Certifying Sustainability

Sustainable Jersey is an innovative community certification program that launched in 2009 and offers promise to support green development models throughout the nation. The program, established by partnerships with the New Jersey League of Municipalities, as well as state and academic institutions, and certification standards were developed using a rigorous stakeholder led process.

No fewer than 13 taskforces convened to develop a checklist of “certification actions” – steps communities can take to apply for Bronze or Silver Sustainability Certifications.

To be eligible for certification, communities must establish a “Green Team,” implement a specified number of “priority actions,” and accumulate a set number of “points” by demonstrating engagement in categories that range from energy efficiency, green design, land use, and transportation to local economies, diversity, health, and wellness.

Their interactive action list details project costs and benefits and additional resources, creating a “menu of sustainability” that communities can use to design “green” strategies to fit a wide range of planning objectives.

To maintain the credibility and community buy-in of this rigorous certification program, action criteria are periodically reviewed and updated by the program’s task force members. Beyond direct savings and job growth from efficiency investments, benefits of certification include prioritization of certified municipalities for state grants, access to funding and capacity building resources, and “green branding,” where towns are given promotional materials to advertise their commitment to leadership in sustainability efforts.

Currently, 333 communities—over half of the municipalities in New Jersey—are registered and 74 are certified through the program.

Sustainable Jersey has been successful thus far because the program is built on stakeholder buy-in, with iterative community involvement in certification planning that continuously raises the bar for their vision of sustainable development. Furthermore, the group’s accessible certification menu, resources, and implementation support make creating a custom-fit sustainable development plan more manageable for communities large and small.

While taskforce members are discussing possible ways to expand action items to encourage participatory regional planning efforts, it seems green certification may stimulate a little healthy inter-municipal competition as well—once one city becomes certified, their neighbors are often more inclined to enroll in the program as well.

Whether it’s for environmental and economic benefits or a reflection of altruism or social psychology, there are numerous reasons why communities want to be sustainable, explains Michelle Knapik, Environmental Program director for the Dodge Foundation, a group that has supported Sustainable Jersey’s certification development efforts.

As communities across the nation find new ways to construct and benefit from sustainable development planning and implementation, certification efforts appear to be a logical next step towards incentivizing and rewarding these efforts. Certification models are created to fit the needs and visions of the communities that develop them, and "action items" can include renewable energy, energy efficiency, and community support mechanisms, like Sustainable Jersey's program, as well as incorporate electric vehicle projects, smart grid installation, and energy buy-back provisions.

Once such programs are in place, lessons learned in project management suggest that developing benchmarks and metrics to ensure successful project implementation will be important steps to maintain program credibility and ensure the long-term success of these efforts. New Jersey’s model certainly expands smart growth and energy efficiency dialogues, and Sustainable Jersey will be a program to watch for innovations in state-wide sustainable development planning.

Are cities, states, and regions throughout the nation ready to implement collaborative sustainable development planning? Signs point to yes. Certify it, and change will come.