Accomplishments

Resource Renewal Institute: Eighteen Years Of Accomplishments In The Sustainability Arena

In 1983, Huey D. Johnson founded the New Renaissance Center with a belief that humanity knows enough to solve the environmental problem. The Center imparted a vision of a Green Century, a 100-year plan to “restore and improve the quality of our natural resource systems and increase economic productivity.” Two years later, this organization became the Resource Renewal Institute (RRI) of today. Official incorporation of the Resource Renewal Institute occurred on February 15, 1985. At the heart of RRI’s vision is the idea of green plans—comprehensive, integrated, cooperative and long-term strategies that represent a global benchmark for innovative environmental management.

Resource Renewal Institute, founded in 1985, has a rich history of advocacy, outreach, education, and information sharing in the fast-developing realm of green planning. From the start, RRI imparted a new vision for management of our natural environment: comprehensive rather than piecemeal; long-term rather than shortsighted; and cooperative rather than conflict-ridden.

RRI has been host to seven international conferences and workshops, as well as numerous speaking engagements. We have undertaken ‘Seeing is Believing’ tours of U.S. leaders to both the Netherlands and New Zealand. Participants on these tours returned energized to initiate similar efforts, in states such as New Jersey, Oregon, and California.

RRI has spread the green planning message around the world through a range of media and avenues. Established in 1995, our web site has been internationally lauded, and now receives over 10,000 unique guests a month. We have published both a Green Plans book and video documentary, and we have written articles for many national and international publications.

This overview of accomplishments highlights only some of RRI’s work and achievements over the past fifteen years. We hope you enjoy the material included here; we see this addition to our web site as both a testimonial to the many people who have contributed to and supported the development of RRI in the past, and also as the important building blocks as RRI grows in the future.

Early Years

Early on in its development, the Resource Renewal Institute was known as The New Renaissance Center (TNRC), whose goal at that time was “to support individuals and new institutions that work for a positive future for the earth and humankind.”

1991: RRI’S First Conference

RRI held its first conference in 1991, which focused upon environmental strategies at the city level. The conference was a great success, and represented the formal beginning of an ongoing partnership with the Marin Community Foundation, a significant supporter of RRI over the years. A book, Saving Cities, Saving Money, was published as a result of this conference.

1992: Green Plans Conference

An international conference on national environmental quality strategies was hosted by RRI and the Marin Community Foundation in 1992.

1993: Second Green Plans Conference

A second international conference on green plans was hosted by RRI and MCF in 1993. This time, the focus was upon bringing the green planning message to Pacific Rim nations. The same year, RRI published the first of its formal International Green Planner newsletters, along with an Annual Report of activities.

1993: RRI’S First Seeing Is Believing Tours

RRI undertook its first two Seeing is Believing tours to the Netherlands in 1993.

Participants in the first group included representatives from the Gellert Foundation, Marin Community Foundation, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, and film maker John De Graff.

Participants in the second group included politicians and top-level staff from the State of New Jersey. These included the Chief of Policy and Planning, a Policy Advisor to the Governor, and the Commissioners of the New Jersey Departments of Commerce and Department of Environmental Protection.

1994: RRI Expands Role

1994 saw RRI expand its operations, as we launched into the States Campaign, and received funding from the Marin Community Foundation for the Global Green Plan Center (GGPC). The GGPC developed a web site; one of the world’s first environmental policy clearinghouses in what at the time was a new and innovative media—the Internet.

1994: Other Activities

RRI’s third tour to the Netherlands comprised San Francisco Bay Area leaders in environmental issues. The delegation included the President of the Earth Island Institute, and representatives of the Wallace Alexander Gerbode and Columbia foundations.

A Green Plan for California

In 1993, RRI worked alongside California State Senators Presley and Marks to propose a comprehensive sustainability plan—a green plan — for the State of California. A resolution was passed in the State Senate, but unfortunately, in 1994, the Bill was killed before it could be adopted. A cross-sectoral California Sustainable Development Council would have been created if this bill had passed.

