Commission on Sustainability

Baltimore City Code art. 5, subtit. 34

in effect

Baltimore City Code, Article 5, § 34-1 Commission created; members.

§ 34-1. Commission created; members. (a) Created. (1) There is a Commission on Sustainability (2) The Commission consists of 21 members, 20 of whom are appointed by the Mayor in the manner prescribed by Article IV, § 6 of the City Charter. (b) Appointed members. The 20 appointed members shall represent: (1) community organizations; (2) environmental groups representing all elements of environmental sustainability, including but not limited to air quality, water quality, green building techniques, energy conservation, and alternate transportation; (3) labor unions; (4) public health and environmental justice; (5) private industry, to include but not limited to restaurants and bars, packaging industry, and recycling industry; (6) the Mayor’s office; (7) City agencies; and (8) persons with a general interest in environmental issues. (c) City Council representative. The 21st member shall be a member of the City Council appointed by the Council President. (Ord. 07-488.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 5, § 34-2 Terms; Chair or Co-Chairs.

§ 34-2. Terms; Chair or Co-Chairs. (a) Terms of members. The terms of each member is 4 years, concurrent with the Mayor’s term of office, and until a successor qualifies and takes office. (b) Commission Chair or Co-Chairs. The Mayor shall appoint one member as Chair of the Commission or may appoint two members as Co-Chairs of the Commission. (Ord. 20-417; Ord. 07-488.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 5, § 34-3 Compensation; expenses.

§ 34-3. Compensation; expenses. No member of the Commission may receive any compensation for services, but each member may be reimbursed for necessary and proper expenses incurred in the performance of his or her duties. (Ord. 07-488.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 5, § 34-4 Duties.

§ 34-4. Duties. (a) Comprehensive Plan. The Commission shall prepare a Comprehensive Sustainability Plan and, from time to time, recommend appropriate amendments to the Plan. (b) Monitor Office of Sustainability. The Commission shall monitor the Office of Sustainability and that Office’s incorporation and implementation of the Comprehensive Sustainability Plan. (c) Report to Council. The Commission shall report annually to the City Council on its activities. (Ord. 07-488.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 5, § 34-5 Comprehensive Sustainability Plan.

§ 34-5. Comprehensive Sustainability Plan. The Commission’s Comprehensive Sustainability Plan shall: (1) discuss all elements of sustainability, including air quality, water quality, resource conservation and recycling, energy, public health, environmental justice, reduction of greenhouse emissions, and increasing use of alternative means of transportation; (2) establish 3-, 5-, and 10-year sustainability targets, including making City government operations achieve, by January 1, 2045, net-zero emissions, as defined in City Code Article 1, § 34-1(f), while ensuring that capital investments associated with achieving net-zero emissions are prioritized to the extent possible in the communities most impacted by climate change and pollution, as determined by the Director (3) create public and private sustainability initiatives, to include but not limited to standards for city purchasing, incentives for citizens and businesses to recycle and purchase recycled goods, incentives for energy conservation, and water quality improvements; (4) describe the resources and responsible agencies and others needed to implement the Plan; (5) include a public information component; (6) establish key sustainability indicators to track progress of Plan implementation; (7) establish key environmental justice indicators to track community impacts of plan; and (8) set criteria and recommend mandatory measures for annual reporting to the City Council on: (i) Energy Consumption Reports, as required in City Code Article 5, § 45-2; (ii) Comprehensive Recycling and Composting Plan, as prescribed in City Code Article 23, § 16-2; (iii) community environmental health metrics, including the parity or disparity of benefits and burdens across different population groups, and including the decrease in metric tons of criteria pollutants, which include: (A) carbon monoxide; (B) ground-level ozone; (C) lead; (D) nitrogen dioxide; (E) particulate matter; and (F) sulfur dioxide; and (iv) greenhouse gas emissions reduction reports. (Ord. 22-131; Ord. 07-488.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 5, § 34-6 Commission staff.

§ 34-6. Commission staff. (a) Planning Department. The Department of Planning will provide staff for Commission in the development and implementation of the Plan. (b) Consultants. The Commission may employ, as provided in the Ordinance of Estimates, consultants and other personnel necessary for the proper performance of its duties. (Ord. 07-488.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 5, § 34-7 Adoption of Plan.

§ 34-7. Adoption of Plan. To be become effective, the Sustainability Plan or an amendment to it must be approved by an Ordinance of the Mayor and City Council. (Ord. 07-488.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 5, § 34-8 Effect of Plan.

§ 34-8. Effect of Plan. The Sustainability Plan will be incorporated into the City’s Comprehensive Master Plan as an appendix. (Ord. 07-488.)

Source: City of Baltimore Department of Legislative Reference, City of Baltimore Law Library (codes.baltimorecity.gov; Open Law Library bulk XML)URL: https://codes.baltimorecity.gov/us/md/cities/baltimore/code/5/34Fetched: 10/25/2026