The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) has certified the City of New Albany as the most recent Sustainable2050 community to achieve an elevated status for our actions to promote sustainability.

Sustainable2050 is a program that supports communities’ sustainability efforts through direct technical assistance, collaboration, and recognition. Each member’s tier status – Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum – is determined by the number of eligible activities corresponding to MORPC’s Regional Sustainability Agenda. The goals include:

1. Improve air quality and reduce climate change impacts to protect public health and the environment.
2. Protect and preserve natural resources to support a healthy and resilient region.
3. Improve quality of life for all residents by creating sustainable and equitable communities
4. Promote robust, inclusive, and sustainable growth and development.

“Communities like New Albany are dedicated to improving the quality of life of their residents in sustainable ways, and that should be celebrated. Through Sustainable2050, we are not only recognizing their commitment to sustainability but also assisting them, through collaboration and resources, to do even more,” said Brandi Whetstone, MORPC Sustainability Officer.

The City of New Albany completed 41 eligible activities across 4 categories, achieving the Silver designation. Highlights from New Albany include:

• A solar panel project at the public service garage that will significantly cut electricity costs and annually remove enough carbon dioxide from the air equivalent to planting 2,800 new trees;
• A Green Building Incentive Program that reduces building permit fees by up to 25% to encourage sustainable development through practices that reduce energy, waste, and water consumption; and
• A municipal food waste composting program that has diverted more than 15,400 pounds of food waste from the landfill since April 2022.

“With environmental sustainability as one of our community pillars, we at the City of New Albany are committed to doing our part to create a cleaner and greener community,” said New Albany Mayor Sloan Spalding. “From the creation of a Sustainability Advisory Board to the installation of solar panels at our public service department complex to offering food waste compost collection sites around town, sustainability is a major focus for us. We are honored to receive this recognition from MORPC and will continue to do our part to be good stewards of the environment.”

Sustainable2050 members are certified by MORPC’s Sustainability Advisory Committee and recognized by the commission’s board of representatives. Currently, 37 local communities and regional organizations have committed to work toward more sustainable practices through the initiative, with 20 earning their tier status certification.