These initiatives aim to create a more sustainable future for New Orleans
Facilities & Venues
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, along with their partner Sodexo Live, have made a strong commitment to the New Orleans and global communities. NOENMCC and Sodexo Live continually evaluate operational decisions based on waste reduction, energy conservation, water conservation and clean air practices. Examples include:
2022: NOENMCC achieves LEED Gold Certification (the first convention center in the world certified under the latest LEED program as of November 2022). The LEED Gold Certification is a major milestone in its ongoing commitment to sustainability. A building rating system that provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership. Learn more about LEED certification here.
It is the largest contributor in New Orleans to both Second Harvest and Second Helping food banks.
MMCNO and Sodexo Live utilize bulk purchasing, reducing packaging for materials that are brought into the Convention Center
A Computerized Energy Management System is used in public areas and meeting space.
Irrigation systems at NOENMCC are equipped with rain sensors to prevent excessive use of water resources.
Annual maintenance on all air handler units and coils, and NOENMCC also has a preventative maintenance schedule that is followed and kept on record.
4 electric vehicle charging stations are located at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Implemented an ongoing reduced energy consumption initiative starting in 2015 to reduce energy consumption from installing LED lighting. By 2025 the cumulative energy savings will be $7,554,776 indicating a dramatic decrease in energy consumption.
Installed water waste reduction fixtures in 70% of the venues restrooms and kitchen areas.
Food donation initiative with Second Harvest and Bethel Colony food banks to reduce food waste.
Mardi Gras Bead recycling and repurposing initiative in partnership with ARC of GNO.
NOENMCC Pedestrian Park
Caesars Superdome
Transportation
Our own New Orleans & Company recently acquired the first EV-350 Transit electric freight vehicle in the state of Louisiana, to be used as our daily transit van. For more great initiatives like this, see below.
Motor Coaches
Hotard, one of New Orleans’ leading motor coach companies, recently switched to a greener fleet that reduces black smoke by 90 percent.
Streetcars
Streetcars in New Orleans are fully electric and provide an easy, and cheap, way to get around town. Check out our New Orleans Streetcars page for more information.
City-wide EV Charging Station Initiative
The first stations, completed in August 2022, are located in Pontchartrain Park and are available for public use.
Starting February 2023, the Audubon Nature Institute unveiled the newest addition to its Uptown property: four free electric vehicle charging stations. Each charging station can accommodate up to two vehicles at a time.
4 electric vehicle charging stations are located at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
These installations are part of a broader EV charging station program run by Entergy New Orleans in partnership with the City of New Orleans to install 30 charging stations at 25 locations across the city. Read more about the initiative here.
The city’s compact downtown area is very walkable and minimizes the need for transportation. The compact geographic footprint of the city means an easy walk to and from some of our most famous offerings - from attractions and restaurants to meeting venues and hotels (over 26,000 sleeping rooms in a 2 mile radius) - saving you in transportation costs.
New Orleans is home to a number of environmentally responsible hotels that employ such tactics as linen reuse, light timers, visible placement of recycle baskets and conversion to glassware from plastic. When conventioneers book several thousand rooms, those environmental savings can make a big difference.
New green initiatives are happening all around New Orleans
Second Line Stages, the first independent green stage company in the United States, recently opened in the Lower Garden District. Kern Studios float builders now use biodiesel tractors to pull floats during Mardi Gras. New Orleans even has a zero-waste annual music and art festival! A number of construction initiatives are bringing cutting-edge green home building technology to New Orleans.
Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) Oyster Shell Recycling Program
CRCL partners with more than 2 dozen restaurants in the New Orleans area, as well as two drop-off locations, to collect oyster shell and return it to the water, where oyster reefs slow erosion and create habitat for new oysters to grow. Since 2014, CRCL has recycled more than 13 million pounds of shell, making this Oyster Shell Recycling Program one of the largest such programs in the country. CRCL partners with coastal communities and volunteers to place the shell into biodegradable mesh bags and then place the shell in the water. They’ve built five reefs so far, and they're just getting started.
Louisiana Wind Energy Hub at UNO
The Beach at UNO, the University’s Research and Technology park, hosts the Gulf’s premier ecosystem for innovation, entrepreneurship, and education in offshore wind energy, which strives to accelerate the growth of the state’s wind energy innovation ecosystem.
H2theFuture Coalition Grant
EDA awarded a $50 million federal grant to H2theFuture to develop a new energy cluster in South Louisiana spanning the clean hydrogen life cycle for an end-use project at the Port of South Louisiana.
New Energy Center of the U.S. (NEXUS) will be established at The Beach at UNO and serve as the physical and programmatic hub for a range of clean energy initiatives.
UNO will also receive $6 million for a Maritime Green Energy Lab that will serve as a testbed and development center for hydrogen-fueled ships.
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Stormwater Projects (HMGPs)
HMGPs help communities by implementing mitigation measures in accordance with the Presidential Major Disaster Declaration, to reduce the risk of loss of life and property from future disasters. 75% of funding is Federal, 25% from State
$15.5 Million Pontilly Neighborhood Stormwater Network (Pontchartrain Park and Gentilly Woods neighborhood)
Includes bio swales, rain gardens, pervious surfacing and more. Upon completion, it will store up to 8.9 million gallons of storm water and reduce flooding as much as 14 inches during a 10-year rain event.
$7.1 Million Hagan Lafite Project (Mid-City)
Includes underground storage tanks, pipe upgrades and rain gardens – when complete, this project will reduce localized flooding by storing up to 1.3 million gallons of storm water.
City Park Hazard Mitigation Project
Existing lagoons in City Park will be terraced along the shoreline to create additional storage volume. Native plants along the shoreline will also reduce shoreline erosion, improve water quality, and improve fish habitats. Connections between lagoons will be enhanced to circulate stormwater, improving water quality and habitats for fish, birds, and invertebrates while decreasing invasive and non-native plants and fish. Once a major storm event has passed, excess stormwater from the City Park lagoons will be slowly released back into the drainage system and eventually to Lake Pontchartrain. Native plants added to the Park through this project will aid in groundwater storage through their longer root networks as compared to common lawn grasses.
LifeCity's Zero Waste Challenge
New Orleans & Company is part of Life City’s Zero Waste Challenge for businesses in New Orleans to be committed to more sustainable efforts, such as composting, recycling and eliminating plastics. In only three months in 2022, 65 participating businesses diverted 1,600 tons of waste from the landfill. Find out more about LifeCity and the Love Your City program here.
New Orleans is a great destination if you’re looking to travel sustainably. Here are some ways to make sure you leave the city better than you found it.
