Fulton County’s Board of Commissioners signaled their commitment to a sustainable future by passing the county’s first sustainability plan June 5, 2019.

The plan, which passed unanimously, sets six priority areas to preserve natural resources and improve the county’s resiliency. Those areas include: climate change mitigation; social equity and smart transit; high-performance county infrastructure; education, outreach and green jobs training/placement; fostering partnerships for plan implementation; and budgetary appropriation for implementation of the plan.

“Today, this board again showed its commitment to the future of Fulton County,” said Chairman Robb Pitts. “It is our civic duty to our current and future constituents to do everything in our power to take care of our planet and its natural resources. By adopting this Sustainability Plan, we are taking responsibility for our environmental impact and ensuring that our environment is considered in every decision."

Within each priority area, there are initiatives aimed at moving the sustainability needle. Some of those initiatives have already been started, including attaining Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification on many of the library renovation projects. Others will take an estimated four to six years, such as reducing the energy consumption in county buildings by 20 percent by 2025.

“I’m very proud of the efforts since last fall that included input from leadership, department leaders, staff and the Fulton County Citizens Commission on the Environment to ensure the plan matches our vision to be a leader in sustainability,” said Ellis Kirby, Fulton County’s deputy chief operating officer for infrastructure who will ultimately oversee the plan’s implementation. “This plan is a monumental step for Fulton County and sends a message that we are committed to environmental responsibility in our operations, decisions and the communities that we serve.”