Sustainability Commission

The roots of the Manchester Sustainability Commission started with the forming of a Sustainability Task Force in early 2019 at the unanimous direction of the Board of Directors. The goal of the Sustainability Task Force was to focus attention and effort within Manchester on matters of sustainability, and to recommend initiatives and improvements to Town policies and programs to ensure that Manchester remains a thriving, efficient, healthy and vibrant place for its residents of today and tomorrow.

In the 2020 Report(PDF, 1MB) prepared by the Sustainability Task Force, it was recommended to the Board of Directors that a permanent Sustainability Commission be established to advise and recommend to the Board of Directors and Town Administration policies and programs that advance sustainability in Manchester, and to ensure accountability. Later that year, the Board of Directors passed a Resolution(PDF, 124KB) for the establishment of the Sustainability Commission.

Our Vision

A sustainable Manchester is a community taking bold action toward climate justice by reducing emissions, centering equity, and building resilience. A sustainable Manchester integrates environmental and public health, community needs, and economic wellbeing to weave Sustainability into all Town programs, serve as a model for other communities, and benefit all residents, especially those most vulnerable to climate change.

Our Goal

Our goal is to analyze and make recommendations to initiate or improve Town policies, programs and practices that promote Sustainability actions to ensure that Manchester remains a thriving, efficient, healthy, and vibrant place for its residents of today and tomorrow.

Our Guiding Principles

Improve resiliency
Reduce emissions
Be transformative, instilled in the Town's culture
Serve as a model for other communities

Equity is important. We want to center equity within all actions and for changes to be affordable and accessible. We want to ensure the work of the commission does not have unintended harmful consequences, but rather benefits all. We want to increase awareness about Sustainability, for it to be considered when there are choices, and for it to guide strategy and serve as a framework for investment decisions. Community health, well-being, and the 3 pillars of Sustainability – environmental, social, and economic - are important outcomes for our work.

Our Purpose

The Sustainability Commission is an advisory commission that promotes, encourages and makes recommendations on the development and implementation of Sustainability into all Town operations, both internally in governmental operations, as well as externally in community-wide efforts.

The Sustainability Commission consists of Manchester residents appointed by the board of directors who serve 3-year terms. This is an advisory Commission that promotes and encourages the development, implementation, and interdepartmental integration of sustainability into all Town operations, both internally in governmental operations, as well as externally in community-wide efforts. The Commission works with local, regional, and state agencies to embed diversity, inclusion, and equity into all sustainability topics and considerations for the Town.

The Sustainability Commission meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm. The majority of meetings are held virtually, with a few in-person meetings that have a virtual attendance option.