The City of Roanoke has received the Virginia Municipal League’s highest environmental award, the Go Green Virginia Platinum Certification. This program reviews the city’s sustainability program and the scores are based on performance for energy efficiency, renewable energy, community outreach, stormwater management, recycling, land use and transportation, and other related fields.
Mayor Sherman Lea will accept the award for the city at the 2018 VML Annual Conference on Monday, Oct. 1. In addition, Matthew Strickler, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, will be in attendance at the conference to address the participants.
The Virginia Municipal League’s Go Green Virginia initiative recognizes that communities need to take innovative steps to reduce energy usage and promote sustainability. Most importantly, member local governments are urged to participate in a friendly competition known as the Green Government Challenge.
The “Challenge” is designed to encourage implementation of specific environmental policies and practical actions that not only reduce carbon emissions, but can save local governments money. VML is a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan association of city, town and county governments established in 1905 to improve and assist local governments through legislative advocacy, research, education and other services.
For more information, contact Nell Boyle, Sustainability Outreach Coordinator for the City of Roanoke, at 853-5430 or [email protected].