The District of Columbia was one of nine cities selected to assist with the design of a revolutionary online rating and performance management tool that will help local governments manage and improve sustainability performance, the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) reported today.  

The STAR Community Index Program (STAR), currently being developed by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA (ICLEI), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), National League of Cities (NLC), and the Center for American Progress (CAP), promises to transform and accelerate the local sustainability movement by offering U.S. cities a roadmap for advancing climate protection and economic recovery.  The District, one of the nine cities to participate in the STAR Beta Community Index Program,  will test the program to ensure adoptability by local governments.

As a Beta Community, the District will collaborate with ICLEI to help guide the development of a “triple bottom line” system for rating sustainability across measures of environmental health, economic prosperity, and social equity. 

http://newsroom.dc.gov/show.aspx/agency/ddoe/section/2/release/20907