed, metro Atlanta has a court order to better plan for its present and future (with the accompanying expected 2.5 million people) water use.
Gwinnett County’s recognition was explicitly associated with the water issue, where they were recertified as Platinum winners for the “Water Tower” center. The center focuses on water innovation, bringing together private and public operators in the water industry, along with academia and nonprofits to help battle the increasingly problematic water needs of the region.
The Green Communities program offers certification for a wide range of projects, from building improvements like Chamblee requiring new developments over 20,000 square to obtain sustainable building certification, to the City of Decatur developing a Climate Resilience Plan with Agnes Scott College. Cherokee County purchased a glass pulverizer to turn glass collected at the county’s recycling center into material that can be use by the county roads department.
Cobb County has been certified as a Green Community since 2009, earning Platinum recognition in 2021 for significantly expanding the county’s waste and recycling program. The expanded programs make often hard-to-recycle like glass and thin plastics much simpler. The county also participates in a program called the Hefty Energy Bag Program, where hard-to-recycle plastics, such as grocery bags are turned into cinder blocks for various construction projects.
More information about ARC’s Green Communities certification program is available at atlantaregional.org/greencommunities.
