Sustainability Content Work Group Kick-off
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
“Moving to a Culture of Sustainability”
November 19, 2013
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Your Charge
Bring to life the Sustainability Standards approved last
November through the creation of a Sustainability Plan with
goals, milestones and performance metrics.
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6-40 is Sexy!
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Sustainability Committee!
Target of 40% renewable energy by 2020
Reduce lawn areas
100% recycled content paper (if less, FSC Certified)!
90% recycling rate
e-signatures
Use of LEDs
Use of life cycle cost analysis
“Shall” incorporate sustainable procurement policies
CIP “shall” include SITES standards
Part of your performance expectations!
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Legitimacy
• Critical to walk the walk
• Honor your mission and legacy
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Continue to Nourish the Human Spirit
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Nourishing the Human Spirit
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Shifting Cultures
A Culture of Sustainability
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A Culture of Sustainability
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Social Marketing
• Draw on Madison Avenue’s marketing principles, not to sell a
product or a service, but to achieve behavioral changes that
benefit society.
• Our focus is “selling” sustainable behavior and environmental
stewardship.
• Information and financial incentives on their own, do not significantly
change behavior.
• So many behavioral efforts fail because they do not consider critically
important social interactions, human feelings, peer pressure and
personal contact.
• Emotional connection
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Tools for Effective Social Marketing
1. Storytelling
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Facts alone won’t suffice
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We need to present issues on a personal scale
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Give it a human face
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Make a cultural connection
Examples:
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Crying Native American in the “Keep America Beautiful”
campaign
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Tools for Effective Social Marketing
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Hope and Healing in Rock Creek – Katie’s Story
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Tools for Effective Social Marketing
2. Commitments
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Desire for consistency is a central motivator of our
behavior
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Commitments alter our self image
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Changing self image/self perception can produce internal
and lasting behavioral changes
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Public commitments are even more effective (internal and
external pressure)
Examples
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Green Business Certification
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Internalizing Sustainable Behavior
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Internalizing Sustainable Behavior
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Internalizing Sustainable Behavior
Internalizing Sustainable Behavior
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Internalizing Sustainable Behavior
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Tools for Effective Social Marketing
3. Prompts
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We forget to do things we know we should do.
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We therefore need reminders that prompt us to do things
we’re already predisposed to do.
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Most effective when delivered near place of behavior.
Examples
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Light switch stickies
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Seafood Guide
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Marriott Corporation – desk side recycling; signage
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MOM’s Organic Market – recycling bins out front
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Seafood Watch Pocket Guide
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Marriott’s Desk Side Recycling
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Marriott’s Signage
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Social Proof
4. Social proof
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We tend to see an action as more appropriate when
others are doing it – “keeping up with the Joneses”
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This is particularly compelling when it involves
individuals we respect and when they are similar to
ourselves
Examples
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Signs about towel re-use in hotels
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Green Business Certification Program
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Social Proof
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Social Proof
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Green is the new Black
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Chesapeake Greens
Cultural Pioneers
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Cultural Pioneers
Don’t Buy This jacket
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Sharing Economy
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Sharing Economy
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Sharing Economy
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Sharing Economy
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Sharing Economy
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Sharing Economy
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Considerations for M-NCPPC
Internal Operations
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Signage
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Monthly internal green newsletter
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Sustainability Report with meaningful metrics
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Training Program
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Sustainability Speakers Series (Let’s co-host!)
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Sustainability suggestion box
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Sustainability survey of employees
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Fun, engaging videos featuring employees
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Organic cotton uniforms
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Green benefits and incentives
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Cut waste/Save money competition
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Fun videos
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Reading club
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Considerations for M-NCPPC
Community-wide
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Continue to inspire our residents; move us emotionally
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Continue to help those who visit your parks to become true sustainability
ambassadors
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Harness and accelerate cultural pioneering
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How can we establish a Lending Library?
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How can we accommodate micro homes?
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How can we encourage land link in urban areas?
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How can we use the town center as barter markets
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How can public signage encourage a culture of sustainability?
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How can M-NCPPC and DEP work together?
Let’s consider re-starting “Healthy and Sustainability Communities”
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Don’t be Constrained by what’s Currently
Perceived as “Rational”
“…acting according to prevalent norms is a
root cause of unsustainability…and it will
take a strong dose of unreasonableness to
break the logjam of conventional thinking.”
-- John Ehrenfeld, Sustainabillity by Design
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