What do you get when you combine the Oregon and Woodland Park Zoos, the Pacific Science Center, the Spokane, Oregon, and Washington State Convention Centers, the Seattle Aquarium, the Portland Timbers and the Seattle Sounders, Sea-Tac Airport, the Space Needle, and more than 100 other sport teams, iconic regional gathering places, and more? In this case, you get The Wave: a brand new collaboration of diverse partners pledging to work together to tackle some of the biggest sustainability challenges our region faces.
The combined reach of the stakeholders of The Wave is enormous. This diverse group includes some of the most iconic and beloved organizations, institutions and venues in the Northwest. Together, the stakeholders of The Wave are working toward these five essential goals:
- 100% clean energy- make the Northwest the first region in the nation to be powered by 100% clean energy.
- Clean and equitable transportation- promote safe, affordable, and accessible clean transportation for everyone in the Northwest.
- Zero waste- honor the entire life cycle of materials to minimize environmental impacts and conserve natural resources.
- Healthy and sustainable food- transition to sourcing and producing food in the Northwest that is healthier for people and the planet.
- Clean air and water- ensure the Northwest has clean air and water for all species and all generations.
The Wave is a project of Climate Solutions, and we think it holds the promise of making a seismic impact on climate change. I have been heavily involved in the development of The Wave, and there is one thing that has struck me in the many conversations that I have had with the stakeholders: the desire to do something bigger together. So many of the stakeholders, so many of us, are doing important work to drive solutions to the climate crisis. But individually, even for entities as large as a major sports franchise or an institution like a zoo or aquarium that has millions of visitors a year, our impact seems too small for a problem as big as the global climate crisis.
That desire for a bigger collective impact is what brings the many collaborators in The Wave together. And that desire and our combined power to work together for change is what gives me hope in this newly emerging effort. Check it out and join The Wave today!
We’re just getting started, and I could not be more excited.
