City of Long Beach Receives Green Leadership Award

April 17, 2018

 

 

City of Long Beach Receives Green Leadership Award

 

 

The City of Long Beach has received a prestigious Green California Summit Leadership Award in the “Sustainable Community” category at the 12th annual Green California Summit held on April 9, 2018, in Sacramento. This award is presented by Green Technology to a city or community that has implemented outstanding sustainability projects and programs. The City was recognized for various environmental awareness and action efforts, including the “Can Your Butts” program, Certified Blue Restaurant (CBR) program, and Green Fleet program.

 

 

 

“It is truly an honor to receive a Green California Summit’s Leadership Award,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “This is a measure of our success as a sustainable city, and in our growing economy, demonstrates that it is not only possible to make investments in litter abatement, water conservation, and greenhouse gas emission reductions, but it is also the smart thing to do for our businesses, community, and Long Beach’s future.”

 

The “Can Your Butts” program, launched last year by the Department of Public Works, tackles the issue of cigarette litter through a framework of prevention, partnerships, and public education. About 65% of cigarettes become litter, making up over one-third of all litter found in public spaces. As a Long Beach Clean Team initiative, the “Can Your Butts” program works with local businesses to combat this pervasive problem. Participating businesses receive free resources, including a business-friendly designed cigarette waste receptacle for storefronts, creating convenient access for smokers to properly dispose of cigarette waste. An educational campaign accompanied the program’s launch, which utilized social media and in-person contact to promote the “Can Your Butts” message of preventing environmental degradation.

 

The Long Beach Water Department’s CBR program supports and recognizes restaurants in the City that achieve exceptional water efficiency. Through an on-site survey, Long Beach Water Department staff identify opportunities for water, energy, and greenhouse gas reductions in the water-using equipment found in commercial kitchens. This program is innovative in the partnerships it builds with the business community, City organizations, and the public. The goal is to integrate water use efficiency into all aspects of the Long Beach lifestyle. By featuring the CBR eateries on social media, community members can recognize and support neighborhood restaurants. For more information on the program and to see a full list of CBRs in the City, please visit: lbwater.org/blue.

 

The City’s Green Fleet Program is led by the Department of Financial Management’s Fleet Services Bureau, which operates a diverse fleet of approximately 2,100 vehicles and provides fleet maintenance and management, fuel, and towing to City departments. The City has made a concerted effort in recent years to transition to more sustainable forms of fuel to power City vehicles. More than 40% of the City’s motorized fleet is now alternatively fueled, and of the City’s motorized non-safety fleet, 58% are alternatively fueled.

 

Additionally, the Fleet Services Team created an interdepartmental Battery Electric Vehicle Task Force to guide the electrification of all City sedan vehicles. Long Beach also opened a new slow-fill compressed natural gas (CNG) station at the City’s Fleet headquarters in May 2017. The station can fuel 100 heavy duty vehicles, and services its 100% alternatively fueled refuse/sweeper fleet. The CNG, liquefied natural gas, and diesel fuels are 100% renewable, and 50% of its total fuel use in 2017 was renewable. In October 2017, the Fleet Services Bureau became an accredited member of the NAFA Sustainable Fleet Association with a top-tier ranking, Tier 4. It also placed in Heavy Duty Trucking Magazine’s 2017 Top 25 Green Fleets.

 

The Green California Leadership Awards have been established in cooperation with the Advisory Board for the Green California Summit as a forum to recognize outstanding environmental achievements by California governments.

 

About Green Technology

Green Technology is a non-profit initiative designed to inform government efforts toward sustainability, providing a forum in which government officials can communicate with those in the private sector who are developing and distributing green technologies.

 

About Long Beach Water Department

As a recognized leader in water conservation and innovation, the Long Beach Water Department contributes to creating a sustainable community, develops collaborative partnerships, and fosters a quality workforce. For more information visit lbwater.organd follow us on Facebook and Instagram @lbwater and on Twitter@LongBeachWater.

 

About Public Works

The Long Beach Public Works Department strives to operate, preserve, and enhance the City’s physical infrastructure and transportation systems, as well as preserve the upkeep of the cityscape with a robust refuse and recycling service that serves more than 120,000 residential and commercial customers. The Department provides a variety of community services including the repair, rehabilitation and general upkeep of City streets, trees, sidewalks, and City structures. Public Works also provides emergency support services throughout the City. Visit us athttp://www.longbeach.gov/pw/, “Like” us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter andInstagram.

 

About Financial Management

The Department of Financial Management oversees the financial and fleet services operations of the City, and serves as a financial adviser to the City Manager and City Council. It is the mission of Financial Management to keep the City financially strong. The Financial Management department is organized into seven bureaus: Accounting, Budgeting, Business Services, Commercial Services, Financial Controls, Fleet Services, and Treasury. To learn more about Financial Management, visit: www.longbeach.gov/finance