Sustainability Committee of Colorado

Sustainability Committee
Contact: Steve Fisher, PhD, PE, ENV SP, F.ASCE, Chair
sustainability@coloradoasce.org

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Description

The Colorado Section of ASCE Sustainability Committee meets six times a year to discuss sustainability issues of our professions, the Section, and the national ASCE Committee on Sustainability (COS).  It is composed of two committee co-chairs with subcommittee chairs for program and communications.  Any ASCE member is welcome to participate in the meetings and volunteer in the committee’s activities.

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Mission

The Sustainability Committee is charged with four main tasks.  These are the following:

• To partner with all the Section Technical Groups to identify speakers that incorporate an aspect of sustainability in their presentations.

• To provide professional development and leadership in the area of sustainability to the Section membership.

• To desseminate and promote to the Section membership ASCE national COS projects and issues.

• To provide input to the Section leadership team on government legislation relating to sustainability issues.

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Goals

The Sustainability Committee has a number of goals and projects.  These are the following:

• Involve the Section membership by consensus in establishing a sustainability definition, modeled after the ASCE national COS definition, that fits our Section and our region’s issues.

• When draft legislation is debated at the state or local level, the committee will work with the Government and Public Affairs Committee to draft position papers on issues that relate to sustainability.  Position papers may be sent to bill sponsors or to the membership to contact their own representatives.

• Develop alliances and partnerships with organizations similar to ASCE or devoted to aspects of sustainability, such as economics, social sciences, or environmentalism.

• Develop criteria for a Section-level sustainable project award, modeled after the national COS.

• Develop criteria for presenting case studies in the Section newsletter or at monthly meetings, modeled after the national COS.

• Promote among the Section membership new ASCE project certification and professional certification programs.

• Plan and hold a regional sustainability symposium.

• Arrange at least one field trip to a site or project that exemplifies notable sustainability achievements.