City of Durham Honored with Sustainability Award

The City of Durham was named one of two inaugural winners of the Susan M. Burgess Sustainability Award by The N.C. League of Municipalities (NCLM). The Burgess Sustainability award is presented annually to recognize efforts to lessen the environmental impact of municipal operations and to promote and encourage sustainability throughout the community. Durham won for municipalities with a population of 10,000 and above. The City of Archdale won in the category of those municipalities under 10,000.

Durham was honored for its numerous sustainability efforts, including its greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan; its public-private partnership to produce electricity from landfill methane gas; its recycling, water conservation and education programs; and city-funded affordable housing built to energy efficiency standards.

“Durham is truly a leader in sustainability efforts among our cities,” said Boone Mayor Loretta Clawson, NCLM 2009-10 Second Vice President, in presenting the award.

“I was very honored to accept this award on behalf of Durham,” Mayor William V. “Bill” Bell said. “Over the past few years, the City has made a deliberate effort to promote sustainability in everything we do, not just for current Durham residents, but also for our future. We are proud that our efforts are being recognized by this prestigious and forward-thinking award.”

The Susan M. Burgess Sustainability Awards are named in honor of the late Burgess, a Charlotte council member and former NCLM president who created the NCLM Green Challenge several years ago as a way to honor those municipalities that have taken the initiative to conserve energy and natural resources at the local government level. Burgess died in 2010 after a battle with cancer.

Burgess Sustainability Award winners must first achieve NCLM Green Challenge Advanced Level status before they can apply for the Burgess Award. More than 90 cities and towns participate in the NCLM Green Challenge.