Atlanta’s Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships
In November 2011 the City of Atlanta, Georgia, used a public-private partnership to launch the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge (ABBC), an initiative to engage downtown businesses in reducing energy and water consumption in more than 40 million square feet of buildings by at least 20 percent by 2020, and a goal of becoming one of the country’s 10 most sustainable cities. The Mayor’s Office of Sustainability championed the initiative, which is aligned with Atlanta’s sustainability plan, Power to Change, released in the fall of 2010. Power to Change lays out a plan for continuous improvement in sustainability practices through policies and activities that balance economic growth with environmental protection while being mindful of social justice.