The Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland announced that the City of Annapolis was one of 17 Maryland municipalities honored at the Sustainable Maryland Awards Ceremony at the Maryland Municipal League’s annual Fall Conference on Tuesday in Cambridge, Maryland.
“On behalf of the residents of the City of Annapolis, we are proud to have again achieved Sustainable Maryland Certified status,” said Mayor Gavin Buckley. “I am proud of the work of City staff to make Annapolis more sustainable, and proud of our residents for making the changes necessary to reduce their carbon footprint. We want our City to be a model for clean, green and vibrant communities.”
Some highlights of Annapolis’ accomplishments include:
- Annapolis has built a field of solar panels on top of a 80-acre, capped landfill. The solar park contains 55,000 solar panels. The facility is one of the largest solar projects built on a capped landfill in the country, generating enough energy to power 2,500 homes.
- The city received a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in July 2019 to conduct a campaign to reduce plastic pollution in Annapolis. Annapolis Green and the City are teaming up in common cause with Plastic Free Annapolis, in a movement to change habits and reduce pollution at its source for a cleaner, more beautiful Annapolis with participation from businesses, residents and visitors.
According to Mike Hunninghake, Program Manager for Sustainable Maryland, “This year’s seventeen Sustainable Maryland Certified communities, a record number since the program’s inception in 2011, represent a broad and deep commitment to addressing the environmental challenges of our time. We are pleased to recognize the Green Teams, elected officials, and municipal staff that are working hard every day ensure a sustainable future for their communities, our state, and our planet.”
