Hurricane Katrina: 20 Years Later
Building a Global Green Community for New Orleans
Global Green USA is working to rebuild and empower New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward, a community hit especially hard by Hurricane Katrina that continues to struggle with recovery to this day. The Global Green Community Project is the first of its kind – a model of environmental justice and sustainable housing, aimed at helping 109 families devastated by the climate crisis, providing them with the tools to build a greener, more secure future.
What is a Global Green Community?
Global Green Communities are inspired by the Earth Charter, a series of guidelines with fundamental principles for building a just, peaceful, and sustainable global society. These communities are also aligned with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals, a universal call to action to end poverty while protecting the planet.
Community construction protocol is guided by the framework of Net Zero with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the LEED certification system for sustainable building practices.
The Lower 9th ward project will serve as a pilot community, marking the start of Global Green Community development across the United States.
People are the heart of soul of a community.
Underserved communities of black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) are most vulnerable to climate change and suffer the greatest ecological injustice. In addition to sustainable rebuilding, the Global Green Community project empowers residents by bringing people together in community activities for education, individual prosperity, and the greater planetary good.
“On behalf of the City of New Orleans, we envision the Global Green Community as a long-term strategy in the steps forward towards a sustainable future, not only for the residents of the Lower 9th Ward, but as a model for cities across the US. This project can empower people, social environmental justice, and climate adaption.”