Overview of Sustainable CT (SCT)

Sustainable CT is a voluntary certification program to recognize thriving and resilient Connecticut municipalities. An independently funded, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Sustainable CT provides a wide-ranging menu of best practices. Municipalities choose Sustainable CT actions, implement them, and earn points toward certification.

Mission: To foster inclusive, resilient, and vibrant Connecticut municipalities that provide opportunities for all to thrive by providing a menu of sustainability actions that build local economies, support equity, and respect the finite capacity of the environment; offering technical assistance to help advance sustainability initiatives; and recognizing and certifying municipalities for their achievements. 

Total Participating Municipalities: 131 Registered, 61 Certified

Check out the interactive map of all participating communities here.

Benefits of Participating in the Program:

  • Community Engagement
  • Economic Benefits
  • Funding and Other Resources
  • Innovation
  • Inspiration
  • Partnerships
  • Peer Learning
  • Recognition
  • Striving for a Sustainable Future
  • Track Data

Impacts of the Program in Local Communities:

  • Cost Savings
  • Climate Resilience
  • Community Building
  • Environmental Impacts
  • Equity
  • Greenhouse Gas Reductions
  • Health and Wellness

Connection Between SCT and NVCOG

Sustainable CT hires student Fellows for the summer months and places them with our Councils of Governments (COGs) to assist municipalities and the COGs with sustainable actions and projects. Sustainable CT partners with the Connecticut COGs to facilitate regional planning of sustainability initiatives, communicate and track progress, and provide towns with overarching frameworks for sustainability goals. This connection helps to expand the state-wide network of sustainability professionals and stakeholders, which is key for pursuing environmental action at both the local and state levels. Sustainable CT provides the guidelines and support, and COGs facilitate the local connections for their municipalities. A key element of sustainability is collaboration, and the SCT program would not be successful without it!

NVCOG Registered Municipalities

  • Ansonia
  • Bethlehem
  • Bristol
  • Cheshire
  • Derby
  • Naugatuck
  • Oxford
  • Prospect
  • Seymour
  • Southbury
  • Thomaston
  • Waterbury
  • Woodbury

NVCOG Certified Municipalities

Bronze: Cheshire (2021), Waterbury (2020), Southbury (2022)

Silver: Bristol (2023)

Previously Certified: Bristol (Bronze, 2018 and Silver, 2020), Woodbury (Bronze, 2019)

NVCOG Climate Leaders

Be the first NVCOG municipality to achieve Sustainable CT’s Climate Leader Designation!

SCT offers support for municipalities, including information on registering for the program, creating a sustainability team, and applying for certification.

Events and Webinars:  

SCT maintains a calendar of events and trainings related to sustainability across the state. You may also use the upcoming and recorded webinars and presentations as a resource as well. Select trainings are also eligible for points towards a municipality’s certification.

Equity:

Need help with your Equity Toolkit? Check out the related resources available from SCT here or request that your town be connected with an Equity Coach for free coaching sessions.

Example Brochures, Flyers, and Resources from NVCOG Municipalities:

Sustainable CT Fellows 

The Sustainable CT Fellowship Program places highly qualified student fellows across the state’s nine Councils of Governments (COGs) annually between June and August. Fellows assist cities and towns within the COGs’ territories in working on the Sustainable CT certification program and assist with COG projects. 

This summer’s Fellow is Cole Burnham! Cole is a rising first-year graduate student at Tufts University studying Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning. He enjoys reading, the outdoors, music, and traveling. Contact Cole through August 15th at cburnham@nvcogct.gov.

Community Match Fund (CMF)

Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund is an innovative program that provides fast, flexible funding and support for engaging your community on wide-ranging sustainability projects. Eligible projects receive dollar-for-dollar matching funds from Sustainable CT. Watch highlights of inspiring Community Match Fund (CMF) projects on CPTV’s “Re:source:ful – Growing Sustainable Communities.”

Anyone in a Sustainable CT registered municipality can participate in this program to implement highly visible projects to improve their communities. Municipalities, nonprofits, community groups, schools, libraries, and individual residents can all propose projects and double their impact with this match funding. Read the full eligibility criteria here.

Municipalities can use the CMF to fundraise for projects that align with Sustainable CT actions, which can help them to earn points towards certification. Sustainable CT will also support you in crowdfunding to engage your community and raise the project funds. They have partnered with Patronicity, a crowdfunding platform that helps with project coaching, matching grant program management, and placemaking consulting. Find out more about the partnership here.

The CMF is broadly organized into four focus areas:

Civic Pride/Engagement: Projects that align with the Sustainable CT roadmap of actions that promote high-quality, healthy, and inclusive neighborhoods and towns.

Social Change: Projects led by Black, Latinx, Multiracial, Indigenous and other People of Color (POC) community organizers and organizations.

Climate Change/Clean Energy: Projects that promote, support, or target energy efficiency, renewable energy, and GHG reduction.

Composting: Projects that promote food waste diversion and composting.

CMF Contact Information

Have an idea to make your community more sustainable, equitable, and vibrant? Email the Community Partnership Manager at funding@sustainablect.org.

NVCOG Municipalities Involved with CMF

Bristol, Cheshire, Oxford, Thomaston, & Waterbury

NVCOG CMF Total Raised: $55,426

Project Examples:

One of Bristol’s Outdoor Classrooms
Students at Bristol’s Community Gardens

Looking for more inspiration? Check out past and current CMF projects here. 

SCT Contact Info:

  • Lynn Stoddard, Executive Director

LynnS@sustainablect.org
860-259-4729

  • Jessica LeClair, Program Manager, Community Engagement & Outreach

JessicaL@sustainablect.org
860-259-4762

  • Mary Dickerson, Certification Program Manager

MaryD@sustainablect.org
860-259-4762

Mailing Address: 9 Charles Way #300 Storrs, CT 06268

For general questions about Sustainable CT, call 860-253-2969 or email info@sustainablect.org. Additional Sustainable CT team member contacts are available here.

Please see the NVCOG Staff page for our staff contact information.

Last updated 6/12/23.

Staff Contact:

Christine O’Neill
Environmental Planner II
coneill@nvcogct.gov