Title
Ellen MacArthur Foundation Network Membership Renewal (Ordinance S-48808)
Description
This report requests to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to renew the City's membership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Network for a one-year term beginning Fiscal Year 2022-23, and ongoing options to extend annually. Further request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to grant an exception pursuant to Phoenix City Code section 42-20 to include indemnification and assumption of liability provisions that otherwise would be prohibited by Phoenix City Code section 42-18.
Report
Summary
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), a non-profit organization, was established in 2010 and launched the Circular Economy 100 (CE100) and the CE100 USA programs in 2013 and 2016, respectively. The City of Phoenix was the first municipality in the United States invited to join the CE100 group in Fiscal Year 2015-16. EMF’s mission and membership aligns with the City’s long-term vision of zero waste by 2050.
Benefits of membership in the EMF network include but are not limited to:
- Access to a private, innovation platform for 100 corporations, academic institutions, emerging innovators, and governments, including circular economy pioneers in key industry sectors with a wide geographic spread;
- Connections to EMF’s global partners (including Cisco, Google, H&M, Intesa Sanpaolo, Nike, Philips, Renault and Unilever) to develop circular business initiatives and address challenges to implementing them;
- Connections to international companies and investors such as the Closed Loop Fund (CLF), which offers zero-interest loans to municipalities to build infrastructure to implement emerging technologies in the recycling industry;
- Collaboration opportunities with EMF network members for knowledge sharing and solution development related to circular food systems, circular public procurement methodologies, and more; and
- Participation in EMF’s systemic initiatives including collaborative research that provides opportunities to showcase Phoenix’s circular economy success stories.
With City Council's authorization, the City has been a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation CE100 since Sept. 9, 2015. EMF recently changed the terms of its network membership for cities and no longer requires any monetary commitments such as annual fees. Under the terms of membership renewal, an exception is needed pursuant to Phoenix City Code section 42-20 to include indemnification and assumption of liability provisions that otherwise would be prohibited by Phoenix City Code section 42-18.
Financial Impact
There is no financial impact with this membership renewal.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Karen Peters and the Public Works Department.