A message from our Director, Wyatt King:
This October, Cincinnati had the honor of hosting the 2030 Network Summit for the first time. The growing 2030 Network consists of 24 Districts around North America. The annual Summit provides an opportunity for District Directors to convene, share lessons, and develop best practices for pursuing the work of decarbonizing our buildings. This year, for the first time, Municipal Sustainability Staff from 2030 Network Cities were also invited to join the proceedings.
We kicked things off with a welcome reception featuring a panel discussion on the creative ways that 2030 Districts across the country are innovating to meet the needs of their respective communities. This discussion set the tone for the days that followed, which showcased numerous strategies for educating members and supporting their decarbonization journeys.
Decarbonizing our buildings can be complex and challenging work. Throughout the two-and-a-half day Summit, I was repeatedly reminded of the power of community to nourish, inspire, and make the path a little easier.
Onward and upward,
Wyatt King
Director, Greater Cincinnati 2030 District
2030 District News
Building Partners: Time to Update Data in Portfolio Manager
With the end of the year approaching, now is the perfect time to ensure that your energy and water usage data is up-to-date in Energy Star Portfolio Manager. As a reminder, the 2030 District relies on all our Building Partners to keep their data current so we can report on the performance of the District as a whole. Help us to provide the most comprehensive and accurate overview of our collective progress by keeping your data current!
Need help with the Energy Star Portfolio Manager? Reach out to Cincinnati 2030 Director Wyatt King at wyatt@greenumbrella.org.
Customized Building Performance Reports Now Available
If your energy and water usage data is current in Energy Star Portfolio Manager, and goes back at least 13 months, we are now able to provide you with a customized Building Performance Report. This report presents your energy and water data in a compelling and easy-to-understand visual format, making it easy to see consumption and cost trends, as well as how your building compares to similar buildings. If you are interested in learning more about this member benefit, please contact us at greatercincy2030@greenumbrella.org.
A Successful Banter & Brews Breakfast Event
On October 24, the 2030 District joined with sponsors MA Design, CMTA, Great Parks, and Carbon Harvest to present our first-ever education and networking breakfast event. More than 50 attendees gathered for a delicious vegan breakfast from Juniper Seed and presentations by our sponsoring organizations on a wide range of sustainability topics, including energy efficient design, indoor air quality, and the benefits of biochar. This event was conceived as a variation on MA Designs’ pre-pandemic Banter & Brews series, only this time the “brews” in question were Deeper Roots coffee and specialty teas. Based on the enthusiastic response to this morning format, we are planning more breakfast events in 2025!
Featured Member: altafiber
altafiber – a member of the Greater Cincinnati 2030 District since 2018 – recently reached an impressive sustainability milestone: the corporate office in downtown Cincinnati has achieved LEED CI v4 Silver certification! With this achievement, altafiber has completely fulfilled its original 2030 District membership pledge to:
- Reduce energy use more than 50% (from CBECs baseline)
- Reduce water use by 30% (from a LEED baseline)
- Reduce transportation emissions by 50% (achieved by implementing a hybrid work model)
- Implement seven “optimizations” from the District’s Occupant Health Guide
With this accomplishment, altafiber becomes the first Building Partner of the Cincinnati 2030 District with a facility that is certified as meeting all four original member commitments. Congratulations, altafiber!
Upcoming Events
Green Umbrella Annual Meeting & Celebration
December 10 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Green Umbrella’s Annual Celebration provides an opportunity to engage with sustainability leaders from across the Greater Cincinnati region and hear about the impactful work happening across our organization and member network. The evening includes local light bites by Juniper Seed, live music, and complimentary beverages thanks to HighGrain Brewing and New Riff Distilling.
Special thanks to our generous event sponsors, Three Corners Capital and Great Parks. Learn more about sponsoring the Annual Meeting and other Green Umbrella events by reaching out to Charlie Gonzalez or visiting our website here.
Win Exclusive Whiskey & More With Green Umbrella’s New Riff Raffle
Enter to win Green Umbrella’s first-ever raffle! Three winners will be selected at random to receive the following prizes:
- One winner will receive a rare bottle of New Riff Distilling’s limited-edition Headliner whiskey and a hand-screen-printed poster.
- Two winners will receive VIP Bonded Tours for up to 14 guests @ New Riff Distilling.
Winners will be drawn at our Annual Meeting & Celebration on December 10. You do not need to be present to win. Tickets are $25 and available at the link here.
Professional Opportunities
2025 Midwest Sustainability Summit: Call for Speakers & Breakout Sessions
Be a part of the 2025 Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit, the largest sustainability conference in the Midwest! Green Umbrella is inviting sustainability leaders from across the Midwest to share the stories of their impact and successful partnerships in the form of either a 50-minute discussion panel, 50-minute interactive workshop, or 5-minute short talk. Proposals are due by January 15, 2025. Applicants are encouraged to meet with Summit organizer Charlie Gonzalez in November or December to discuss and refine your proposal and session ideas. Learn more here.
Host a Presentation: Benchmarking 101 and Intro to 2030 District
The Greater Cincinnati 2030 District is expanding, and we want to get the word out! We are looking for groups and venues in the Greater Cincinnati area that are well-suited for hosting a one hour presentation on 2030 District programs, including an introduction to Energy and Water benchmarking. The presentation is perfect for any owner of a commercial or multi-family residential building who is interested in improving energy and water management in their building. If you are a member of a local group that might be interested in hosting a presentation, please contact us at greatercincy2030@greenumbrella.org.
Open Call for Your Green Building Stories
Have you been part of a cutting edge green building project, either a new construction, a retrofit, or a renewable energy installation? We want to share your story! We are working on a new project to highlight the green building projects in our region. Our goal is to go deeper than typical case studies, to understand how these projects actually come together, including the financing that makes them possible and how building owners get comfortable with the idea of pushing the envelope. We will be actively developing opportunities to showcase these stories to diverse audiences, to help others understand the “hows” and “whys” of going green. If you have ideas for a project we should profile, please contact us at greatercincy2030@greenumbrella.org.