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February 9, 2022

How towns, cities and municipals best approach ESG & sustainability

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How towns, cities and municipals best approach ESG & sustainability

A recent Pew Research study found a new high for environmental concern, almost matching the economy as a top policy priority.

Further, in recent polls “conducted this past spring, before the summer season ushered in new wildfires, droughts, floods and stronger-than-usual storms, the study reveals a growing sense of personal threat from climate change among many of the publics polled”.

That said, it’s not all doom and gloom. Far from it. As demographic and generational changes have emerged (particularly as a result of the pandemic), there a numerous benefits for towns, cities and municipals to adopt a strategic approach to ESG & sustainability.

For starters, here and now the market is already seeing a ‘green premium’ for buildings with not just higher rents but also lower operating costs (“the gap between green rental premium and brown rental discount is widening”).

Further, the IFC recently released a report that “estimates that if cities in 21 emerging markets studied by IFC prioritize climate-smart growth in their recovery plans, they stand to gain as much as $7 trillion in investments and could create 144 million new jobs by 2030”.

How towns, cities and municipals best approach ESG & sustainability

Think local, act local and show authenticity

ESG & sustainability may be a positive global trend, that doesn’t mean your town needs to solve every issue. Indeed, a checkbox mindset that attempts to show across the board adoption can lack authenticity when geography matters. What are the relevant issues for your locality?

For example the City of Phoenix, Arizona has a strategic focus on heat. The impact of climate change and extreme weather means that the Summer is already a huge issue. That’s why “Phoenix’s new ‘heat tsar’ is betting on less asphalt, more green canopy and reflective surfaces to cool the sprawling heat”.

Elsewhere, the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts is collaborating with Biodiversity for a Livable Climate to create a 4,000 square foot microforest that pioneers the innovative Miyawaki method of dense planting to foster biodiversity and native species. An effort that is critical according to a recent report by the World Economic Forum on the economies of cities.

In Rochester, Minnesota the Mayor launched a program for economic inclusion and growth; with projects supporting Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) women in the construction industry which is a “key pathway to economic recovery and sustainable job growth”.

Clear commitments to the public, clear public opportunities to commit

Getting a sense of how mature your approach is to ESG & sustainability can lead into simple actions and outcomes to accelerate your progress.

Organization’s like Veritrove can help quickly deliver peer comparisons and best practices and produce outcomes for your institution.

Some factors to consider, not all may be relevant for you:

  • Does your town have stated goals and commitments?
  • Does your City report on sustainability and ESG?
  • Does your municipal have a person responsible (or a partner) for your important topics, such as a Head of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion or a Chief Sustainability Officer?
  • Does your town have working committees on your selected topics?
  • Does your City have action groups, public consultation and public-private partnerships to advance your selected goals?
  • Does your town routinely review decisions (planning, permissions, events) in light of your goals and commitments?
  • Does your municipal allocate appropriate budget and resources in light of your goals and commitments?
  • Does your City independently poll residents and businesses to understand the pulse and preferences for sustainability and ESG topics?


Beyond the big towns and cities, real progress and genuine benefits are underway. This is important as 1/3 of the US lives in towns with populations under 50,000.

For example, the Town of Concord in Massachusetts has a population of under 20,000 though is a leader in many ESG & sustainability actions. The town is aligned to domestic and global commitments on climate change and publicly shares a robust and transparent set of dedicated actions.

In another example, with the support of the University of Pittsburgh, 38 local towns surrounding the City of Pitsburgh have joined together as ‘CONNECT’ a Congress of Neighboring Communities; this vast array of commuter suburbs and hip neighborhoods collaborates and shares best practices including working groups on recycling and climate action plans.

Tap into external sources of best practice, acceleration and funding

There is a wide (yet confusing) array of grants, awards and subsidies available at federal, state and local levels (from governments, charities and businesses) to drive a range of ESG and sustainability efforts (either as a macro topic or for specific activities such as wildlife, forestry, recycling or diversity).

Understanding how to find, apply and receive these new sources of funds is so critical as in these budget constrained times ensuring adequate funding can make or break a project (‘no money, no mission’).

Further, it’s important to allow momentum to build a program for ongoing data collection, reporting and governance as well as input on best practices, peer reviews and execution. Understanding how to have the right partner for this who can get the data from your departments, vendors, suppliers and stakeholders (correct, fresh and frequent).

Finally, understanding which specialist vendors can execute and fulfil goals on your behalf increases speed.

At Veritrove, in addition to providing cutting edge data and reports, we can design and deliver initiatives and outcomes for your goals.

Think big, start small

If changing the world or even the progress of your institution can seem too much, remember all great journeys start with one step.

If you’d like a brief, complimentary discussion with us around your ESG and sustainability journey feel free to schedule a chat with us.

About the author

Matt Wheatley is the founder of Veritrove: a strategic & digital ESG partner that gets you insights and value from across your supply chain.

Our team finds you cost efficiencies, business value and market differentiation, not just compliance.

We drive insights and unlock value from ESG, sustainability and responsibility initiatives; helping you set, measure, and maximize your ESG actions within your overall mission.

More About the Author

Matthew Wheatley

Founder

Matt has around two decades experience including CRO & VP leadership roles (revenue generation, strategy, change and P&L responsibility) in Fortune 500 and private equity energy services and energy technology businesses.

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