“From Goals to Implementation”: Green Print Stakeholder Workshop

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On December 3, 2009, more than 100 local and regional stakeholders participated in a workshop to review Markham’s 12 sustainability goals and develop strategies for how each goal can be implemented.

Attendees included representatives from ratepayer associations, advisory committees, places of worship, non-profit groups, developers, educational institutions, businesses and all levels of government.

The workshop opened with an overview of local and global issues, and a review of Markham’s 12 sustainability goals.

A World Café format was then used to hold a series of small group discussions. There were three rounds of 30 minute discussions, with each discussion focusing on one goal. Participants chose which goals they wished to discuss, and group members changed after each round. Groups were asked to consider:

When Markham has achieved world-class sustainability performance in (insert goal), what measures and actions were taken to make this happen?

Over the course of the afternoon, 60 implementation strategies (five for each goal) were developed as a starting point for the next phase of the Green Print process. These strategies will be grouped to create 10 to 12 themed “Big Moves for a Sustainable Markham”. For each Big Move, opportunities within all Markham departments and with potential partners will be investigated.

Stakeholders and the public will be invited to review the Big Moves in the spring of 2010.