Submitted by Janet Stone McGuigan, Greenwich Selectperson and Co-Chair, Greenwich Sustainability Committee
Are you concerned about the environment? You are not alone! Greenwich has an active network of dedicated volunteers leading efforts to make our Town more environmentally sustainable. Thanks to the work of the Town’s Department of Environmental Affairs, Greenwich was designated a climate leader and silver level community in 2024 by Sustainable CT. But there is so much more we could do.
Co-chaired by Selectperson Janet Stone McGuigan and Director of Environmental Affairs Beth Evans, the Greenwich Sustainability Committee (GSC) holds monthly meetings that educate, strengthen our advocacy, and weave together the various groups whose missions align and are framed to move our town towards greater sustainability with regards to our water, air and soil resources, environmentally respectful transportation policies and infrastructure, food security and access, energy management and more.
The GSC held its annual strategic retreat in July in the beautiful setting of its host, Round Hill Community Church. The retreat has become an annual workshop in which GSC members meet to collaborate on initiatives within the respective sectors and identify strategic possibilities across the sectors and beyond, engaging both state and regional allies. At this year’s checkpoint, it became clear from many of the initiatives that State engagement and support will be fundamental to our ongoing progress. The RTM now has a representative from the GSC to ensure communication to and among organizations and town departments working in this space, as well as making it easier for residents to learn, engage and live more sustainably.
One of the breakthrough topics of this retreat was identification of the threat and consequences of the invasive plants we see in growing abundance around Greenwich. The sense of the room on this issue was to identify an invasive plant that we should all tackle, engage all the stakeholders with education, assess best practices proven in other municipalities and mount a concerted campaign to get control over, if not eradicate, that plant in 2026. The Sustainability Committee will work on this in the coming months.
We see and celebrate the progress being made in waste reduction, food security, the health and growth of our tree resources, to name just three areas. Less tangible and no less important, there is a knowledgeable and committed group of residents leading myriad efforts to protect the environmental health and sustainability of our community.
There is always room for more people to become involved and work towards better preparedness for our climate and environmental future. In particular, anyone with an interest in leading the committee’s business sector or joining its social media efforts are encouraged to lend us your talents.
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