2030 Districts Network International Summit Held in Detroit
During Oct. 4-6, 2030 District directors and building owners, and members will convene for the 2030 Districts Network International Summit, which is being held for the first time in Detroit. The event focuses on sharing best practices in sustainability and the greening of buildings across the country and will also shine a bright spotlight on Detroit buildings and the many efforts in place to enhance sustainability in the city. “I’m really excited not only to meet with other District directors in person and get fresh perspectives and ideas but also to show off and share the work we’ve been doing to the world,” says Connie Lilley, director of the Detroit 2030 District. “I think there will be a level of pleasant surprise among our cohorts from around the country.” In addition to roundtables, presentations, and meetings to be held at Huntington Place, the largest LEED-certified venue in Michigan. The group will attend events and tours encompassing several key buildings, including the Renaissance Center, which is heavily involved in reducing carbon emissions; the Guardian Building, which is taking steps to reduce energy; the Central Mobility District and more. A welcome reception – which is open to the public – is being held at the Zero Net Energy Center to kick off the summit. The reception is expected to draw up to 250 people. The reception’s keynote speaker is Liesl Eichler Clark, director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). We spoke to Liesl to get her insights on the summit, the 2030 Districts, and the work that’s being done in Detroit. Q: From your perspective, what is the importance of the 2030 Districts Network International Summit and the impact on the city of Detroit? A: The 2030 Districts network is a powerful catalyst across the globe in bringing local community and business leaders together to achieve ambitious climate and sustainability goals. Michigan is lucky to have three 2030 Districts in our state—Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, and, of course, Detroit. Hosting the 2030 Districts Network International Summit in our state’s biggest city will increase awareness of the network and engage more Michiganders in this vital movement. It is also an opportunity to showcase the leadership and creative problem solving that has blossomed in Detroit and other Michigan cities and learn from peers from across the country and the world so we can put best practices into action here. The solutions being pioneered in Detroit and in other 2030 Districts, can serve as roadmaps for other communities to reduce their carbon pollution while providing good jobs and more vibrant, resilient neighborhoods. Q: What is the relevance of having it held in Detroit for the first time? A: Detroit has a proud and unique history. As home to the global auto industry, it boasts a strong manufacturing heritage. It is located in the heart of both the industrial Midwest and the Great Lakes Basin, which is home to roughly 20% of the Earth’s fresh surface water. Among U.S. cities with populations over 100,000, Detroit has one of the highest percentages of Black residents. It also has a large geographic footprint relative to its total population. For all these reasons, Detroit’s success as 2030 District can provide a powerful demonstration and proving ground for transitioning to carbon-free economy in a way that creates good jobs, advances justice and equity, improve air quality and public health, protects our water and other environmental assets, and builds vibrant places to live. Q: What are you looking forward getting out of the conference? A: I am looking forward to connecting with businesses and community leaders who are ready to double down on helping Michigan reach ambitious climate goals, namely, to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. In addition, we are always looking to beg, borrow, and steal good ideas from other states and places—particularly innovative solutions that others have already tested, refined, and perfected. So, in my networking at the summit, I will look for new partners and fresh approaches to our climate and sustainability work. Q: Overall how does the work of the 2030 Districts tie into your work? A: The work of 2030 Districts intersects with EGLE’s mission to protect Michigan’s environment and public health in too many ways to mention here. The most direct and obvious connection point is our climate and energy work. Shortly after taking office in 2019, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer created the State of Michigan’s first Office of Climate and Energy. The following fall she directed our department to develop the MI Healthy Climate Plan—our state’s plan to fulfill her commitment to transition the entire Michigan economy to carbon neutrality by 2050. As with 2030 Districts, the MI Healthy Climate Plan shines a spotlight on the ambitious interim targets we must hit this decade to reach our mid-century goals. And it, too, focuses on our built environment with “Repair and Decarbonize Homes and Businesses” serving as one of its six core pillars. More specifically, it calls for a 17% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment by 2030 (as well as an increase in clean electricity generation to 60% in that timeframe). As director of EGLE and the chair of the Council on Climate Solutions, which helped us draft the plan, I know that action at the community level and in the private sector will drive decarbonization, alongside policy change and funding from the state and federal governments. That’s why EGLE has worked closely to support 2030 Districts through our State Energy Office grant programs and event sponsorships. Additionally, through EGLE’s Catalyst Communities program, we’ve engaged directly with Michigan’s 2030 Districts and seen firsthand the innovative solutions they have developed and the unique challenges they face. Q: What excites you the most regarding the work the 2030 Districts-Detroit is doing? A: To reach our climate goals we need to prioritize near-term progress and we need to leverage the resources of the private sector to create real action at the local level. The 2030 Districts-Detroit is doing all
Detroit 2030 District is Promoting Carbon-Free, High-Performance Built Environments
