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Goals One of the first steps during the project development phase was to identify goals to help guide the decision -making process. • Accessible and attainable for any community. Factors such as size, number of city staff, or amount of financial or technical support should not act as barriers for cities to participate. The selected framework for this program should be able to accommodate whatever capacity a community is able to work within. Participation is voluntary. In alignment with GreenStep values, communities should join voluntarily. GreenStep has always been and will continue to be non -regulatory. There should be no pressure for communities to join if uninterested, and participants should not be made to feel that joining this program is the only way in which they can advance through GreenStep. • Challenges participants to improve. GreenStep has always provided a means for communities to push themselves. It clearly defines goals, provides pathways to accomplish those goals, and lets communities choose which goals they're interested in accomplishing. Climate action through GreenStep should continue to challenge participants to meet their goals and create new ones that are manageable, ambitious, and realistic. • Assists participants with resources. The resources that communities require to meet their climate action goals should not be a barrier. GreenStep should be able to assist communities with identifying and procuring the resources necessary to take action. • Leads to action that addresses climate change. Action must be specific to climate change, rather than sustainability as a whole. While GreenStep values all efforts to increase sustainability and quality -of -life, this program will specifically emphasize and promote climate change action to reflect the importance of climate action. • Promotes transparent reporting of actions and outcomes. Communities should be able to use this program to hold themselves accountable and report in a way that informs and inspires others. It should provide a resource with which a city can look back on its climate action journey. Through sharing, this program will also build momentum and become a resource for other cities looking to take action. • Re-engages Step 5 communities. Upon reaching Step 5, communities have no program - provided incentive to continue to report actions. GreenStep only provides Step 5 communities formal recognition for reporting metrics. This climate program should reintegrate formal recognition and support for taking action. • Publicly recognizes participants. According to feedback, public recognition is one of the biggest motivators for communities to participate in GreenStep. Adding a recognition component to this program would likely provide motivation as well. Gold Leaf Program Proposal I www.MNGreenStep.org 4 Page 56 of 185