View previous newsletters from the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability outlining sustainability + resilience news from around Central Indiana.
Updates on the city’s energy benchmarking and transparency compliance program, Thriving Buildings, are archived here. The intended audience is owners or facilities managers of large buildings (50,000 square feet or larger) within Indianapolis-Marion County
The Office of Sustainability will utilize the $787,040 grant to lower energy use and decrease overall utility costs in municipally owned buildings. Investing in these changes will also reduce climate pollution and improve public health for all Indianapolis community members via healthier air quality.
Read MoreThese are the fourth and fifth Knozone Action Days declared so far in 2024.
Read MoreThe fourth annual Central Indiana Electric Vehicle (EV) Showcase will cruise into town on Saturday, October 5. The Indianapolis Office of Sustainability and the City of Carmel combined forces to create a showcase that is bigger than ever with an even wider variety of vehicles than in previous years. This premier event will offer attendees the opportunity to test-drive multiple new-model EVs, try out a charger, and ask the experts any questions they may have about EVs and how to make the switch.
Read MoreThis funding will be used to increase the number of publicly accessible DC Fast Charging and Level 2 charging stations to close gaps that currently exist in the Indianapolis charger network. The project prioritizes locations that align with both growing EV demand and environmental justice considerations. All sites will be equipped with at least one Level 2 NEVI standard compliant EV charging station.
Read More"For decades, school lunch trays haven't changed--they're still mostly disposable or old hard plastic, leaching harmful chemicals into our children's food and posing real health risks," said Dr. Mantravadi. "I'm tired of always treating diseases in kids and watching society teach children about ocean cleanups to combat plastic. We need to go upstream and prevent these medical and environmental issues with healthier nutrition and reuse in their everyday lives."
Read MoreIndianapolis is making it easier for organizers of large events in the city to make sustainable decisions via the release of the new Indianapolis Event Waste Guide. Released to coincide with the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials being held in Lucas Oil Stadium through June 23, the comprehensive guide includes step-by-step instructions, best practices, and local vendor contact information for implementing successful waste reduction, recycling, composting, and donation practices at scale.
Read MoreThis is the third Knozone Action Day declared so far in 2024; there were 23 Knozone Action Days in 2023 - the most in recorded history.
Read MoreThis is the second Knozone Action Day declared so far in 2024; there were 23 Knozone Action Days in 2023 - the most in recorded history.
Read MoreEffective immediately, the Indianapolis Department of Public Works (Indy DPW) today announced the removal of the community recycling drop-off site at Beck Service Center located at 6025 Madison Ave.
Read MoreThis is the first Knozone Action Day declared so far in 2024; there were 23 Knozone Action Days in 2023 - the most in recorded history.
Read MoreAs the Indianapolis Department of Public Works (Indy DPW) negotiates solid waste contracts that would go into effect in 2026, the department has launched a community questionnaire to gather resident feedback from Marion County residents.
Read MoreThe 2023 Thrive Annual Report also includes highlights on various community programs and projects that demonstrate collective progress toward climate resilience and carbon mitigation under the eight Thrive elements: Built Environment, Economy, Energy, Food & Agriculture, Natural Resources, Public Health & Safety, Transportation & Land Use, and Waste & Recycling.
Read MoreThis month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the City of Indianapolis as one of 40 partner teams of states, local governments, and Tribes to receive funding from $27 million in financial and technical assistance through the Energy Futures Grants (EFG) program. The competitive $500K planning grant will help convene a robust network of seven Indiana cities to develop a statewide Building Innovation Hub over 18 months; the collaborative effort will be vital in reducing Hoosier cities' carbon emissions by deploying the resources and information necessary to support an energy efficient building sector across the state.
Read MoreThe Indianapolis Office of Sustainability, in partnership with Indy Parks, today announced a series of sustainability- and climate-focused workshops convening this spring for community members to learn more about different aspects of environmental action and wellbeing. The Indy's Thriving Neighbors Series includes seven different topics presented by local experts and hosted at Indy Parks family centers. Each workshop is free to attend and open to all ages.
Read MoreThe 2024 Midwest Climate Summit is a two-and-a-half day, cross-sector gathering of climate leaders, researchers, students, and professionals focused on expanding knowledge as well as accelerating climate action and catalyzing new partnerships for an equitable Midwestern response to the climate crisis. Leah Thomas, founder of Intersectional Environmentalist, will be the opening keynote speaker.
Read MoreThe Indianapolis Department of Public Works (Indy DPW) today announced the removal of the community recycling drop-off site at the former location of John Marshall Community High School, 10101 E 38th Street, effective immediately.
Read MoreIndianapolis building owners and facilities managers of structures 50,000 square feet or larger have the opportunity this spring to attend free, guided workshops where they can learn how to begin tracking their utility data in the free ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager software program. The three in-person workshops, referred to as "Data Jams," are hosted by the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability with technical support provided by the American Institute of Architects Indiana.
Read MoreIndianapolis has been recognized by CDP as one of 119 cities and counties across the globe taking bold leadership on environmental action and transparency, despite the pressures of a challenging global situation. Indianapolis has disclosed environmental impact data through CDP since 2015; this is the sixth time it has received an A rating.
Read MoreThe Indianapolis Office of Sustainability today announced the achievement of an eleventh action item outlined in Thrive Indianapolis, the sustainability and resilience action plan that charts a course to citywide carbon neutrality by 2050. The goal, "host six in-person educational opportunities for Marion County residents to increase awareness of benefits of electric vehicle (EV) ownership" is considered complete after this past weekend's successful, third annual Indy EV Showcase.
Read MoreThe Indianapolis Office of Sustainability today announced the achievement of a tenth action item outlined in Thrive Indianapolis, the city's sustainability and resilience action plan that charts a course to citywide carbon neutrality by 2050. The goal, "expand partnerships with sustainability-related businesses and organizations to offer green job opportunities to Indianapolis youth through Project Indy," is being tracked by utilizing data courtesy of EmployIndy's youth jobs platform.
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