Madison Park

Don't forget to register for the first Charlotte Sustainability Summit this Saturday at UNCC Center City!

Learn how YOU can make Charlotte more sustainable! Deep dive into a variety of sustainability issues we have right now and learn how you can affect change in our city. Join us for a full day of workshops and panel discussions that includes our keynote speaker Jacqueline Patterson, the Director of Environmental and Climate Justice at NAACP, and a state of sustainability in Charlotte presentation. See full schedule below and learn more by visiting cltsustainabilitysummit.org.

This is a free event, however, due to classroom capacity and food preparation, registration is required. We have breakfast and our keynote speaker, lunch and a state of sustainability in Charlotte presentation, and three workshop blocks with multiple talks happening at the same time. **For the workshop blocks, please choose only one workshop per block that you are attending. Questions? email carbenevents@gmail.com.

9:00 – 9:30 a.m.  NETWORKING AND CHECK-IN

9:30 – 10:45 a.m.  WELCOME,  KEYNOTE SPEAKER, AND SELF-SERVE BREAKFAST We are excited to have Jacqueline Patterson, the Director of Environmental and Climate Justice at NAACP giving the keynote address on "Upholding the Beloved Community: Advancing Systems Change Through Collective Visioning and Action."

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOP BLOCK 1The following workshops/discussions will be available during this time block

• MAKING ROOM - AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR EVERYONE Housing affordability is a growing challenge in Charlotte, and the Charlotte City Council has signaled that creating more affordable housing will be a priority in the coming years. This workshop, led by OneMECK, will discuss the barriers to affordable housing in Charlotte and American metropolitan regions, in general
• TRANSPORTATION CHOICES FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Led by Sustain Charlotte. Charlotte will have 400,000 more residents by the year 2030. As people move to our region, they’re bringing their cars but they’re not bringing any roads or infrastructure with them. Transportation costs consume 22% of household income for the median Charlotte household. It’s more important than ever for Charlotte to invest in sustainable transportation networks and become a city where everyone can easily travel by walking, biking, or public transit. Following a presentation about Charlotte’s transportation challenges and opportunities, we’ll take a short guided walk to the Seventh Street Public Market and Charlotte Transportation Center to learn how different modes of transportation can be used together
• LOCAL WATER QUALITY AND WATER RESOURCESLed by the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation. Where does your tap water come from? Where does that drain actually go? What can I do to protect our water resources? In this discussion, participants will learn about our natural and man-made water resources. Topics will include water treatment, stormwater, BMPs, and specific actions citizens can take improve our waters
• LAND CONSERVATION AND THE CAROLINA THREAD TRAIL Matt Covington, Land Acquisition Director of Catawba Lands Conservancy and Bret Baronak, Community Coordinator of Carolina Thread Trail will discuss land protection efforts in the Charlotte region as well as the Thread Trail’s efforts to create a regional trail system, and how that complements land conservation activities

12:30 – 1:45 p.m. STATE OF LOCAL SUSTAINABILITY PRESENTATION AND LUNCHHow are we doing? Are we making any progress? Where do we need to focus more? Join this session for a “state of local sustainability” regarding encouraging recent trends and the challenges that remain to improve sustainability in the Charlotte region from Sustain Charlotte and INSS

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOP BLOCK 2The following workshops/discussions will be available at during this time block

• PUBLIC SERVICE AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THE CHARLOTTE REGION Policy-making in the Charlotte region is a long and complex process, involving much more than elected officials. Charlotte’s many volunteer citizen advisory boards are an often-overlooked source of new policy ideas or changes in old policy. This panel, moderated by State Representative and former Charlotte City Council Member John Autry, will discuss the role of citizen advisory boards, how they have contributed to local plans and policy decisions, what barriers their members face as they attempt to influence policy, and ways that others can get involved. Participants will include members of the Charlotte’s Bicycle Advisory Committee, the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Committee, the Transit Services Advisory Board, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Plan Commission
• SUSTAINABILITY AND WASTE 101 Join Crown Town Compost for a workshop on composting, landfilling, recycling, waste policy, and the state of waste in Mecklenburg County. They will discuss Mecklenburg County’s waste policy and breakdown what to compost and recycle and why as well as environmental justice concerns
• PLANNING FOR GREENWAYS AND PARKS WORKSHOP PART 1 Greenways for Mecklenburg will host a session that will include speakers and hands-on breakout sessions that is intended to involve both community leaders and invited staff from city and county departments to identify future ‘Dirtway’ projects along the proposed greenway planning map. Topics will include preserving biodiversity in an urban environment, anticipated population growth and land management in Mecklenburg County, and collaboration between municipal and county planning for future parks and greenways. Primary facilitators will include Greenway for Mecklenburg founding board members Brett Tempest, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNC Charlotte, and Rick Winiker, local criminal defense attorney and Vice-chair of the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Commission
• ENERGY AND POLICYThe City of Charlotte's Director of Sustainability, Robert Phocas, and Envision Charlotte will discuss the development of the City's first Sustainable Energy Action Plan, which will set the course for a low carbon future in Charlotte. This community-wide plan will set goals for greenhouse gas emission reductions to be achieved in 2030 and 2050. These goals will put Charlotte in line with the goals outlined in the Paris Climate Accord. We will also hear from Umit Cali, P.H.D., who is an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at UNCC. He will present on “Autonomous Community Microgrids and Energy Blockchain”.

3:15 – 4:15 p.m. SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOP BLOCK 2

The following workshops/discussions will be available at during this time block

• MONITORING AIR QUALITY IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES Clean Air Carolina is leading this workshop on the advances in smart, portable air sensors that enable AirKeepers to see the results right on site. The data collected will allow scientists, health experts, and environmental advocates to leverage this information to fight air pollution like never before, engage individuals, and promote better outcomes for all
• INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO IMPROVING HEALTHY, LOCAL FOODLed by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council, panelists will discuss how school gardens, mobile markets, sustainable farming practices and supporting local farms are all essential to building a sustainable local food system here in Mecklenburg County. Panelists include: Nicole Miller (School Garden Coordinator with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools), Gigi Lytto (FoodCorps Service Member), Alisha Pruett (Founder of The Bulb), Marcus McFarland (FoodCorps Service Member), and Holt Akers-Campbell (Lazy Heron Farm)
• PLANNING FOR GREENWAYS AND PARKS WORKSHOP PART 2 Greenways for Mecklenburg will host a session that will include speakers and hands-on breakout sessions that is intended to involve both community leaders and invited staff from city and county departments to identify future ‘Dirtway’ projects along the proposed greenway planning map. Topics will include preserving biodiversity in an urban environment, anticipated population growth and land management in Mecklenburg County, and collaboration between municipal and county planning for future parks and greenways. Primary facilitators will include Greenway for Mecklenburg founding board members Brett Tempest, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNC Charlotte, and Rick Winiker, local criminal defense attorney and Vice-chair of the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Commission
• SOLAR ENERGY IN NORTH CAROLINARenewable Energy Design Group will discuss the solar industry in North Carolina detailing the reasons why our state is number 2 in the nation for solar installations, in addition to this we will discuss best practices for homeowners and business owners can use to evaluate and take advantage of solar opportunities, companies, and systems, we will also discuss the future of solar technology, and have time for Q&A. They will also discuss how an energy efficient home is the best candidate for solar energy. If you have an interest in solar or are considering investing in solar, do not miss this discussion