The City of New Hope has achieved Step 4 in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program, a statewide voluntary program that recognizes cities and Tribal nations for implementing sustainable and environmentally responsible practices.

The City was recognized during the League of Minnesota Cities Annual Conference in June, and the award was formally presented to the New Hope City Council during its July 27 meeting by Diana McKeown, co-director of the Clean Energy Resource Teams.

"Reaching Step 4 reflects New Hope's long-term commitment to sustainability, responsible stewardship of resources and continuous improvement," said Jeff Alger, Community Development Specialist and the City's GreenStep program lead. "This recognition highlights the work we've done to reduce energy use, conserve resources and strengthen our community while planning for the future."

New Hope joined the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program in 2015 and has completed 94 best practice actions; the fourth-highest total among the program's 156 participating cities and Tribal nations. The City's accomplishments span a variety of sustainability initiatives focused on energy efficiency, resource conservation, cost savings, climate resilience and civic innovation.

To achieve Step 4, communities must implement at least six measurable sustainability targets. Earlier this year, New Hope established 15 sustainability targets that will help the City track progress, measure results and continue advancing its environmental goals. To reach Step 5, the City must demonstrate measurable improvement in at least one of these newly submitted targets. Progress toward these goals will be tracked and shared with the public through the City's annual Performance Measurement Report.

Learn more about New Hope's sustainability initiatives and view the City's completed GreenStep best practice actions by visiting the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program website at greenstep.pca.state.mn.us.