The Oberlin Project

The Oberlin Project is a joint effort of the City of Oberlin, Oberlin College, and private and institutional partners to improve the resilience, prosperity, and sustainability of our community.

The Oberlin Project's aim is to revitalize the local economy, eliminate carbon emissions, restore local agriculture, food supply and forestry, and create a new, sustainable base for economic and community development.

Our current goals include:

• Creating one of the first climate positive cities in America by shifting the City and College to renewable energy sources, radically improving efficiency, sharply reducing our carbon emissions, and improving our economy in the process.
• Creating new and supporting existing business ventures in energy efficiency and solar deployment, food and agriculture, and the sustainable use of local resources.
• Conserving 20,000 acres of green space and developing a robust local foods economy to meet 70% of our consumption.
• Creating an educational alliance between the College, the Oberlin schools, the Joint Vocational School, and Lorain County Community College focused on integrating sustainability into education at all levels.
• Developing a 13-acre Green Arts District at the US Green Building Council Platinum level.
• Serving as a model that can be replicated in other communities.

The City and College have signed on to become one of 18 Clinton Foundation Climate Positive Development Program cities (one of only three in the United States), thereby committing to reducing Oberlin’s greenhouse gas emissions below zero. The City of Oberlin is on target to reduce its emissions by 50% of 2007 levels by 2015, with 90% of its electricity coming from renewable sources.