• Start year: 2010
• Type: Public Participation/Stakeholder engagement
• Status: Completed

A program designed to create green jobs in energy efficiency, weatherization, urban agriculture, watershed conservation and green construction

• Start year:
• Type: Public Participation/Stakeholder engagement
• Status: In operation

Duluth Communit Garden Program's mission is to strengthen community and foster self-sufficiency amoung the people of Duluth area by providing access for all to food production and perservation of resources and promoting sustainable gardening practices. Currently DCGP has 17 garden sites, and over 200 plots that were used by 133 gardeners in 2010. DCGP also serves the community through the Cannery and Kids Gardening Programs that began in 1991. The Cannery provides canning education, information, to the community at no or very little cost. The Kids Gardening works with low-income children; teaching gardening, nutrition and environmental awareness while encouraging teamwork.

• Start year: 2009
• Type: Education/Awareness Raising
• Status: In operation

Sustainable Twin Ports (STP) is dedicated to furthering economic, environmental and social sustainability in the Twin Ports of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin and he western Lake Superior region through education, networking and action. Community - Environment - Economy - We believe everyone in the Twin Ports values the health of all three. STP decided to move from belief to action by teaching our neighbors, businesses and public entities how to take meaningful steps toward sustainability, through teaching The Natural Step Principles. By working together, we can create transformaitonal change toward a healthier community, environment and bottom line. During STP's Early Adopter Program's five-year history, teams from thirty local organizations representing private business, local government, religious organizations, community agencies, K-12 schools and higher education have received training and developed plans for sustainable actions.

• Start year: 2013
• Type: Regulatory
• Status: In operation

The ISF, based in Duluth, founded the Healthy Food in Health Care Initiative, a national campaign of organizaitons working with healthcare to transform food systems in service of ecological health.

• Start year: 2011
• Type: Policy/Strategies/Action Plans
• Status: In operation

The Duluth Energy Efficiency Program, administered by Duluth's nonprofit Ecolibrium3, is a cold-climate model for utilizing community-based project management to achieve residential energy efficiency improvements in older housing stocks.The DEEP model has accomplished a 65% conversion rate from energy audit to completed advanced energy efficiency measures like air sealing, insulation, and mechanical replacement. DEEP is open to residents of all incomes, but directs additional financial resources to low-to-moderate income families. DEEP has been recognized as an EPA Climate Showcase Community grantee and received recognition from the White House for rapid deployment of the DEEP process to respond to regional flooding in 2012, ensuring energy efficient disaster recovery for low-income families.

• Start year: 2011
• Type: Public Participation/Stakeholder engagement
• Status: Completed

Activist/volunteer program to adopt and encourage sustainable travel, living and eating behavior

• Start year:
• Type: Policy/Strategies/Action Plans
• Status: In operation

In September 2012, Duluth community members, area organizations and businesses were invited to participate in an Energy Visioning Public Engagement Session and subsequent planning meeting to prepare a community-wide local energy action plan. The City of Duluth sponsored the process that was also funded by the Knight Fund of the Duluth Area Community Foundation and the Minnesota Power Conservation Improvement Fund. The Duluth LEAP plan identifies energy targets in four areas: residential, commercial/industrial, public and transportation energy sectors.

• Start year: 2011
• Type: Policy/Strategies/Action Plans
• Status: In operation

In 2011, the Duluth City Council endorsed the first City Operation Energy Action Plan for 2011-2015. The plan sets a target to reduce energy use in existing buildings by 15% by December 2015. Progress - 1.8 M kWh of electricity were saved or reduced in 2010-2012 and 30,000 Therms of natural gas saved by building weatherization changes and replacing aged boilers with modular/condensing boilers. The City is in the progress of changing form HID street and parking lot lighting to solid state LED lighting.

• Start year: 2012
• Type: Education/Awareness Raising
• Status: In operation

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency awarded $38,000 grant to the City of Duluth to plant trees near city buildings for shading to reduce energy use for cooling and for other locations along urban streams and sites to protect eco systems. City staff and community volunteers planted over 5,000 in 2013 under this and other City sponsored tree planting programs.

• Start year: 2013
• Type: Technical/Infrastructure investment
• Status: In operation

The City of Duluth commissioned a study resulting in a five-year plan to serve as a guideline for improving Duluth's districty heating system. The recommendations included in the plan: Implement hot water heating to select areas currently served by steam, add customers within the current boundaries of the system, enhance the flexibility of the fuel mix by integrating the use of locally-derived biomass. The resulting benefits include: Improved heating system energy efficiency, water use will be reduced by approximately 80 million gallons per year with a commensurate reduction in sewage treatment, CO2 and sulfur dioxide emissions will be reduced by 25% and fossil fuel combustion will be reduced by over 25%

• Start year: 2012
• Type: Regulatory
• Status: In operation

n/a

• Start year: 2007
• Type: Policy/Strategies/Action Plans
• Status: In operation

LISC implements the Building Sustainable Communities Initiative through At Home in Duluth, a collaborative of 25 city agencies and non-profit organizations working in four target neighborhoods in Duluth. The Building Sustainable Communities Strategy has five goals: Expanding investment in housing and other real estate, increasing family income and assets, stimulating economic development, improving access to quality education and supporting safe, healthy environments and lifestyles.

• Start year: 2009
• Type: Policy/Strategies/Action Plans
• Status: In operation

Seeds of Success provides jobs to youth from low income households through urban agriculture. The program Currently ahs eight sites in Duluth, ranging from an old tennis court in Chester Bowl to a formerly blighted lot in Lincoln Park. The project was created in partnership with CAD, Zeppa Foundation, Duluth LISC and the City of Duluth.

• Start year: 2008
• Type: Public Participation/Stakeholder engagement
• Status: In operation

n/a

• Start year: 2012
• Type: Technical/Infrastructure investment
• Status: In operation

n/a

• Start year: 2012
• Type: Assessment/Research
• Status: In operation

n/a

• Start year: 2013
• Type: Public Participation/Stakeholder engagement
• Status: In operation

n/a