Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced that Shelby Busó has been named Chief Sustainability Officer. In this role, she will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of resilience and sustainability efforts for the City of Atlanta. Busó’s appointment is effective immediately.

“Rooted in the vision of One Atlanta, our sustainability work is focused on delivering core equity outcomes for all Atlantans,” Bottoms said. “For us, this work begins with a focus on keeping cash in people’s pockets and helping residents overcome the challenges they face today, not just reducing carbon emissions.

“Busó has the passion and experience to continue to progress our city towards a more sustainable one while reducing future climate impacts,” she continued. “We are excited to welcome her to the team.”

On average, Atlantans spend 48 percent of their income on housing, utilities, and transportation. For the lowest-income residents, this percentage is even higher. Housed in the Office of One Atlanta, the Chief Sustainability Officer will build on Atlanta’s national reputation as a sustainability leader and focus on three core issues:

• Reducing energy costs for the residents most burdened by utility payments through energy efficiency, with a focus on Atlanta’s lowest-income residents;
• Implementing the City’s Clean Energy Plan, which will accelerate our transition to lower-cost energy sources;
• Ensuring affordable, fresh food access to an additional 50,000 residents by 2022, reducing the number of Atlantans residing in USDA-defined food deserts by 10 percent.

“I am honored to continue the work of making Atlanta a sustainability leader in the Southeast region,” Busó said.

“Every day our environment and residents are counting on us to take action and further focus on building a stronger and more livable city. I am thrilled to join the City of Atlanta to advance those efforts.”

A seasoned strategist and environmentalist, Shelby Busó most recently served as the Director of Community Advancement and Market Transformation for the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Working with the USGBC since July 2016, Busó collaborated with the Market Leadership Advisory Board facilitating the design and development of programs and major initiatives.

Previously she managed the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge as the Director of Sustainability for Central Atlanta Progress.

Busó also developed a 200-page comprehensive sustainability plan for Midtown Atlanta which led to the first public space recycling program in the City of Atlanta as the assistant director of Transportation and Sustainability for Midtown Alliance.

Busó holds a Juris Doctor and master’s degree in Environmental Law and Policy from the Vermont Law School. She obtained a bachelor of arts degree from Wake Forest University.

This article originally appeared in The Atlanta Voice.

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