Item B: Presentation of Report from Sustainable Business Initiative

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ways to support business and expand quality jobs that use sustainable measures, Mayor Piercy specifically asked the task force to seek answers to these questions: 1. How can the City support and encourage businesses that make sustainable products? 2. How can the City support and encourage all businesses to adopt sustainable practices? 3. How can the City help and support the broader education of business and the public about sustainability? From the information gathered from the work of the task force, town hall meetings, roundtable meetings and a community survey, the SBI Task Force developed a set of recommendations for retaining, growing, and creating sustainable businesses and jobs in Eugene. The recommendations are organized around three areas: 1) City of Eugene; 2) private sector; and 3) other local governments and educational institutions. There are 11 major recommendations for the City, seven for local private and non-profit sector organizations, and four for other local governments and educational institutions. The specific recommendations for the City of Eugene are found on pages 30 – 35 of the SBI Report. The report provides a more detailed discussion of each one. They are listed here as a point of information. 1. Publicly Commit to Sustainable Practices and to Businesses That Produce Sustainable Products and Services 2. Establish an Office of Sustainability within City Government 3. Establish a Sustainability Board or Commission 4. Adopt a Goal of Becoming Carbon Neutral By 2020 and Develop a Climate Action Plan 5. Purchase and Use Sustainable Practices and Local Products and Services 6. Adopt Sustainability Criteria for Decision-Making, Beginning with Triple Bottom Line Policy Assessments and Purchasing Policies 7. Adopt Goal and Develop Strategy to Achieve Zero Waste 8. Adopt Sustainability Indicators and a Measurement System 9. Educate Employees 10. Provide Incentives and Awards and Remove Barriers 11. Form Partnerships The SBI Task Force emphasizes the first three recommendations for the City of Eugene as these provide the foundation of the institutional mechanisms to establish and sustain the remainder of the recommendations. Specific recommendations for the local private sector and non-profit organizations are found on pages 35 – 37 of the report. Again, the report provides a more in-depth discussion. The list of recommendations is as follows: 1.Design a Plan to Help All Local Businesses Apply or Expand Sustainability Measures 2.Commit to Expanding Sustainable Business Clusters 3.Recruit Businesses to Fill Niche and Create Dynamism within Existing Sustainable Clusters 4.Form Local Associations or Networking Mechanisms 5.Educate the Public and Promote Local Sustainable Products 6.Improve Access to Loans, Grants, and other Forms of Business Financing 7.Form Task Force to Address Social Equity L:\CMO\2006 Council Agendas\M060925\S060925B.doc