The New England Municipal Sustainability Network (NEMS Network) was formed in December 2010 by five New England municipalities in four states to enable municipalities across New England to learn from, support and help each other as they developed effective actions, policies and programs that advance local, regional and global sustainability. In the ensuing years, the Network has transformed from a group of municipal sustainability staff members sharing ideas to a pro-active collection of communities collaborating on actions that reduce GHG emissions across New England and advance regional resiliency planning in a growing number of communities. Today the group includes active members 20 New England cities and towns.
The network holds two in - person meetings each year that focus on topics of concern identified by the group. Each meeting lasts 1 ½ - 2 days and includes significant networking and a training components. The Network tries to have at least half of the presentations by current members. This peer - to - peer learning is paramount for improving how projects are handled and is invaluable in the rapidly evolving field of sustainability.
In addition, members collaborate on specific projects of mutual interest. The work of the Network, including development of meeting and call agendas, as well as identification and development of network wide collaborative project opportunities and priorities, is guided by a 6 – 8 person Steering Committee, which holds regular monthly calls. A Development Committee, responsible for raising funds to support network activities, also meets monthly.
The NEMS Network was originally coordinated by the US Environmental Protection Agency - Region 1. Since 2017, the Network is supported and coordinated by the University of New Hampshire’s Sustainability Institute (UNHSI). UNHSI helps coordinate the work of the Steering and Development committees, and to facilitate regular communication and information - sharing across the network. This UNHSI and NEMS Network partnership is intended to help the network expand its current framework — and, ultimately, impact — to more proactively engage in projects that will support the efforts of both individual communities and the network.
The network holds two in - person meetings each year that focus on topics of concern identified by the group. Each meeting lasts 1 ½ - 2 days and includes significant networking and a training components. The Network tries to have at least half of the presentations by current members. This peer - to - peer learning is paramount for improving how projects are handled and is invaluable in the rapidly evolving field of sustainability.
In addition, members collaborate on specific projects of mutual interest. The work of the Network, including development of meeting and call agendas, as well as identification and development of network wide collaborative project opportunities and priorities, is guided by a 6 – 8 person Steering Committee, which holds regular monthly calls. A Development Committee, responsible for raising funds to support network activities, also meets monthly.
The NEMS Network was originally coordinated by the US Environmental Protection Agency - Region 1. Since 2017, the Network is supported and coordinated by the University of New Hampshire’s Sustainability Institute (UNHSI). UNHSI helps coordinate the work of the Steering and Development committees, and to facilitate regular communication and information - sharing across the network. This UNHSI and NEMS Network partnership is intended to help the network expand its current framework — and, ultimately, impact — to more proactively engage in projects that will support the efforts of both individual communities and the network.