Local Action. Global Vision.

The Green+ Impact

The DFW Context: Why We Must Act Now

While the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is a powerhouse of economic growth, outpacing the national GDP by nearly double, that prosperity is not shared equally. Rapid development has left behind a "sustainability gap" in marginalized communities:

The Poverty Trap: With a 10.3% poverty rate in the DFW MSA, thousands of families are forced to choose between skyrocketing housing costs, utility bills, and essential needs.

The Health Crisis: Tarrant and Dallas counties face significant ozone pollution and Urban Heat Island effects, disproportionately impacting the health of low-income residents.

The Resilience Gap: As climate risks increase, those with the fewest resources are often the most exposed to property loss and displacement.

Green+ is committed to understanding the deep complexities of these challenges and using the principles of sustainability to address them.

Mapping Our Mission

Texas routinely experiences extreme weather: flooding, storms, extreme heat, and drought. In 2017, then-Mayor Rawlings signed the Climate Mayors National Climate Agreement, supporting the 2015 Paris Agreement, whose primary goal is to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. The United Nations also adopted its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015.  The Paris Agreement and SDGs are deeply intertwined. The city of Ft. Worth does not have a stand-alone climate action plan.

Dallas' current mayor reaffirmed that commitment, and in May 2020, the Dallas City Council unanimously passed the City's first Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan (CECAP).  The City's overall objective is to protect the community from the impacts of climate change and to support measures to reduce GHGs by undertaking 97 actions across eight key sectors. A 5-year strategy for operationalizing and implementing CECAP is expected in 2026, but it will focus on City operations.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Green+ aligns its local North Texas initiatives with the United Nations 2030 Agenda. By centering our work on select United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we aim to engage the local community development industry, which has historically operated outside this comprehensive sustainability framework, in setting and meeting goals aligned with the United Nations SDGs. We are also aligned with Dallas' CECAP and will partner with the City as it continues to develop its implementation strategy.

We have selected four SDGs to advance our work with marginalized DFW communities.

  • While the SDGs are global in nature, we believe they only become meaningful when executed through local action. By focusing on these specific goals, Green+ aims to move the local community development industry toward a comprehensive sustainability framework that has been missing in the DFW area.

    We consider this an ambitious but achievable agenda, particularly when placing a high focus on SDG 17 (Partnerships) to drive collaboration between affordable housing entities and economic development leaders.

  • By using non-toxic materials and high-performance ventilation, we reduce respiratory illnesses and environmental stressors, ensuring that a home is a place of true healing. Workspaces and public spaces are not exempt.

    SDG 3 - Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.

  • A city is only as strong as its most vulnerable neighborhood. We partner with CDCs and EDCs to ensure that affordable housing and commercial developments are synonymous with "high-performance" housing, making our urban centers inclusive, safe, and resilient.

    SDG 11 - Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

  • We are driving a "Just Energy Transition." By integrating renewable energy and energy efficiency into marginalized communities, we directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while protecting residents from the volatility of a changing climate.

    SDG 13 - Taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

  • Sustainability is a team sport. We bridge the gap between the public and private sectors, financial institutions, philanthropic entities, and community developers to create the systemic shifts necessary for long-term equity.

    SDG 17 - Strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development.