09/30/26 Sustainability Advisory Committee

The Sustainability Advisory Committee meeting, hosted by Metro Nashville Network on September 30, 2026, covered energy affordability, climate resilience, LEED for Cities certification, and city building performance. The Mayor’s Office Innovation Team reported that its Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities bridge extension runs through June, allowing more time to prototype initiatives and secure implementation funding. Philanthropic support is backing two home-efficiency pilots, including insulation retrofits and post-disaster home repairs; the first pilot completed 63 installations and reported estimated average savings of about $15 per month per household. The team is also developing an energy-assistance pre-screener, a potential battery library for medically vulnerable residents, and an EV car-share concept. Elevate and RMI are providing technical assistance, including a climate-plan review and a battery-storage feasibility study. No contract awards, purchasing approvals, or spending-related votes were reported.

Staff said Nashville remains on track to complete its LEED for Cities cohort process by March 2027 and is currently tracking toward silver certification. A new dashboard covers 60 Metro LEED buildings and reports $10.6 million in energy savings and nearly $2 million in water savings. The committee also heard about a youth climate-action funding opportunity offering awards of $1,000–$5,000 for youth-led projects, administered with the Cumberland River Compact; applications were scheduled to close that day. Other updates covered an extreme-heat governance workshop and a forthcoming waste-characterization study. A member of the public proposed a community environmental task force and an environmental-equity framework; staff said the submitted materials would be shared with the committee. No motions or votes were identified.