2016 Washington County recognizes the responsibility for public agencies to conserve natural resources, be fiscally responsible and celebrate the achievements of a productive organization. These efforts are advancing sustainable practices in day-to-day operations. With future generations in mind, Washington County is placing a growing emphasis on sustainability as a framework for planning, policy development and management. The County is committed to building on its sustainability initiatives and practices in support of its mission and vision. PROGRAM FOCUS Washington County’s Sustainability Program provides guidance for best practices throughout the organization. The program addresses four strategic areas: planning and policy development, technical assistance to departments and community partners, education and awareness of employees and constituents, and measurement and tracking of progress. PROGRESS SUMMARY Fiscal Year This report showcases Washington County’s accomplishments to improve sustainability as of June 30, 2016. ACCOMPLISHMENTS In 2015, the Sustainability Program measured the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by building energy, building operations, transportation, employee commuting and supply chain purchases. The results appear in the Greenhouse Gas Inventory of County Operations Emissions. Total GHG emissions dropped seven percent from 2008 to 2014. Natural gas, electricity and fleet fuel emissions dropped 19 percent in the same time period. These decreases are due in part to ongoing work to make County facilities more efficient, improve fleet fuel efficiency and outreach about employee commute options. The County will continue to prioritize these efforts and other resource conservation activities to help meet sustainability goals and objectives. The employee-based Energy Team, led by the Sustainability Program, developed the Energy Conservation Campaign. This includes a discussion toolkit, employee training and interactive display. The program launched in April 2016 in celebration of Earth Day. The campaign promotes manager-led dialogue about energy conservation and direct employee actions to reduce energy use in their work spaces. This multi-year effort to educate staff and management about the best ways to cut building energy use will help the County stay on track to meet the energy reduction goal. As part of the Partners for a Sustainable Washington County Community (PSWCC), Washington County led development of an assessment tool that members and the public can use to determine the maturity of their sustainability efforts and document steps for improvement. The environmental element of the Organizational Assessment Tool for Sustainability (OATS) was finished in spring 2016. The Sustainability Program worked with County management to complete a baseline OATS assessment; this will be revisited periodically to check the County’s progress on the sustainability continuum. The Sustainability Program leads implementation of the County’s five-year sustainability plan. The goals in the plan are set for completion by the end of Fiscal Year 2018 and the current status is noted below. INTERNAL MEASURE 2018 GOAL 2016 ACHIEVEMENT Building Energy 20 percent 28 percent Water 2 percent 7 percent Recycling 50 percent 28 percent Garbage 25 percent 10 percent Materials Recovery Rate 50 percent 42 percent Fleet Fuel 8 percent 16 percent INTERNAL SUSTAINABILITY DEFINITION Washington County strives to improve the triple bottom line through policies and programs that: • Foster workplace excellence by empowering and engaging employees • Connect a healthy environment with wellness and better quality of life • Recognize and celebrate cultural differences while creating a collaborative work environment • Promote responsible stewardship of County resources
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2016Washington County recognizes the responsibility for public agencies to conserve natural resources, be fiscally responsible and celebrate the achievements of a productive organization. These efforts are advancing sustainable practices in day-to-day operations. With future generations in mind, Washington County is placing a growing emphasis on sustainability as a framework for planning, policy development and management. The County is committed to building on its sustainability initiatives and practices in support of its mission and vision.
PROGRAM FOCUSWashington County’s Sustainability Program provides guidance for best practices throughout the organization. The program addresses four strategic areas: planning and policy development, technical assistance to departments and community partners, education and awareness of employees and constituents, and measurement and tracking of progress.
PROGRESS SUMMARYFi
scal
Yea
r
This report showcases Washington County’s accomplishments to improve sustainability as of June 30, 2016.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS In 2015, the Sustainability Program measured the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by building energy, building operations, transportation, employee commuting and supply chain purchases. The results appear in the Greenhouse Gas Inventory of County Operations Emissions. Total GHG emissions dropped seven percent from 2008 to 2014. Natural gas, electricity and fleet fuel emissions dropped 19 percent in the same time period. These decreases are due in part to ongoing work to make County facilities more efficient, improve fleet fuel efficiency and outreach about employee commute options. The County will continue to prioritize these efforts and other resource conservation activities to help meet sustainability goals and objectives.
The employee-based Energy Team, led by the Sustainability Program, developed the Energy Conservation Campaign. This includes a discussion toolkit, employee training and interactive display. The program launched in April 2016 in celebration of Earth Day. The campaign promotes manager-led dialogue about energy conservation and direct employee actions to reduce energy use in their work spaces. This multi-year effort to educate staff and management about the best ways to cut building energy use will help the County stay on track to meet the energy reduction goal.
As part of the Partners for a Sustainable Washington County Community (PSWCC), Washington County led development of an assessment tool that members and the public can use to determine the maturity of their sustainability efforts and document steps for improvement. The environmental element of the Organizational Assessment Tool for Sustainability (OATS) was finished in spring 2016. The Sustainability Program worked with County management to complete a baseline OATS assessment; this will be revisited periodically to check the County’s progress on the sustainability continuum.
The Sustainability Program leads implementation of the County’s five-year sustainability plan. The goals in the plan are set for completion by the end of Fiscal Year 2018 and the current status is noted below.
