12 Municipalities Receive 2021 Sustainable Maryland Certified Awards on Program's 10th Anniversary
on Oct 20, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 18, 2021
Contact: Mike Hunninghake, Program Manager, mikeh75@umd.edu, 301-405-7956
Twelve Maryland municipalities awarded Sustainable Maryland Certified status for 2021
COLLEGE PARK, Md.—The Environmental Finance Center (EFC) at the University of Maryland announced the twelve municipalities that achieved Sustainable Maryland Certified status for 2021. The certifications were bestowed at the Sustainable Maryland Certified awards ceremony during the annual Maryland Municipal League Conference on October 12 in Annapolis, Maryland.
The Sustainable Maryland program provides support and guidance to municipalities looking for cost-effective and strategic ways to protect their natural assets and revitalize their communities. Using best practices in resource areas like water, energy, planning, health, food, and economy, a municipality earns points toward sustainability certification. Currently, 85 of the state’s 157 incorporated municipalities have registered with the program to seek this award designation, with 40 achieving certification as of this year.
2021 marks the 10th anniversary of the Sustainable Maryland program.
According to Mike Hunninghake, Program Manager for Sustainable Maryland, “During the first 10 years of the Sustainable Maryland program, if we have learned anything, it’s that reducing our footprint on where we live, be it a town, a county, a state or the planet, is vital to our continuation as a species. The work being done at the local level forms a foundation, by example and by action, for upward pressure on governments at all levels to take action to make our communities greener, cleaner and more resilient.”
The complete list of 2021 newly certified (denoted by *) and re-certified communities includes:
Berlin (first certified in 2012, re-certified in 2015 and 2018)
Brunswick (first certified in 2015)
Cheverly (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)
Cottage City (first certified in 2018)
Emmitsburg (first certified in 2015; re-certified 2018)
*Glen Echo (NEW)
*La Plata(NEW)
Laurel (first certified 2015; re-certified 2018)
Mount Rainier (first certified in 2012, re-certified in 2015 and 2018)
North Beach (first certified in 2017)
Poolesville (first certified in 2015, re-certified in 2018)
Rockville (2020 Sustainability Champion - highest point total; first certified 2012, re-certified in 2015 and 2018)
Our 2021 Sustainability Champion: This year’s Sustainability Champion is the City of Rockville which amassed an impressive 600 points on their application, more than any other community in 2021.
A full report on each certified community’s Actions can be viewed here: https://sustainablemaryland.com/certification/participating-communities
Sustainable Maryland Certified Municipalities as of 2021 (10th full year of the program):
- Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Certified: 40 (26% of Maryland’s municipalities)
- Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Registered: 85(54% of Maryland’s municipalities)
With the support of the Maryland Municipal League and US Environmental Protection Agency, Sustainable Maryland is a free and voluntary program that helps communities choose a direction for their greening efforts; complete their chosen actions with help from program tools, trainings, expert guidance, and other resources; and get recognized statewide for their accomplishments. For more information about Sustainable Maryland, please visit www.sustainablemaryland.com.
The Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland works to equip communities with the knowledge, resources and leadership needed to empower decision-making that advances resource management priorities in an innovative and efficient way. Through direct technical assistance, capacity building and program and policy analysis, it strives to move communities towards a more sustainable and resilient future. For more information about the Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland, please visit www.efc.umd.edu.
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Photo of the 2021 Sustainable Maryland Certified awardees is below and attached. Photos of each municipality’s Awards Ceremony Attendees, examples of Community Actions, and customized Sustainable Maryland logos are available upon request.