Livable Nashville Committee

Description

The Livable Nashville Committee is working to develop a shared vision for protecting and enhancing Nashville’s livability and environmental quality. Community and stakeholder engagement through this Committee presents an opportunity to harness public interest in environmental leadership, and to initiate ambitious sustainability goals, policies, and projects.

Building off of their work under Mayor Megan Barry's administration and the accomplishments of Mayor Karl Dean’s 2009 Green Ribbon Committee, as well as the formally-adopted sustainability policies from Metro’s countywide General Plan NashvilleNext, their 2017 inaugural report recommends Nashville pursue goals and actions across five focus-areas: Climate and Energy, Green Buildings, Waste Reduction and Recycling, Mobility, and Natural Resources.

Through a series of plenary sessions, subcommittee meetings, and engagement with environmental experts, the Livable Nashville Committee will develop a new, prioritized list of ambitious goals and recommendations that reflect the Green Ribbon Committee’s work, NashvilleNext and other related plans, and the Mayor’s priorities. Throughout the Mayor’s term in office, the Committee will also reconvene to check in on progress and implementation.

The Livable Nashville Committee's Draft Recommendations were released for public comment in February 2017.

Subcommittees

• Natural Resources: Sets measurable goals and recommendations to improve our region’s air quality, prevent water pollution in our rivers and streams, and preserve open space.
• Mobility: Sets measurable goals and recommendations to reduce the environmental impacts of the transportation sector, including greenhouse gas emissions and criteria air pollutants. Identifies opportunities to encourage low-carbon trip choices (walking, biking, transit).
• Waste Reduction and Recycling: Works with the Metro Long-Term Zero Waste Master Plan to set measurable goals and recommendations to increase recycling and composting and reduce overall waste generated in Davidson County across municipal, residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.
• Green Buildings: Sets measurable goals and recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and other environmental impacts generated by Nashville's buildings – including among Metro facilities, commercial, industrial, and residential properties.
• Climate and Energy: Provided oversight for the 2016 update to Nashville’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory. Sets measurable goals and recommendations for Nashville and Metro to lower GHG emissions and energy consumption through gains in efficiencies and renewables.

Nashville is a signatory to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, the world’s largest cooperative effort among mayors and city officials to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, track progress, and prepare for the impacts of climate change. Nashville is also a member of the Rockefeller Foundations global network of 100 Resilient Cities.

Members