From Great Ideas to Great Communities - A Groundbreaking Implementation Guide For Municipal Sustainability Plans

MONTREAL, April 24, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Golder Associates Ltd. and the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities' (UNSM's) Municipal Sustainability Office are launching a new guidebook this week - From Great Ideas to Great Communities - to help municipalities implement their Integrated Community Sustainability Plans (ICSPs). This groundbreaking guide will help municipalities to translate their long-term goals and ideas into meaningful action on the ground.

The guide demonstrates how municipalities can build a culture of sustainability and integrate sustainability goals and principles into their daily operations and decision-making. Designed to be practical and easy to use, it includes a seven-part framework for action, step-by-step guidance, and priority strategies and actions for moving forward with the implementation process.

"We want each and every one of our municipalities to be successful in reaching their sustainability goals, and we anticipate that this guide will serve as a roadmap to help them along the journey," declares Councillor Frank Fawson, Municipality of the District of Lunenburg and Chair of UNSM's Sustainable Practices Committee.

The guide was prepared by Chris Lindberg and his team at Golder Associates Ltd. with support from The Natural Step Canada. It draws on examples and resources from various municipalities in Nova Scotia and across Canada that have had success with implementing their ICSPs.

"Nova Scotia has demonstrated real leadership in working with its municipalities on sustainability planning, says Senior Sustainability Specialist at Golder Associates and lead-author Chris Lindberg. "We're very excited to launch this guide and help accelerate the implementation process. While the guide focusses on Nova Scotia, the framework, process and practices are relevant for municipalities all across Canada. We're looking forward to working with municipalities to make sustainability happen in their communities."

UNSM's Municipal Sustainability Office will be offering two full-day training workshops this week to launch the guide:  April 25 in Halifax and April 26 in Antigonish. Municipal staff, senior administration and elected officials are all welcome to attend and build their capacity to implement the ICSP. The guide and a wide variety of supporting resources are also available for download at www.sustainability-unsm.ca/icsp-implementation-guide-resources.html.

As a global, employee-owned organisation with over 50 years of experience, Golder Associates is driven by our purpose to engineer earth's development while preserving earth's integrity. From more than 180 offices worldwide, our over 8000 employees deliver solutions that help our clients achieve their sustainable development goals by providing a wide range of independent consulting, design and construction services in our specialist areas of earth, environment and energy. www.golder.ca

SOURCE: Golder Associates

Francine Labelle
Regional Marketing Manager
Golder Associates Ltd.
Tel:  [phone] ext. 7318
Cell:  438 837-8905
E-mail:  [email protected]