Manhattan Beach Certified As A 'Blue City' By Project O

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA —The City of Manhattan Beach has received the distinct honor of being the first city to be dubbed "Blue City" by the non-profit organization Project O.

This was made possible via the Blue City Network (BCN), a certification process using a data-driven approach to assessing communities’ efforts towards protecting our world’s oceans, Project O announced Wednesday in a statement.

Upon certification, participants become part of the Blue City Network, a coalition of communities from around the world that collaborate in their ongoing quest to become true champions of the environment.

“We’re honored to have been the first pilot city certified as a Blue City," Dana Murray, Manhattan Beach’s Environmental Sustainability Manager, said in the announcement. "Manhattan Beach has a long history of environmental leadership, policy, and stewardship, both as a community and as a city government. This certification gives us the opportunity to collaborate with other jurisdictions to build upon our success and identify best practices in future environmental policy initiatives."

Manhattan Beach, with over two miles of ocean frontage and 115 acres of beautiful sandy beach, was a natural fit to be the Blue City Pilot program launched in June 2020, the announcement said.

The program completed a thorough assessment of the city's current environmental initiatives and programs, resulting in a rating based on the total cumulative score of points achieved. Manhattan Beach scored 435 points out of a possible 500, placing them in the Ocean Hero Tier.

“We are thrilled that Manhattan Beach is our first certified Blue City," Evelina Marchetti, Program Director for Blue City, said. "The City is an excellent example of being champions for the environment and providing healthy ecosystems for their community.”

The Blue City Network Certification allows communities to credibly and transparently track progress toward overall sustainability objectives. The assessment focuses on four solution areas: Waste Minimization; Climate Protection and Community Resilience; Water Quality and Efficiency; and Healthy Ecosystems. Participants also gain access to proven resources and blueprints provided by top environmental nonprofits, cities, and governmental agencies working with the BCN. The second round of pilot cities launched in November 2020 with the cities of Imperial Beach and Santa Monica.

The Blue City Network is supported by Project O, a non-profit, 501c3 organization founded by noted entrepreneur Rich German and based in the coastal town of Laguna Beach, California. By restoring, protecting, and sustaining the ocean and all that lives in it, Project O ensures the wellbeing of humankind now and for generations to come through various programs and projects, such as developing and supporting innovative partner programs for ocean conservation, and educating the next generation to protect the ocean and make cleaning up plastic pollution a priority.

Find out more at https://project-o.org/