SBN Detroit interviews the executive director of the Detroit 2030 District, Connie Lilley. Connie has been working within the commercial built environment for over 25 years, with the last 16 years focusing on energy efficiency and sustainability. She has served on many industry trade groups, including past vice chair for the U.S. Green Building Council, Detroit Regional Chapter, where she implemented the popular My Green School Art Contest that runs annually throughout Michigan. Connie has received two awards from the National Women in Construction Detroit Chapter for being a green/sustainable leader. She has also volunteered for BOMA, IFMA, and the City of Detroit Green Task Force. Connie is a LEED AP, O & M (accredited professional, operations and maintenance) and has an MBA focusing on corporate sustainability. Q: Please tell me about Detroit 2030 District and your role. A: I am the executive director of the Detroit 2030 District, which is a nonprofit working with building owners and managers to help them reduce energy and water consumption and transportation emissions to and from their buildings. The movement promotes a carbon-free future, high-performance buildings, economic development, and environmental justice. The District is one of twenty-four 2030 Districts across North America, with three in Michigan – Grand Rapids, Detroit, and Ann Arbor. The Detroit 2030 District Is the fourth-largest District in the network, with over 51 million square feet committed. The District has 40 local nonprofit partners and 42 local businesses that support the program. The Detroit District was launched in 2017 with the support of the Michigan Department, of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Q: Please elaborate on the work you are currently doing. A: We offer our building members resources and a robust calendar of educational opportunities to learn how to reduce energy and water consumption, transportation emissions, and operating expenses. We have three best practice groups, including houses of worship, venues, and museums, and multifamily. We assist our members in many ways, including helping them start an Energy Star Portfolio Manager Account to measure and track energy and water consumption and work towards reducing them. We also run many pilots on new technologies at member buildings, allowing our members to see if the technology is suitable for their buildings. We run webinars on relevant topics, including funding mechanisms, grant opportunities, renewables, green infrastructure, solar, etc. Q: You were instrumental in bringing a District to Detroit in 2017. What prompted this and what was the process of bringing this to Detroit? A: My industry colleague, Peggy Matta, and I talked for many years about the benefits of this type of program. We knew that Detroit had many aging buildings that would need renovation in the coming years. If Detroit were to make a comeback, healthy buildings and communities would be significant to the process and help to spur economic development. We both know it is best to consider energy efficiencies and other high-performance building techniques before a building is built or renovated. We felt we would be more successful in helping to rebuild Detroit if we educated many building owners at a time instead of one at a time. We had heard of the 2030 District Network and how it works. We thought it would be great to bring a District to Detroit. After working for several years with many volunteers and an exploratory committee, we became an Emerging 2030 District. After a lot of groundwork, and collaboration with municipalities, businesses, and nonprofits, our movement began to grow and finally became a full District in 2017. Peggy became the founder and Chair of the organization and is still very involved. Q: Are you pleased with the progress and impact you’ve been able to make? A: While there have been many ups and downs, including the pandemic, flooding, stormwater issues, and the political environment, we have made it through. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would have 51 million square feet signed into our program. When we were first touting the benefits of reducing carbon emissions from the built environment, the conversation about the impact of climate change on the built environment was challenging. Many people didn’t understand the economic and health benefits of reducing a building’s carbon footprint. Since our inception, we have helped hundreds of building owners and facility managers understand how to measure, track and work to reduce energy and water consumption. Many building owners don’t have an energy manager or a sustainability professional who understands how to combat issues with climate challenges. We have implemented several successful programs, including a Museum Best Practice Group, which has gone national across all 2030 Districts. Our unique House of Worship Best Practices Group includes over 20 local congregations. This program partners with 15 different local businesses and the EPA for Congregations and has crafted a collaboration opportunity for all denominations. One of the District’s strengths is bringing together groups of people from different entities and organizations to collaborate on strategies. Our program provides various events and workshops that bring people together that may not have had the opportunity to meet before. Facility managers across the city can now collaborate and work together instead of in a silo. Sharing best practices reduces the time and effort a building owner/manager must put into understanding climate challenges and overcoming them. We launched the Detroit Energy Challenge along with the City of Detroit and the Michigan Battle of the Buildings. Our first awards breakfast took place this June. We will also be adding awards in the future for internal water consumption reduction. This competition is an excellent opportunity for us to recognize facility managers who have done a fantastic job reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint Our organization also supports a future benchmarking ordinance for the City of Detroit. We are hopeful to see this pass soon as it will allow building owners to benchmark their buildings. We have made great strides and relationships with the local utilities, including DTE and Detroit thermal. We work to understand their goals and missions
