The City of Columbia, MO has taken a proactive approach to reduce its carbon footprint by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption, urban planning and sustainable architecture to preserve the city for future generations.

In 2010, Columbia established the Office of Sustainability to further implement the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and set forth a road map for sustainability throughout the community. Having a department and staff dedicated to spearheading sustainability efforts for the community ensures that all areas of the local government and community are working together to reach the same goals.

The City of Columbia has established an internal team, City Operators Reducing Energy (CORE), to coordinate energy reduction and conservation efforts throughout all departments. CORE’s first main task was to facilitate the City’s activities financed through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. It provided guidance in selecting a consultant to perform energy assessments of City-owned facilities and prioritizing projects identified through the assessment. Improvements included upgrading lighting to more efficient fixtures, re-commissioning HVAC systems and improving HVAC controls for optimum efficiency. These activities will enable the City of Columbia to meet its reduction goal of 20% by 2020.