1995: Launch of Book and Video

Many years work came to fruition in 1995, as RRI launched the Green Plans book and video documentary. Both projects involved launch events across the U.S., and around the world.

The Green Plans documentary was broadcast on PBS stations across the U.S., as well as in short form on CNN’s Earth Matters program.

In May 1995, the Green Plans documentary was broadcast in Washington DC as part of an annual environmental film festival. The screening was co-hosted by RRI, the Royal Netherlands Embassy, and the Embassy of New Zealand.

Green Plans: Greenprint for Sustainability, by RRI President Huey D. Johnson, experienced excellent sales and has become a critical tool in spreading the green planning message around the world.

1995: INGP Conference

In 1995, RRI was also fortunate to host the second conference of the International Network of Green Planners (INGP), in San Francisco, CA.

1995: U.S. Dutch Conference

In Fall 1995, RRI was a co-sponsor of a U.S.-Dutch conference on Innovations in Cooperative Environmental Management. The event was a great success, and the proceedings of the conference were recorded on video.

1996: PCSD Award

In 1996, the year got off to a great start with the awarding of a sustainability prize from the President’s Council for Sustainable Development. Huey D. Johnson, President and founder of RRI, was recognized for his current work on green planning and the “Investing for Prosperity” program, which Johnson pioneered when he was California’s Resource Secretary, between 1978 and 1992.

1996:Four Seeing Is Believing Tours

New Zealand: In 1996, RRI undertook its first Seeing is Believing tour of U.S. leaders to New Zealand. The group comprised NGO and business leaders from across the U.S..

Netherlands: RRI also undertook three further tours to the Netherlands this year. The first included a representative from the Minnesota Sustainable Development Roundtable. The second comprised business, government, and NGO leaders from the state of Oregon. The third comprised young environmental leaders from across North America, including Adam Werbach, the then 22-year old President of the Sierra Club.

1997: Dutch Business Delegation

In 1997, RRI was host to a Dutch business delegation, who visited the states of Minnesota, Oregon, and California.

1998: Green Plan Leadership Program

In 1998, RRI launched the Green Plan Leadership Program, an experiential, action-oriented program designed to provide leaders with the skills and knowledge to initiate and guide green plan processes at the state and local levels. The program is designed to establish a cooperative forum where key representatives from government, industry, and the NGO/community sector work together to develop a shared vision for environmental recovery.

1999

As part of its Green Plan Leadership Program, RRI organized "Seeing is Believing" policy tours to the Netherlands and New Zealand.

RRI completed a new and improved Green Plan Primer. The Primer serves a range of purposes, including marketing of the green planning idea, an extensive overview for those new to green planning, and a reference source for green planning practitioners.

RRI also advanced message in the United States, with an emphasis on New York, California, Maine, and North Carolina.

2000

RRI hosted a number of targeted meetings and workshops in California, Maine, New Jersey, and New York as part of its States Campaign.

RRI led a “Seeing is Believing” policy tours to the Netherlands for a delegation of industry and government leaders from Mexico. Many participants have gone on to hold influential posts in the administration of President Fox.

In December RRI led a delegation comprised mainly of members of the California Environmental Dialogue to New Zealand. The influential list of participants included the secretaries of the California EPA and Resources Agency.

2001

Through the Green Plan Center, RRI made available The State of the States report.

RRI hosted a number of targeted meetings and roundtables in California, Maine, New York, Washington state, and Washington DC.

RRI founder and president, Huey D. Johnson, was awarded the prestigious Sasakawa Environment Prize from the United Nations Environment Programme in New York City in November of 2001. Huey was honored for his 40 years of outstanding global contribution to the protection of the earth’s natural resources and for advancing the cause of sustainable development.

2002

RRI hosted it inaugural fundraising event to recognize the lifetime achievements of Huey D. Johnson. Speakers included Robert Redford and Jerry Brown.

2003

RRI formally launched its Defense of Place project.