Sustainable Atlanta received a $50,000 grant from The UPS Foundation, the charitable arm of UPS (NYSE:UPS).  The grant will be used to support the Energy Taskforce and help establish Sustainable Atlanta's metric dashboard and sustainability reporting efforts.

The UPS Foundation grant will help support two of Sustainable Atlanta's programming efforts. The first, a policy initiative, is the Energy Taskforce that is comprised of academic, business, civic, governmental and non-profit leaders working together to minimize Atlanta's carbon footprint.  Through the taskforce energy conservation, best practices and policy recommendations will be developed and presented to the Atlanta City Council in the near future.

The second effort helps fund Sustainable Atlanta's metric dashboard and second sustainability report for the City of Atlanta.  Currently under development, the metric dashboard will be displayed on www.sustainableatlanta.org and reflect the city's path to greater sustainability by providing real time measurement of key environmental impact areas.  Some of the proposed impact areas to be monitored include energy usage, waste management and water conservation.  The second sustainability report for the City of Atlanta will also help with benchmarking sustainability progress for the city, but will also showcase the initial steps Sustainable Atlanta has taken to drive sustainable progress in Atlanta as well as across the nation.

"Sustainable Atlanta is honored to be a recipient of The UPS Foundation's generous contribution," said Lynnette Young, Executive Director of Sustainable Atlanta.  "The funding is a great help as we continue working on our policy and programming efforts from 2009."

Established in 1951 and based in Atlanta, Ga., The UPS Foundation identifies specific areas where its backing clearly impacts social issues.  In support of this strategic approach, The UPS Foundation has identified the following focus areas for giving:  non-profit effectiveness, economic & global literacy, encouraging diversity, community safety and environmental sustainability.

In 2008, The UPS Foundation distributed $46.9 million worldwide through grants that benefit organizations or programs such as Sustainable Atlanta's Energy Taskforce/sustainability reporting efforts and provide support for building stronger communities.

"The UPS Foundation is committed to funding impactful programs that make a meaningful difference in our communities-so we are proud to support Sustainable Atlanta's efforts to minimize Atlanta's carbon footprint and report metrics that reflect the city's efforts in terms of sustainability," said Ken Sternad, president of The UPS Foundation.