Portland’s Sustainability Series strives to present a diversity of speakers to share different aspects of the work moving Maine to greater endurance and sustainability. We’re excited to announce that November’s event will be focused on the local sustainability initiatives of the City of Portland. Please join us in the Rines Auditorium on Wednesday, November 28th at 5:30pm for a presentation by Troy Moon, Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Portland.

Moon oversees the Sustainability Office and undertakes initiatives designed to make Portland a vibrant, environmentally friendly community now and into the future. They collaborate with all departments to increase the efficiency of City operations and seek innovative approaches to improve municipal services. Additionally, the Sustainability Office supports the Sustainability and Transportation Committee of the Portland City Council.

The Sustainability Office partners with community organizations, citizens, and businesses working to conserve energy, reduce waste, and preserve our natural resources. They promote actions that will make Portland resilient in the face of a changing climate. Current initiatives included LED Streetlight Conversion, Solar Power, Reducing the Use of Pesticides, Waste Reduction and Recycling, and Energy Benchmarking.

About the Speaker: Troy Moon

Troy Moon is the Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Portland. Troy started his career with the City of Portland in January, 1997 in the Department of Public Works working on improvements to the solid waste program. One of his first was helping to implement the curbside recycling and “pay as you throw” trash collection programs that began in 1999. During his time in Public Works he managedseveral programs including Solid Waste, Parks and Open Spaces, and Island Services but sustainability was always an important aspect of his work. This included promoting waste reduction and recycling, supporting community gardens, reducing pesticide use on City property, and climate action. Troy worked with interns on the City’s first greenhouse gas inventories in 2001 and 2005, and collaborated with a team of City and School staff to draft the Municipal Climate Action Plan in 2008.

In 2016, Troy moved to the Executive Department and took on the role of Sustainability Coordinator. This has allowed him to focus attention on some high impact projects that advance the sustainability goals established by the City Council — reducing the City’s greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 and running the City on 100% clean energy by 2040. A few recent projects include overseeing the distribution of recycling carts to residents, managing construction of the Ocean Avenue Solar Array, and managing the conversion of the City’s streetlights to LED. Starting in early 2019, he is excited to be co-leading a climate action planning process with his colleague Julie Rosenbach, Sustainability Director in South Portland. Their goal will be to develop a strategy to keep our communities vibrant and livable in the face of rising seas and a changing climate.