STAR Community Index Update, October 2011

ICLEI USA
Oct. 25, 2011

Read on to learn the latest developments on the STAR Community Index, the forthcoming national sustainability framework and rating system being developed by ICLEI and partners.

Sustainability Leaders Convening

Next month, more than 100 sustainability leaders from across the country will convene in Washington, DC to participate in the last annual working meeting of the STAR Community Index.

Working Rapidly Toward Our 2012 Goal

The STAR Communities Program is in its implementation phase with delivery of the STAR Communities Pilot planned for September 2012. We have worked aggressively over the past few months to develop a 2012 Budget and 12-Month Milestones Plan that has attracted key funders to commit resources to our program through the end of CY’12. We recruited new technical committee members, initiated a Data Committee, and worked closely with the STAR Beta Communities and members of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network to ensure our system was aligned with local government needs.

Updates to the Rating System

This summer, we revised the structure of the rating system based on their feedback; in fact, STAR is now organized around nine aspirational Goals with a menu of Objectives and Performance Measures that cities and counties will engage in on their journey toward improved livability and sustainability.

For questions pertaining to STAR, please contact Director Hilari Varnadore at hilari.varnadore@iclei.org.

Thanks to Our Supporters

We would like to take the opportunity to thank our Annual Meeting supporters -- The Summit Foundation, National Building Museum, U.S. Green Building Council, Waste Management, U.S. Dept. of Transportation, U.S. Dept. of Energy, and National League of Cities!