INTERNAL MEASURE 2018 GOAL 2016 ACHIEVEMENT
Building Energy 20 percent 28 percent
Water 2 percent 7 percent
Recycling 50 percent 28 percent
Garbage 25 percent 10 percent
Materials Recovery Rate 50 percent 42 percent
Fleet Fuel 8 percent 16 percent
INTERNAL SUSTAINABILITY DEFINITIONWashington County strives to improve the triple bottom line through policies and programs that:
• Foster workplace excellence by empowering and engaging employees
• Connect a healthy environment with wellness and better quality of life
• Recognize and celebrate cultural differences while creating a collaborative work environment
• Promote responsible stewardship of County resources
MEASURING OUR PROGRESSThe Sustainability Program works with many departments to compile data for internal and community measures. Internal data is normalized by the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) employees, providing an accurate year-to-year comparison of resource use. FTE was selected as a normalizing factor because it is common to all internal measures. Normalized and non-normalized internal data is included to show actual and relative figures.
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30,000
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60,000
70,000
Bu
ildin
g E
ner
gy
(kB
tu)
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016Fiscal Year
BUILDING ENERGY USE PER FTE
2018 Goal
Goal: 20 percent reduction from FY 2008 to FY 2018Achievement: Reduced energy use per FTE 28 percent (reduced total energy use 19 percent)
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20,000
25,000
Wat
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gal
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2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016Fiscal Year
WATER USE PER FTE
2018 Goal
Goal: 2 percent reduction from FY 2008 to FY 2018Achievement: Reduced water use per FTE 7 percent (increased total water use 4 percent)
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1.5
2.0
2.5
Rec
yclin
g (
yd3 )
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016Fiscal Year
RECYCLING GENERATED PER FTE
2018 Goal
Goal: 50 percent increase from FY 2008 to FY 2018Achievement: Increased recycling per FTE 28 percent (increased total recycling 30 percent)
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2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
Gar
bag
e (y
d3 )
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016Fiscal Year
GARBAGE GENERATED PER FTE
2018 Goal2018 Goal
Goal: 25 percent reduction from FY 2008 to FY 2018Achievement: Reduced garbage per FTE 10 percent (increased total garbage 1 percent)
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Rec
ove
ry R
ate
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016Fiscal Year
COUNTY FACILITIES MATERIALS RECOVERY2018 Goal
Goal: 50 percent recovery rate by FY 2018Achievement: 42 percent recovery rate (recovery rate is waste recovered divided by total amount generated)
2018 Goal
200
215
230
245
260
275
Fuel
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al)
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016Fiscal Year
FLEET FUEL USE PER FTE
Goal: 8 percent reduction from FY 2008 to FY 2018Achievement: Reduced fleet fuel use per FTE 16 percent (reduced total fleet fuel use 9 percent)
Completed/ahead of schedule Needs work
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Improving sustainability of internal operations helped lower operational expenses and conserve resources as shown in the chart on the right.
* In addition to reductions in usage, fuel cost volatility also helped drive costs savings in natural gas and fleet fuel.
The Sustainability Program also tracks community objectives such as sustainable building, alternatives to vehicle use, commute options, and recycling and garbage generation. Since progress in these areas is much more dependent on community education and involvement, special project funding, and cultural changes, specific goals were not set for all of these measures.
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Fiscal Year
RENEWABLE ENERGY ELECTRICAL PERMITS ISSUED
350
400
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
All renewable energy permits issued for business and residential sites in unincorporated Washington County
40%
45%
50%
55%
60%
65%
70%
Rec
ove
ry R
ate
METRO REGIONAL MATERIALS RECOVERY
Metro Goal
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015Calendar Year
Goal: 64 percent recovery rate for Metro regional areaAchievement: 60 percent recovery rate (recovery rate is waste recovered divided by total amount generated)
COMMUNITY MEASURES
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Sustainability is a process of continual improvement, and the County is taking disciplined, thoughtful steps in the best interest of the organization and the community, now and in the future. Implementing sustainability initiatives requires a collaborative approach and the cooperation of all departments and staff, as well as community partners.
In fall 2016, the Sustainability Program hosted two new successful events: an employee transportation options fair and a household goods drive for a local nonprofit furniture bank. The transportation fair vendors shared information about choices for commuting and daily travel, such as transit, bicycling, walking, carsharing, ridesharing, carpooling and electric vehicles. An electric bicycle vendor was on hand providing test rides of e-bikes, human resources staff handed out TriMet passes, and vendors donated door prizes for attendees. The furniture bank drive was coordinated with Community Warehouse to provide gently used home goods to neighbors in need. County employees donated 182 items such as blankets, towels, lamps and small appliances which were quickly redistributed to low income residents settling in the community.
Other highlights from Fiscal Year 2017 projects include:• Redesign County recycling posters to improve clarity and increase the capture of materials • Continue the Energy Conservation Campaign rollout with an employee training pilot project incorporating observed- behavior evaluation via night energy audits as well as continued management engagement with the Energy Toolkit• Create a sustainability tips and reminders checklist for departments moving to new locations• Promote the launch of electric vehicles in the County fleet• Create and manage a County Bike Share Pilot Program for employees• Guide development of the social sustainability element of PSWCC’s assessment tool, OATS
CONCLUSION Washington County believes that sustainability actions must produce measurable results, provide long-term benefits and improve operations. The County is working toward meeting goals and objectives that will make it more sustainable, effective and resilient. Washington County’s Sustainability Program provides guidance for sustainable practices throughout the organization and in the community. The Sustainability Program reports progress toward its objectives to the Board of Commissioners, employees and the community. The County’s sustainability plans, reports and policies are all located on the program website.
For more information, contact: Robin Straughan, Sustainability Coordinator 155 N First Ave, Suite 270, Hillsboro, OR 97124 503-846-8857 | [email protected] | www.co.washington.or.us/Sustainability
