ESG Considerations

Environmental

The City is on the frontlines of the challenge of sea-level rise and has long been a national leader for its resilience strategy and efforts. As a coastal community, the City is one of several localities in the United States vulnerable to flooding from sea level rise and storm-surge. Named as one of the world's first members of Resilient Cities Network, a program pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation, the City is helping to build a global practice of resilience by working with cities around the world.

To help address this challenge, the City maintains a dedicated Resilience Office that is focused on expanding and institutionalizing an integrated approach to building resilience in the environment, mitigating economic and social stresses, and potential shocks that challenge the City. Additionally, the Resilience Office actively leverages opportunities and resources across City departments, the local community, and national and international partners.

The City is proactively assessing its vulnerability, developing strategies, implementing policies, and designing engineering measures that will enhance its resiliency and reduce the impacts of tidal and storm surge flooding. Further, the City is undertaking many initiatives to address its resilience goals.

• Click here to learn more about what the City is doing.
• Resilient Norfolk

Social

The City is committed to improving the social well-being of its citizens. This is reflected in various
departments and initiatives underway, including:

• The City is committed to being a Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive city and was the first city in Hampton Roads to launch a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative. The goal of this initiative is to create a community where everyone feels welcomed, included, and equipped to thrive. The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion through its daily operations. Key focus areas include: workforce /human resources, economic opportunity / inclusive economic growth, planning / infrastructure, and outreach and neighborhood engagement.
• In 2013, the City established the Mayor's Commission on Poverty Reduction (the "Commission"). The Commission brought together members of the community to identify the root causes of poverty in the City and specific barriers to economic opportunity experienced by City residents. In June 2014, the Commission published the City's Plan to Reduce Poverty, which is a strategy built on a collaborative model which creates opportunities to access education, training, and economic development services, so that people living in poverty can obtain family sustaining employment. Specifically, the strategy includes early childhood education, youth education and career pathways, adult workforce development, and neighborhood revitalization and support. The poverty reduction plan is underway in the City, most visible by the City's transformational work in the St. Paul's Community.
  • Home - St Paul's Transformation Project

Governance

The City is guided by long-standing, conservative practices and internal and budgetary controls.  Additionally, the City Council has adopted formal financial policies that serve as a foundation for the City's financial planning.  

• View adopted financial policies here.