ThriveTogether, a team of partners working to develop a sustainability playbook for Greater Cincinnati as part of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction program, is seeking feedback from residents and local organizations in the tri-state to help inform and shape development of a Regional Sustainability Playbook.
Community members are encouraged to share their ideas and concerns related to climate issues including public health, air and water quality, mobility, buildings and energy, green schoolyards, waste, community activation, and more. Residents’ comments can be submitted at greenumbrella.govocal.com.
ThriveTogether is especially looking for stories from the following communities and demographics:
• Seniors and youth
• Rural residents
• Small businesses
• Black, Indigenous, refugee/immigrant, LGBTQ+, faith, and homeless/unhoused communities
“Residents are the experts on the climate impacts they experience on a daily basis and what works in their community, so centering their voices to ensure equitable planning is key,” says Van Sullivan, Green Umbrella’s Senior Director of Programs & Climate Strategy. “Regional climate planning is crucial because it creates targeted solutions for a region’s unique challenges and fosters collaboration.”
Once published in spring 2025, the final Sustainability Playbook will be used by local governments, organizations, businesses, and advocates to create plans around the climate crisis as it impacts the Greater Cincinnati region. By sharing their stories, participants will help make their community a more resilient, equitable, and healthy place for all.
ThriveTogether partner organizations are OKI Regional Council of Governments, Green Umbrella, Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency, Northern Kentucky Area Development District, the Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute, and the City of Cincinnati Office of Environment & Sustainability.
Green Umbrella