East Hartford Joins Sustainable CT
East Hartford, CT—On April 2nd, the East Hartford Town Council voted to join a growing number of communities across the state participating in Sustainable CT, an exciting program to support Connecticut's cities and towns. The statewide initiative includes a detailed menu of sustainability best practices, tools and resources, peer learning, and recognition. East Hartford joins over 45% of Connecticut's towns that are registered for Sustainable CT.
“One of my priorities is to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs, and the Sustainable CT program will be of great assistance” said Mayor Marcia Leclerc. “I will be launching the East Hartford Sustainability Team on May 14 to officially put the program in motion.”
The Sustainable CT platform supports a broad range of actions, such as improving watershed management, supporting arts and creative culture, reducing energy use and increasing renewable energy, implementing “complete streets,” which are streets that meet the needs of walkers and bikers as well as cars, improving recycling programs, assessing climate vulnerability, supporting local businesses, and providing efficient and diverse housing options. There is no cost to participate and communities voluntarily select actions that meet their unique, local character and long-term vision. After successful implementation of a variety of actions, municipalities are eligible for Sustainable CT certification.
The initiative was developed under the leadership of the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University in partnership with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. Three Connecticut philanthropies - The Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, the Hampshire Foundation, and the Common Sense Fund – have supported the program's development and launch.
"We are thrilled that East Hartford has passed a resolution to join Sustainable CT. The program builds on many current success stories in our communities to create and support more great places to live, work, and play," said Lynn Stoddard, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy. "We are looking forward to working with the Town of East Hartford as they pursue Sustainable CT certification."
For more information on Sustainable CT see the program’s website.