New Sustainable Resources District - San Francisco

PRESS RELEASE (SFGOV) Newsom joins Former President Bill Clinton during his Clinton Global Initiative to announce 3-year commitment to maximize energy and water efficiency, reduce waste, and increase the use of wastewater 

09/25/08 - Today San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced that San Francisco has agreed to a formal partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) to transform the city’s Civic Center into a sustainable resource district that maximizes energy and water efficiency, reduces waste, and increases the use of wastewater. Sustainable strategies will be implemented on the Civic Center’s buildings and public spaces to provide measurable and replicable results for cities worldwide and create a global center that educates the public on sustainable concepts.

"San Francisco’s Civic Center sits at the core of one of the most visited cities in the world," said Mayor Newsom. "What better way to educate the world on sustainability than by transforming that core to showcase how we can use water more efficiently, promote food security, and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. San Francisco has always been a leader – willing to think differently and act boldly. And now, our Civic Center will stand as a global model for how we achieve a more sustainable future."

The goals of the sustainable resource district are:

• 80% potable water use reduction
  

• 45% wastewater discharge reduction
  

• 35% peak power demand met by renewables
  

• 33% annual energy reduction
  

• Reduction of the community carbon footprint by 2,225 tons annually; the equivalent of the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 1,286 San Francisco households
  

Although implementing the overall vision will take several years, the 3-year Commitment to Action is anticipated to launch on October 20th, 2008 with a formal partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), followed by planning and evaluation with the community and experts, design development, identifying potential funding, and public outreach, with installation of the first projects set for late 2009.

Potential initial projects include the installation of solar rooftop photovoltaics, water conservation fixtures, living roofs, and a public Wi-Fi connection, among others.

http://www.sfgov.org/site/mayor_index.asp?id=89398